Effective on: 12/01/2020

The Houston Realtors Information Service, Inc. (“HRIS” or “our”, “us” or “we”), a Texas corporation, operates HAR.com whereon real estate information and related services are available to a visitor and to Realtors®/licensees (for both “you” or “your”).

HAR.com was created to provide visitors and Realtors®/licensees information in relation to the sale or rental of real estate. One of our missions at HAR.com is to afford Realtors®/licensees the opportunity to connect with visitors through HAR.com. This Privacy Policy describes our policy relative to any and all information relating to you that you have provided to us or that we have collected from you. Upon your use of HAR.com, whether by entry onto HAR.com, by activating any account with HAR.com or by interacting with a Realtor®/licensee, you consent to our collection, use and disclosure of all information about you pursuant to this Privacy Policy. Further, you hereby acknowledge by your use of HAR.com that you are bound by this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use.

This Privacy Policy applies only to certain information we collect, process and use through HAR.com. This Privacy Policy does not apply to information that we collect through other channels, such as information that we collect offline, from other websites, third parties, public sources or from your blogs, posts, comments, texts, emails or uploaded content you provide to HAR.com.

In addition, California residents please see important and additional information at: Privacy Notice for California Residents.

1. What Information We Collect
a.) Information You Submit To Us. We do not collect any personally identifiable information from you unless you register under a HAR.com account or with a Realtor®/licensee. If you sign up for any HAR.com account, or register with a Realtor®/licensee, we collect information you submit to us such as your email address, your first name and last name, telephone numbers, photo, username/password and any other information that you choose to provide to us or a Realtor®/licensee (“your information”) so that we or a Realtor®/licensee may verify your identify (through use of a third party contractor who actually processes the personal information you submit) and provide you service. Use by and disclosure of your information to a Realtor®/licensee is with your consent, is entirely optional and is a service available if you desire to receive information or services related to real estate. We do not collect or store “sensitive” or “special categories of personal data” information as defined under European data protection laws. If a credit card number is submitted by you, then it and some of your information is processed by third-party credit card processing companies solely for payment. They are not permitted to use the credit card or your information for any purpose other than to fulfill the specific purchase transaction. We do not store or save your credit card number.

b.) IP Address. We may collect your IP (Internet Protocol) address to administer our site. When a web browser or email application requests a web page or email from another device on the Internet, it automatically gives that device the address where it should send the information. This is called the computer’s “IP address”. This “address” does not contain any personally identifiable information.

c.) Cookies and Web Beacons. Cookies are bits of electronic information that can be transferred to any device such as a computer or mobile device to uniquely identify its browser. When you visit HAR.com, we may place one or more cookies on your device. The use of cookies helps us improve the quality of our services to you, by identifying information which is most interesting to you, tracking trends, or storing information you may want to retrieve on a regular basis, such as your favorite homes. At any time, you may adjust the settings on the browser of your device to refuse cookies. However, if you choose to disable cookies, many of the free features and services on HAR.com will not operate properly. Also, the pages of our service may include Web beacons, which are electronic files to count users who have visited that page.

d.) Third-party Cookies. We work with service providers and advertising networks to track and manage cookie information and your activities while you are on HAR.com. Our third-party ad network providers and third-party advertisers may provide you with advertisements that you may see on HAR.com or on other affiliated websites. To improve the relevancy and help measure the effectiveness of such advertisements, these ad networks or advertisers may use cookies, Web beacons, or similar technologies. These are used to record your online activity, such as the pages visited, and to learn what types of information are of most interest to you.

Use of these technologies by third-party ad servers is subject to their own privacy policies and is not covered by our Privacy Policy. Learn more about our participation in the Network Advertising Initiative, and the choices you have about these technologies (such as opting-out) at networkadvertising.org The Network Advertising Initiative offers some centralized opt-out tools; otherwise you must visit each provider’s website individually and opt out. Opting out of these services does not mean you will no longer receive online advertising. It does mean that the service from which you opted out will no longer deliver ads tailored to your web preferences and usage patterns.

e.) Usage Logs. When on HAR.com, your device communicates a variety of information to computer servers, including the existence of cookies, your Internet Protocol address, and information about your browser program. We also create a record of information you are requesting, such as the page or subject areas you are visiting.

f.) Location Data. HAR.com can provide you with helpful information based on where you are. If you tell HAR.com where you are (e.g., by allowing your device to send HAR.com your location), HAR.com may use that information to provide you with location-based information and advertising. Your general location information may be shared with third parties. If you wish to deactivate this feature, you can disable location services on your device.

g.) Social Information. When you enter HAR.com through Google, Facebook, Twitter or any other third-party authorization service (“Social Information Site”), we may receive information that you authorize the Social Information Site to share with us, which may include your information. When we receive this information, it becomes HAR.com information for purposes of your use of this site. Your information would also be subject to our Privacy Policy. Any information that we collect from your Social Information Site account may depend on the privacy settings you have set with that Social Information Site, so please consult that Social Information Site’s privacy policy. You have the ability to disconnect your Social Information Site account from HAR.com by adapting the privacy settings in your Social Information Site account. If you come to the HAR.com through a Social Information Site, from other websites or with devices that enable third parties to collect information from or about you, such third parties receive information about you subject to their privacy policies. We may make use of the information that they provide us to further customize your HAR.com experience.

