Secret pre-auction conversation reveals how Channel Nine set up The Block contestants up for failure – and it will INFURIATE viewers

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A private conversation that happened before the final auction on The Block in 2025 might have significantly hurt the contestants’ chances of winning, even before the auction began.

Auctioneer Tom Panos has shared some behind-the-scenes details, explaining that both real estate agents and potential buyers were aware the properties featured on the show were listed at inflated prices even before the cameras started rolling.

Oh my gosh, you won’t BELIEVE what I heard! Apparently, Panos, the guy who was dealing with Robby and Mat (they came in second, remember?!), let slip that people told him privately how much they were willing to spend before the auctions even started. And get this – it was WAY less than what the show’s producers were hoping for! They were expecting HUGE bids, but everyone had a limit, and it wasn’t nearly high enough. I’m just devastated for them, honestly!

‘Without a doubt, the properties were above market value,’ Panos told Realestate.com.au.

He explained that the starting prices for all the houses at the auction – between $2.94 million and $2.99 million – were hundreds of thousands of dollars higher than what most potential buyers were prepared to offer.

He stated that if you asked local Daylesford real estate agents the value of these properties, they’d likely estimate between $2 million and $2.5 million.

The offers the contestants received were reasonable for the location, but ultimately didn’t meet their expectations.

Panos thought the auction might fail when initial bids came in much lower than the asking price.

‘I was concerned. We had a few registered bidders but they had all been talking $2.7m,’ he said. 

The two teams whose homes didn’t sell at auction now have the difficult task of selling them privately, without being filmed.

Panos explained he was determined to sell the property at auction, because it’s very difficult to sell a property that doesn’t reach its reserve price on the show The Block afterwards. These properties often remain on the market for a long time.

I’m worried about what the future holds for them, and I expect things to be challenging. The current data suggests that properties which aren’t selling are likely to fetch lower prices.

Sunday night’s finale of The Block was a tense affair, but many viewers were upset with the show after the auction results. Only one of the five teams achieved a significant profit, leading to accusations that the show isn’t reflecting real-world results.

When the show’s latest surprise was revealed, a strong group of bidders, including returning contestant Danny Wallis, gathered in Daylesford, a rural town in Victoria, where the 2025 season of the Channel Nine series is being filmed.

Britt and Taz, a popular couple from Western Australia, had the highest sale of the day, selling their beautifully designed House 3 for $3.41 million. This earned them a profit of $420,000, plus an additional $100,000 bonus, bringing their total winnings to $520,000.

As a lifestyle expert, I always say real estate can be unpredictable! While a couple of teams managed to turn a small profit, it was a bit of a shock to see two groups leave without a single successful bid on their homes. It just goes to show, even with careful planning, the market can have a mind of its own.

Viewers were shocked and quickly went online to criticize the contestants, calling them greedy, and the show itself for setting impossible standards.

Someone recently commented that contestants on the show The Block appear to be increasingly focused on maximizing profits. They noted that a $100,000 gain is now often seen as underwhelming, even though most people would be very happy with that amount of money.

Others pointed out Robby and Mat’s disappointment over making just $109,999 profit.

‘Pathetic reaction from the boys [Robby and Mat],’ one person commented. 

Some viewers are upset that contestants on the show are earning $55,000 for twelve weeks of work, but it’s frustrating to hear complaints when many Australians earn less in a whole year. It just shows how disconnected the show is from reality.

Even though the houses in Daylesford were considered quite expensive compared to other properties in the area, three out of the five up for auction still sold to eager buyers on auction day.

Adrian Portelli, who usually bids in person, wasn’t present. An anonymous phone bidder ultimately won the auction, beating out Melbourne businessman and tech entrepreneur Danny Wallis.

Robby and Mat, a pair of home renovators, recently sold their property in South Australia for $3.099 million. After expenses, they made a profit of just $109,999.

The group was really upset with how little money they won, and now they have to share it.

Sonny and Alicia recently sold their house for $3.06 million, which was $120,000 more than the minimum price they were willing to accept.

Despite the small yield, the couple were happy with the result. 

However, not all of the properties sold. Emma and Ben, as well as Han and Can, weren’t able to find buyers for their homes.

Emma and Ben were devastated when their house didn’t sell at auction. Despite bids reaching $3.1 million, no one was willing to go higher than their minimum asking price of $2.99 million.

Han and Can weren’t able to sell their house either, leaving the women devastated that they were leaving the show without earning any money.

Before the auction, people worried it might not go well. The high asking prices for the homes in Daylesford seemed surprisingly expensive.

Earlier this year, the creators of these five projects announced they were aiming to sell them for between $3 million and $3.3 million.

The extremely high prices quoted didn’t reflect the actual housing costs in the Victorian town, where homes were significantly more affordable – about a quarter of the quoted price.

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2025-10-27 10:19