Daylesford’s Auction Result & The Block’s Next Mistake
The Block’s Daylesford auctions told the story few wanted to hear: two unsold homes and two that only just cleared $3 million.
That’s not a failure of TV, it’s a failure of targeting.
And it’s the same issue The Block will face in 2026 when it lands in Mount Eliza.
You can’t sell to a market that barely exists and you can’t use a metro marketing playbook in a regional or coastal prestige market and expect it to work.
The Data
Disclosed on-market sales only)
- Daylesford: 6 sales > $2.5 m in 3 years
- Mount Eliza: fewer than 10 sales > $2.5 m
That’s under 20 prestige transactions across both markets combined. Even if you add off-market deals, it’s still a tiny, high-barrier segment. The audience simply isn’t large enough for blanket advertising.
Why Metro Marketing Fails?
Metropolitan buyers compete on price and postcode. Reach-driven campaigns: portals, print, high-volume opens – can work because demand is deep.
Regional and coastal prestige buyers don’t operate that way. They buy on emotion, design, and lifestyle fit, not postcode status.
They’re fewer, wealthier, and harder to reach thus requiring targeted digital media and agent-network precision, not noise.
A Fair Counterpoint
Exposure from The Block will still lift awareness and foot traffic and that’s good for local agents and service businesses.
But awareness isn’t conversion.
Without targeting the real buyer profile, the Melbourne professionals, wellness investors, or coastal downsizers expect high ratings and soft results again.