Privacy Policy
We respect your right to online privacy. When you register as a member of this site or otherwise provide any Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”) submitted online, that information will only be used in conjunction with providing you with enhanced services related to the site.
PII, as described in U.S. privacy law and information security, is information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person, or to identify an individual in context. Please read our Privacy Policy carefully to get a clear understanding of how we collect, use, protect or otherwise handle your Personally Identifiable Information in accordance with our website.
What personal information do we collect from the people that visit our blog, website or app? When ordering or registering on our site, as appropriate, you may be asked to enter your email address, name and phone number to help you with your experience.
We may, for instance, contact you to offer assistance, provide information or otherwise help with your real estate search. We may also provide you with enhanced services such as an email newsletters or instant alerts when homes that match your search criteria come on the market or have a price change. You can opt out of communications at anytime via a simple link in our emails.
HOW WE COLLECT INFORMATION
We collect information from you when you register on our site, subscribe to a newsletter, fill out a form, use Live Chat or enter information on our site.
We may use the information we collect from you when you register, make a purchase, sign up for our newsletter, respond to a survey or marketing communication, surf the website, or use certain other site features in the following ways:
- To improve our website in order to better serve you.
- To allow us to better service you in responding to your customer service requests.
- To send periodic emails regarding your order or other products and services.
- To follow up with you after correspondence (live chat, email or phone inquiries).
- To market to our mailing list or continue to send emails to our clients after the original transaction has occurred.
HOW WE PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION
We only provide articles and information – we never ask for credit card numbers. We do not use vulnerability scanning and/or scanning to Payment Card Industry standards, as we do not collect credit card information.
Your personal information is contained behind secured networks and is only accessible by a limited number of persons who have special access rights to such systems and are required to keep the information confidential. In addition, all sensitive information you supply is encrypted via secure technology, such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology.
We implement a variety of security measures when a user enters, submits, or accesses their information to maintain the safety of your personal information. All transactions are processed through a third-party provider and are not stored or processed on our servers.
INFORMATION WE COLLECT
We use the information you provide about yourself when requesting more information about a property and/or scheduling a showing for a specific property to contact you with further information and/or assistance. We do not share this information with outside parties except to the extent necessary to complete your request.
PROVIDED INFORMATION
EMAIL INFORMATION
“COOKIES” HOW WE USE THEM
Cookies are small files which are stored on a user’s computer. They are designed to hold a modest amount of data specific to a particular client and website, they and can be accessed either by the web server or the client computer. This allows the server to deliver a page tailored to a particular user, or the page itself can contain some script which is aware of the data in the cookie and so is able to carry information from one visit to the website (or related site) to the next.
We do not use cookies for tracking purposes. You can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off all cookies. You do this through your browser settings. Since a browser is a little different, look at your browser’s Help Menu to learn the correct way to modify your cookies.
Third-party disclosure:
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your Personally Identifiable Information.
Third-party links:
Occasionally, we may include or offer third-party products or services on our website. These third-party sites have separate and independent privacy policies. We therefore have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites. Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our site and welcome any feedback about these sites.
Google: We use Google AdSense Advertising on our website.
Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on our site. Google’s use of the DART (Dynamic Advertising Reporting & Targeting) cookie enables it to serve ads to our users based on previous visits to our site and other sites on the Internet. Users may opt-out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google Ad and Content Network privacy policy. https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads
Google’s advertising requirements can be summed up by Google’s Advertising Principles. They are put in place to provide a positive experience for users. Click the following link to view Google’s Advertising Principles: https://support.google.com/adwordspolicy/answer/1316548?hl=en
We have implemented the following:
- Remarketing with Google AdSense.
- Google Display Network Impression Reporting.
- Demographics and Interests Reporting.
We, along with third-party vendors such as Google use first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytics cookies) to compile data regarding user visits and interactions with our site and other analytic data as they relate to our website.
OPTING OUT
Users can set preferences for how Google advertises to you using the Google Ad Settings page. Alternatively, you can opt out by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative Opt Out page or by using the Google Analytics Opt Out Browser add on.
ANONYMOUS INFORMATION
Like most sites on the Internet, we also collect anonymous data on how our visitors use our site. This data reflects site usage patterns gathered during thousands of customer visits each month and does not contain any personally identifying information whatsoever. We reserve the right to share this anonymous data, provide log files and other databases of user information to third parties for analysis, and to use this information to better understand client traffic and improve our online services.
WEB SITE INFORMATION
This web site collects non-personally-identifying information through the use of text files that are stored by a web browser on a visitor’s computer known as “cookies”. The information is gathered to analyze trends and website usage. The type of information collected may include browser type, language preference, the date and time of visits, pages viewed, time spent using this web site, and the web sites visited just before and just after our web site. This web site also collects personally-identifying information for registered users who save searches and listings for listed properties.