h.) Members Only. To gain access to the members-only resources, the Houston Association of Realtors, Inc. (HAR) members are given a login and password. We do not collect any personally identifiable information from members, affiliates or service providers online unless you voluntarily create an account or profile or complete our service provider or advertising forms. During this process we collect contact information such as name, business address, home address, photo, birthday, photo, telephone numbers (including mobile), and email address. HAR and/or HRIS will use this information to provide requested services such as access to the Members Only Site, HAR member Websites, and the Member Finder. HAR and/or HRIS may use your email address or mobile phone number to contact you for association business, weekly newsletters, updated information, surveys or promotions. HAR and/or HRIS will use your mailing address and/or email address to send print and/or online versions the Houston REALTOR magazine. We use a third-party credit card processing companies to process payments for membership dues or other member payments. They are not permitted to use the credit card information or your information for any purpose other than to fulfill the specific payment transaction. We do not store or save your credit card number, but we may keep a generic and non-personal identity of your account for reoccurring membership payments. A list of these vendor companies and the one for your account is available upon request. We also collect licensing information such as TREC license which we then verify against TREC database using online database on their website. Real estate license information is public information, and anyone can verify the same by visiting trec.texas.gov Your contact and other information is available to visitors to HAR.com by way of HAR Member Websites, and/or Agent Profile. Access to HAR.com services are made available with your consent.

2. How We Use the Information
a.) To Provide You Services. If you have chosen to receive information from a Realtor®/licensee by submitting your information to them on HAR.com, then that Realtor®/licensee may use your information to identify you, contact you and provide you real estate related services. If you have activated some type of HAR.com account, we may share your information and activity from that account with Realtors®/licensees in order for them to provide you real estate related information in relation to the type of account or services you activated. HAR.com will use information collected as described in 1. b)-f), internally, to provide you better services on HAR.com. Also, HAR.com, HAR and/or HRIS may use your email address to contact you for any updated information, surveys or promotions.

b. ) Entity Sale. We may disclose, transfer, sell or assign your information obtained through HAR.com, or information otherwise in its possession, to third parties as a result of a sale, merger, consolidation, change in control, transfer of substantial assets, reorganization or liquidation of HAR and/or HRIS. You will be notified via email or prominent notice on HAR.com for 30 days of any such change in ownership or control of your information.

c.) Investigations. We may also make your information available to law enforcement personnel and agencies when requested to do so or as required by law, subpoena or court order. We may disclose information that is useful or helpful to prevent, investigate or address possible wrongdoing in connection with any service provided by us, to protect our services as well as our users, affiliates, vendors, us or the public and to enforce our Terms of Use. Information you provide to us relative to complaints or comments about another may be shared with the person or entity to which the complaints or comments were directed as well as the public.

d.) Retention and Termination. We will retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services. The subsequent use, management or disclosure of any information collected by or provided to third parties such as Realtors®/licensees is subject to their privacy policies and practices. If you wish to cancel your account with HAR.com or request that we no longer use your information to provide you services, then contact us at privacy@har.com. We will retain and use your information as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, perform investigations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

3. You Have Choices
HAR.com offers you the opportunity to correct, update and amend your information at your HAR.com account at any time. Simply access your account settings page and change, remove or update your information there. You can withdraw your consent for our use of your information at any time by going to your account settings and deleting the account. Withdrawing your consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing of your information we conducted prior to your withdrawal or deletion, nor will it affect processing of information conducted in reliance on lawful processing grounds other than consent. If you have any concerns, want an electronic copy of your information from your account, or need help in correcting, updating, amending or removing your information at HAR.com, then please contact us by email at privacy@har.com or call us at (713) 629-1900, and we will help you in any way possible.

4. Email Management
You may receive email from HAR.com for a variety of reasons. We respect your desire to manage email correspondence. If you have an account with HAR.com, you can select your preferences through your account tools. Also, you can manage your receipt of some types of communication by following the instructions included in the email we send you. If you wish not to receive further emails from real estate entities or agents with whom you have registered, then you must personally contact that entity or agent and convey that information to them.

5. Storage and Security of Data
We also want you to know that we take the security of your information very seriously. We use industry accepted tools and procedures that protects certain data in our system. However, due to the open communication nature of the Internet we cannot guarantee that information we receive from you or that communication between you and us and us and you will be free from unauthorized access by third parties.

6. Business & Privacy Issues with Links to Other Sites
We are not responsible for the availability of or the business and privacy practices for other websites which are linked or connected to HAR.com. We provide these links for information and service. We do not take responsibility for the contents, advertising, products or other materials made available through any other websites nor for their data collection practices. We refer you to their privacy statements and policies to learn how they collect and use information about you.

7. Children
HAR.com is intended for general audiences and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you become aware that a child has provided us with information without parental consent, please contact us. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with information without parental consent, we take steps to remove such information and terminate the child’s account.

8. Privacy Statement Changes
HAR.com reserves the right to make changes to its Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be effective on the Effective Date noted above. Your use of HAR.com after the Effective Date constitutes your acceptance of any changes to the Privacy Policy. It is your responsibility to read and understand what, if any, changes affect you.

9. Questions About Our Privacy Policy?
If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy or the practices of HAR.com, you can send an email to privacy@har.com, or send correspondence to Houston Realtors Information Service, Inc., Attention: Privacy Policy Issue, 3693 Southwest Freeway Houston, TX 77027. You can reach us by phone at (713) 629-1900.