Privacy Policy
RE/MAX Property Group Privacy Statement
About this Privacy Policy
JVN Property Group PTY LTD T/as RE/MAX Property Group is dedicated to respecting your right to privacy and safeguarding your personal information.
We are committed to complying with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Act) and the Australian Privacy Principles outlined in the Act.
We ensure that all our team members, employees, and subcontractors are well-informed about RE/MAX Property Group's obligations and their own responsibilities under the Act. We achieve this through training and by maintaining and implementing internal policies and procedures to prevent the improper collection, use, disclosure, retention, access, or disposal of personal information.
This Privacy Policy applies to all your interactions with us, whether in person, via telephone, email, correspondence, or through our website.
The objectives of this Policy are to:
1. Provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the types of personal information we collect and maintain.
2. Clearly and concisely communicate how and when we collect, disclose, use, store, and manage personal information.
3. Offer guidance on accessing and correcting your personal information.
4. Inform you about the complaint process and how we handle complaints.
5. Clarify the circumstances in which we may disclose personal information to overseas recipients.
6. Enhance transparency in our operations.
For the purposes of this Policy, the following terms have the meanings attributed to them by section 6 of the Act:
- Health information encompasses information or opinions about an individual's health or disability, expressed wishes about future health services, services provided or to be provided, information related to body donations, and genetic information that may predict an individual's health.
- Personal information pertains to information or opinions about an identified individual or one who is reasonably identifiable, whether true or not, and whether in a tangible form or not.
- Sensitive information includes racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, membership in various associations, religious beliefs, philosophical beliefs, trade or professional associations, trade unions, sexual orientation, criminal records, health information, genetic information not classified as health information, and biometric information for automated biometric verification or identification, as well as biometric templates.
Collection of Personal Information
When you engage with RE/MAX Property Group, whether as a current or potential seller, buyer, lessor, or lessee, we collect personal information to provide our services. We only collect personal information when it is reasonably necessary for or directly related to our services or functions.
The personal information we generally collect includes, but is not limited to:
- Full Name
- Date of Birth
- Residential Address
- Postal Address
- Email Address
- Home Telephone Number
- Work Telephone Number
- Mobile Telephone Number
- Occupation and Business Address
- Financial Information, including employer details, income, and bank or financial institution names
- Details of your spouse, de facto partner, dependent children, and roommates
- Details of properties owned by you
We generally do not request sensitive information. However, there may be circumstances where the information you provide reveals sensitive information, such as:
- If you need a property with specific features, like wheelchair ramps, which could reveal health information.
- When providing details of your spouse or de facto partner, which may disclose sensitive information regarding your sexual orientation.
We only collect sensitive information when:
- It is reasonably necessary for the services we provide or functions we perform, and
- You consent to the collection, or
- We are required or authorized by law to collect the sensitive information.
Whenever possible and practical, we collect your personal information directly from you, such as when you fill out a form or provide personal information in person, via telephone, email, correspondence, or our website. Occasionally, we may collect personal information from third parties or publicly available sources, such as credit reporting agencies, legal advisors, employers, previous lessors, property managers, tenancy information services, or databases.
If we receive unsolicited personal information that we could not lawfully collect as part of our functions or activities, we will, if lawful and reasonable, either destroy the information or ensure it is de-identified.
You have the option to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym where lawful and practical. However, we may request that you identify yourself when it is necessary to provide the relevant service or conduct business. For example, when submitting documents to government agencies or financial institutions, we must accurately record your name.
Use and Disclosure of Personal Information
Personal information collected by RE/MAX Property Group is typically used for the following purposes:
- Assisting you in selling your property
- Assisting you in purchasing a property
- Assisting you in leasing a property, either as a lessor or lessee
- Assisting you in obtaining a loan
- Assisting with bond payments or refunds
- Assisting with tenancy disputes
- Coordinating property repairs or maintenance
- Recording or accessing information at government agencies like the Titles Registry Office
- Recording or accessing information at the Residential Tenancies Authority
- Recording or accessing information on tenancy information services or databases
- Managing client and business relationships
- Marketing our products and services to you
To achieve these purposes, we may disclose your personal information to the following individuals/organizations:
- Prospective buyers or sellers of properties you own or lease
- Your legal advisors and those representing other parties involved in your transaction
- Your financial institution and/or financial advisor
- Insurance providers and brokers
- Utility providers and utility connection service providers
- Independent contractors engaged by us as real estate agents
- Tradespeople engaged by us for property repairs or maintenance
- Organizations involved in maintaining, reviewing, and developing our business systems, procedures, and infrastructure
- Entities involved in purchasing part or all of our business
- Organizations involved in payment systems, including financial institutions, merchants, and payment organizations
- The Titles Registry Office or other government agencies
- The Residential Tenancies Authority
- Tenancy information services or databases
- Real estate peak bodies
- Real estate websites
- Police
We only use and disclose personal information for the primary purpose for which it was initially collected, or for purposes directly related to our functions or activities.
