PHOENIX -- Former employees of a Valley real-estate business claim the company's Lamborghini-driving owner owes them thousands of dollars in commission.

High Profile Realty owner Chris Hanson drives a Hummer and a Lamborghini, and in his flashy recruiting commercials, he claims his agents make between $60,000 and $100,000 in their first year.

Nevertheless, former employee Jeff Lundberg said Hanson owes him more than $9,000.

Jitka Benoit and Jeff Oswiany said Hanson owes them about $5,000 each for homes they sold.

"This is how we feed our families," Lundberg said. "This is how we pay our mortgage."

What's worse, they said, is that nobody seems to be able to help them -- not even the state's Real Estate Commission.

"As a former broker, (hearing about this) makes me very sad," said Real Estate Commissioner Judith Lowe. "As the real estate commissioner, it makes me even more sad."

Lowe said state law prohibits her from investigating such issues.

"As far as the department is concerned, we're here to protect the public," she said.

Basically, the commission will follow up on consumer complaints, but not complaints from agents about their paychecks.

Lowe said she disagrees with the law, saying it "gives a broker a license to steal."

When 5 Investigates reporter Morgan Loew confronted Hanson about his unpaid agents, the real estate broker admitted the company owes "a number of agents their commission checks."

Hanson insisted he took out loans to pay for his expensive cars.

"I've got a loan on (them), just like anybody else does," he said. "I owe money, too."

He said he is trying to work out payment agreements with his former agents.

Despite filing for bankruptcy protection, High Profile Realty still appears to be recruiting new agents.

Hanson's attorney told 5 Investigates that Hanson's boat and Lamborghini are now gone, and they are looking at ways to come up with the money he owes his creditors, including the former real estate agents.