Ghosts, male strippers … and screaming Russians

What could be more conducive to the launch of a six-part property porn docu-series about high-­flying eastern suburbs Sydney ­realtors than a citywide lockdown?

A Luxe Listings home in Point Piper with Harbour Bridge and Opera House views.

What could be more conducive to the launch of a six-part property porn docu-series about high-­flying eastern suburbs Sydney ­realtors than a citywide lockdown?

Now Luxe Listings – and its three take-no-prisoners real estate personalities – has not only charmed its way into the homes of Sydney’s millionaires, but into the living rooms of thousands of Australians around the country.

And the documentary, streaming on Amazon Prime, has it all: ­superyachts, screaming Russians and a one-bedroom Bondi home listed for $3m. Then there’s the hen’s party with a dozen male strippers in hot-pink budgies.

But, as with all shows of this genre, it’s not always what you see that is the reality.

Let’s start with Simon Cohen, founder of Cohen Handler and – at least according to Mr Cohen – the highest grossing buyer's agent in Australia. Mr Cohen has just scouted out a $33m 1903 mansion owned by Australian water-polo great Peter Montgomery in Castle Cove on Sydney’s north shore.

“It’s one of a kind,” Mr Cohen, who has been hired by Tamara to find a home, tells the camera.

Tamara, meanwhile, arrives at the property with celebrity psychic Sharina Star. Ms Star’s mission? Ghostbusting.

“I've brought a friend,” Tamara announces in a thick Russian accent as she approaches the front of the house with Ms Star.

Only this is the first time Tamara and Ms Star have met.

Producers from Eureka Productions scouted the clairvoyant on an episode of Network Ten’s morning program in which she did “face readings” with the hosts.

“They saw me and thought I was funny, I guess, so they wanted me to be on the show,” Ms Star told The Weekend Australian.

The first ghost Ms Star saw turned out to be the reflection of the camera crew’s drone in one of the castle’s many windows. The second was more harrowing.

“I saw a shadow creeping up the wall of the dungeon,” she said. It wasn't cast by anything, and it kept moving.” Sadly, Ms Star alleges she was censored, told by the managing director of Sotheby’s International Realty, Michael Pallier, not to mention the ghost on screen as it could risk a potential sale or interest from future buyers.

A Bellevue Hill mansion.

A castle in … Castle Cove.

Throughout the series, Mr Cohen engages in a corporate bromance with our second titan of industry: the owner of Ray White Woollahra, Gavin Rubinstein.

His firm, which he rebranded as The Rubinstein Group, has been hired by Dover Heights resident Andrew Travers to sell his $6m home.

But the footage viewers see of the home being sold was shot a year after the actual event, Mr Travers says. “It was all a bit of a farrago … a bit made up,” he says. As for working with Mr Rubinstein? “Like dealing with any other Sydney real estate agent … take from that what you wish,” he says.

One of Bellevue Hill’s grandest mansions, Blair Athol, is another feature of the new series. The 1905-built home was owned by neurologist William Wolfenden and his wife Janet. She appears on the show tight-lipped and frustrated that the four agents she has engaged have not yet sold it.

Cue our last real estate superstar, D’Leanne Lewis. She contrives to sell Blair Athol for $12.25m to Fiona Sklavos, of the Peter’s of Kensington family, and her dentist husband Angelo.

“We have good news and bad news,” she tells Ms Wolfenden, building the suspense of the ever-predictable happy ending. “The bad news is, this is going to be your last Christmas in this house. Because guess what? The good news is … we’ve got you $12.25m!”

But Mr Pallier, who was a competing agent on the deal, says Ms Lewis had merely come on to the scene at an opportune moment.

“It’s all about who is there at the right time,” he says. “Who’s the last one standing when the owner finally throws in the towel and wants to sell, or the market swings and the buyer ups their price.”

A second season, already in production, will see the return of all the key characters except for Mr Cohen’s sidekick Liam Prince. Cohen Handler was “bad for my mental health,” he says. “I loved the job, it just wasn’t the right team for me to be a part of.”

Despite not being official talent for the show – nor being paid a penny – Mr Prince was confronted with long hours and early starts to film filler-shots Mr Cohen didn‘t want to film himself.

“You know those shots you see of Simon’s BMW driving around the streets? Yeah, that was me driving the car at 5am before Simon got up,” he said.