Crabtrees Real Estate

History of Success

For over half a century, Crabtrees Real Estate have been providing Melbourne with a service built on constant success and proven experience. It’s no wonder we are regarded as one of Melbourne’s best commercial and industrial specialists. Complete property management that takes the day-to-day hassle away from you, so you can sit back and watch your investment grow from strength to strength.

When it comes to understanding the market, our broad network and solid ties with the south-eastern suburbs means our clients always get results way above their expectation. From leasing to management, all our staff are passionate about real estate, providing a professional and competitive service for all your Commercial and Industrial needs.

When you think commercial real estate, think Crabtrees Real Estate.

Company Directors

Chris McKenzie Director/Principal	Gavin Dumas Director/Principal	Grant Tishler Director/Principal
As a fully licensed real estate agent Chris has been part of Crabtrees Real Estate since August, 1989. He moved from being an employee of the firm, which was founded in 1955 by the Crabtree family, to gaining an initial equity interest before acquiring equity ownership, assuring a succession plan which enabled the founding members of the Crabtree family to retire. He is acknowledged as a skilled industrial and commercial property negotiator with a wealth of successful property transactions to his credit.	Gavin is also a fully licensed real estate agent with a significant wealth of experience in sales, leasing and management of commercial property, gained since specialising in this area since 1993. Gavin joined Chris as an equity owner of Crabtrees Real Estate in 2002. He is acknowledged by his industry colleagues for his ability to develop solutions, for clients who range from private individuals, to corporate clients, multinational businesses and the development community.	Grant has 20 years experience in the property industry, having worked in asset management, corporate real estate and development, working for the past 12 years as manager of property and development for a major national developer and funds manager. Grant’s expertise focused on the negotiation and development of business parks and purpose built premises. Coupled with development, Grant has had extensive experience in the selling, leasing and management of existing premises including overall asset management. This has involved specific and sensitive negotiations relating to lease terms and conditions such as lease renewals and rent review negotiations

Sales and Leasing Team

Luke Pitcher Sales and Leasing Consultant Since commencing his Real Estate career with Crabtrees in 2004, Luke has proven himself a successful negotiator. As a fully licensed estate agent, Luke has developed a broad depth of knowledge across commercial, industrial and retail markets. Luke's continual success with clients ranging from private individuals to multinational companies is a direct result of his industry knowledge, communication skills and attention to detail.	Tony Aminian Sales and Leasing Consultant Tony is the most recent recruit to our Carrum Downs office and brings over 4 years experience within the ever growing South Eastern industrial corridor. Tony has been a part of many major transactions including pre-commitment leases with Publicly Listed companies and also involved with numerous sales exceeding $1m. His attention to detail and commitment to building long lasting relationship ensures repeat business for many years to come.	Matthew Marenko Sales and Leasing Consultant Matthew Marenko commenced his Real Estate career in 1999 at Jellis Craig and Company, a prestigious residential agency in Melbourne’s inner east as a sales consultant and auctioneer and transacted in a highly diverse mix of properties. In 2006 Matthew joined the team at Crabtrees Real Estate and since then has performed many major transactions in the commercial, retail and industrial markets. Matthew has a broad knowledge of both sales and leasing and continues to exceed his clients expectations. Matthew’s flair and determination are hallmarks of his attitude to the Real Estate industry. His key priorities are to provide top results, efficient service, reliable progress reports and tight liaisons with all stakeholders. “I believe in providing excellent service to my clients from start to finish.”


Alex Ivory Sales & Leasing Consultant Alex started his journey in the property industry through construction. Being a Licensed Plumber, Alex worked on numerous projects around the South East of Melbourne and CBD. His passion for all aspects of property is evident through his manner as he strives to deliver the best information to owners, prospective tenants and developers alike. With every client Alex aims to listen closely to each of their individual needs and requirements to achieve the best possible outcome.	Stuart Gill Sales & Leasing Consultant Stuart began his real estate career in 2004 and has worked in many different facets of the industry. A consummate sales professional with the drive and determination to achieve outstanding results, Stuart has proven that when given a challenge he will ensure that all expectations are achieved beyond reproach. On a daily basis Stuart uses these skills when negotiating and bringing a deal together. Stuart completed a Bachelor of Business/Marketing and furthered his knowledge doing several real estate specific courses. With an intimate knowledge of the south eastern corridor, Stuart has achieved some great results for his clients

Robert Colaneri Sales & Leasing Consultant Working closely with Grant and Tony at the Carrum Downs office, Robert brings with him a broad knowledge of property. His commitment and motivation to excel in property is evident as he's currently in his 3rd year of Property and Real Estate majoring in Sustainability at Deakin University. He plans to continue to grow and gain experience under Grant and Tony and focus on the South Eastern Industrial corridor. Robert prides himself on doing everything to the best of his ability and building long lasting client relationships.	Andrew Loudon Sales and Leasing Consultant Coming from a strong retail background where customer service is imperative Andrew started with Crabtrees in 2007. Working closely with the directors and completing his agents representative course before starting with Crabtrees, Andrew has gained a strong understanding of the exacting requirements of commercial real estate and honed his skills accordingly. His enthusiasm and attention to detail has shown through in a wide range of negotiations and transactions ensuring a successful career in the Commercial and Industrial markets.

Property Management Department

Jaime-Lee Armstrong Property Management Department Manager Jaime-Lee has been in Real Estate for over 10 years and commenced with Crabtrees in 2003. She has been appointed as Manager of the Commercial Property Department. Jaime-Lee's extensive knowledge and commitment to her role ensures that her clients receive optimum service and advice. Jaime-Lee strives to provide excellent service by maintaining strong communication with property owners and tenants ensuring many successful business relationships.	Thomas Wetton Property Manager Thomas has a real passion for Commercial Real Estate. His dedicated work ethos and approachable nature make him especially suited to the job. Thomas gained his first Real Estate experience managing residential properties for one of Melbourne’s most well known companies. From this experience much was gained for example leasing residential properties, creating rapport with both tenants and landlords, winning new listings and much more. However, Thomas has now moved onto bigger and better things. Thomas believes that nothing is interesting unless their is something to learn and therefore is planning on continuing his studies. Thomas is undertaking studies to complete his full Estate Agents License. Thomas values his role at Crabtrees and will take that extra step to ensure his clients are maximizing their investments.	Katrina Grogan Property Manager Katrina commenced her Real Estate career in 1998 starting out in Residential Property Management, later moving into Commercial Property Management. Katrina has performed a number of roles in her time in the Industry, her focused approach and insistence on personal service, recognising the importance of your property requirements and ensuring clear communication are just some examples of the experience she has gained. Katrina is completing her Estate Agents License course.


Trenham Weatherhead Property Manager Trenham is an enthusiastic, professional and approachable commercial manager. He has several years experience in the property industry, having qualified as a solicitor in England & Wales and subsequently specialised in commercial property law, practicing in both the UK and Australia, before moving into real estate management. He has acted for domestic and international developers, investors, retailers, businesses and numerous high-net worth individuals. He has worked on large-scale development projects, high value sales and purchases and has drafted and negotiated commercial, industrial and retail leases, in addition to assisting landlords and tenants with all variety of property management issues.	Betty Giacometti Property Manager Betty commenced her real estate career in 2002 starting out in Residential Property Management. As a fully licensed agent, Betty was a Branch Manager at her last role for 5 years before leaving residential to resume her career in Commercial Management. Prior to real estate, Betty was working in the IT industry for 12 years and decided to move into Real Estate for a more challenging role. Betty has a strong work ethic and works hard to build strong relationships with her clients to ensure a satisfactory outcome. She is focused and is dedicated to her work.