Privacy Policy

Introduction

Evergreen West Realty is a real estate brokerage licensed to provide Trading Services and Rental Property Management Services in British Columbia, Canada. We are a full service brokerage. Our licensees, managing broker and staff/employees aim to provide consumers with excellence in real estate services with respect to residential real estate and commercial real estate.

We provide services to sellers, buyers, purchasers, vendors, assignors, assignees, landlords and tenants. 

In British Columbia, real estate professionals provide their services through licensed companies known as brokerages. Our brokerage operates under what is known as ‘designated agency’. Our licensees are independent contractors. When you are a client, the licensee, your real estate professional, will represent you as a designated agent and will owe you various legal duties including but not limited to a duty of confidentiality. As a consumer, whether you are a client, or a customer/unrepresented party, your personal information is protected by the licensees, managing broker, and our staff/employees.

The Evergreen West Realty’s Privacy Policy is a formal statement based on, and complies with, British Columbia’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), which includes the principles, guidelines and practices that we follow in protecting our clients’, customers’/unrepresented party’s personal information. There are specific rules for how B.C. businesses and not-for-profit organizations may collect, use and disclose your personal information. For more information about this legislation, please visit the official government website at https://www.oipc.bc.ca/guidance-documents/1438

At Evergreen West Realty, we recognize and respect the importance of privacy and sensitivity of personal information. Providing professional real estate services involves the collection and use of disclosure of some personal information about our clients, customers/unrepresented parties, and protecting your personal information is an important matter which we take seriously. To this end, Evergreen West Realty has appointed a specific Privacy Officer to ensure compliance by all Evergreen West Realty licensees and staff/employees and to address your privacy concerns. 

For the purpose of this Policy:

Personal Information – means information about an identifiable individual which may include, without limitation, the individual’s name, age, home address, phone number, social insurance number, income, credit history, or other financial information, employment information and personal preferences. Personal information does not include contact information (described below).

Contact information – means information that would enable an individual to be contacted at a place of business and includes name, position name or title, business telephone number, business address, business email or business fax number.  Contact information is not covered by this policy or PIPA.

Consumer – means Client, Customer and/or Unrepresented Party.

Our Privacy Policy

1. Collection of Personal Information

1.1 We collect personally identifiable information, like name, age, home address, phone number, etc., when voluntarily submitted by consumers. The information you provide is used to fulfill the following purposes: 

• To establish and maintain a responsible relationship with our clients, customers/unrepresented parties and to provide ongoing professional services;
• To meet legal, statutory and professional requirements;
• To verify identity and creditworthiness; 
• To better understand our clients’, customers’/unrepresented party’s needs and preferences and continue to develop exceptional and improved services;
• To understand the needs of our clients, customers/unrepresented parties, and to deliver requested products and services and to ensure a high standard of service to our clients, customers/unrepresented parties.

2. Consent

2.1 Consent can be provided orally, in writing, electronically, through an authorized representative or it can be implied where the purpose for collecting, using or disclosing the personal information would reasonably be considered obvious and the client voluntarily provides personal information for that purpose. 

2.2 Subject to certain exceptions, clients, customers/unrepresented parties can withhold or withdraw their consent from licensees or Evergreen West Realty to use their personal information in certain ways. A client’s, customer’s/unrepresented party’s decision to withhold or withdraw their consent to certain uses of personal information may restrict our ability to provide a particular service or product to you. If so, we will explain the situation to assist the client, customer/unrepresented party in making an informed decision. 

3.  Using and Disclosing Personal Information

3.1 We may collect, use or disclose personal information without the client’s, customer’s/unrepresented party’s knowledge or express consent in the following limited circumstances: 

• When the collection, use or disclosure of personal information is permitted or required by law;
• In an emergency that threatens an individual's life, health, or personal security;
• When the personal information is available from a public source; and 
• To protect ourselves from fraud.

 3.2 We will only use or disclose client’s, customer’s/unrepresented party’s personal information where necessary to fulfill the purposes identified at the time of collection, such as:

• For inclusion in documentation relating to your particular real estate transaction;
• Transactional information to monitor our level of service.
• To communicate in order to provide our services and products;

3.3 We will not use or disclose client’s, customer’s/unrepresented party’s personal information for any additional purpose unless we obtain prior consent to do so. 

3.4 We will not sell clients, customers/unrepresented parties lists or personal information to other parties.

3.5 We may share information with governmental agencies or other companies assisting us in fraud prevention or investigation. We may do so when: (1) permitted or required by law; or, (2) trying to protect against or prevent actual or potential fraud or unauthorized transactions; or, (3) investigating fraud which has already taken place. The information is not provided to these companies for marketing purposes.

