A Sellers Reserve Auction · Prepared for Todd & Angela Court
A Flower Streets classic, three blocks from the sand. Launched August 17. Sold under the hammer, Saturday, September 5, 2026.
Introduction
Todd, Angela, thank you for engaging with us and opening the door to a different approach for bringing 503 Fernleaf to market. After 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 Corona del Mar right now.
You have been clear about what matters most: securing the sale of Fernleaf so you can move on your next home from a position of strength, not hope. That is precisely what this method is built to deliver. A known sale date, a known settlement window, and an unconditional contract signed on the day, so you can negotiate your purchase as a cash- certain buyer rather than one waiting on a contingency.
What follows is a summary of what a Sellers Reserve auction actually looks like in practice, the methodology, the marketing approach, the buyer qualification process, and the auction day itself. Our objective is to sell your home for the highest possible price within a pre-defined window: five weeks of focused, multi-channel exposure from launch on August 17, converging on a single transparent moment of competition.
Every page that follows is tailored to 503 Fernleaf and the Corona del Mar audience. It all culminates in a live on-site auction on Saturday, September 5, 2026. We hope you both come away with the clarity and confidence to move forward, and that we can start the clock this week.
Michael Mahon & Deborah Sado
Our Philosophy
503 Fernleaf has been meticulously cared for, thoughtfully improved, and held with pride. Homes like yours deserve more than exposure, they deserve the right strategy.
The traditional approach is simple: list it, price it, and wait. If the market doesn't respond, the price gets 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 engineered to engage the entire market at once, rather than letting it trickle in over time.
Reposition
Elevate how the home is perceived in the market.
Launch
A high-impact campaign engineered for maximum attention.
Qualify
Reach out to and pre-screen serious, capable buyers.
Compress
A defined window 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 ultimate driver of price.
"The ideal buyer pays the ideal price. Our job is to attract the right buyers, not just any buyer, and create the conditions for them to compete."
Control & Flexibility
Your reserve price ensures 503 Fernleaf will never sell below a level you accept. You retain control throughout the entire campaign.
And if the home doesn't sell under the hammer on September 5, we don't start over. We move immediately into Phase II, where, from a position of strength, we negotiate with the buyers who have already qualified, engaged, and committed to the buying process.
The risk of the traditional approach isn't just time: it's failing to fully draw out real demand and leaving genuine value on the table.
The Traditional Trap
Limited Initial Exposure
Buyer interest builds slowly, dampening momentum at the very moment a campaign should launch.
No Clear Timeframe
Without a defined deadline, urgency drops and decisions get deferred.
Isolated Negotiations
Buyers act independently, limiting competition and overall leverage.
Extended Time on Market
Prolonged exposure can affect perception and ultimate outcome.
A clear difference in approach
| Traditional Sale | SR Auction | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Approach | A fixed asking price can set an upper ceiling on offers. | No ceiling, competition can drive results higher. |
| Timeframe | No deadline; can sit on the market for a long time. | Defined campaign schedule leading to a specific sale date. |
| Sale Conditions | Often subject to financing, inspection, or other contingencies. | Unconditional sale, providing greater certainty. |
| Buyer Motivation | Without a deadline, buyers can delay or negotiate harder. | A defined date creates urgency and prompts decisive action. |
| Negotiation Style | Private, one-on-one negotiations limit competitive pressure. | 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 | May attract conditional or less committed buyers. | Buyers are prepared and ready to meet terms. |
25+
Years at the front line of premium real estate
2,000+
Properties successfully sold
2
Network ecosystem: Sellers Reserve and First Team
Why Sellers Reserve
The most powerful, transparent and rewarding home sale experience in California, a strategically executed marketing and sales process designed to maximize the value of 503 Fernleaf and deliver an outstanding result.
The value of your home should not be guessed. It should be driven by real market demand.
Powerful Marketing Engine
Leading-edge technology and a campaign designed to attract the most serious, competitive buyers.
Genuinely Motivated Buyers
Targeted outreach, domestic and international, that 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 to close.
Proven Sales Process
Consult & Strategize
A focused, no-obligation consultation to align on goals and develop the right pricing strategy.
Property Preparation
Strategically prepare and present 503 Fernleaf to maximize buyer interest and competition.
Success Blueprint
Our proprietary property analysis, a personalized roadmap built by the auctioneer, agent, and marketing team.
Launch & Auction
Dynamic marketing material, a short but powerful campaign, culminating in the live auction event.
If 503 Fernleaf does not sell under the hammer, we seamlessly transition to Phase II, engaging the qualified, motivated buyers already in process through personal negotiation to secure the best possible offer. Your broker and agent remain closely involved through every stage, including close.
Backed by Scale
Sellers Reserve brings 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.
