Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

August Real Estate Group operates as a team of licensed real estate professionals with Oakwyn Realty Okanagan, located in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. We are licensed by the BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) and comply with the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) of British Columbia and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) of Canada.

2. Information We Collect

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you:

• Complete our Client Profile intake form
• Submit a contact inquiry through our website
• Request a property intelligence deck
• Schedule a showing or consultation
• Engage with us through email, phone, or in person

This information may include:

• Name, email address, phone number, mailing address
• Property preferences (type, budget, neighbourhood, features)
• Financial information (pre-approval status, budget range, down payment)
• Transaction details (offer amounts, closing dates, conditions)
• Government-issued identification (as required by FINTRAC regulations)
• Communication preferences

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

• Provide real estate services, including property searches, market analysis, and transaction management
• Match you with properties that meet your criteria
• Generate property intelligence reports and market analyses
• Communicate with you about listings, market updates, and your transactions
• Comply with legal obligations, including FINTRAC reporting requirements
• Improve our services and website functionality

4. August Intelligence Technology Disclosure

Our platform uses August Intelligence technology to generate property analyses, market insights, neighbourhood reports, and investment assessments. In accordance with BCFSA guidelines on technology use in real estate (February 2024):

• All generated content is reviewed by a licensed professional before being shared with clients
• Enhanced or virtually staged images are clearly labelled as such
• Generated property analyses are intended as supplementary information and do not constitute professional appraisals or guaranteed valuations
• Your personal information is not shared with third-party providers. August Intelligence analysis is performed using anonymized property data only

5. FINTRAC Compliance

As required by the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act, we are obligated to verify the identity of our clients and maintain records of certain transactions. This may require us to collect:

• Government-issued photo identification
• Date of birth
• Occupation and employer information
• Source of funds for real estate transactions

This information is collected solely for regulatory compliance and is stored securely in accordance with FINTRAC record-keeping requirements. We are required to retain these records for a minimum of five years following the completion of a transaction.

6. How We Share Your Information

We may share your personal information with:

• Oakwyn Realty Okanagan — our managing brokerage, as required by BCFSA regulations
• Other real estate professionals — cooperating agents involved in your transaction
• Service providers — mortgage brokers, lawyers, home inspectors, and other professionals you authorize us to contact on your behalf
• Regulatory bodies — BCFSA, FINTRAC, and other authorities as required by law
• MLS systems — listing information as required for property marketing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS), secure database storage, access controls, and regular security reviews. While no method of electronic storage is 100% secure, we take reasonable steps to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. For real estate transactions, records are retained for a minimum of five years as required by FINTRAC. For marketing and client relationship purposes, we retain information until you request its deletion.

9. Your Rights

Under BC PIPA and PIPEDA, you have the right to:

• Access your personal information held by us
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Withdraw your consent for certain uses of your information
• Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements)
• File a complaint with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of BC

10. Cookies & Analytics

Our website uses essential cookies to maintain your session and preferences. We may also use analytics tools to understand how visitors interact with our website. These tools collect anonymous, aggregated data and do not identify individual users.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to access or correct your personal information, or want to withdraw your consent, please contact us:

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.