The Block auctions: Everything to know ahead of the big day

Depending on who you ask, there’s nothing more exciting than an auction.

From the auction order to whether the general public can attend, here are all your burning Block auction questions answered.

How do The Block auctions work?

These are the standard steps every Block auction follows:

1. The reserves are set and revealed to contestants days out from the auction.
2. The all-important auction order is decided. This can vary from year to year and in the past has been decided by the team that has won the most room reveals, all the contestants coming to agreement (yep, it’s as difficult as it sounds) or a random draw.
3. Each house is auctioned on the same day – once bidding reaches the reserve, the property can no longer be passed in and must be sold to the highest bidder.
4. The winner of The Block is the team whose house sells for the most over the reserve – they take home $100,000 in prize money, in addition to the profits above reserve. Each team gets to keep any profit they make over reserve.

Read more: Who will win The Block 2025? The experts weigh in

Why does auction order matter on The Block?

Auction order matters because it can have a direct bearing on the price a Block house sells for, which goes on to determine the winner.

The order of auctions could be the difference between a house selling or passing in: earlier auctions generally reach a larger pool of buyers with untapped budgets.

Sometimes, however, later auctions fare the best because multiple buyers have missed out and compete to snag any Block home they can.

What happens if a house is passed in?

If a Block house is passed in after not reaching the reserve, post-auction negotiations take place between the contestants’ listing agent and the highest bidder(s).

If no deal is reached, the property is placed on the market for sale to the general public.

Read more: How do The Block auctions work? Ex-contestant Rachel Carr reveals all

Are The Block auctions real?

Yes, The Block auctions are real auctions – despite the fact they’re televised. Consumer Affairs Victoria is in attendance every year to ensure the auctions run according to the law.

Longtime bidder and buyer’s agent Frank Valentic says he expects the 2025 auctions to be “more of a normal auction”, like they were before billionaire bidders like Adrian Portelli and Danny Wallis arrived on the scene.

Portelli and Wallis were both no-shows at the Domain Buyers Jury and Listings challenge this year – but it’s anyone’s guess whether they’ll make a surprise appearance.

Read more: With no Adrian Portelli, who will buy The Block houses?

Can anyone go to The Block auctions?

No: the auction crowd is a mix of registered bidders, professional buyer’s agents and families of contestants.

To attend, you’ll need to be a prospective buyer undeterred by the $3 million to $3.3 million price guide for the properties.

In other words: simply being a Block fan won’t get you in the door on auction day.

When are The Block auctions?

The official Block 2025 auction date has been confirmed by Channel 9. They will be televised at 7pm on Sunday, October 26. .

We’ll keep this page updated as new details emerge – for now, all that’s left to do is enjoy the final episodes and sit tight.