We do not disclose your personal information to government agencies, private sector organizations, or third parties unless one of the following applies:
- You have provided consent
- It is reasonably expected or you have been informed that such information is typically shared with those entities
- It is required or authorized by law
- It is reasonably necessary for enforcement-related activities conducted by or on behalf of an enforcement body (e.g., police, ASIC, Immigration Department)
Personal information shared with RE/MAX Property Group may be shared with its related companies. We take all reasonable and practical steps to maintain the confidentiality of this information.
While providing services, it may be necessary for us to enter your personal information into forms generation software and real estate websites. Depending on the terms of use of such software and websites, a third party may acquire rights to use or disclose information entered into the relevant forms or websites. The collection and use of personal information by third parties may be subject to separate privacy policies or the laws of other jurisdictions.
RE/MAX Property Group may transfer your personal information to overseas countries to fulfill our functions or activities. In such cases, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the overseas recipient complies with the Australian Privacy Principles regarding the information.
Like many other businesses in Australia, RE/MAX Property Group may rely on third-party suppliers or contractors to provide specialized services, such as webhosting, cloud computing technology, and data storage services. If personal information is provided to these suppliers and contractors to enable them to perform their tasks, we will make every effort to ensure that they handle the personal information in accordance with the Act and the Australian Privacy Principles. We will also require all suppliers and contractors to provide privacy undertakings and enter into confidentiality agreements.
In limited circumstances, it may be necessary for us to collect a government-related identifier, such as your tax file number or Centrelink reference number. We will not use or disclose your government-related identifiers unless required or authorized by law, a court or tribunal order, or to fulfill our obligations to a State or Territory authority.
Marketing our Products and Services
RE/MAX Property Group may use or disclose your personal information to inform you about products and services in which you may have an interest. If you no longer wish to receive marketing materials from us, you can contact us at any time (see the Contacting Us section for more information).
Accuracy of Personal Information
RE/MAX Property Group takes reasonable steps to ensure that all personal information it collects, uses, or discloses is accurate, complete, and up-to-date. If you believe that your personal information is inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date, please contact us (see the Contacting Us section for more information).
Security
Your personal information may be stored in hard copy documents or electronically. RE/MAX Property Group is committed to keeping your personal information secure. We employ various measures, including:
- Requiring employees and contractors to enter into confidentiality agreements
- Secure hard copy document storage, such as locked filing cabinets
- Security measures for access to our computer systems
- Providing a discreet environment for confidential discussions
- Access control for our buildings
- Security measures for our websites (see the Your Privacy on the Internet section for more information)
We review and update our security measures regularly. Additionally, we review personal information and sensitive information held by us from time to time, ensuring that information no longer needed for its initial purpose is destroyed or de-identified.
Your Privacy on the Internet
RE/MAX Property Group takes care to ensure that the information you provide via our website is protected. Our website is equipped with electronic security systems, including firewalls and data encryption.
You may access external websites by clicking on links we have provided. These external websites are not subject to our privacy standards, policies, and procedures. To understand their privacy standards, policies, and procedures, you will need to contact or review those websites directly.
Access to Personal Information
You may request access to the personal information held by RE/MAX Property Group about you (see the Contacting Us section for more information). We will acknowledge your request within two business days and usually grant access within five business days of acknowledgment. If the request involves complex considerations or substantial photocopying or scanning, access will be provided within seven business days.
You must verify your identity before gaining access to your personal information. While we do not charge an application fee for access requests, we may charge a fee for providing access in your preferred format, covering the costs associated with locating and collating information, as well as reproduction costs.
Upon processing your request, we may forward the information by mail or email, or you may personally inspect it at the location where the information is held or another appropriate place. We will make the information available in the manner you requested unless it is unreasonable for us to do so. For example, if the file size is too large, we may send you the information in hard copy rather than via email.
If you are aware that we hold personal information about you that is no longer accurate, complete, or up-to-date, please contact us (see the Contacting Us section for more information).
If we refuse to make a correction to your personal information or deny access, we will provide written reasons for the refusal and information on how to complain about the refusal (see the Complaints section for more information).
Complaints
If you believe there has been a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to file a complaint with JVN Property Group PTY LTD T/as RE/MAX Property Group (see the Contacting Us section for more information).
We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within two business days and aim to resolve it within 20 business days after receiving the complaint. If we anticipate a longer timeframe, we will contact you with an estimate of the expected resolution time.
If you feel that we have not adequately addressed your complaint, you may escalate it to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). Their contact details are as follows:
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
GPO Box 5218
SYDNEY NSW 2001
1300 363 992
Review
This policy will be reviewed as follows:
- Annually at a minimum
- Following an information security incident
- After significant changes to our systems
- After changes to relevant state and Commonwealth legislation
Reviews will assess the appropriateness of the policy, taking into account corporate, system, and compliance requirement changes since the last review. The most up-to-date version of the RE/MAX Property Group Privacy Policy will be available on our website at www.remaxpropertygroup.com.au.