A Sellers Reserve Auction · Prepared for Carol Freund
A private residence in University Park, Irvine. Marketed on a single, unified timeline. Sold under the hammer — Saturday, June 20, 2026.
Foreword
Carol, thank you for sitting down with us and opening the door to a different approach for bringing 4 Mandrake to market. Following our conversation we wanted to come back with something concrete: a presentation built specifically for this home, this community, and the buyer pool active in Irvine right now.
What follows is a clear picture of what a Sellers Reserve auction actually looks like in practice — the methodology, the marketing approach, the buyer-screening process, and auction day itself. Our objective is to sell your home for the highest price achievable inside a pre-defined window. From today, the plan is to concentrate the entire sale: seven weeks of focused multi-channel exposure, converging on a single transparent moment of competition.
Every page that follows is tailored to 4 Mandrake and the Orange County audience. It all culminates in a live on-site auction on June 20, 2026. We hope you finish with the clarity and confidence to move forward together — and that we can start the clock this week.
Eric Duncan & Michael Mahon
Our philosophy
4 Mandrake has been carefully maintained, thoughtfully improved, and kept with pride. Homes like yours deserve more than just exposure — they deserve the right strategy.
The traditional approach is simple: list, price, and wait. If the market doesn't respond, prices get reduced — and over time, that can quietly work against you. Time on market doesn't create value. It erodes it.
At Sellers Reserve we take a different path. We don't just list — we position, and we build a structured campaign that captures the entire market at once, rather than scattered across time.
Reposition
Elevate how the home is perceived in the market.
Launch
A high-impact campaign engineered to capture maximum attention.
Screen
Outreach to and pre-qualification of serious, capable buyers.
Concentrate
A defined window that creates real urgency.
Compete
Bring buyers together where they have to act.
Close
Let the market compete with itself, not with you. Competition is the final driver of price.
"The right buyer will pay the right price. Our job is to attract the right buyers — not any buyers — and create the conditions for them to compete."
Control & flexibility
Your reserve price ensures 4 Mandrake will never sell for less than you accept. You retain full control throughout the entire campaign.
And if the home doesn't sell under the hammer on June 20, we don't start over. We move immediately into Phase II, where — from a position of strength — we negotiate with buyers already qualified, already engaged, and already committed to the process.
The risk of the traditional approach isn't just time: it's failing to surface real demand and leaving genuine value on the table.
The traditional trap
Limited initial exposure
Buyer interest builds slowly, dampening momentum right at campaign launch.
No defined timeline
Without a specific deadline, urgency fades and decisions get delayed.
One-on-one negotiation
Buyers act independently, limiting competition and overall leverage.
Extended time on market
Prolonged exposure can affect perception and the final outcome.
A clear difference in approach
| Traditional sale | SR Auction | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing approach | A fixed asking price can create a ceiling on offers. | No price ceiling — competition can drive results higher. |
| Timeline | No deadline; can sit on the market for a long time. | Defined campaign timeline leading to a specific sale date. |
| Sale conditions | Often subject to financing, inspection, or other contingencies. | Unconditional at sale, delivering greater certainty. |
| Buyer motivation | No deadline — buyers may delay or negotiate harder. | A specific date creates urgency and encourages decisive action. |
| Negotiation style | Private, one-on-one negotiation limits competitive pressure. | Live, real-time competitive bidding often pushes price higher than expected. |
| Market perception | Can feel like a waiting game, reducing momentum. | Positioned as an event, generating interest and energy. |
| Price adjustments | May require reductions if initial pricing is too high. | Price is determined by real-time buyer demand. |
| Buyer pool | Can attract conditional or less committed buyers. | Buyers are pre-qualified and ready to meet the terms. |
25+
Years at the forefront of luxury real estate
2,000+
Properties successfully sold
3
Network ecosystem: Sellers Reserve, SolTerra Estates & FirstTeam
Why Sellers Reserve
The most powerful, transparent, and rewarding home-selling experience in California — a marketing and sales process executed with strategy, designed to maximize the value of 4 Mandrake and deliver superior results.
Your home's value should not be guessed at. It should be driven by real market demand.
Powerful marketing engine
Cutting-edge technology and a campaign designed to attract the most serious, competitive buyers.
Genuinely motivated buyers
Targeted outreach — domestic and international — converts interest into real-time competition.
Immediate & unconditional
The sale is certain the moment the hammer falls. No waiting, no conditions, no uncertainty.
Expert, end-to-end management
Recognized specialists handle every detail, ensuring a smooth transaction through closing.
A proven sale process
Consultation & strategy
An in-depth, no-obligation consultation to align on goals and develop the right pricing strategy.
Property preparation
Strategically preparing and presenting 4 Mandrake to maximize buyer interest and competition.
Blueprint for success
Our proprietary property analysis — a personalized roadmap built by auctioneer, agent, and marketing team.
