Marty Fox witnessed the devastation and disappointment that unfolded at The Block 2025 auction firsthand and has now broken his silence on the matter.
The judge and real estate mogul posted a video sharing his feelings on Instagram on October 29.
At the start of the video, he acknowledged that things did not go to plan for all the contestants, but stated that three out of the five homes did sell.
“Now that is a 60 per cent clearance rate,” he said. “And if you look at Melbourne, that is actually on par with reality.”
He then acknowledged Britt and Taz’s $520,000 win, and the profits Robby and Mat, and Sonny and Alicia secured.
He also agreed that the controversial $2.99 million reserve, which was set by the Nine Network, was too high.
“Now my personal belief is that those reserves probably should have been slightly above market value to factor in the fact that they have massive depreciation schedules regardless of whether they’re in Daylesford or Timbuktu,” Marty continued.
“Some of those homes had depreciation schedules up to $5.9 million, which for an investor on a high income is an unbelievable tax break.”
“So I can understand the disappointment. It makes sense.”
While the auction was hard to watch, he said it was one of the only reality shows that gave all the participating contestants the opportunity to make life-changing money.
The judge said the result reflected the harsh realities of real estate.
“It’s not always roses and pots of gold,” he continued.
“Real estate can be unforgiving, and in this instance, unfortunately, two couples didn’t make the money on the day.”
“Now, will they make a profit once they’ve sold it privately? I’m sure they will. I know they will. So where’s the learning in this? The learning is [that] if you’re going to jump onto The Block as a contestant, you may or may not make money.”
“But the people watching the show, you also need to understand that this is risk versus reward.”
He said the show also gives contestants the opportunity to capitalise on their new platforms after the show, mentioning business owners Robby and Mat.
After the auction, fans slammed the show for setting an unrealistic price guide and reserve, when Daylesford’s median house price doesn’t reach $1 million.
Marty acknowledged this, but said the tax depreciation schedules would keep The Block going, and it was a financial “no-brainer”.
At the end of the video, he congratulated Britt and Taz.
“It’s a lot of money tax-free to be putting into your pocket, and good luck with everything that you guys do,” he concluded. “You are beautiful people, and all the contestants did an amazing job.”
