The House · Model
The Private Office model.A preparation and coordination house, deliberately outside regulated brokerage.
BookAndSmiles is a Paris-based Private Office. The choice of model is deliberate — it lets us prepare, structure and coordinate for our international clients without stepping into regulated real estate brokerage. Below, the three principles that structure the house, in plain language, for the family offices, corporate mobility departments and legal counsels who introduce us to their principals.
What a Private Office is — in one paragraph.
A Private Office is a small, discreet advisory house that works exclusively for a restricted client base, by introduction. Its scope is preparation, coordination and advocacy — not transaction. In our case: rental application preparation, arrival logistics, administrative orientation, family stewardship, and the private advisory layer that continues after the client is settled. One bilingual advisor holds the file. The relationship is priced by retainer or flat-fee, never by commission.
What we do — and what we do not do.
The distinction matters, particularly for the legal counsels who scrutinise us before an introduction is made. It is why our clients — many of them regulated themselves — introduce us with confidence.
We do:
- ·Prepare and translate rental applications as Paris landlords expect to receive them
- ·Structure guarantor solutions for international profiles (Visale, Garantme, corporate, offshore)
- ·Coordinate communication with licensed agencies (carte T) and landlords
- ·Support the arrival — CPAM, OFII, French banking, utilities, school enrolment
- ·Provide bilingual presence at appointments, on client request
- ·Continue as a private advisory layer once the client is settled
We do not:
- ·Act as a real estate agency or hold any real estate inventory
- ·Present properties to clients as a commercial intermediary
- ·Sign leases or acquisition documents on behalf of clients
- ·Negotiate rental prices as a licensed intermediary
- ·Receive commission from landlords, agencies or third parties
- ·Perform any activity requiring a French carte T
Why we chose this model.
The temptation for a house serving international families is to hold inventory, take a commission and monetise the transaction. That model requires a carte T, a professional indemnity insurance and a regulatory perimeter that fundamentally changes the relationship — the house becomes a party to the deal. The Private Office model keeps the house on the client's side, always. Clients contract directly with the licensed professional. The house is paid by the client alone. Interests are aligned without a document.
By introduction only.