Columbus, OH
United States
Name an important local, state or National Association of REALTORS® office, and the odds are pretty good that Harley Rouda, Sr. has held it. Just to name a few: NAR Board of Directors and Executive Committee of NAR; 1969 President of the Columbus Board of REALTORS® and its 1975 REALTOR® of the Year; 1986 President of the Ohio Association of REALTORS®; 1991 President of the National Association of REALTORS® and President of Asian-Pacific/APREF Council Committee (International Real Estate); 1991 Honorary National President of Habitat International; and 1992 Member of the Board of Consultants to the city of Columbus for the Columbus Board of REALTORS.®
Mr. Rouda’s career in the real estate industry began in 1953. Three years later, he founded Harley E. Rouda & Company, which in 1977 became HER REALTORS®, one of the largest brokerages in the Columbus, Ohio area. Today he servers as Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors for Real Living, formed four years ago through the merger of HER with two other prominent real estate firms (Realty One, and Huff REALTORS®), and as Chairman of the Board for HER Real Living.
Throughout his career, Mr. Rouda has been a committed community leader. He helped start, and served as the first President of, the Upper Arlington Civitan Club. He is past President of the Upper Arlington Civic Association and has served on the Board of Directors of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce and the Presidential Advisory Council at Ohio State University.
In recognition of his achievements as an eminent independent businessman, Mr. Rouda has been honored as the Upper Arlington Ohio Citizen of the Year. He was also a recipient of the Distinguished Entrepreneurial Lecturer Award from the Ohio State University Faculty Club and also Laureate for the Central Ohio Business Hall of Fame.
A firm believer in real estate education, Mr. Rouda has been a teacher of GRI Real Estate courses and has been the guest lecturer at many state and local conventions and for various company employee relocation projects. He has established a scholarship fund at Ohio State University.