VIP-Real Estate (“we,” “us,” or “our”) respects the privacy of the visitors, clients, and prospects who interact with our website, our advisors, and our brokerage. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. We have written it in plain language because we believe that is what a privacy policy is for.
This policy is governed by Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), by Quebec’s Law 25 (Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector), and by the Ontario Trust in Real Estate Services Act (TRESA, formerly REBBA 2002). Where these statutes overlap, we apply the standard most protective of you.
1. Information We Collect
We collect only the information we need to provide a service you have asked for, to comply with our regulatory obligations, or to operate the website safely. We group it into four categories.
Information you give us directly
- Name, email, telephone, and mailing address — when you contact us, register an account, or submit a pre-approval request.
- Financial information — income, employment, debts, source of down payment, and credit consent, where required for a mortgage application.
- Identification documents — government-issued photo identification, as required by FINTRAC and TRESA for any real estate transaction.
- Property preferences — neighbourhoods, price ranges, property types, and similar criteria you choose to share.
- Any message, file, or other content you choose to send us by email, web form, or messaging app.
Information collected automatically
- Device and browser information — IP address, user agent, screen size, referring URL, and similar metadata.
- Usage information — pages viewed, links clicked, search queries within the site, time spent, and the route through which you arrived.
- Cookies and similar storage — see our separate Cookie Policy for details on each category.
Information from third parties
- Listing data from the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) and other recognized MLS data feeds.
- Credit bureau data from Equifax or TransUnion, with your express written consent, when underwriting a mortgage application.
- Marketing analytics platforms — only in aggregated or pseudonymized form.
Sensitive information
We do not knowingly collect information regarding your race, religion, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or health. We do not collect information about children under the age of 18. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for specific, identified purposes — and only those. Specifically:
- To respond to enquiries, schedule consultations, and provide the services you have requested.
- To operate the brokerage and mortgage practice, including documentation of agency relationships, identity verification, and conflict checks.
- To meet our obligations under TRESA, FINTRAC, FSRA, the Income Tax Act, and other applicable Canadian law.
- To improve the website — primarily by understanding which pages and content are useful and which are not.
- To send service updates and occasional, opt-in market commentary. You may withdraw consent at any time.
- To investigate suspected fraud, abuse, or violations of our Terms.
We do not use your information to make automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on you without human review.
3. Sharing of Information
We do not sell your personal information. We never have, and we never will. We share information only in the following circumstances:
- Service providers. Vetted vendors that host our website, send our email, store our documents, and process our transactions. They act on our instructions and under written contract, and are not permitted to use your information for their own purposes.
- Cooperating real estate professionals. Where a transaction requires it — for example, a co-operating brokerage on the other side of a deal — we share only the minimum needed to complete the transaction.
- Lenders and insurers. When you have authorized us to submit a mortgage application on your behalf, we share the underwriting file with the lenders you have approved.
- Lawyers and notaries. Closing professionals require transaction details to perform their work.
- Regulators and authorities. When required by law, subpoena, court order, or to comply with our regulatory obligations to FSRA, TRREB, RECO, or FINTRAC.
4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use a small number of cookies and similar technologies. Strictly necessary cookies are used to keep the site running. Analytics cookies (Google Analytics 4) help us understand site usage in aggregate. Product cookies (PostHog) help us understand how features are used so that we can improve them. You can disable non-essential cookies at any time. See our Cookie Policy for the complete list.
5. Your Rights
Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you.
- Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Request deletion of information we no longer need to retain by law.
- Withdraw consent to marketing communications at any time.
- Request a copy of your data in a portable format.
- File a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or, for Quebec residents, the Commission d’accès à l’information.
6. Retention
We retain transaction records for the period required by TRESA, FSRA, and FINTRAC — typically seven years from the close of the transaction. Marketing and contact information is retained until you withdraw consent. Website analytics is retained in pseudonymized form for no longer than 26 months.
7. Security
We protect your information with a combination of administrative, physical, and technical safeguards appropriate to its sensitivity. This includes access controls, encryption in transit and at rest, vendor due diligence, and regular staff training. No system is perfect, but we take this seriously.
8. International Transfers
Some of our vendors are located outside Canada. When we transfer information across borders, we use contractual protections (including the EU Standard Contractual Clauses where relevant) and ensure a comparable level of protection. You consent to this transfer by using our services.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of the page and, for material changes, post a notice on the site and (where appropriate) email registered users.
10. Contact Us
Questions, requests, or complaints about this policy or our handling of your information may be directed to our Privacy Officer:
VIP-Real Estate — Privacy Officer
120 Adelaide Street West, Suite 2500
Toronto, Ontario M5H 1T1
Email: privacy@viprealestate.ca