Having golfed most of his childhood, Mitchell Blenkhorn was invited to a Queensland boarding school for elite golfers. Playing amateur golf and pro am tournaments for several years, he received a scholarship to attend an international university. Following an unfortunate back injury, Mitch had to explore a new career path ultimately leading him to start his real estate journey. Not all was lost when his golf career prematurely ended. Many attributes from his time as an elite golfer have served him as an agent; discipline, a strong work ethic and the value of consistency, to name a few. Today he shares a few key synergies he’s discovered between golfing with real estate selling.
Although golf is a competition, it is underscored by an unspoken commitment to honesty and cooperation. If you look at score-keeping alone, the fundamental principle relies on the opponents’ trust of each other to accurately record shots along the way. Similarly, the culture of Ray White Lower North Shore is underpinned by a clear focus on people and teamwork.
This is incredibly rare in this industry and why I was naturally drawn to the Ray White team. A perfect example is how individual agents in almost any other business would commonly keep their database close to their chest. Here however, we share databases, share ideas and share knowledge across each of our offices. Having this reach across databases is great for buyers who know they are cared for simply by the accuracy of property information they are sent. My commitment to team collaboration, with trust at the core of all I do, has been key to my success.
Visualisation and a pre-shot routine was an essential practice to achieve success on the course. Before every practice shot, I would hear my coach’s voice, “good shot Mitch, good shot”, I would then feel the muscle memory kick in. Before swinging I would visualise the shape I needed to hit, where I needed the ball to land, and finally the confidence to swing would come. The repetition of these thoughts before each swing was the key to my performance. To visualise my coach saying, “good shot” at the end was the ultimate motivator.
These days, in real estate, it’s about having an ideal week and repeating it. You must constantly be on top of those daily tasks. When you have a lot of properties listed it’s very easy to only do the thing that is in front of you rather than what you should be doing day in and day out. That’s where we can forget to visualise the long game and make the mistake of having tunnel vision on current listings only and immediate success. My ‘pre-shot’ routine now involves a minimum of 10 prospecting calls a day. This could include warm calls, people I know, or a follow up call with an existing client. The motivation is the client relationship and helping them achieve their success.
In golf you are placed with strangers for up to five hours and that’s certainly one way to get to know people! The game taught me how to start conversations, warm to people and understand their aspirations quickly.
This has helped me tremendously in real estate. Whether it be speaking to people at open homes or door knocking in the community I have been able to transfer these skills to my day to day job. My ultimate goal is for the client to feel cared for, understood and supported on their real estate journey. Being able to quickly qualify their wants, needs and goals whilst making them feel comfortable is one I’ve very proud of and attribute to my golf career.
Golf is ninety percent a mental game. You must learn to shut off outside influences that could negatively affect your game. I would say this is one of the most transferable skills from golf to real estate. Whether it’s a world pandemic, interest rate rises, or that one percent of people who are not interested when you knock on the door, as agents we must be able to overcome the setback, put a smile on our face and get back in the game.
We know in golf that some shots land in the sand, and some land on the green but regardless the end goal remains clear. Similarly, now I must complete a series of steps to achieve the ultimate goal – staying focused is the key, regardless of the speedbumps along the way.
Although rare, when you get to a professional or amateur level of any sport, if you make a mistake, you certainly don’t make that same mistake again. In golf, small adjustments to technique can make a big difference in performance, while in real estate, agents need to pay close attention to detail to ensure success for all parties.
In this way, adaptability is an essential attribute for both golfers and agents. Just like in golf where players need to adjust to changing weather conditions and course layouts, real estate agents need to adapt to changing market conditions, client needs, and industry regulations.
Golf is a distinctive sport that taught me many lessons such as how to work hard, have fun and keep going even when the game gets tough. As the saying goes, “in golf as in life, it’s the follow through that makes a difference”.
Mitchell Blenkhorn | Sales Advisor
mitchell.blenkhorn@raywhite.com | 0459 467 371
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