Let me propose three key reasons why Irvine has a better-than-expected shot at winning Amazon’s coveted second headquarters.

The retail giant is seeking a home for what it’s dubbed “HQ2,” which eventually will house some 50,000 supposedly high-paid Amazon workers. The company’s very public request for proposals drew 238 bids from across North America that Amazon is now evaluating.

Numerous pundits have speculated which cities have what advantages to win this economic prize — rankings based largely on a detailed wish list from Amazon.

Let me be blunt. If this process is really about finding the absolutely cheapest spot, some Southern city will be victorious. If it’s about moving to earthy, edgy, hipster locales with aging urban backdrops, a venerable East Coast city will win.

But if it’s truly an open contest, Irvine has its three-pronged secret weapon.

Bren. Bren. Bren.

Say what you want about Irvine Co. chairman Donald Bren’s style or tastes. By Forbes magazine’s math, he’s easily the nation’s wealthiest individual real estate developer – and he’s making a very public and bold effort to win HQ2 for his real estate holdings in Irvine.

Undoubtedly there are other billion-dollar war chests backing bids across the continent, no less huge institutions from the private and public sectors. But don’t underestimate Bren’s estimated $17 billion checkbook – or his willingness to go against the real estate grain when required.

Here’s why Bren matters …

1. The guy’s got cash.

It’s not that he ranks among the world’s richest people.

His very private wealth is frequently used in large-scale efforts to expand his real estate empire — from purchases of office towers to a retooling of aging retail assets to what proved to be timely bets on Southern California real estate development before most people that the economy was “all clear!”

That wealth seemingly should matter to Amazon who is looking for a partner – individual, corporate or municipal – to help build a corporate campus with an eventual price tag in the ballpark of $5 billion.

Yes, many institutions can handle such an outlay. But some of the government units promising big tax breaks to Amazon probably are not as deep-pocketed as Bren. In fact, the Bren-led bid is essentially telling Amazon that Irvine Co. will front the $5 billion real estate investment with the big retailer simply becoming a rent-paying tenant at HQ2 in Irvine.

“That lets them invest their capital in innovation instead of real estate,” says long-time real estate executive Dan Young, who’s returned to Irvine Co. to head Bren’s Amazon bid.

2. The guy’s got property!

I must admit I chuckled when Young described the Irvine Spectrum area pitched to Amazon as a “downtown.”

Bren’s holdings in this area of shopping, office space and apartments — completed or nearly so — could easily house Amazon’s startup of HQ2. And Young claims Bren controls enough land in this Spectrum area — entitled and ready to build on — that can handle Amazon’s wildest HQ2 build-out dreams.

Irvine Co. is offering what it spun as a “one-click” plan providing any and all real estate needs for Amazon. Young says that means no hassles or expenses of putting together disparate, separately owned parcels of land or office properties to make HQ2 a reality.

“We can eliminate all the pains, costs and delay of development,” says Young.

Oh, and Bren can offer — and profit from — his extensive nearby apartment projects as a plus to Amazon workers. Not to mention, neighboring Irvine Co. land could house more new-home communities created by Bren’s team.

3. The guy’s got a track record.

Look at much of Irvine. It’s Bren’s handiwork.

Sure, Bren may have put up too much stucco and pink-tile roofs, but when Amazon ponders its options and wonders if promises will be kept – there can be a little doubt about Bren’s can-do results.

Adding to Bren’s resume is his company’s extensive experience in dealing with Silicon Valley office properties. Irvine Co. is a player in the Bay Area, too, so they know the tech industry’s real estate quirks.

Plus, even if Bren offers no discounted real estate, Irvine buildings could look like a bargain. Office rents in Orange County run roughly around the national average — and well below sky-high levels of major East Coast cities or the Bay Area.

And if you require evidence of how Bren can pull off the near-impossible — and getting HQ2 to Irvine may qualify for that stature — please recall how he all-but single-handedly revived Orange County homebuilding after the Great Recession.

Seven years ago, with recessionary fear is still in place, Bren boldly started building homes on his land with an innovative tactic – essentially underwriting other homebuilders well before banks and other financial backers were opening checkbooks for the industry.

As a result, Bren got a valuable fast start on the housing rebound and his Irvine Ranch is now the nation’s best-selling master-planned, new-home community.

Trust me, lots of people – including Irvine Co. insiders – initially thought Bren was a little nutty to start his so-called “executive builder” program in 2010.

I’ve learned from three decades of following local real estate, that if anyone has the magic touch of timing … it’s Bren. So, it’s wise not to bet against him.

ICYMI: How Orange County’s wealthiest made $5 billion in a year …

… and who created these locally crafted fortunes: