Change in Victorian Legislation Puts a Spin on the Reserve Prices.

The 2026 season was particularly interesting from a property perspective. For the first time in the show's history, Victorian legislation required the reserve prices to be publicly disclosed seven days before auction day. With all five properties carrying a $3.45 million reserve, the bidders knew exactly what each team needed to achieve to make a profit and the results last Sunday did not disappoint. All five properties sold above reserve, with the biggest result going to Courtney and Sev, whose home sold for $4.72 million.

Beyond the entertainment, the auctions offered an interesting case study in property valuation, buyer competition, waterfront premiums and the psychology of setting a reserve price.

The Block auction results: Who won and how much did everyone make?

A key summary of the results:

House 4

Team: Courtney and Sev
Sale Price: $4,720,000
Profit Above Reserve: $1,270,000

House 5

Team: Rick and Tayla
Sale Price: $4,355,000
Profit Above Reserve: $905,000

House 3

Team: Lisa and Rosco
Sale Price: $4,000,000
Profit Above Reserve: $550,000

House 1

Team: Adam and Jolene
Sale Price: $3,905,000
Profit Above Reserve: $455,000

House 2

Team: Chantel and Wyatt
Sale Price: $3,817,000
Profit Above Reserve: $367,000

All five homes had a final reserve of $3.45 million.
The winning team was determined by which property achieved the greatest amount above its reserve, rather than simply the highest sale price.

Courtney and Sev take out the 2026 competition

Courtney and Sev, the best friends from Queensland, were the clear winners after their House 4 sold for an impressive $4.72 million.Their $1.27 million profit above reserve was the highest of the five teams. They also received the $100,000 winner's prize and shared in the additional $500,000 Scotty's Prize Pool, taking their reported total winnings to approximately $1.87 million.

This result was particularly impressive because they had chosen one of the properties without the prominent bay views enjoyed by the first three houses.
The property attracted 17 registered bidders, reportedly the highest number recorded for an individual property in the show's history. Six bidders ultimately competed, demonstrating that strong marketing, an appealing property and genuine buyer demand can outweigh some of the advantages associated with a premium view.
Their success was also supported by an extensive pre-auction marketing campaign, including luxury car events and targeted inspections for high-net-worth buyers.

Rick and Tayla secure second place

Father-and-daughter team Rick and Tayla finished in second place, with their home selling for $4.355 million. This property had the largest landholding of the five homes, at approximately 1,435 square metres. This additional space, combined with its larger floor plan and outdoor entertaining areas, appears to have been a significant attraction for buyers. Which raises the question whether all five houses having the same reserve prices is actually a level playing field for all the contestants?
The auction also provided one of the night's most entertaining moments. Their 22-year-old auctioneer, Ryan King, was challenged by buyers' agent Andrew Date to jump into the swimming pool if another bid was placed. King eventually joined Rick and Tayla for a celebratory swim after securing the sale.

Lisa and Rosco achieve $4 million

Lisa and Rosco, from Western Australia, sold their property for exactly $4 million, delivering a $550,000 profit above reserve.
Their auction was one of the more entertaining and lengthy events of the evening, running for approximately 45 minutes. Danny Wallis was involved in several unusual bids, including amounts ending in 77 cents and 11 cents.

Adam and Jolene, from South Australia, were the first team to auction their property

Their home sold for $3.905 million, delivering $455,000 above its final reserve. They had seven registered bidders, and the first bid of $3.5 million immediately put the property above reserve. Danny Wallis was involved from the beginning, opening the bidding with an unusual offer of $3.5 million and 52 cents.
The result set a positive tone for the remaining auctions and gave the other contestants confidence that the market was prepared to pay a premium for the Mount Eliza properties.
Insert external link:https://www.realestate.com.au/news/the-block-2026-delivers-shock-clean-sweep-at-mt-eliza-auctions/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Chantel and Wyatt finish with a surprise result

Chantel and Wyatt had arguably the most difficult journey throughout the season, becoming the first contestants in the show's 22-season history to reach auction day without winning a single room reveal.Their property sold for $3.817 million, producing a $367,000 profit above reserve.Despite finishing last in the auction profit rankings, Chantel and Wyatt still walked away with a substantial financial reward.

What happened at The Block auctions?

There were several interesting developments during the 2026 auction finale that made this year different from previous seasons.

1. The reserve prices were revealed before auction day.
Due to new Victorian auction legislation, introduced on 1 October 2026, the sellers were required to publicly disclose their reserve prices at least seven days before auction. This was the first time this has occurred in The Block’s history.
insert eternal link:
https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/licensing-and-registration/estate-agents/new-changes-to-property-sales-and-underquoting-laws

All five properties had a reserve of $3.45 million, although Rick and Tayla had initially been given a higher reserve before winning a final challenge that reduced it by $50,000.

