Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to HouseTrade ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with care and respect. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website and services.

By using HouseTrade, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us, including:

• Account Information: Name, email address, password (encrypted)
• Property Information: Property addresses, photos, descriptions, pricing, features
• Preferences: Search criteria, saved properties, housing goals (upsize/downsize)
• Payment Information: Processed securely through Stripe (we do not store credit card details)
• Communications: Messages sent through our contact and support forms

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you use HouseTrade, we automatically collect:

• Usage Data: Pages viewed, features used, search queries, interaction with properties
• Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers
• Location Data: Geolocation data (with your consent) for location-based searches
• Cookies and Tracking: Session cookies, analytics cookies, advertising cookies (see Cookie Policy below)

2.3 Third-Party Data

• MLS Data: Property listings from Multiple Listing Services (you confirm you have rights to import)
• OAuth Providers: If you sign in with Google, we receive your name and email address
• Real Estate Agents: Agent contact information associated with property listings

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

• Service Delivery: To provide property matching, search functionality, and connect buyers/sellers
• Account Management: To create and manage your account, authentication, and subscriptions
• Communications: To send service updates, match notifications, and respond to inquiries
• Personalization: To customize search results and recommendations based on your preferences
• Analytics: To understand usage patterns and improve our services
• Payment Processing: To process subscription payments through Stripe
• Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Use
• Security: To detect fraud, protect against unauthorized access, and ensure platform integrity

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on our service and store certain information. You can control cookie preferences through our Cookie Consent Banner.

4.1 Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: Required for authentication and core functionality (cannot be disabled)
• Analytics Cookies: Google Analytics (GA4) to understand usage and improve our service
• Advertising Cookies: Google AdSense for relevant advertisements
• Performance Cookies: Vercel Analytics for performance monitoring

4.2 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through:

• Our Cookie Consent Banner (appears on first visit)
• Your browser settings (may affect site functionality)
• Opting out of Google Analytics: Google Analytics Opt-out
• AdSense personalization: Google Ad Settings

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may collect your information:

• Google Analytics: Website analytics and user behavior tracking
• Google AdSense: Advertising services (see Google Privacy Policy)
• Stripe: Payment processing (see Stripe Privacy Policy)
• Cloudflare R2: Image and file storage
• Vercel: Hosting and performance analytics
• Google OAuth: Optional sign-in service
• SendGrid: Email delivery services

These services have their own privacy policies. We recommend reviewing them to understand how they handle your data.

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• Property Matching: Your property information may be shown to matched users with complementary housing needs
• Real Estate Agents: Agent contact information is shared when displayed with property listings
• Service Providers: Third-party vendors who assist with hosting, analytics, payment processing, and email delivery
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or to protect our rights and safety
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets (users will be notified)

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations. Specifically:

• Active Accounts: Data retained while your account is active
• Deleted Accounts: Most data deleted within 30 days; some data retained for legal/accounting purposes (7 years)
• Analytics Data: Aggregated and anonymized data may be retained indefinitely

8. Your Privacy Rights

Under Canadian privacy law, you have the following rights:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and personal data
• Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for marketing emails or data processing
• Challenge Compliance: Challenge our compliance with PIPEDA principles

How to Exercise Your Rights:

• Email us at: privacy@housetrade.ca
• Use our Profile page to update account information or download your data
• Submit a data access or deletion request through our support system

We will respond to verified requests within 30 days. In some cases, we may be required to retain certain information for legal purposes under Canadian law.

9. Children's Privacy

HouseTrade is not intended for children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@housetrade.ca, and we will delete such information.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including Canada and the United States. These countries may have data protection laws different from your jurisdiction.

We take appropriate measures to ensure your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy, regardless of where it is processed.

11. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (SSL/TLS) and at rest
• Secure password hashing (bcrypt)
• Rate limiting to prevent brute-force attacks
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Access controls and authentication for admin systems

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by:

• Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Sending an email notification (for material changes)
• Displaying a prominent notice on our website

Your continued use of HouseTrade after changes are made constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: