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Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to once and for all withdraw The Block series.
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After watching Sunday night’s auction debacle, I think a serious case can be made that the show has finally run its course and now might be the appropriate time for the producers and its creators to finally hang up their boots!
Before we get into Sunday night’s series finale, let’s not forget what the sole purpose of The Block is. It is to make money for Channel Nine! Nothing more, nothing less. Its job is to sell advertising and, in turn, make money for the shareholders of Nine Entertainment Co. The fact that it has managed to appear on our television screens for 18 series, suggests that it has been a great money spinner for the network.
As for the contestants, the hosts of the show can bang on as much as they like that they want to see them all make money and get rewarded for their efforts, but the harsh reality is that as long as the show makes money, the monetary reward for contestants is of little or no concern to the big wigs above. And that is entirely fair, as the contestants know exactly what they are signing up for at the beginning of each season. It has been clear for all to see over the years that when it comes to contestants, some win and some don’t!
Now, let’s talk about Sunday night’s finale. To call this show “reality television” couldn’t be any further from the truth. What took place on Sunday night, and it is hard to get a good gauge on exactly what happened as the show is so highly edited, is so far removed from what would normally transpire at a normal real estate auction.
Firstly, let’s look at the reserve price. The reserve price, by definition, is the minimum price that a seller would be willing to accept from a buyer. In normal circumstances, that price would be set at a level that the owner is comfortable to sell the property for, and any amount above that figure is merely icing on the cake. That’s not quite how it works though in the drama-fuelled environment that is The Block.
For starters, the reserve price is set by a bunch of bean counters whose one objective is to maximise profits for the Nine Entertainment Co whilst also ensuring that enough drama will unfold to ensure that viewers come flocking back to the show next season. The contestants, who by choice, put their blood, sweat and tears into creating their properties over the course of three months, have zero input in these reserves. Therein lies the problem, as the contestants don’t start making any money until the reserves are met.
Now, let’s look at the job of the auctioneer/agent. His/her job, and I should know as I have conducted thousands of auctions, is first and foremost to get the property sold. Our initial goal is to get buyers bidding and, then, through numerous techniques and our years of experience, create competition amongst buyers so that they keep bidding until the reserve is either met or exceeded. In a challenging market like the one we are in, exceeding the reserve is becoming harder and harder, and merely meeting the reserve is a challenge in itself.
What we saw last night, with Scott Cam openly criticising auctioneers, who were simply trying to do their job and ensure the property was sold by reaching its reserve, is probably the reason why Scott Cam is a chippy and not a real estate agent. As far as I could see, the auctioneers were doing everything in their power to engage the bidders to reach the reserves they had been set, only to be told by Scott Cam that the aim of an auction is, in fact, not to reach the reserve and sell the property but rather to create dramatic television footage.
Finally, let’s talk about eccentric bidder Danny Wallis. A lot must be said for Danny’s bizarre bidding strategy, which, if it was to occur at any normal real estate auction, would be immediately shut down and dealt with by the auctioneer. Now, I understand that Danny does a lot for charity, and I applaud him for that, but please, Danny, spare us the circus act next year; it is starting to get tiresome! The Block contestants that sold, however, should thank their lucky stars that Danny once again was chasing his annual 15 minutes of fame because, without him, this year’s clearance rate could well have been 0 per cent!
So, with season 18 now in the can, The Block has once again served up plenty of drama and, in doing so, used the agents and auctioneers as sacrificial lambs. My advice to anyone in the industry considering being involved in future series is perhaps to reconsider the adage that any publicity is good publicity and give it a wide berth. You can thank me later!
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