Launch & auction
Vivid marketing materials, a short but powerful campaign, culminating in a live auction event.
If 4 Mandrake doesn't sell under the hammer, we transition seamlessly into a second phase — engaging the qualified, motivated buyers already in the process through personal negotiation to secure the best possible offer. Your broker and agent remain closely involved through every stage, including closing.
Backed by scale
Sellers Reserve delivers a refined, strategy-led campaign. FirstTeam — the #1 independent brokerage in Southern California — provides the scale, reach, and infrastructure to execute at the highest level.
A personalized strategy combined with market-leading capability — connecting 4 Mandrake with a vast pool of local, national, and international buyers.
2,200+
Real estate professionals
$7B+
Annual sales volume
45+
Offices
Luxury partners
Through exclusive affiliations with Luxury Portfolio International, LuxuryRealEstate.com, and Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, 4 Mandrake is introduced to affluent buyers across local, national, and international markets.
Global luxury exposure
U.S. listings over $1M — by brand
FirstTeam / Luxury Portfolio Intl.
Sotheby's Realty
Compass
Coldwell Banker Global Luxury
Christie's International
Engel & Völkers
The Agency
Keller Williams Luxury Homes
Source: Scott Business Consulting, May 2024
Market leadership
Total CRMLS sales 2010–2024
FirstTeam Real Estate
Keller Williams
Coldwell Banker
Sotheby's International Realty
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
RE/MAX
Century 21
Compass / Corcoran
Top Broker Report 02/2025 · CRMLS 1/2010 – 12/2024
In their words
His enthusiasm, but more importantly his knowledge of how to actually get a sale done, really comes through. My client wanted to hear a solution to the question 'why hasn't my house sold?' Michael brought a fresh perspective — a real solution. Without question, he saved my listing from going elsewhere.
Ellen Kozlowski
Newport Beach
Although I've been in real estate for 26 years, there is still so much to learn and so much to be inspired by — Michael brings that abundance of knowledge. I cannot recommend him highly enough.
Louise Snowden
Raine & Horne, Double Bay
The home
An elegant single-family home in University Park, Irvine — set on a quiet interior street with a thoughtful floor plan and turnkey condition (MLS OC26033187), ready for the discerning buyer seeking a primary residence.
Bedrooms
4
Bathrooms
2 full · 1 half
Interior
2,304 sq ft
Lot size
3,200 sq ft
Year built
1967
Garage
2 car
Community
University Park, Irvine
MLS #
OC26033187
Method
The most advanced and effective method for selling premium real estate in California today. A proprietary platform that creates a powerful competitive environment between qualified buyers — driving urgency and revealing the property's true market value, openly.
You hold the reserve. Buyers compete openly. The market — not negotiation — sets the price.
Seven concentrated weeks of multi-channel exposure — engineered to saturate the qualified buyer pool and create unmistakable urgency.
An open, on-site forum where qualified buyers reveal real market demand in real time — no back-channel negotiation, no guesswork.
A specific date, specific terms, and an unconditional contract. You know exactly when the home will sell — and on your terms.
"We don't sell homes. We stage moments where qualified buyers compete in the open."
Timeline
From listing preparation on May 18 to the fall of the hammer on Saturday, June 20 at 2:00 PM — every day is staged.
May 18 — 24, 2026
May 25 — 31, 2026
June 1 — 7, 2026
June 8 — 14, 2026
June 15 — 20, 2026
Auction day
A live auction staged at 4 Mandrake with registered, pre-screened bidders. Open and transparent. An unconditional contract signed the same day. Carol holds the reserve.
Auction day
Your team
Lead Agent
Lead Agent · Sellers Reserve
Eric leads every Sellers Reserve campaign with the market knowledge and cadence needed to convert real interest into competitive, closed bids — with confidence and transparency.
eric@sellersreserve.com · +1 714 269 4034
Sellers Reserve · Newport Beach
Founder & CEO
Founder, CEO · Sellers Reserve
Twenty-five years at the forefront of high-performance real estate. A leading auction specialist, keynote speaker, and coach — Michael founded Sellers Reserve to give principal sellers a transparent, certain alternative to the traditional listing.
michael@sellersreserve.com · +1 949 887 0350
Further viewing
The thinking behind the method — in Michael's own words.
Time kills price
Why auction?
Investment
A single, all-inclusive platform fee — independent of the broker's commission.
Sellers Reserve funds and executes all digital marketing and campaign delivery.
Independent of broker commission
Our commitment is to take full responsibility for everything within our control — strategy, positioning, marketing execution, buyer engagement, and negotiation — and to approach the campaign with absolute commitment to the best possible outcome.
No agent, platform, or method can fully control the price the market is willing to pay. What we can do is influence the market and create the conditions for the best outcome — and that is exactly what we were built to do.
Next step
We have secured the June 20 auction date and are on schedule with our full five-week marketing calendar. Please reach out to us ANYTIME if you have any questions!