Appearing on Channel 9’s The Block is not just a commitment of time and effort – it comes at a significant financial cost, according to real estate industry professionals who participated in this year’s series.
Veteran real estate agents and auctioneers have claimed that the financial impact of appearing on the show can be as high as $30,000 in lost earnings. This cost is exacerbated by the decision to film the series in a more remote location this year, which meant some agents were unable to sell other properties or attend to regular business during filming.
Tom Panos, a frequent auctioneer on The Block, spoke about the growing frustration among agents and auctioneers regarding the lost earnings from the show.
“It’s a conversation that’s come up a few times,” he said. “The time and effort involved doesn’t make sense financially. It does make sense when it comes to building a brand profile, but that’s really the only reason many agents and auctioneers do it.”
Panos also revealed that some agents were frustrated with the extra workload involved in appearing on the show.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of agents, and they’ve said they love the experience because, let’s be honest, what agent doesn’t want attention? However, they also say that the effort involved in handling and marketing properties on The Block is significantly higher and harder than a normal listing,” he said.
Reflecting on his own involvement, Panos noted that he “probably won’t be returning” for another season, as the lost earnings did not align with the effort required.
“You can’t exactly increase your rate just because you’ve appeared on The Block,” he said. “If you already have a high profile, it doesn’t really change anything. These past years, I’ve mostly done it because the audience has asked me to.”
While The Block remains one of Australia’s most popular reality TV shows, these insider insights suggest that, for some professionals, the cost of participating may not always be worth the exposure.
Source: Realestate.