California Online Privacy Protection Act (“CalOPPA”)
CalOPPA is the first state law in the nation to require commercial websites and online services to post a privacy policy. The law’s reach stretches well beyond California to require any person or company in the United States (and conceivably the world) that operates websites collecting Personally Identifiable Information from California consumers to post a conspicuous privacy policy on its website stating the information being collected and those individuals or companies with whom it is being shared. See more at: http://consumercal.org/california-online-privacy-protection-act-caloppa/#sthash.0FdRbT51.dpf
This Privacy Notice for California Residents supplements the information contained in our Privacy Policy and applies solely to all visitors, users, and others who reside in the State of California (“consumers” or “you”). We adopt this notice to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”) and any terms defined in the CCPA have the same meaning when used in this notice. As used throughout this notice the Jacqueline Thompson Group is referred to as “we,” “us,” or “our company.”
California law under the CCPA defines “personal information” broadly. However, there are some exceptions. Personal information does not include:
- Publicly available information from government records.
- Deidentified or aggregated consumer information.
Information excluded from the CCPA’s scope, like:
Health or medical information covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the California – – Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA) or clinical trial data; Personal information covered by certain sector-specific privacy laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FRCA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) or California Financial Information Privacy Act (FIPA), and the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act of 1994.
Where do we receive information from?
Our company receives information directly from you:
Our real estate business receives personal information primarily for the purpose of transacting real property sales and purchases. Nearly all of the information which we directly collect about you is received from the physical or electronic documents that constitute the real estate transaction. For example, the real property purchase agreement will contain your name, signature, purchase price and other personal information. Or, for example, a seller is required by law and contract to give the buyer various disclosures concerning a range of issues associated with the property, some of which information may constitute personal information. Once these documents come into our possession, by law a broker must maintain such record for three years. Typically, we retain our files for a longer period.
Cookies and Other Technologies
Our website and some of our online products and services, email messages and advertisements may use cookies, log files and other technologies to collect information about your use of our website, products and services and third-party websites that have a business relationship with our service providers. A cookie is a small data file that is sent to your browser from a website’s servers and stored on your computer’s hard drive, and is used to store information such as the name of your Internet service provider, your Internet Protocol (IP) address, the website that referred you, your general geographic location, the pages you request, and the dates and times of those requests.
Most internet browsers are initially set to accept cookies. If you prefer, you may set your browser so that it refuses cookies or alerts you when cookies are being created on your hard drive. You should be aware that by not accepting cookies you may impair your ability to use certain portions of our website, products and services.
Our company receives some information indirectly
Multiple Listing Service (“MLS”). An MLS is a database of properties for sale that is available and disseminated to and accessible by all other real estate agents who are participants or subscribers to the MLS. Property information submitted to an MLS describes the price, terms and conditions under which the seller’s property is offered for sale. It is likely that a significant number of real estate practitioners in any given area are participants or subscribers to an MLS. The MLS may also be part of a reciprocal agreement to which other MLSs belong. Real estate agents who belong to other MLSs that have reciprocal agreements with the MLS in which the property is placed may also have access to the information submitted the MLS. The MLS may further transmit listing information to internet sites that post property listings online. The placing of a listing on the MLS allows wide exposure of the property to the marketplace which tends to impact the sales price.
Title Companies and Escrows
These service providers are essential to real estate transactions. Not only do title and escrow companies receive information, but they supply invaluable assistance in providing information about all aspects of a real estate transaction to brokers and agents.
Lenders and mortgage brokers
Typically, agents and brokers will be in contact throughout the transaction with a lender or representative of a lender to keep informed on the progress of the lending process. During this process an agent may receive personal information relating to the loan, the loan application, the buyer’s qualifications for the loan, documents requested by the lender, or reasons why a loan is being denied, approved or delayed.
City, county, state and other agencies of government
Many aspects of a real estate transaction rely on information received from a variety of government sources. For example, the assessor will typically provide their estimate of the square footage of the house, among various other types of data concerning the property.
Other sources of information
Neighborhood advertising information; real property portals such as Realtor.com; HOA documents from HOAs; appraisers and appraisals; investigators, inspectors and contractors; and legally and contractually required disclosures generated by the seller are other sources of information from which personal information may be collected or received.
Use, Sharing and Sale of Personal Information
Assistance in buying or selling a house. The primary use of personal information is to help you buy or sell a house. For example, if you are seeking to buy a house, the personal information we collect will help our agents find the right house for you. If you are seeking to sell a house, the information will be used to find a buyer who will purchase your house on the agreed price and terms.
