Episode 425 - The REALTOR’s Game: How Golf Mirrors the Art of Focus at Work

You're listening to the Real Estate Sessions and I'm your host, Bill risser. With nearly 25 years in the real estate business, I love to interview industry leaders, up and comers and really anyone with a story to tell.It's the stories that led my guest to a career in the real estate world that drives me in my 10th year and over 400 episodes of the podcast. And now I hope you enjoy the next journey. Well, it's been about a six week sabbatical for the Real Estate sessions.I think it's time add a new episode. I'm going to do this one monologue style. I'll definitely get back to the interviews real soon.So I really like to play golf and I've had a couple of bad weeks on the golf course.At my regular Sunday game, I mean we have anywhere from 50 to 70 players show up and it's a bunch of guys that are there for the game as well as the camaraderie. And as I headed home after another bad round, I began to imagine like, how would a Realtor respond to a bad day or bad week?How do they regroup or get back on track? And I've used golf many times as an analogy for different parts of my life and really everyone's life. So why not dig in to the real estate world?So here we go. In real estate, much like in golf, I mean, success often comes down to focus on the surface.The two might seem worlds apart, one played on manicured fairways and greens, the other negotiating across living rooms, closing tables and endless email threads. But look closer and you'll see uncanny similarities.For Realtors, the parallels between teeing off at dawn and walking into a client meeting are powerful reminders that staying focused isn't just a skill, it's a discipline that determines outcomes. Every golfer knows the importance of the pre shot routine. It's that consistent sequence.Align the body, check the grip, visualize the target that sets the stage for a clean strike. Skip it, rush it, or get distracted. And chances are, the ball sails off course. For Realtors, the workday has its own version of the pre shot routine.Good buddy of mine Sean Carpenter talks about this a lot. It might be the morning coffee or reviewing the day's appointments, or checking the MLS or blocking time for prospecting.Just as in golf, consistency matters. Those who take control of their mornings tend to take control of their days.A Realtor who haphazardly jumps into calls without preparation is no different from the golfer who shows up on the first tee without warming up the results rarely impress the lesson. Preparation creates focus. In both golf and real estate, the foundation for success is laid before the first swing or the first showing.Now on the golf course, distractions abound.A sudden gust of wind, a playing partner shifting in your peripheral vision, or the distant crack of a driver from another fairway can throw off your concentration. To score well, you learn to block out the noise and focus solely on the shot at hand. Real estate is no different.Realtors are bombarded by distractions, constant notifications, last minute client texts, social media chatter, and the inevitable drama of deals that don't go as planned. The top performers develop the ability to narrow their focus. When they when they're with a client, they're fully present.When they're prospecting, they're not toggling over to Facebook. Now golf teaches us that divided attention leads to mishits. Real estate proves that divided attention leads to missed opportunities.In both games, the discipline to filter out noise separates amateurs from pros. Ask any golfer and they'll tell you perfection is a myth. Every professional miss hit shots land in buckers and three putt greens.What sets them apart isn't flawlessness. It's patience. They know every round is a marathon, not a sprint. And that reliance and that resilience matters more than a single bad hole.Realtors face the same reality. Not every listing appointment results in a signed agreement. Not every buyer finds their dream home on the first tour.And not every deal makes it to closing. The ability to stay patient, to reset after setbacks, and to play the long game is what leads to lasting success.Golf teaches us that you can't control every bounce or roll. Real estate teaches that you can't control every appraisal, inspection, or interest rate hike.What you can control is your mindset, your persistence and ability to keep showing up. Focused on the next opportunity before a great shot, golfers visualize success. They see the ball's trajectory, its landing, its roll toward the pin.That clarity gives their body the instructions it needs to execute. Without it, swings become mechanical, scattered, and uncertain. For realtors, visualization works the same way.Before a listing presentation, the most effective agents picture how the conversation will flow. They envision addressing objections, walking clients through comps, and ultimately earning trust.Before an open house, they see the ideal outcome it's neighbors stopping by or buyers lingering or offers following. Golf and real estate both remind us that clarity fuels execution.When you know where you want the ball or the business to go, your chances of getting there multiply in. Golf drives get the glory, but short games Win the scorecard A booming drive means little if you can't chip a close or sink the putt.The subtle, less glamorous strokes around the green are where the round is truly made. Real estate has its own short follow up.Big wins, like landing a listing or hosting a busy Open house, matter but without consistent, thoughtful follow up deals slip away.The handwritten thank you card, the timely call, the quick response to a late night text or a tool like Living Ear, these are the equivalent of crisp chips and clutch putts.The realtor who masters the follow up, just like the golfer who hones their short game, finds success not in one grand gesture but in the accumulation of small, focused actions. Every golf course is different. Some are open and forgiving. Others are tight and punishing.Weather shifts, greens run fast or slow, and hazards lurk everywhere. To play well, golfers must reconditions, adjust their strategies and sometimes take the safe shot rather than the risky one.In real estate, the market is the course. Interest rates, inventory, buyer demand and economic trends constantly shift. Realtors can't force the market to play their way.Instead, they must assess conditions honestly and guide clients accordingly. Sometimes it's about making bold moves. Other times it's about laying up and waiting for better opportunities.Both golf and real estate reward adaptability. Success lies not in wishing the conditions were different, but in mastering them as they are.Perhaps the most profound parallel between golf and real estate is the mental game. Golf is notorious for its psychological battles. A player rattled by one bad hole often unravels on the next.Confidence is fragile and pressure is relentless. Realtors live the same battle. One lost client, one deal gone sideways, one tough negotiation. These moments can throw an agent off their game.But just like golfers, Realtors must guard their mental state. Confidence, calm and focus are their greatest assets. Golfers use breathing techniques, self talk and routines to steady themselves.Realtors, too, must cultivate rituals, whether it's journaling, meditating or simply taking a moment to breathe before walking into a tense meeting. Both games remind us that the brain, not the body, determines performance. So in the end, golf and real estate share a simple truth.Success belongs to those who focus, adapt and persistent. Each round of golf and each day in real estate is unpredictable. Some days the putts fall and clients say yes. Other days, nothing seems to go right.But both games reward the realtor and the golfer who shows up with discipline, blocks out distractions, stays patient under pressure and plays the long game. The parallels aren't just metaphorical they're instructive. Golf teaches Realtors to stay present, think strategically, and recover gracefully.Real estate, in turn, reminds golfers that focus is never about perfection. It's about consistency and resilience.So the next time you step onto the T or into a client's living room, remember you're playing the same game, different fields, same focus. And the realtor who masters that focus will always find themselves closer to the pin and closer to success.I hope this episode helps you, whether you're a realtor, golfer, or both. I know putting this together will help my mindset.As I head to the course next Sunday, let me know which part of this episode you will embrace as a realtor or a golfer or both. And until next time, cheers.