Personalized strategy combined with market-leading capability, connecting 503 Fernleaf to a deep pool of local, national, and international buyers.
2,200+
Real estate professionals
$7B+
Annual sales volume
45+
Offices
Luxury Partnerships
Through exclusive affiliations with Luxury Portfolio International, LuxuryRealEstate.com, and Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, 503 Fernleaf will be 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-Leading Position
Total CRMLS sales volume 2010 to 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 to 12/2024
In Their Words
His enthusiasm, but more importantly his knowledge of what it takes to make a sale, is truly contagious. My clients wanted to hear a solution to the question 'why hasn't my house sold?' Michael brought a fresh perspective, a real solution. Without doubt, he saved my listing from going elsewhere.
Ellen Kozlowski
Newport Beach
Even after 26 years in real estate there is still so much to learn and so much to be inspired by, Michael brings that wealth of knowledge in spades. I can't recommend him highly enough.
Louise Snowden
Raine & Horne, Double Bay
The Property
503 Fernleaf sits in the most walkable pocket of Corona del Mar Village, white picket charm, mature gardens and a covered porch, moments from PCH, the Village shops and the bluff-top path down to Big Corona. This is the address buyers chase and rarely get a shot at.
Specification below is confirmed against MLS and title during listing prep, the bracketed fields are placeholders until Todd and Angela sign off.
Bedrooms
4
Bathrooms
3
Interior
1,640 sq ft
Year Built
1962
Community
Flower Streets · Corona del Mar Village
MLS #
[at listing]
The Method
The most advanced and effective way to sell luxury real estate in California today. A proprietary platform that creates a high-energy competitive environment among qualified buyers, driving urgency and revealing the property's true market value, in the open.
You hold the reserve. Buyers compete openly. The market, not negotiation, sets the price.
A seven week program, from preparation and staging through launch and multi-channel exposure, engineered to saturate the qualified buyer pool and build undeniable urgency by auction day.
An open, on-site forum where qualified buyers reveal true market demand in real time, no back-channel negotiations, no guesswork.
A defined date, defined terms, and an unconditional contract. You know exactly when the home sells, and on your terms.
"We don't sell homes. We stage moments where qualified buyers compete in the open."
Timeline
From listing prep in early August, to launch on Monday August 17, to the hammer falling on Saturday, September 5 at 2:00 PM, every day is staged.
August 3 to 9, 2026
August 10 to 16, 2026
August 17 to 23, 2026
August 24 to 30, 2026
August 31 to September 5, 2026
Auction Day
A live, on-site auction staged at 503 Fernleaf with registered, pre-qualified bidders. Open and transparent. Unconditional contract signed on the day. Todd and Angela hold the reserve.
Auction Day
Your Team
Founder & CEO
Founder, CEO · Sellers Reserve
Twenty-five years at the front line of high-performance real estate. A leading auction specialist, keynote speaker and operator, Michael founded Sellers Reserve to give principal sellers a transparent, certain alternative to the traditional listing.
michael@sellersreserve.com · +1 949 887 0350
CA DRE #[license number]
Listing Agent
Realtor® · First Team Real Estate
Deborah brings deep Corona del Mar and coastal Orange County market knowledge to the campaign, managing buyer relationships, open homes and private tours, and converting genuine interest into qualified, deposited bidders on auction day.
deborah@sellersreserve.com · +1 949 887 3505
CA DRE #[license number]
First Team Real Estate · CA DRE #[brokerage license number] · Sellers Reserve is an auction marketing platform operating in partnership with First Team Real Estate.
Further Viewing
The thinking behind the method, in Michael's own words.
Time Kills Price
Why Auction?
Investment
Two distinct services, priced separately. First Team provides the brokerage representation. Sellers Reserve provides and funds the auction campaign. One does not subsidise or inflate the other, and both are payable only on a successful sale.
Zero out of pocket marketing cost to Todd and Angela
Listing side representation, contract negotiation, disclosure management, escrow oversight and close. Paid to the brokerage at close of escrow, exactly as it would be on any conventional sale. Any compensation offered to a buyer's agent is a separate decision, entirely at your discretion.
A single flat fee covering the entire auction program. Sellers Reserve funds the campaign up front, you are never invoiced for marketing.
Independent of the brokerage commission
Traditional auction houses add a 10 to 15% buyer's premium on top of the winning bid. We do not, because it is counter productive. Buyers simply deduct it from what they are willing to bid, so the seller ends up paying for it indirectly, and it pulls the bidder into a calculating, analytical mindset at the exact moment you want them bidding with emotion.
Contingent on a successful sale. No sale, no fee.
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 result.
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 are built to do.
Next Step
Signing the listing agreement this week secures the September 5 auction date, the August 17 launch, and the full marketing calendar, so you can shop for your next home knowing exactly when Fernleaf sells.