PHOTO: World No.1. Grand Slam champion. Now… real estate agent? Pat Rafter’s most outrageous “listing” yet has Australia talking. FILE
🇦🇺 From Wimbledon Whites to For-Sale Boards
Australian tennis icon Pat Rafter has picked up a new racket — and this time it’s a real estate listing, with his first “property” none other than the Australian Open.
In a tongue-in-cheek marketing campaign, Rafter is fronting a mock sale of Australia’s most famous sporting venue, pitching the Australian Open precinct as a 20-hectare blue-chip asset in the heart of Melbourne.
And while it’s clearly a bit of fun — it’s also some of the smartest sports-property marketing seen in years.
Pat Rafter is trying a new gig as a real estate agent, and his first listing is the Australian Open.
🏙️ The “Property” Everyone Wants
Marketed under the fictional agency Rafter & Co, the Australian Open appears online as a prestige listing at:
📍 1 Olympic Boulevard, Melbourne
🟢 “The No.1 address in tennis”
According to the playful listing, the property blends “sophistication and electric energy” and boasts features most buyers could only dream of.
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🏗️ Property Features (Yes, Really)
The listing highlights include:
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🎾 Multiple world-class tennis courts
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🚗 878 car parks
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💡 State-of-the-art lighting
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🏋️ Gym facilities
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🌉 Yarra River frontage
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🌞 North, south, east and west-facing aspects
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🏟️ Dynamic retractable roofing
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🎉 Multiple outdoor entertainment areas
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🧱 Cushioned acrylic “floors with great bounce”
“This really is open-plan living at its finest,” Rafter quipped.
The extraordinary listing comes with the chance to call in to Pat Rafter’s voicemail.
💰 A “Blue-Chip Asset” With Serious Economic Weight
While the listing is symbolic, the numbers behind the Australian Open are very real.
In the most recent tournament year, the event delivered an estimated $565.8 million in economic benefit to Victoria, underlining why experts joke the likely “buyer” would be Sydney.
🤔 Would Sydney Actually Buy It?
Real Estate Institute of Victoria chief executive Toby Balazs played along, suggesting interstate rivals would be circling:
“I reckon it would be Sydney or Brisbane fighting it out. Blue-chip property like that will always average a great price, no matter what the market does.”
In real estate terms, it doesn’t get more trophy-grade than this.
📲 Realestate.com.au Joins the Rally
The campaign coincides with realestate.com.au being announced as the official real estate sponsor of the Australian Open.
The listing includes:
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Professional photography
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Video walk-throughs
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3D tours and interactive floorplans
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Even a voicemail greeting recorded by Rafter himself
REA Group general manager Sarah Myer said the campaign brings together two national obsessions:
“Property and sport.”
The address has also hosted a lot of famous faces, from Rod Laver and Evon Goolagong through to modern tennis champs like Roger Federer and Aryna Sabalenka.
The Open is also well suited for entertainers, with plenty of options for a drink or to eat at.
👑 A Venue With Serious Pedigree
The “home” has hosted tennis royalty for decades, including:
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Rod Laver
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Evonne Goolagong
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Roger Federer
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Aryna Sabalenka
The listing cheekily notes the venue “resonates with Pat’s personal touch throughout” — a nod to Rafter’s decade-long association with the Open as one of its most beloved champions.
👀 Inspections Expected to Be Massive
With Melbourne’s property market warming up for the year, open-for-inspection numbers are tipped to be extraordinary.
Estimates suggest up to 200,000 “attendees” could pass through during the campaign, with inspections running daily until February 1.
There’s even talk of fans getting a hit with tennis legends across finals weekend — a real estate open home like no other.
🧠 Marketing Genius or Property Satire?
While no contracts will actually be signed, the stunt highlights something important:
👉 Property marketing is entertainment now.
👉 Sporting venues are assets with enormous economic gravity.
👉 Real estate storytelling matters more than ever.
And if Pat Rafter ever does decide to swap tennis for property full-time — he’s already got Australia’s attention.
SOURCE: REALCOMMERCIAL.COM.AU