Privacy Policy

REALTOR.ca gives the ability to create an account. We may use information stored in your account for the purposes noted in "How does REALTOR.ca Use Your Information". You may delete your account at any time by accessing your Account Information and selecting “Deactivate Account”. If you delete your REALTOR.ca account, your personal information will be deleted after 30-days (in case you accidentally deleted your account and wish to contact us to reactivate it). Notwithstanding your account deletion, CREA may retain a record of when you subscribed to any of our email lists to help us demonstrate we are compliant with Canada’s Anti-Spam legislation. CREA may also retain other account information (e.g. a record of when you agreed to the REALTOR.ca terms of use) for evidentiary/litigation purposes or where CREA is required to keep such information by law.

Throughout your use of the real estate services on this website, you may communicate extensively with a salesperson or broker. The salesperson or broker may use your email address, telephone number, and all of the information you submit in order to provide you with guidance, suggestions and service in your efforts to either sell or buy real estate.

CREA collects the emails provided through the "Contact Us" feature of this website, so CREA can respond to your questions or suggestions. CREA also collects e-mails sent through the website, including the “Email REALTOR®, “Email a Friend”, and “Email Office" features, for security purposes, to allow the recipient brokers and salespersons to view your email, to send you communications you have opted-in to receive, and for management of your website account.

If you provide your email it may also be used to facilitate Interest-based advertising. See Privacy Policies Applicable to all CREA Sites for more information.

Yes! Don’t forget that CREA’s General Privacy Policies and Privacy Policies Applicable to all CREA Sites also apply to REALTOR.ca. They describe, among other things:

• How CREA responds to law enforcement requests
• CREA’s cookie policy
• CREA’s Interest-Based Advertising/Behavioral Advertising policy
• Other technical stuff, such as how CREA websites use surveys in relation to your personal information.

Click on the General Privacy Policies or Privacy Policies Applicable to all CREA Sites links to find out more.

Our websites use standard technology known as “cookies”, which are text files that are used to store certain information in your browser. We use “session” cookies and “persistent” cookies. Session cookies temporarily keep your settings. This information is stored until your Internet browser is closed. Persistent cookies store information on your computer even after your Internet browser is closed and are stored locally on your system. You may choose to delete persistent cookies after visiting our websites via your Internet browser’s privacy settings. CREA may use session and persistent cookies for the following purposes:

• Usability:
  • Pre-population: to prepopulate website fields with information you entered earlier (for example, pre-populating fields on REALTOR.ca).
  • Remembering what a user did previously: to keep track of a user’s actions (for example, recently viewed properties on REALTOR.ca).
• Terms of Use: to keep a record of whether a user has agreed to our website terms of use.
• Security and protection of REALTOR.ca: cookies are used to reduce the likelihood that someone is able to scrape our websites.
• Performance: cookies are used to direct browsers to communicate with specific REALTOR.ca servers that they have previously accessed to increase the performance with that server.
• New features/splash pages: when new features are announced on our websites a splash page may be shown announcing that features. Users who indicate they not wish to see the splash page again will have their preference stored in a cookie.
• Personalization: cookies allow us to know a bit about CREA website users, for example, which third-party website they have just visited, so that we can display personalized content.
• Statistical Analysis (for example, to track the usage of website features).
• To permit specific third-party functionality: CREA has partnered with several third parties that install cookies on user computers when using our websites. These cookies help us improve the functionality of our websites (for example, cookies are used to support a program by Foresee, which invites REALTOR.ca users to complete a survey and keeps track of whether they have been invited to complete the survey already and what REALTOR.ca website pages they have seen) or help us determine how our websites are being used (for example, Google Analytics, which uses cookies, is used on REALTOR.ca).