2. The auction order was changed at the last minute.
Originally, the contestants had agreed to auction in numerical order. However, a last-minute proposal resulted in Courtney and Sev swapping positions with Chantel and Wyatt.

The final auction order was:

Adam and Jolene – House 1.
Courtney and Sev – House 4.
Lisa and Rosco – House 3.
Chantel and Wyatt – House 2.
Rick and Tayla – House 5.

The strategy was to bring forward the property with the strongest buyer interest and potentially retain unsuccessful bidders in the room to compete for the remaining properties.

It was a calculated decision that ultimately worked particularly well for the contestants.

3. Danny Wallis provided plenty of entertainment.
The millionaire entrepreneur was once again placing bids with unusual decimal amounts, making comments to the auctioneers, and kept playing games through the auction bidding.

4. Every property sold.
Following the disappointment of Daylesford in 2025, every property was sold at auction this year which is exactly the result Channel Nine would have wanted to keep interest in the show.

Why does Danny Wallis make random bids at The Block auctions?

Danny Wallis has become almost as recognisable as the contestants themselves at The Block auctions. The Melbourne-based entrepreneur is famous for making unusual bids that include random cents, unconventional increments and sometimes seemingly nonsensical figures.

Rather than simply bidding in standard increments of $10,000 or $20,000, Wallis was offering increases of $1, 50c and even a large increment with a minus attached.

But is there a method behind the madness?
There is a lot of psychology around auction bidding (insert internal link https://www.auspropertyprofessionals.com.au/2021/04/12/the-psychology-behind-auctions-2/)

There are several possible explanations:

1. Getting inside the heads of competing bidders
One of the advantages of making unusual bids is that it disrupts the rhythm of a traditional auction. Other buyers may hesitate, become distracted or feel pressured to respond quickly.

2. Creating a television spectacle
Wallis understands that The Block auctions are televised events. His unusual bidding style, expensive cars and outspoken personality make him an entertaining part of the show.

3. Genuine investment strategy
Wallis has indicated that he was interested in buying the properties at prices only modestly above reserve. Reports suggested he was particularly attracted to their substantial depreciation schedules, potentially worth up to $6 million, which could provide significant tax benefits because, for example, a property purchased for $4million with a $2million depreciation schedule could be looked at like achieving $2million gain on the purchase. This is where the value lies in The Block properties.
However, he did not secure any of the five properties in 2026.

How did the 2026 auctions compare with previous years?

The 2026 results were a significant turnaround from the previous season and demonstrated how much location, reserve pricing and buyer demand can influence the outcome.

The biggest comparison is with the 2025 Daylesford season, when the reserve prices were widely criticised for being unrealistic.

2026 Location: Mount Eliza

Notable Auction Outcome: All five sold; highest profit was $1.27 million.

2025 Location: Daylesford

Notable Auction Outcome: Only three sold under the hammer; two passed in

2024 Location: Phillip Island

Notable Auction Outcome: Adrian Portelli bought all five properties.

2023 Location: Hampton East

Notable Auction Outcome: Steph and Gian won $1.75 million in total prize money.

2022 Location: Gisborne

Notable Auction Outcome: Three properties initially passed in.

Were The Block 2026 reserve prices deliberately set too low to create more hype?

This is perhaps the most interesting question arising from the 2026 auctions.

All five properties were advertised with price guides between $3.6 million and $3.9 million. However, their final reserve prices were set at just $3.45 million.

This meant buyers knew they could potentially purchase a luxury Mount Eliza property for at least $150,000 below the bottom of the advertised price guide before bidding even commenced.

It was an interesting strategy, particularly following the previous year's auction disaster.

There are three important considerations.

1. Nine needed a successful auction season.
Following the dismal Daylesford results, there was considerable pressure on producers to deliver a successful finale. Two properties failing to sell in 2025 created negative publicity and raised questions about whether The Block's reserve prices were being set too high.

In 2026, executive producer Julian Cress acknowledged that reserves had been lowered because production wanted contestants to walk away with profits.
There were also reports that initial price expectations had been as high as $4 million to $4.4 million, before market advisers recommended more conservative pricing.

2. Lower reserves encourage competition.
A lower reserve can create a much more attractive proposition for prospective buyers.
If buyers believe a property is worth $4million+ but can potentially secure it for $3.45 million (the reserve price), they have an incentive to register and participate.

3. The television production benefits from successful auctions.
Let's be realistic: The Block is ultimately an entertainment program, and successful auctions make for much better television.However, this is only speculation and there is no evidence that the reserves were deliberately manipulated purely to create television hype.

Importantly, the $3.45 million reserves were not necessarily too low when considered against the quality of the properties, their land sizes and their coastal positioning. The final auction prices demonstrated that buyers were prepared to pay substantially more.

The Block Auction Results 2026, A Buyer’s Agent’s Perspective.