A 22-year-old Gen Z auctioneer could be the breakout star of The Block 2026 auction finale, delivering not only one of the most entertaining TV auctions in the show’s history but a $4.355 million dark-horse sale for House 5’s Rick and Tayla.
Ryan King is the youngest auctioneer in The Block history and, somewhat fittingly, the show has clocked up exactly as many seasons as King has had birthdays.
King, of Ash Marton Realty in Frankston , started in real estate at the age of just 18 but when Scott Cam saw him on screen ahead of the auction, even he appeared taken aback by just how young the man entrusted with selling Rick and Tayla’s home looked.
“He looks 12!” Cam exclaimed. “Sorry, 12 and a half. Does he know what he’s doing?” Cam joked.
But King looked as happy as a kid on Christmas morning as he faced The Block cameras and auction-day crowd, which included some of the show’s most recognisable faces, including serial Block buyer and entrepreneur Danny Wallis and buyer’s advocate Frank Valentic.
After an opening bid of $3.5 million, there was a rapid-fire rush of offers before Wallis, who had already missed out on four houses that day, repeatedly called out “$4 million”.
As competing bids flew around the room, Wallis eventually shouted over the top of them: “Four million dollars!”
A shocked hush fell over the crowd before buyer’s agent Andrew Date came back with $4.025 million, and from there the bidding continued until it hit $4.2 million.
Then came a classic Danny Wallis bid.
“$4 million, $200,000, minus $122.17,” he offered.
“Look, Peter Parker also picked a picker pickled peppers,” he shot back with a big grin.
Laughter erupted in the room, but King moved straight onto another familiar Block bidder, buyer’s advocate Frank Valentic.
“Frank, we haven’t heard from you. Frank, I can see you’re wearing your shorts with your muscular legs,” he teased, drawing screams of laughter from the crowd.
Scott Cam said to Rick and Tayla, “actually, he speaks very well”.
As King coaxed higher bids from the room, Date joked that he would bid once more if the young auctioneer agreed to jump in the pool.
King agreed – but only if Date made the winning bid.
King brought down the hammer at $4.355 million, securing Rick and Tayla a $905,000 profit and second-place position for the day
With Date the winning bidder, King had a promise to keep – a jump in the pool.
He kept his word, jumping into the pool fully clothed with Rick and Tayla’s real estate agent Ash Marton . Tayla joined them in her green sequinned gown with a backflip, and the three hugged and screamed in the water.
King and Marton both spoke to Domain after getting out of the pool and said they were thrilled with Tayla and Rick’s result.
“I just gave it a crack. We practiced a little bit and fortunately it went well on the day,” King laughed.
Marton said he hadn’t seen it as risky to put a 22-year-old into an auction on national TV.
“He deserved the opportunity. He’s proven himself to be loyal and trustworthy and he’s a good person. He is our company auctioneer, and we didn’t want to outsource it because why would you give that opportunity away,” Marton said.
“People often want the professional auctioneers who’ve got the name and that’s what they’ve been doing for 15-20 years but they don’t even live in our state typically … I’m rapt and super proud.”
They both agreed this season of The Block proved the show’s concept was more successful than ever.
“100 per cent it has … everyone in the room wanted to see it happen. No one wanted to see anyone fall on their face. Nine have been so supportive and almost become family and were all in everyone’s corner,” Marton said.
Marton is somewhat of a super-fan himself and applied for The Block last year as a contestant . After missing out, he found a way in this year as Rick and Tayla’s agent.
And would the pair come back next year if they were invited?
“If we did that would be unreal,” King said. “If we get invited and we win, we’ll jump in the pool and that will be our tradition.”
Marton said: “I’ll be going to the gym before then.”
Ellen Lutton Ellen Lutton is Head of News and Digital Content at Domain. A multi award-winning journalist with more than 25 years' experience, she has spent the past decade covering Australia's property market.
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