• CREA works with advertising networks and publishers to serve personalized display ads for CREA products and services on third-party websites. Third parties may use cookies or web beacons to collect non-personally identifiable information (e.g., click stream information, browser type, time and date) about users’ interactions with products and services on CREA.ca to help determine which ads are likely to be most interesting to you. This information also helps CREA monitor and improve our products and services. Learn more about interest-based advertising and how to opt-out.
  • CREA’s mobile applications may also collect and use similar information to serve personalized display ads within those apps. These ads are personalized based on your use of apps, as well as online activities on your mobile device and other devices (sometimes referred to as “cross-device personalization”). Mobile application technology works a bit differently than browser technology so follow the following instructions if you wish to opt out:
    • Apple (iOS) - on your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Privacy > Advertising and turn on Limit Ad Track to opt-out of interest-based ads from “iAd”, Apple’s advertising network.
    • Android - Open the Google Settings app on your Android phone, tap Ads and enable “Opt out of interest-based ads”.
• CREA also uses social media matching tools, such as Facebook Custom Audiences and Google Customer Match. This allows us to deliver personalized ads to CREA Members or users of our websites/apps who are also users of these sites/apps. This requires CREA to provide a minimal amount of information (e.g., name and email address) to these sites so they can determine which Members/users also belong to those sites. This information is “hashed” before it is disclosed, is deleted once the matching process is complete, and is not used for any other purpose by social media sites or any other third-party. You can opt-out of this process by:
  • Facebook: clicking on the icon on the top right corner of the ads from CREA that you see on Facebook. To learn more about advertising on Facebook generally and how to control your preferences, visit www.facebook.com/about/ads.
  • Google: Go to https://adssettings.google.com and ensure that the “Ads based on your interests” setting is turned off.
• We may use non-identifiable information to personalize the content you see on a CREA website based on a site you have previously visited. For example, if you click on a hyperlink on a third party website that brings you to a CREA website, the banking website may place a cookie in your browser that contains a numerical code, and based on that code, the CREA website might display a widget. The cookie will persist for 30 days, so if you clear your cookies, the content will no longer be personalized.

You have to be a bit of a tech geek to understand topics falling under this heading (p.s. we love tech geeks!).

Collection of Personal Information
CREA may collect Personal Information of Members directly from the Member. Personal Information may also be provided to CREA by a Member’s Board/Association, which is collected at the time of the individual's application for membership. CREA's Privacy Policy requires that the collection of such information by the Board/Association be done with the informed consent of the individual.

CREA may also indirectly collect Personal Information of Members from other sources (for example, media reports or court filings) at any time during their CREA membership for disciplinary purposes pertaining to the Member.

Use of Personal Information

CREA uses the Personal Information provided to it for various purposes, all of which are intended to fulfill its obligations as a national trade association and further its mission statement. These purposes include:

*WEBForms® is powered by Lone Wolf. REALTORS® that use WEBForms® should note that their personal information shall be used in accordance with Lone Wolf’s privacy statement.

In order to be a Member (i.e., a REALTOR® member), a Member must abide by requirements of the REALTOR® Code, which reflects the high professional standards expected of Members.

Members consent to the disclosure of their personal information (including on CREA’s public-facing websites) with respect to the existence, receipt, processing, disposition and results of any complaint relating to their conduct. Such disclosures may include, among other things:

• The Member’s name, personal address, and business contact information.
• The existence of a complaint.
• A description of the nature of a complaint.
• The status of a complaint.
• The disposition of a complaint.
• The reasons for any decision by CREA and/or a Board/Association with respect to a complaint; and
• The existence and nature of any interim or final sanction applied to the Member with respect to a complaint.

Certain Personal Information of Members, (name, licensed status, firm name and business contact information) is available to other Members of CREA through REALTOR Link®, a password-protected Intranet site. CREA may also disclose Personal Information of Members to Boards/Associations or real estate regulators for membership or related purposes. For example, CREA may disclose Personal Information of Members to Boards/Associations to help Boards and Associations authenticate Members using CREA’s National Authentication Facility (“NAF”).

CREA may also disclose Personal Information of Members and Global Affiliates to third parties, such as lawyers, consultants, affinity partners or others who work with CREA to collect and analyze information from Members, to improve the products and services offered by CREA or to provide products and services to Members. Some of these third parties may send information to or contact the individual as part of membership surveys.

Consent
By providing personal information to CREA, Members and Global Affiliates consent to its collection, use and disclosure in accordance with the purposes stated in CREA’s privacy policies. Consent to the collection and certain uses of the information may be refused or withdrawn by you subject to legal or contractual requirements. In the event you withdraw consent please note, CREA may not be able to offer certain information or services to you.

Use and Disclosure Without Consent
In certain circumstances, CREA may be permitted or required by law to disclose Personal Information without consent. Those circumstances may include:

• Where the information was public;
• Where required by law;
• Where it is necessary to collect dues;
• Where it is necessary to protect the rights of an identifiable person or group;
• Other circumstances recognized by privacy legislation as permitting disclosure without consent.

Accuracy
Personal information of Members which is uploaded directly to CREA's database by Boards/Associations is the responsibility of the Member and or the Boards/Associations. Listing information uploaded by the Boards/Associations to CREA's property database websites (including REALTOR.ca and CREA’s Data Distribution Facility (DDF®)) is the responsibility of the listing REALTOR® and/or the Board/Association.

