Prestige estate agency · buyer's gift
Wine as a gift for the buyer of a prestige home
On a multi-million sale, the key handover bottle is no longer enough. A case from the year the house was built, magnums for the first reception, or the first selection for their cellar: the gesture is worked out from the commission, and it opens a relationship the buyer will keep. The tool below gives the budget and the gift that goes with it.
The gift budget
The result changes with every answer. Nothing is sent until you click on the quote.
Four gestures, four budgets
The case of classified growth
Six bottles of a classified growth ready to drink, in a wooden case, with the agency's card. The top-end version of the key handover bottle.
The house's year
A case from the year the house was built or the year of purchase, when the year allows, and two magnums for the housewarming.
The first cellar
Three to six cases put together for the house: wines ready to drink, wines for laying down, champagne. The buyer arrives, and the cellar is no longer empty.
A selection of the buyer's choosing
The agency gives an amount; the buyer chooses their wines with us.
What the agency gains
The buyer of a prestige home sells again, buys again, recommends. The gift they remember is the one that was useful: a cellar that is not empty on moving-in day, a year that means something for the house. For them, the having your cellar filled page takes over: the agency can pass on the link, or introduce us directly.
For everyday sales, the key handover bottle and the monthly order are still the right formula. The vintage of an older year can be checked on the birth-year vintage page: some years are no longer drinkable, and the tool then suggests the nearest one that has held up.
What budget for a gift to the buyer of a prestige home?
Between 0.5 and 2% of the agency's fees: on a €1.5 million sale with 5% fees, €375 to €1,500. Beyond that, the gift becomes a commercial discount and is treated as such.
Is VAT on a gift of this size recoverable?
No: above €73 incl. VAT per recipient per year, VAT on a business gift cannot be recovered. The expense is in principle still deductible if it serves the agency's interest, and gifts totalling more than €3,000 a year are declared on the statement of overheads (relevé des frais généraux). Check with your accountant; the general rules are on the VAT on wine gifts page.
Can you give a selection the buyer chooses themselves?
Yes: the agency pays an amount, the buyer chooses their wines. Beyond a few thousand euros, it saves guessing a stranger's tastes.
Do you work with agencies over the long term?
Yes. The terms are discussed with the first quote.