Web technologies. We use cookies and other technologies to verify user information, to make your use of our website, products and services more convenient and to assist in understanding your use of our website, products and services. We also use cookies to measure website activity and generate statistics that allow us to improve the services we provide online.
Additional Uses. We may use the personal information we collect for the following additional business purposes:
- To create, maintain, customize and secure the communications between you and us.
- To assist in preventing transaction fraud.
- To provide, support, personalize, and develop our website, products, and services.
- To personalize your online experience with us and to deliver content and product and service offerings relevant to your interests, including targeted offers and ads through our website, third-party sites, and via email or text message (with your consent, where required by law).
For testing, research, analysis, and product development, including to develop and improve our website, products, and services.
To respond to law enforcement requests and as required by applicable law, court order, or governmental regulations.
As described to you when collecting your personal information or as otherwise set forth in the CCPA.
To evaluate or conduct a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of our company’s assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which personal information held by our company is among the assets.
Sharing information to promote the sale or purchase of homes
The sharing of information is integral to the process of buying or selling a house. First and foremost, we will share information with other agents and brokers, and sellers and buyers. It is only through the sharing of information that our agents can find the right house for you as a buyer, or if you are a seller, find a buyer who will purchase your house on the agreed price and terms.
Information supplied and received from the Multiple Listing Service (“MLS”)
An MLS is both a source of information and a means to share information. As described in the previous section, an MLS is a database of properties for sale that is available and disseminated to and accessible by all other real estate agents who are participants or subscribers to the MLS. Property information submitted to an MLS describes the price, terms and conditions under which the seller’s property is offered for sale. An MLS will also act as a repository of information related to properties that have been sold through the MLS.
Since it is likely that a significant number of real estate practitioners in any given area are participants or subscribers to an MLS data, the sharing of MLS will typically be widespread. Moreover, an MLS may also be part of a reciprocal agreement to which other MLSs belong. Real estate agents who belong to other MLSs that have reciprocal agreements with the MLS in which the property is placed may also have access to the information submitted the MLS. The MLS may further transmit listing information to internet sites that post property listing online. The placing of a listing on the MLS allows wide exposure of the property to the marketplace which tends to impact the sales price.
Third parties we commonly share information with. As a real estate brokerage, we may typically share your personal information with the following third parties:
- Brokers and agents
- Buyers and sellers
- Multiple Listing Services
- Real estate portals such as Realtor.com
- Title companies and escrows
- Lenders
- Service providers such as inspectors, appraisers or reporting companies
- Other third-parties as necessary to complete the transaction
Sale of personal information and chart
“Sale” of information through MLS. Membership in the MLS confers benefits to an agent or broker. As part of membership, the agent or broker is bound to place their listings on the MLS and provide various information including pictures, price, terms and the conditions under which the property is offered for sale, unless the seller opts-out. As a member of the MLS, brokers and agents may be eligible to receive commissions offered through the MLS by other brokers. In this sense the placing of a listing on the MLS may constitute a “sale” of information as defined by the CCPA, even though the brokerage does not receive direct financial remuneration from the MLS.
Referrals
With your consent, our company may share your personal information, your name and phone number with other agents and brokers for purposes of referring you to another brokerage. For this we often negotiate a referral fee in line with the traditional model of brokerage referral relationships. Such a fee does constitute a sale.
Other referrals
Referrals other than to agents and brokers do not typically involve a referral fee, since in most residential transactions the taking of a referral fee from a company such as an escrow or title company, mortgage broker, lender, or other settlement service provider is illegal under federal law. Even in those situations where it would be legally permitted, our agents will always disclose and obtain your consent before receiving a referral fee
Your Rights and Choices
If you are a California resident, you have certain rights regarding your personal information under the CCPA. This section describes your CCPA rights and explains how to exercise those rights.
Access to Specific Information
You have the right to request that we disclose certain information to you about our collection and use of your personal information over the past 12 months. You must make a verifiable consumer request as described below. Once we receive and confirm your verifiable consumer request, we will disclose to you:
- The categories of personal information we collected about you.
- The categories of sources from which we collected your personal information.
- Our business or commercial purpose for collecting or selling your personal information.
- The categories of third parties with whom we share your personal information.
- The specific pieces of personal information we collected about you.
If we sold or disclosed your personal information for a business purpose, we will provide two separate lists disclosing the following:
- The categories of personal information that we disclosed about you for a business purpose.
- The categories of personal information that we sold about you and the categories of third parties to whom the personal information was sold, by category of personal information for each third party to whom the personal information was sold.
- If we deliver the information to you electronically, then the information will be portable and to the extent technically feasible, in a readily useable format that allows you to transmit it to another entity without hindrance.
