Scott Cam demands answers for disaster at The Block auctions

The Block host has begged for an explanation after last night’s auctions, questioning how “identical” homes sold for a $1.5 million difference.

Scott Cam has said he’s still “flabbergasted” by last night’s The Block auctions, as he demanded an explanation for how it went so wrong.

Winners Omar and Oz took home a record $1,686,666.66 after going first in the auction line-up, with their four-bedder Gisborne house selling for $5,666,666.66.

It was all downhill from there, with season favourites Tom and Sarah-Jane making a measly $20,000.99 as their home was knocked down at $4.1 million immediately afterwards.

Speaking on Nova’s Fitzy & Wippa on Monday morning, Cam, 59, questioned how the almost “identical homes” sold at a $1.5 million difference.

“I don’t know … If anyone can explain what happened, I’d love to hear it,” Cam said. “Everyone, crew, cameramen, producers, we were all flabbergasted.

“One joint goes for $5.6 million and the next joint goes for $4.1 million – and they’re virtually identical.”

Scott Cam has demanded an explanation for the disaster Block auctions.

Jenny and Dylan’s auctioneer, Damien Cooley, went on the show a little later to offer his explanation, after the couple’s property was one of two homes that were passed in when they failed to meet the reserve of $4.08 million.

“It sure was tough crowd tough in the room, [it was] probably a little bit indicative of current market conditions,” Cooley said. “They were amazing properties. [But] 35, 40 minutes outside of Melbourne’s CBD... It’s a lifestyle purchase, rather than a straight out stock standard investment. So that had its challenges from a distance point of view. We were ideally looking for owner occupiers who wanted that lifestyle tree change. That wasn’t to be the case, in the current market conditions.”

All five homes were given the exact same reserve price, which Cam revealed had been lowered due to the change in market.

“I was happy with the reserves … No one’s ever happy with the reserves, but it’s based on a valuation done off the plans before the show starts,” Cam explained.

“I was thinking they were going to be higher, I thought, ‘[They’re] not bad, it’s on the money.’

“[But] I think it came down from the original [reserve price]. Because of the market [changing].”

Omar and Oz took home a record profit.

Sarah-Jane was in tears following the auction.

Elsewhere, Cam aired his frustration at the auctioneers, many of which persisted to get minuscule bids rather than swiftly passing the properties in – risking the contestants chances of privately negotiating for more money.

“If it’s stalling, pass it in immediately. Immediately. That’s why I was screaming on the phone last night, ‘Pass it in!’,” Cam said.

“Tom and Sarah-Jane’s crept over the reserve by 20 grand, and then stopped. That means it’s on the market, we can’t do anything. That’s why the others were passed in.

“It was at $4.075m and they kept asking for bids! Crazy.”

As for Sharon and Ankur and Jenny and Dylan’s homes, which were passed in, Cam said they’ll likely be in negotiations for another two weeks.

“I’m pretty confident we’re going to get maybe $4.2, $4.3 [million],” he said.

“So they’ll get a couple hundred thousand, but that doesn’t help Tom and Sarah-Jane.”

Elsewhere, Rachel and Ryan managed to make $169,000.50 after post-auction negotiations during the finale.