Retention
CREA retains Personal Information as long as is necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected. CREA has in place a Record Management practice consistent with the nature and need for the information and legislative requirements.

Members and Global Affiliates may request access to any Personal Information about themselves retained in CREA records. All access requests must be in writing and must be directed to CREA's Chief Privacy Compliance Officer. Access requests must be accompanied by appropriate identification satisfactory to CREA. CREA has the right prior to responding to any access requests, to take whatever steps it deems necessary to confirm the identify the person making the request. CREA will endeavour to provide any applicable information within 30 days of the date of the request.

CREA may charge a nominal amount for costs incurred in providing the information.

Where a Members or Global Affiliate believes that the Personal Information in the CREA file is inaccurate, he or she may have appended to the record any alternative information, where CREA is of the view that the appended information is, in fact, correct.

CREA has the right to decline to provide access to Personal Information in a number of circumstances, including where the information:

• Is subject to solicitor-client privilege;
• Could interfere with law enforcement, investigative, disciplinary or regulatory functions;
• Would disclose of Personal Information of another individual;
• Would cause serious harm to another individual;
• Is confidential business information that may harm CREA or the competitive position of a third party;
• Any other circumstances recognized by the privacy legislation. Where the information cannot be disclosed, the individual making the request will be provided with the reasons for non-disclosure.

• CREA takes reasonable steps to protect information from unauthorized access or disclosure in a manner commensurate with its sensitivity, value and criticality. This applies regardless of the media on which the information is stored, the location where the information is stored, the systems used to process the information or the processes by which information is handled.
• The measures used to protect personal information include physical measures (e.g. locked filing cabinets), organizational measures (e.g. information is available to other persons only on a need-to-know-basis) and technological measures (e.g. computer passwords).
• While CREA puts in place reasonable precautions, we cannot guarantee at all times the security of the information. No method of transmitting or storing data is completely secure, particularly with regard to Internet applications.

Accuracy
CREA attempts to insure the Personal Information under its control is as accurate, complete, current and relevant as is necessary for its identified purpose.

Retention CREA retains Personal Information as long as is necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected. CREA has in place a record management practice consistent with the nature and need for the information and legislative requirements.

Individuals may request access to any Personal Information about themselves retained in CREA records. All access requests must be in writing and must be directed to CREA's Chief Privacy Compliance Officer. Access requests must be accompanied by appropriate identification satisfactory to CREA. CREA has the right prior to responding to any access requests, to take whatever steps it deems necessary to confirm the identify the person making the request. CREA will endeavour to provide any applicable information within 30 days of the date of the request.

CREA may charge a nominal amount for costs incurred in providing the information, where reasonable and allowed by law.

Where an individual believes that the Personal Information in the CREA file is inaccurate, he or she may have appended to the record any alternative information, where CREA is of the view that the appended information is, in fact, correct.

CREA has the right to decline to provide access to Personal Information in a number of circumstances, including where the information:

• Is subject to solicitor-client privilege;
• Could interfere with law enforcement, investigative or regulatory functions;
• Would disclose of Personal Information of another individual;
• Would cause serious harm to another individual;
• Is confidential business information that may harm CREA or the competitive position of a third party;
• Any other circumstances recognized by the privacy legislation. Where the information cannot be disclosed, the individual making the request will be provided with the reasons for non-disclosure.

CREA doesn’t operate in a vacuum. We work with other companies (known as “third parties”) to bring you information and services. While we always strive to work with third parties operating using high privacy standards, working with third parties could have an impact on how your personal information is handled.

We have an obligation to tell you if there are any risks to you that could result if someone (not us!) misuses the personal information you provide us. Honestly, we’ve struggled what to say here as most of the information we collect is not particularly sensitive.

One thing we wanted to flag, however, is that whenever you share your email with another person using our websites, there is a risk that other person could misuse that email. We’ve taken legal (e.g. terms of use), technological (e.g. anti-spam filters and CAPTCHA technology) and design (e.g. designing our systems to reduce the likelihood of your email being misused) measures to try to limit such abuse, but no system is perfect. Please feel free to report any potential abuse to us.

Also, keep in mind that when you provide your personal information to a REALTOR® (for example to, advertise your listing), the REALTOR® may use a variety of CREA, Board/Association and third party systems and software solutions to promote that property and conduct the transaction. So your personal information may end up in more places than you originally anticipated. Talk to your REALTOR® to find out just what exactly they do with your personal information, so you aren’t surprised.