The Block's 2026 auction finale delivered a result few property commentators would have predicted just weeks earlier. All five properties sold under the hammer, every team walked away with a substantial profit, and the winning property achieved an extraordinary $1.27 million above reserve. It was a remarkable turnaround from the disappointment of the 2025 Daylesford season, when some properties failed to sell and remained on the market long after the cameras stopped rolling.
But the results raise some interesting questions beyond the television drama.
How did the auction results compare with market expectations? Were the properties genuinely worth more than their reserves suggested? And, perhaps most importantly, did Victoria's newly introduced auction price transparency rules play a role in the outcome? Let's look at the numbers.
The 2026 auction results: A clean sweep
The five Mount Eliza properties achieved a combined auction result that exceeded expectations, with a total of $3.547 million in profits above reserve.
Here is how the contestants performed:
Contestants
Courtney & Sev I Sale Price: $4,720,000 I Profit above reserve: $1,270,000
Rick & Tayla I Sale Price: $4,355,000 I Profit above reserve: $905,000
Lisa & Rosco I Sale Price: $4,000,000 I Profit above reserve: $550,000
Adam & Jolene I Sale Price: $3,905,000 I Profit above reserve: $455,000
Chantel & Wyatt I Sale Price: $3,817,000 I Profit above reserve: $367,000
All five properties had a reserve of $3.45 million. Figures reflect auction profit above reserve, excluding additional competition prizes.
Courtney and Sev were the clear winners, achieving $1.27 million above reserve, along with the $100,000 winners' prize and additional competition rewards. Rick and Tayla followed with an impressive $905,000 above reserve, while even the lowest-performing team, Chantel and Wyatt, secured $367,000. A 100% auction clearance rate is an outstanding result, particularly given the conditions in the broader Melbourne property market.
How did the results compare with market expectations?
Perhaps the biggest surprise wasn't Courtney and Sev's winning result. It was that all five properties sold. In the lead-up to auction day, there was considerable uncertainty surrounding the Mount Eliza properties.
Melbourne's property market had been experiencing softer conditions, with declining house prices, affordability pressures and buyer caution weighing on sentiment. Auction clearance rates had also been hovering around the 50% mark in recent months. The previous year's Daylesford experience was still fresh in everyone's minds, with two properties failing to sell at auction. There were also questions about whether the properties' price expectations were realistic.
With five luxury homes entering the market simultaneously, all competing in a similar multimillion-dollar price bracket, the challenge was finding enough qualified buyers prepared to compete. Some property commentators had questioned whether the homes would achieve their reserves, with buyer's advocates highlighting more affordable alternatives available in the surrounding Mount Eliza market.
The final results told a very different story. Not only did all five properties sell, but competition pushed every property comfortably above its reserve. This suggests that while the broader market was experiencing some softness, there was still considerable appetite for quality homes in the premium market when the right product, pricing and buyer competition came together.
However, it's important not to confuse the results with a broader market recovery. The Block is an unusual selling environment, attracting national attention, wealthy repeat buyers, television exposure and a level of buyer interest that most residential properties simply don't receive.
Did the new auction price guide rules make a difference?
This is arguably one of the most interesting aspects of the 2026 season. Victoria introduced new property price transparency requirements from October 2026, with the changes applying to auctions and fixed-date sales from 16 October.
Under the new requirements, real estate agents must:
The changes are designed to improve transparency, address underquoting and give buyers a clearer understanding of a property's pricing expectations. For The Block, this created a particularly interesting situation. Historically, the contestants' reserves were a closely guarded secret until auction day. Buyers could speculate about what the vendors wanted, but there was no obligation to publicly disclose the actual reserve in advance. This year, that changed. All five properties had a disclosed reserve of $3.45 million, with the original advertised price guide sitting between $3.6 million and $3.9 million. The reserves were subsequently reflected in revised price guides.
The result? Buyers had a much clearer understanding of the vendors' expectations before attending the auctions.
Did transparency encourage buyers?
