We were very excited when we heard The Block was coming to Brighton this year. What are the biggest changes you have noticed in the area during your time as an agent?

One of the biggest changes is probably that we have seen a lot of new developments come up since the rezoning of growth zones close to train stations within a 500m radius. There is that much apartment development going on in the area it is unbelievable. And of course, the change in prices.

When you heard The Block was coming to Brighton, what motivated you to sign up to be one of the agents on the show?

I think that it was being developed in our area was the biggest motivation. I was of the opinion that the best agency should be on the show and I’d like to think that our office in Brighton is the best in Brighton. I would have been disappointed had other local agents been on the show and we weren’t included, so that was probably the motivating factor.

Was it exciting to see yourself on the TV for the first time?

Yeah it was actually. People will say I don’t mind the attention but the apprehension when you do all the filming is that there is uncertainty as to what they’re going to air because you just don’t know how they are going to project you and what they’re going to put on the show, so it is a little bit nerve wracking but certainly exciting to be on the show.

What was the process like to get on the show?

It was a bit of a sit down and discussion with the executive producer, Julian Cress. We were pretty fortunate to get on the show because having had previous seasons of The Block more around the Albert Park, Middle Park, St Kilda area, they had their agents pretty much established who had done multiple seasons before; but it was fortunate that they were happy with Buxton. Julian was familiar with Buxton as an agency and a brand, so we sort of hit it off and then I got the nod.

What was it like once Covid-19 and the restrictions came into place while the show was filming? 

It was tough for everyone. Obviously, the contestants were stressed because a lot of them were away from family. Things really started to escalate quickly and with borders closing within days everyone had to get home. This meant we were unsure when things would resume, the uncertainty of timing was difficult, and would they complete these homes on time was the big question.

How has your experience on The Block been so far? Do you have a highlight?

I think the experience makes you understand that a lot of work goes into producing television. Whenever we visited The Block you’re mic’d up and you’ve got a camera crew following you and things like that, and they mightn’t necessarily use a lot of the footage. The segment that I was in for the agent selection called ‘Block It In’, went from 8am in the morning from when we started and then the filming back at The Block HQ finished at about 10.30pm - so it’s really a whole day of filming. We had simulated open for inspections at a property and all the contestants came through and there’s a dedicated film crew there, so it has taught me that it is dynamic and exciting but there is a lot of work that goes into producing the show and hence, a lot of work by the agents as well.

‘Block It In’ was a highlight as it was a game show, a new concept that they’ve never done before so that was a bit of fun. And obviously meeting Scotty and Shelley and the stars has been great. They are pretty cool people.

Another highlight would be seeing the properties as an absolute shell of nothing done to them, and then seeing the conclusion of the spectacular homes that they’ve become – that’s definitely a highlight. To be able to do that in such a short time and not compromise quality or anything like that, they really are pretty spectacular.

What has it been like working with the amazing couple Luke & Jasmin in House 4?

They have been very very easy to deal with. Luke actually reached out to me before I even knew I was on the show. He rang me just off Googling agents in Brighton back in January when he found out he was on the show and I didn’t even know I was going to be on the show. He rang me and said I’ve seen your name selling real estate in Brighton and I’d love to talk to you further about being our agent and as it turns out it was meant to be! It worked out well. So, they have been terrific in that they had a really clear vision of what they wanted to achieve and they’re a pretty groovy couple as well, so they’ve got a really good style about them. Nothing that they’ve done has been controversial or too out there or anything like that. They’ve got a really good vision in terms of what they wanted to achieve with the property.

We cannot wait to see the property come to life more and more each week. Can you tell us about some of the key features the property will have? 

They’ve got self-contained studios above the garage which is pretty cool. Luke and Jasmin also produced something spectacular in the Master Ensuite - that was pretty amazing. And just the detail in the kitchen. Luke’s a carpenter, a chippy, so he has actually built a couple of things in the house to put his own mark on it which I think are pretty cool. Those sorts of things will be revealed over the coming weeks.

What are you most looking forward to on auction day?

Hopefully we will be able to do an onsite auction. The uncertainty of Covid-19 and the build-up of what is going to happen, the unknown, the fear of the unknown - I think it will be a relief once it’s all done and we are looking forward to getting a great result for Luke and Jasmin so that all their hard work has been worth it. We are hoping we can get 10-20 people in the house on auction day and put on a good show because when you do it over Zoom or electronically it will probably take away from it a little bit but that’s what I am looking forward to - actually doing an auction in front of a crowd again.

How do you prepare for an auction?

I am pretty calm around auctions. The critical thing for me is to ensure I know who my buyers are, the interested parties, and do a lot of work with them in the lead up to auction day and on auction day. I want to make sure they are in a relaxed state so they’ll bid and they don’t find it too daunting because quite often people at an auction can be a little bit intimidated, a little bit scared, so I try and be as relaxed as I can and try to create a good environment for them so there is not that stress. And I like to ensure that I know all the details of the property down pat so that any question anyone can ask me on the day I have an answer for. I like to have a relaxed vibe whilst being in control and having all the bits and pieces in place so we can put on a good show and most importantly achieve a good result. That is for every auction I do.