6 reviews about Changing Places

verified email - 17 Feb 2022

Google reviews are more accurate, They have created heaps of fake reviews

verified email - 17 Feb 2022

Just read the bad reviews from Google. Very telling.

verified email - 21 Jun 2019

We absolutely adored our rental contact at Changing Places. Vanessa was thorough, kind, quick to respond to issues, and just a generally lovely human to deal with. We will miss her a lot!

verified email - 15 Jan 2017

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

Changing Places 15 Jan 2017

hi there I'm Vanessa and Id like to report the honest facts. You called the week before Christmas which as you all can imagine is a very busy time for all. I dispute your written word as I would NEVER say 'I told you I wouldn't be back until Friday afternoon, so leave it and I will get back to you.' This is completely INCORRECT and I am disappointed you have written this. Your comments are completely FALSE. The week after Christmas Melbourne was hit with severe storms causing multiple properties we manage flood severely, including our office, which is as you can imagine assisting tenants and landlords in severe situation such as this is a top priority for any agent. If the telephone was going to message bank this was due to assisting clients in crisis. I urge you to retract your statements about myself as I am happy to take this further.

gregb599 19 Jan 2017

I have received a comment from Vanessa, but am unable to see it here. Not sure why.

So be it, the following is an unedited reply from Vanessa of Changing Places - followed by my retort:

"hi there I'm Vanessa and Id like to report the honest facts. You called the week before Christmas which as you all can imagine is a very busy time for all. I dispute your written word as I would NEVER say 'I told you I wouldn't be back until Friday afternoon, so leave it and I will get back to you.' This is completely INCORRECT and I am disappointed you have written this. Your comments are completely FALSE. The week after Christmas Melbourne was hit with severe storms causing multiple properties we manage flood severely, including our office, which is as you can imagine assisting tenants and landlords in severe situation such as this is a top priority for any agent. If the telephone was going to message bank this was due to assisting clients in crisis. I urge you to retract your statements about myself as I am happy to take this further."

MY RESPONSE.

Having retained my phone records, I have proof of timing. Secondly, I 100% refute the suggestion by Vanessa that she did not make the 'Friday' Statement (certainly given that my wife was with me at the time and heard what I heard. In fact I am happy for you, Vanessa, to take this as far as you like. The facts are the facts, and you blatantly are trying to hide behind false words.

Indeed, rather than try and make it look like I am making false accusations, irrespective of issues you claim regarding flooding, you could have given me the courtesy of supplying the images - rather than completely ignoring me.

If you do in fact supply the images, I will consider removing my post, otherwise - as they say in the classics - go your hardest!

verified email - 13 Jul 2010

every day i come here for lunch for work, theres such a variety i can have something different everyday, not only does the food taste and look and smell amazing the staff are curtious and wonderful and the store is very clean and impressive, a must stop when you are in southbank.

Changing Places 19 Jan 2017

hi Gregb599
We do not retain copies of any listings lost more than 12mths ago. thank you.

verified email - 24 Jan 2010

Helen is a really friendly and knowledgeable real estate agent, despite the fact that she has only been in the business a relatively short while. We did not end up purchasing through her, but only because our dream home came up with someone else.

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