Meet the new judge on The Block: Everything you need to know about Marty Fox

The reality renovation show The Block is returning to its roots in more ways than one this year.

The juggernaut program will head back to the suburbs of Melbourne and welcome a new judge – Marty Fox, real estate agent, serial property flipper and chief executive of real estate agency WhiteFox. Fox has been in the industry for 15 years and will bring a wealth of knowledge and insight come judging time.

Long-time fans of the show will remember the founder of McGrath Real Estate, John McGrath, was one of the first judges on the panel, working alongside current judges Shaynna Blaze and Neale Whitaker.

Whitaker, in a recent post on his Instagram account, announced Fox would be joining the team, and the reasons behind his own reduced appearance on the show this season:

“I’m very proud to be completing my 17th season as a judge on The Block. It’s an amazing privilege to have been part of this iconic show for 13 years. For the 2023 season, however, I’ve put my family first and cut back on my judging weeks. My partner of 20 years, David, experienced some serious health issues earlier this year and my priority has been to spend more time at home.

“But I’m happy to announce that real estate guru Marty Fox has been able to bring his experience to The Block and join Shaynna and Darren on the weeks when I couldn’t be there.

“The best news of all is that David is making a great recovery and I’m looking forward to returning to The Block full-time for the show’s 20th anniversary season in 2024.”

Fox first got into real estate at 21, working his way up through the ranks alongside long-time mentor Graeme Wilson. In 2017, at 29, Fox started his own agency WhiteFox, which at the time was seen as a bit of a “disruptor” in the industry, thanks to its direct language, black-and-white photography and introduction of curved signboards.

The Melbourne-based agency has offices across the city and has expanded to New Zealand this year.

Keen Blockheads may remember Fox from past seasons; he was the auctioneer of Harry and Tash’s house in 2020, and made an appearance last year as the auctioneer of Rachel and Ryan’s Gisborne property, selling it in post-auction negotiations after it passed in on auction day.  

The addition of a property expert in the judging panel will no doubt be music to the ears of past winners Mitch and Mark, who were often at odds with the judges during their time on the show, and have long called for an industry expert to join the mix. 

We sat down with the new judge to get all the details on what we can expect to see this season.

Why did you decide to join The Block 2023? 

Fox didn’t hesitate when invited to take a regular seat on the hit show’s judging panel.

But it was an opportunity that may have gone begging, thanks to a missed email from The Block creator Julian Cress.

“I went on a retreat; no phone, no kids, no wife. I turned my phone on after a week and there was a message from Julian saying, ‘Let’s catch up,’ and he sent that the day that I got [to the retreat] so I’d ghosted him for a week!

“Julian said, ‘We’ve got three amazing judges, but I need a bit of help this season and we’d love for you to come and help out.’ We shook hands, cracked a bottle of wine and that was it. He said, ‘You don’t need to think about it?’ I said, ‘It’d be an honour.’

“Even in my time as an agent on the show, it felt comfortable; it felt like a really great environment. There’s a family feeling and a nice energy that’s fostered by Julian.”

What will you bring to the show this year that’s different to past years?

“I bring a rawness. I always want to be speaking the truth and I won’t sugarcoat much. From a judging perspective, that’s what these people need; they need honesty. 

“From an agent’s perspective, it’s really different. Having the opinion of the people that are representing them in the market is really important.”

What’s your judging style? Will you be a good cop or a bad cop?

“I’m firm but fair … if I don’t like it, I’ll explain why. Some of my comments may come across as a little bit harsh, but it’s short-term pain for long-term gain.

“In property, there are so many opinions … no one is ever right or wrong, but it’s just nice to see a difference of opinion.”

Is there a formula when it comes to scoring? How do you allocate points?

“I have four sections and I give each section a score out of 10. I look at the floor plan – how it’s laid out. I look at the materiality – what they’ve chosen. I look at craftsmanship – how they’ve done it. And what I then look at is marketability. How will a buyer look at it? Is there a ‘hook’ in the room? Is there something that stands out and will make a buyer say, ‘I need to see more’?

“I add those scores together, I divide it by four and that’s how I get to my final score. Those numbers lead me to the truth.”

What’s it like working with the judges?

“We’ve got a really nice chemistry, us four. We get along really well and there’s a lot of mutual respect, and we’re having a lot of fun. Having a new person helps bring a new dynamic.”

What’s your key piece of advice for contestants?

“While they’re part of a competition, they need to understand that real-life families are living in these homes, so you need to renovate these homes and build these homes for real people. A lot of people can lose sight of that because they’re trying to win a room or they’re trying to do something outrageous.

“To win The Block, it comes down to marketability. To build the best house comes down to liveability. If you can get the balance between marketability and liveability then you’ve done your role as a contestant on The Block justice.”

That’s sage advice from the industry expert, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for this season.