Straley Real Estate, Inc., was formed in the spring of 1976 in Paulding with three partners, Edward Straley, Rudy Straley, and William C. Straley. Their apprenticeship was under the brokerage of Yoder's Realty, Inc., in Defiance. After operating for 2 1/2 years under Yoder's name, the partners received a broker's license and operated solely under their corporate name.

Business was excellent from 1976 until the early 1980s when the recession took a stronghold in Paulding County and forced William Straley to look elsewhere to survive in the real estate business. At this same time, Pat Davis of Pat Davis Realty in Van Wert approached Straley with an offer to buy her real estate company, assign her listings to him, and absorb whichever of her staff wanted to stay. Davis and Straley reached agreement on Christmas Eve of 1980, and on April 1, 1981, they met with her staff and explained the ownership changeover. Thus, Straley started business in Van Wert County on this date as Pat Davis Realty, William C. Straley, principle broker.

During the next three years, Straley attempted to work a half day in his Paulding office and the other half in the Van Wert office. But as business increased, he found it necessary to spend more time in Van Wert and hence sold his interest in the Paulding company to his partners. It also was during this period that Davis and Straley agreed to change the company name to Straley Realty & Auctioneers and later to incorporate the real estate business.

During the past 33 years, Straley's staff, except two original active agents (Robbin Benner and Jane Germann), has turned over and now includes 4 licensed real estate brokers and about 20 licensed agents, many of whom do real estate full time. Thirteen of these associates also are licensed auctioneers or apprentice auctioneers. Last year Straley Realty was involved in real estate sales totaling almost $20 million and holds a better than 60 percent market share in Van Wert County.