The biggest payoff for The Block contestants often comes at the auctions, where they keep whatever their house sells for over the reserve. However, this year a major rule change has come into play in Victoria that could have a devastating effect on the houses’ sale prices and, possibly, in turn, how much cash the cast will pocket.
On The Block, each house is given a reserve price, which is the minimum amount it must sell for at auction. Once bidding reaches that reserve, the house is officially “on the market” and will sell to the highest bidder, with anything above the reserve becoming the contestants’ profit.
In the past, the reserve prices have remained secret, meaning bidders had no set figure to anchor their offers to and could potentially push the price well beyond the reserve as they competed for the property, resulting in a bigger profit for the contestants. However, the new rule that’s just been passed stipulates that sellers must announce the reserve price a week before auctions, so it will be public knowledge.
Courtney and Sev told Chattr in an exclusive interview that they were hoping the new rule wouldn’t be passed, and they believe that it could affect their auction results.
“We’re a bit worried about it. We found that out quite early in the piece. We were hoping it wasn’t going to be the case, but yeah, it got voted in, and so we just had to start to come to terms with that,” Sev said.
The change could also make the auction order more important than ever, as buyers will know every house’s reserve in advance and may strategically hold back from bidding on an earlier property if they know a more affordable home is coming up later.
“It’ll be really interesting to see the type of impact it will have, not only on the auction order, but also to see what a bidder will do with that information, because usually you run blind and you ask if it’s on the market, but in this instance, they know exactly when it’s going on the market. So, it’s very scary,” Sev said.
“It’s going to be a big trial and error for The Block, especially as a new introduction. So hopefully, it will only be positive on auction day.”
“We’re the guinea pigs,” Courtney added.
What exactly does the new auction rule stipulate?
The state government introduced the new legislation on August 19, which requires all sellers to publicly release their reserve prices a week before auctions, to help tackle real estate agents who are advertising or quoting a property lower than what they realistically expect it to sell for, and to attract more interested buyers and create more competition.
The new rule goes into effect on October 1. The Block 2025 auctions were held on October 25, and The Block 2024 auctions on November 10. Given The Block 2026 started right around the same time as the previous two seasons, it looks like the auctions won’t take place before October 1 — meaning the contestants will have to brave the new rule.
The Block airs on Sundays at 7pm and Monday – Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
Love to chat about Reality TV? Join us in our new Facebook group and come chat! Or follow us on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for more entertainment news.
