The Block star and real estate mogul Marty Fox defends ‘out-of-touch’ billboard during housing crisis after brutal backlash

A judge on hit Channel Nine series The Block has responded to outrage from Australians struggling to keep a roof over their heads over his ‘out-of-touch’ billboards.

Whitefox founder Marty Fox has defended provocative ads spotted in Perth claiming his company has been ‘making homes more expensive since 2017’.

TikTok account emreadman posted an image of the billboards with the caption, “Maybe not the message to gloat in the middle of a housing crisis, babes.”

Tenancy lawyer Jordan van den Lamb, known online as Purplepingers, weighed in on the controversy after being tagged online.

“If this is a real Whitefox ad, it’s certainly a bold choice,” he wrote.

Others were equally outraged by the marketing.

“Omg, I drove by on Friday night and was furious. This is not how you should address the market!’ one replied.

Another said: ‘No, this is so out of reach, yuck.’

Marty Fox (pictured with wife Charlotte) has hit back at the Australians’ response

Mr Fox told Daily Mail Australia on Monday night that the ads simply stated what his agency’s “duty” was.

“We are engaged to sell properties for our clients,” he explained.

“Our job is to get them as much money as possible and we do this through great marketing and competence in negotiations. Alternative via a public auction.

‘Hence our slogan ‘making homes more expensive since 2017’.

‘That is our duty: to help our customers, who are also struggling with inflation and the cost of living, to get as much as possible for their home.

“In almost two decades in the real estate industry, I have never heard a homeowner say to our staff, ‘sell my house cheap.’

Fox argued that “the real issue here is the cost of living,” that is, “what’s out of reach and making it difficult” for everyone, including property owners.

He stated that houses were often sold out of necessity for financial reasons.

“What about the families who have to sell because of an unforeseen marital breakdown or terrible medical diagnoses?” said Mr. Fox.

“These customers of ours need every dollar they can and that happens on a regular basis.”

Marty Fox defended his company’s ads, saying they simply stated what his customers wanted

Fox (pictured right) has been a judge on Nine Network’s The Block for two seasons

The ads also earned some backhanded compliments on social media.

“Well, their marketing worked, people are talking, and now more people know about White Fox real estate that they didn’t know about before,” one TikTok viewer commented.

Another added: ‘The only people upset about this are not the target group because they can’t afford a house, myself included.’

Other viewers defended the billboards and jumped to Mr. Fox’s defense.

“I like it because I’m not a layabout and I have a good job,” one person wrote.

Another added: “If you’re a homeowner, you definitely want your house to be shown in an expensive way, right?”

A third commented: ‘Well their marketing worked, people are talking, and now more people know about Whitefox properties they didn’t know before.’

In November, Daily Mail Australia reported that Fox had offloaded its getaway to Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula for a whopping $2.05 million.

The high-flying real estate agent and his wife Charlotte, co-founder of Whitefox, bought the original 1950s cottage in 2021 for $1.55 million.

The Melbourne couple then embarked on an extensive renovation, converting the house into a four-bedroom, two-bathroom holiday retreat.

Fox first appeared on the 2023 season of The Block as a semi-regular judge before returning for last year’s drama-filled season.