FOLLOWING A LIVE AUCTION WITH 10 QUALIFIED BIDDERS, THE PROPERTY WENT UNDER CONTRACT IN COOPERATION WITH HILTON & HYLAND, AN EXCLUSIVE AFFILIATE OF CHRISTIE’S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE, AND THE MCMONIGLE TEAM OF BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOME SERVICES

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif., March 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — New York-based real estate auction firm Concierge Auctions is pleased to announce the pending sale of El Rancho del Rio, a unique ranch compound offering premier privacy, yet conveniently located minutes from the heart of Orange County. The 187+ acre equestrian compound went under contract last night following a live auction in cooperation with Wayne Pridgen of Hilton & Hyland , an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate . The buyer is represented by John McMonigle of the McMonigle Team at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services.

“Concierge Auctions has been professional and wonderful to work with,” stated the seller, Oscar Schwartz. “They lived up to everything we anticipated. The whole team couldn’t have been more informative, gracious, helpful and accommodating throughout this experience.”

Encompassing the largest available residential acreage in all of Orange County, El Rancho del Rio is situated in total privacy on a lush valley floor flanked by hills and views to the ocean. In the heart is a mission-style tower, three separate guest casitas and a four-bedroom, four full and two half-bathroom main house. Outside, the property has its own vineyard, helipad and equestrian amenities – five paddocks, two barns with 24 total stalls, corrals, open pastures and miles upon miles of trails.

Concierge Auctions’ global marketing campaign generated over 17,000 website visits from 45 US states (led by California, New York, Texas and Florida) and 93 international countries (led by Canada, the UK, Australia and Germany) and generated 42 property showings. Ten bidders were qualified to compete in the auction.

“In my 26 years in real estate, as both an investor and broker, I have never experienced such a well-rounded execution as was put forth by the Concierge team,” stated Pridgen. “To have this much excitement and competition around a property at once is a seller’s and broker’s dream. Everyone at Concierge is first-class, and I appreciate their partnership to make this auction a success.”

“I was very excited and pleased to be a part of this auction. El Rancho del Rio is a prized piece of real estate – one of the last frontiers along the California Riviera,” stated McMonigle. “The whole experience was professional, informative, smooth and exciting. The people at Concierge were terrific to deal with, and I’m excited to do more auctions with them in the future.”