A man with a self-confessed history of failed business ventures and unpaid debts is attempting to set up a real estate agency in Ballarat.
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Luke Hemmings was given a Victorian estate agent’s licence in June this year by the Business Licensing Authority, despite having his South Australian licence suspended in February.
Hemmings, also known as Lucas Hemmings, Dene or Dean Broadbelt, Harrison O’Connor, Harrison Eyles, Dene Mussillon, Nic Lloyd and Clay O’Connor, contacted The Courier last week with a press release describing himself as ‘Australia's most determined Real Estate maven’ and ‘a Real Estate entrepreneur’. Hemmings wrote he was ‘set to give Ballarat a shake-up’ and his company, Masakali Estate Agents, was going to be 'honest, ethical and simply outwork the competition'.
In his release Hemmings quoted himself, saying “Ballarat offers a desirable lifestyle that is affordable to many. The area presents value and opportunity allowing first home buyers and investors to get a great start in the property market and the reception we have received by the locals and town Mayor has been spectacular.”
City of Ballarat mayor Samantha McIntosh told The Courier she had never heard of Luke Hemmings or Masakali Real Estate, had not spoken to any real estate agent in her official capacity, and would not make herself available to any approaches by him.
Hemmings also wrote in the release that he was ‘Setting up shop at Armstrong Street, Ballart (sic) Central just last week, Masakali Estate Agents has already conducted transactions.’
The Courier attended the address Hemmings provided in Armstrong Street and was told at office reception the Masakali Real Estate office was a ‘virtual office’ with no staff, and could receive and forward mail only.
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A source informed The Courier Hemmings had also contacted a local business recently and was planning a gala, four-hour launch of the agency in March 2019 at a local venue.
He has been allocated a real estate agent’s licence by the BLA in Victoria, with the following conditions placed on it:
‘The licensee must not advertise or undertake the business of selling or negotiating for the sale of any real estate on behalf of any other person by conducting or attempting to conduct an auction.
‘The licensee must not advertise or undertake the business of: a) Auctioning, selling, buying, exchanging, letting or taking on lease of or otherwise dealing with or disposing of, b) Negotiating for the sale, purchase, exchange, letting or taking on lease of or otherwise dealing with or disposing of any business, on behalf of any other person.’
The Courier understands Hemmings obtained the licence in June this year after applying for mutual recognition of a Northern Territory agent’s licence. *
However a spokesperson for the Attorney-General’s department in South Australia confirmed to The Courier Hemmings’s licence to practise in that state was suspended in February 2018.
You can read his full press release here.
Masakali Estate Agents Melbourne was registered as a business in Melbourne in August 2018. There was a separate company registered as Masakali Estate Agents Pty Ltd in NSW and gave a Darwin address as its registered place of business. It had previously listed six other addresses in NSW, Victoria and the ACT as its business premises. That company is in the process of being struck off.
Luke Hemmings has an ABN but is not currently registered for the GST.
Hemmings, 25, has gone by a series of aliases in the past in business ventures as varied as real estate, photography, music festival promotion and acting as a musical impresario. He has admitted in the past to owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid fees, rentals, wages and bills in several states and territories across Australia. None have been repaid. He has declared himself bankrupt in the past.
Earlier this year he pleaded guilty to a charge of using a carriage service to menace, harass and offend in New South Wales, after he made a series of sexually explicit phone calls to the owner of a fitness centre on the south coast of the state.
The reception we have received by the locals and town Mayor has been spectacular
- Luke Hemmings
The charge was then dismissed by the magistrate on mental health grounds, with conditions place on Hemmings to see a mental heath professional and take prescribed medication.
In 2015 Hemmings attempted to set up a series of estate agencies in south-west Victoria, despite not having a real estate licence at the time. Using the name Harrison O’Connor he attempted to hire staff and lease premises in Cobden, Campbelltown and Timboon. At the time, he said in a newspaper interview, he “was told by police to leave town.”
In 2017 he tried to establish another series of agencies on the NSW south coast as Meriton Estate Agents Pty Ltd and Coastal Property Agents. At the time, a spokesperson from NSW Fair Trading told Fairfax Media Mr Broadbelt was not licensed as an agent in NSW under any of the names he has been known to use.
“Mr Dean/Dene Broadbelt, aka Mr Harrison O’Connor aka Mr Lucas or Luke Hemmings is an unlicensed real estate agent in NSW,” the spokesperson said.
In a statement for Masakali Luke Hemmings said he was unable to comment and reserved his legal rights. Consumer Affairs Victoria did not respond to questions by deadline.
- *Correction: in the original story it was stated Hemmings obtained a licence by mutual recognition of his South Australian land agent’s licence. This was incorrect; it was an NT estate agent’s licence.