4. Retaining Personal Information

4.1 If we use clients’, customer’s/unrepresented party’s personal information, we will retain that personal information for at least two years so that the client, customer/unrepresented party has a reasonable opportunity to request access to it. 

4.2 We will retain client, customer/unrepresented party personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the identified purposes or a legal or business purpose. 

5. Ensuring Accuracy of Personal Information

5.1 We will take reasonable efforts to ensure that client, customer/unrepresented party’s personal information is accurate and complete where it may be used to make a decision about the client, customer and/or unrepresented party. 

5.2 Clients, customers/unrepresented parties may request correction to their personal information in order to ensure its accuracy and completeness.  A request to correct personal information must be made in writing and must provide sufficient detail to identify the personal information and the correction being sought. 

5.3 If the personal information is demonstrated to be inaccurate or incomplete, we will correct the information as required in a timely manner and send the corrected information to any organization to which we disclosed the personal information in the previous year.   If the correction is not made, we will note the clients’, customers’/unrepresented party’s correction request in the file.

6. Securing Personal Information

6.1 Evergreen West Realty endeavours to maintain adequate physical, procedural and technical security with respect to its offices and information storage facilities so as to prevent any loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, or modification of your personal Information.

6.2 Your personal identifiable information is kept secure and only authorized persons and staff/employees (who have contractually agreed to keep information secure and confidential) have access to this information.

6.3 The following security measures will be followed to ensure that a client’s, customer/unrepresented party’s personal information is appropriately protected: the use of filing cabinets; physically secured offices where personal information is held; the use of user IDs, passwords, encryption, firewalls; restricting access to personal information as appropriate.

6.4 We will use appropriate security measures when destroying client’s, customer’s/unrepresented party’s personal information such as shredding documents and deleting electronically stored information. 

6.5 We will continually review and update our security policies and controls as technology changes to ensure ongoing personal information security. 

7. Providing Clients, Customers/Unrepresented Parties Access to Personal Information

7.1 Clients, Customers/Unrepresented Parties have a right to access their personal information, subject to limited exceptions. 

7.2 A request to access personal information must be made in writing and must provide sufficient detail to identify the personal information being sought.  A request to access personal information is required to be forwarded to the Privacy Officer. 

7.3 Upon request, we will also tell clients, customers/unrepresented parties how we use their personal information and to whom it has been disclosed if applicable. 

7.4 If a request is refused in full or in part, we will notify the client, customer/unrepresented party in writing, providing the reasons for such refusal and the recourse available to the client, customer/unrepresented party.

8. Website Security

8.1 Evergreen West Realty’s website may contain links to other sites, which may not necessarily be governed by this privacy policy. The website contains links that may use cookie and tracking technology depending on the features offered. Cookie and tracking technology are useful for gathering information such as browser type and operating system, tracking the number of visitors to the site, and understanding how visitors use the site. Cookies can also help customize the site for visitors. Personal information cannot be collected via cookies and other tracking technology, however, if you previously provided personally identifiable information, cookies may be tied to such information. Aggregate cookie and tracking information may be shared with third parties.

8.2 Your use of https://www.evergreenwestrealty.com signifies your understanding and acceptance of the terms of this Privacy Policy and by using our website or by providing personal information, you also agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

9. Amendment of Practices and This Policy

9.1 This Privacy Policy is in effect as of March 28, 2019. Evergreen West Realty will from time to time review and revise its privacy practices and this Policy. 

10. Questions and Complaints: The Role of the Privacy Officer

10.1 The Privacy Officer is responsible for ensuring Evergreen West Realty’s compliance with this policy and the Personal Information Protection Act. 

10.2 Clients, customers/unrepresented parties should direct any complaints, concerns or questions regarding Evergreen West Realty’s compliance in writing to the Privacy Officer. 

10.3 If the Privacy Officer is unable to resolve the concern, the client, customer/unrepresented party may also write to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia.

Privacy Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns or complaints about your Personal Information, or about the Evergreen West Realty’s Privacy Policy, please contact our Privacy Officer using the contact information provided below:

Mail: Evergreen West Realty

Attn: Roloff Veld | Privacy Officer

Suite 206 – 2963 Glen Drive

Coquitlam, BC  V3B 2P7

Email:   [email protected]

Phone:  (604) 942-1389   

Fax:        (604) 942-2016