From Arcade Machines to 200 Families Helped: How Mitchell Ross Built One of Reno's Most Trusted Real Estate Teams
- Shay Phillips
- Jun 25
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 26
If you want to understand how Mitchell Ross approaches real estate, start with the story of his first deal.
It was 2017. Mitchell had just gotten his license and was shadowing a mentor at an open house. A couple walked in, said they were not really interested in the property, but mentioned a condo they had been eyeing nearby. The mentor sent Mitchell over alone. His hands were shaking when he opened the lockbox. He had never done it before.
He got them in. They bought the condo. At closing, Mitchell handed the first-time buyers their keys and watched them cry. He was moved by the moment in a way he did not expect. A few weeks later, the commission check arrived and sealed the deal. Nine years and over 200 families later, he has never looked back.
A Business Background That Set Him Apart
Before real estate, Mitchell was running an arcade game business with his father. If you grew up in Reno and spent time at Wild Island before its big remodel, you likely played on machines that Mitchell and his dad owned and operated. At its peak, the business had over 300 units across multiple locations. They tripled its size before it grew too large to manage as a family operation and sold it.
That experience gave Mitchell something most new agents do not have: a genuine understanding of what it means to run a business. He handled accounting, inventory, sales, and cash management. He learned the difference between collecting a paycheck and building something. When he eventually found real estate, that foundation shaped everything about how he operates.
How Mitchell and Mackinzie Work as a Team
Mitchell does not work alone. His wife Mackinzie has been licensed since before he got into the business and is a core part of everything they do. Mitchell handles the front-facing side of the business, building relationships through door knocking, events, and direct client work. Mackinzie runs the marketing, creates listing materials, manages their social presence, and develops the creative campaigns that keep their brand sharp.
Together they have built a business that gives them real flexibility. Mitchell is the vice president of his daughter's school PTO. They travel regularly. The business serves their life rather than the other way around.
Why He Still Door Knocks After Nine Years
Mitchell built his early business through open houses, doing 75 in his first year and 68 in his second. When COVID eliminated that option, he visited his brother in Denver, who had built his entire business through door knocking, and decided to make the shift. He has not stopped since.
He maintains a farm of 500 doors that he visits twice a year. Most of those people he considers friends. He gets updates on their kids, their jobs, life changes that have nothing to do with real estate. That consistency is what turns a prospect into a relationship, and a relationship into a referral years down the road.
He is typically done by 10 or 10:30 in the morning before the heat sets in, and then gets on with his day.
The Reno Market Segment He Knows Best
Roughly 60 to 70 percent of Mitchell's business comes from zip code 89521, primarily in the $750K to $1.2M price range. He is candid about why that segment is uniquely challenging right now.
Buyers and sellers in that price band are often homeowners who refinanced during COVID and are sitting on a 2.5 to 3.5 percent interest rate. Their homes have appreciated, so they have equity, but moving up means a significantly higher monthly payment. The jump is not a few hundred dollars. It can be a thousand dollars or more per month. That friction keeps a lot of people stuck.
As a result, Mitchell has seen more clients choose to leave the area entirely, relocating to Florida, Salt Lake City, and the Bay Area. Their listings reflect that reality.
For buyers and sellers who are staying, his advice is consistent: start the process earlier than you think you need to. Get in front of a lender and an agent well before you are ready to move. Build the relationship. Let the plan develop over time. A 60-day credit issue that could have been resolved in advance should not be the thing standing between you and the home you want.
What He Learned from Running a Team
Mitchell has worn a lot of hats in this industry. Solo agent, agent leadership council member at Keller Williams, open house instructor, productivity coach, and eventually team leader. When he left Keller Williams, three agents followed him and the Mitchell Ross Homes team was born.
He is honest about what happened next. His focus shifted toward his agents' success and away from his own business. Door knocking stopped. Open houses stopped. Growth stalled for everyone. About a year ago, he disbanded the team and went back to basics.
The takeaway was not that teams are wrong. It was that he is most effective when he is close to his clients, doing the work himself, with the right leverage around him. Now it is Mitchell, Mackinzie, an assistant, and a transaction coordinator. Lean, intentional, and built around the clients rather than a headcount.
The Philosophy Behind His Practice
One of the things Mitchell is most direct about is the nest egg he and Mackinzie maintain.
Early in his career he made a deliberate decision: they would keep enough cash on hand to go an entire year without a commission. They still do. The reason is simple. An agent who needs the next paycheck cannot give fully honest advice. Mitchell can, and does.
He recently sat down with a new buyer client who had a bad experience with a previous agent who kept pushing her to reduce her list price so he could close the deal faster. Mitchell's approach is the opposite. Whatever is right for the client is the decision he supports, regardless of how it affects his commission.
He also talks about failure in a way that is refreshing. A year ago he started going to the gym and came across a concept that stuck with him: in the gym, we expect to fail. We load the bar knowing we might not get the rep. We understand that failure is the mechanism of growth. But in business and in life, we avoid it. Mitchell has been deliberately leaning into discomfort since then, both at home and in his work, and says the results have been significant.
Work With Mitchell Ross
Mitchell Ross is based in Reno and specializes in residential real estate across the greater Reno market. If you are thinking about buying or selling and want to work with someone who will be straight with you at every step, reach out directly using the contact information below.
Phone: (775) 232-5755
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