Read the following 100% factual account, and make up your own mind.

We decided to go with Changing Places due to my wife having had some social contact with an agent working for the company. Well, you know what they say about “employing” your friends? Not a good idea it seems.

Nevertheless, we placed the sale in this person’s hands ([redacted name] has subsequently left Changing Places), who arranged for the usual exorbitantly priced internet advertising to take place, arranged for photography and house measurements to be taken. [redacted name] then wrote the text for the advertising and sent it to me to proof. My goodness me, it was so bad I asked if I could ‘clean’ it up. He had no problem with this as he acknowledged that English was an issue for him. Note that I am not a Real-estate Agent and have no expertise in writing advertising scripts, so I simply cleaned up his diatribe – which in all honesty was so poorly written the gibberish made no sense.

Once re-written, I emailed it to [redacted name] expecting him to make some changes to ensure the best marketing approach. Not so. He retained it verbatim! Sadly, not being an agent and not understanding the market like an agent theoretically would, I went with the flow. Problem was, my property was (for the area) quite large, and realistically the true market is the developer. However the property was portrayed as a home for sale, not land that had subdivision plans in place and a home that should probably be demolished to allow the building of several townhouses.

Timing wise; the market was so hot, that typically when we attended other Open Houses, it was standing room only. Ours; we had a total of 4 Open Houses and a total of 4 parties over the month! That was enough for me to realise our property had been compromised.

I decided to pull out and ask that the proposed Auction be stopped. It all worked in the end - after having to threaten management with how their agent couldn’t even put a marketing program together.

Bottom line; those 4 weeks were harrowing and the response from Changing Places – pathetic.

We moved on without selling the property in one of the hottest markets in Melbourne.

Almost a year later we decided to put the house back on the market – only doing an off-market campaign. The real estate agents in question asked if I could procure some images to assist them in the no-cost off-market sales process.
Having paid Changing Places more than $2500 for inept advertising and photography, I felt it logical that I contact them for my photos. I phoned and the call was answered by [redacted name] and I have to say, butter wouldn’t have melted in her mouth. “I’m off with the children for a couple of days, so please send through your details and I will contact you as soon as I return”. This was at 9.15am on a Monday.
Friday morning around 10.30 I called Vanessa and said “We spoke the other day about my photographs, and I was wondering how you are going with that?” Her response; “I told you I wouldn’t be back until Friday afternoon, so leave it and I will get Back to you.” Seriously, you could have cut the air with a knife!

So be it. But no call, no email, nothing. I called again a few days later and after a few rings the phone went to message bank… time and time again over the next few days. Vanessa had obviously decided that the photos I paid for were to be used by me to sell a house that they couldn’t. So therefore I couldn’t have my photos.

Would I recommend Changing Places? I think you get the drift.

Approximate cost: $2600