There is some evidence that it did. Kayn Luff, director of O'Brien Real Estate Mornington Peninsula, suggested that the disclosure of the reserves helped generate buyer interest. Importantly, the disclosed reserves were below the original advertised price guide, potentially making the properties more attractive to buyers who had previously viewed the price expectations as too high. His view was that the transparency helped bring more buyers into the campaign and encouraged earlier, more realistic conversations around pricing.
This is an important distinction. The new rules did not necessarily make buyers pay more. Instead, they potentially removed some of the uncertainty that can discourage buyers from engaging with a property in the first place.
Transparency doesn't automatically create competition
There is another side to the argument. A disclosed reserve does not guarantee a successful auction. If buyers believe a property is overpriced, or if there is only one genuinely interested purchaser, publishing the reserve will not necessarily change the outcome. As the selling agent pointed out, the final price is ultimately determined by competition between buyers. The Block had something working in its favour that most vendors don't: significant publicity, a national audience, highly distinctive homes and the ability to attract multiple motivated buyers.
The new rules may have helped establish confidence, but the competition on auction day did the heavy lifting.
What actually drove the strong results?
There were several factors that likely contributed to the outcome.
1. Realistic reserves
The $3.45 million reserve gave buyers a clear starting point and, importantly, a price that was below the original advertised range. This helped establish a more accessible entry point for buyers considering the properties.
2. Unique properties and premium presentation
The Mount Eliza homes offered substantial floor plans, high-end finishes and luxury inclusions. Interestingly, the results also challenged some of the pre-auction assumptions about which properties would perform best. Homes with larger land sizes, more functional layouts and greater overall space proved particularly attractive.
3. Genuine owner-occupier interest
While The Block has traditionally attracted wealthy investors and high-profile buyers, there was also significant interest from families looking to purchase a home to live in. This is an important factor because it demonstrates that the appeal wasn't necessarily limited to television exposure or investment opportunities.
4. Competitive bidding
Ultimately, multiple interested buyers created the competition needed to push prices well above reserve. House 4, belonging to Courtney and Sev, attracted 17 registered bidders, a reported record for a property on the show. Without that competition, the result could have looked very different.
What does this mean for the broader property market?
For vendors: Pricing strategy remains critical.
The new transparency requirements make it even more important to establish realistic pricing expectations before launching a campaign. Vendors need to understand their property's likely market value and work with their agent to develop a pricing strategy that attracts genuine buyer interest. An ambitious price guide that discourages buyers from inspecting can be counterproductive.
For buyers: Greater transparency is a positive.
Knowing the reserve before auction provides another piece of information when assessing a property. It doesn't mean the reserve represents market value, nor does it mean buyers should automatically bid to that level. Independent research, comparable sales and due diligence remain essential.
For agents: Buyer engagement is still everything.
The Block results reinforce something experienced agents already know: transparency and good marketing can bring buyers through the door, but competition is what drives the final price. The new rules may change how properties are marketed, but they don't change the fundamentals of supply, demand and buyer sentiment.
The verdict: A win for The Block, and potentially a win for transparency
The Block 2026 delivered a remarkable result, particularly against the backdrop of a softer Melbourne property market. All five properties sold, all contestants made substantial profits, and the final auction results were considerably stronger than many commentators had anticipated.
Did the new auction price guide rules contribute? Probably.
Having the reserves disclosed ahead of auction gave buyers greater certainty, helped align expectations and may have encouraged more people to engage with the properties. But it would be too simplistic to attribute the success entirely to the new legislation. Realistic reserves, strong presentation, national exposure, genuine buyer demand and competitive bidding were all significant contributors.
The bigger takeaway for the property market is that transparency doesn't have to work against vendors. In the right circumstances, it can actually help build buyer confidence and create the conditions for stronger competition. And perhaps that is the most valuable lesson from The Block's 2026 auction results: In any market, getting the pricing right and creating genuine competition will always be more important than simply hoping for a big number.
Sources and further reading
Domain – The Block 2026 auction results and
realestate.com.au – The Block 2026 delivers shock clean
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Real Estate Business – The Block puts Victoria's new auction rules to the
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Consumer Affairs Victoria – Property sales method and
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