Deletion Request Rights
You have the right to request that we delete any of your personal information that we collected from you and retained, subject to certain exceptions. You must make a verifiable consumer request as described below. Once we receive and confirm your verifiable consumer request, we will delete (and direct our service providers to delete) your personal information from our records, unless an exception applies. However, we will not direct the MLS to delete your personal information. For that, you must contact the MLS directly.
We may deny your deletion request if retaining the information is necessary for us or our service provider(s) to:
- Retain transaction files or comply with any other legal obligation. Brokers are required to hold all transaction files for a period of at least three years under California law. However, other information may be required to be held for longer periods.
- Complete the transaction for which the personal information was collected, provide a good or service requested by you, or reasonably anticipated within the context of our ongoing business relationship with you, or otherwise perform our contract with you. For example, we will not delete your personal information while we are representing you in your real estate transaction.
- Detect security incidents, protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity; or prosecute those responsible for that activity.
- Debug to identify and repair errors that impair existing intended functionality.
- Exercise free speech, ensure the right of another consumer to exercise his or her right of free speech, or exercise another right provided for by law.
- Comply with the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act pursuant to Chapter 3.6 (commencing with Section 1546) of Title 12 of Part 2 of the Penal Code.
- Engage in public or peer-reviewed scientific, historical, or statistical research in the public interest that adheres to all other applicable ethics and privacy laws, when of our information is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of such research, so long as you have provided informed consent.
- Enable solely internal uses that are reasonably aligned with consumer expectations based on your relationship with us.
- Otherwise use your personal information, internally, in a lawful manner that is compatible with the context in which you provided it.
Personal Information Sales Opt-Out and Opt-In Rights
If you are 16 years of age or older, you have the right to direct us to not sell your personal information at any time (the “right to opt-out”). We do not sell the personal information of consumers we actually know are less than 16 years of age, unless we receive affirmative authorization (the “right to opt-in”) from either the consumer who is between 13 and 16 years of age, or the parent or guardian of a consumer less than 13 years of age. Consumers who opt-in to personal information sales may opt-out of future sales at any time.
Non-Discrimination
We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights. Unless permitted by the CCPA, we will not:
- Deny you goods or services.
- Charge you different prices or rates for goods or services, deny discounts or other benefits, or impose penalties.
- Provide a different level or quality of goods or services to you.
- Suggest that you may receive a different price or rate for goods or services or a different level or quality of goods or services.
Changes to Our Privacy Notice
- We reserve the right to amend this privacy notice at our discretion and at any time. When we make changes to this privacy notice, we will post the updated notice on our website and update the notice’s effective date. Your continued use of our website following the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of such changes.
- How does our site handle Do Not Track (“DNT”) signals? We honor Do Not Track signals and we do not track, plant cookies, or use advertising when a Do Not Track browser mechanism is in place.
- Does our site allow third-party behavioral tracking? No, we do not allow third-party behavioral tracking.
- Children Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) When it comes to the collection of personal information from children under the age of 13 years old, COPPA puts parents in control. The Federal Trade Commission, United States’ consumer protection agency, enforces COPPA, which spells out what operators of websites and online services must do to protect children’s privacy and safety online.
- We do not specifically market to children under the age of 13 years old. We do not let third-parties, including ad networks or plug-ins collect Personally Identifiable Information from children under 13?
Fair Information Practices Principles
The Fair Information Practices Principles form the backbone of privacy law in the United States and the concepts they include have played a significant role in the development of data protection laws around the globe. Understanding the Fair Information Practice Principles and how they should be implemented is critical to comply with the various privacy laws that protect personal information.
In order to comply with Fair Information Practice Principles we will take the following responsive action, should a data breach occur:
- We will notify the users via in-site notification within 7 business days.
We also agree to the Individual Redress Principle which requires that individuals have the right to legally pursue enforceable rights against data collectors and processors who fail to adhere to the law. This principle requires not only that individuals have enforceable rights against data users, but also that individuals may seek recourse with courts or government agencies to investigate and/or prosecute non-compliance by data processors.
CAN-SPAM Act
The CAN-SPAM Act is a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have emails stopped from being sent to them, and spells out tough penalties for violations.
We collect your email address in order to:
- Send periodic emails regarding your order or other products and services.
- Follow up with you after correspondence (live chat, email or phone inquiries).
- Market to our mailing list or continue to send emails to our clients after the original transaction has occurred.
To be in compliance with CAN-SPAM, we agree to the following:
Not use false or misleading subjects or email addresses.
Identify the message as an advertisement in some reasonable way.
Include the physical address of our business or site headquarters.
Monitor third-party email marketing services for compliance, if one is used.
Honor opt-out/unsubscribe requests quickly.
Allow users to unsubscribe by using the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of each email.
If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails, you can: Click the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of each email and follow the instructions.
Last modified: August 25, 2020