15 Freemans Rd, Mt Eliza, has just sold for a near record in the suburb at $12m — by one of the agents working for the show.
A Mt Eliza home has sold for an eye-watering $12m, tantalisingly close to the suburb’s $12.4m house price record — and the biggest deal for a house there since 2017.
And the agent who sold it is gearing up for their next big deal this weekend as she works to get a result for Jolene and Adam Wagner’s renovation for The Block’s House 1 in Mt Eliza.
Aqua Real Estate’s Michelle Skoglund said the eight-figure sale for the impressive home at 15 Freemans Rd, a six-bedroom residence on 3502sq m that dwarfs Channel 9’s offerings in 2026, was nonetheless a “great omen for The Block”.
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“Especially having three offers on it,” Ms Skoglund said.
She added that with about 73 metres of the property fronting Port Phillip Bay, the home was among a handful of clifftop residences with some of the best views in the suburb.
With a tennis court and pool, the striking white weatherboard might well be beyond even the lofty renovations of The Block, with custom features ranging from a Coldstream stone fireplace, to a granite surfaced kitchen with two Neff ovens, a warming draw, Miele appliances and a butler-style laundry set between the kitchen and a chef’s garden outside.
The open-plan living zone makes the most of water views through expansive glazing, but also showcases exposed timber beams and stone columns.
The water views from the home’s rear aspect are among some of the best on the Peninsula.
Striking interior spaces provide plenty of visual interest, but it’s hard to beat the big blue vista just outside the windows.
There’s even a second, freestanding residence with its own kitchen and living space, and a cabana for the tennis court.
“This property is magnificent, there’s a view from virtually every part of the home and when you stand in the living zone you have just got those arches then the lawns before you see the bay beyond the windows,” she said.
It could almost be argued the best home available for sale in Mt Eliza just sold, though the current record holder at 4 Denistoun Ave, Mt Eliza, is currently up for grabs as well — seeking a hefty $15m-$16.5m.
Given The Block has set record sale prices in most recent years, the top end result in the same suburb could be a sign there is a depth of appetite for a comparably more affordable offering.
However, Ms Skoglund said while the properties were not directly comparable House 1 did share commonalities including a big view, which captures the bay and city lights,
“And for the right properties there is some depth to the market,” she said.
The Freemans Rd home’s kitchen is a little different to what buyers on The Block will be getting this year.
Multiple living areas around the home provide plenty of space to relax, or entertain.
The agent, who rarely auctions homes in the bayside enclave where most residences change handt known auctioneers to swing the gavel on her behalf this weekend: Damien Cooley from Cooley Auction
With more than 12 appearances in the show’s highly publicised auctions, including selling the winning home six times — most recently in 2025 when he brought the hammer down on a $3.41m sale that gifted Britt and Taz Etto a $520,000 win in Daylesford.
Two other homes failed to sell on the day.
At the moment Mr Cooley is at a strike rate of about 50 per cent for winning The Block, though he did pass in the home for Jenny Heath and Dylan Adams in 2022’s Gisborne season among his other 12 results.
Ms Skoglund is also seeing his strike rate as a good sign for her listing, along with the residence consistently being voted as a viewers favourite during the airing of the show.
“And we definitely have the best built home with the highest end features,” she added.
Add in a northerly aspect and the $3.45m reserve price starts looking like very good value, according to the agent.
“There’s real people looking to buy this year, mothers and fathers coming to the opens,” Ms Skoglund said.
The tennis court comes with a fresh sea breeze, and a cabana for a bit of space out of the sun between games.
The home, bottom right, is joined by a number of similar lavish properties on the Mt Eliza cliff top.
Mornington Peninsula based buyer’s agent Michael Sier said while the buyers would be in very different categories, the $12m sale at Freemans Rd was a positive sign ahead of The Block auctions.
“If anything it gives confidence that there are people with deep pockets who see Mt Eliza as a place to put their money,” Mr Sier said.
However, the Buyer X advocate said he had noticed a pattern that with limited buyers active above $3m, any home that lingered on the market for a while did struggle in the price bracket The Block is pursuing.
“The only way to incentivise then is to make it too good to say no,” Mr Sier said.
That usually meant price cuts, which could be bleak news for any homes that don’t sell under the hammer for The Block this week.
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