1. About this policy
This Privacy Policy explains how QLD Commercial & Residential Pty Ltd (referred to as QCR, we, us or our), the business operating this website, collects, holds, uses and discloses personal information.
We are committed to handling personal information responsibly and, where applicable, in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles and other applicable privacy, marketing and real-estate laws.
This policy applies to personal information handled through our website and in connection with our commercial and residential property, development, acquisition, investment, management, consultancy and related services.
2. What personal information we collect
The personal information we collect depends on how you deal with us. It may include;
- your name, email address, telephone number, postal address and other contact details
- information about whether you are a buyer, investor, tenant, seller, developer, property owner, prospective client or other stakeholder
- details of your property interests, requirements, preferences, budget, proposed transaction or enquiry
- information about properties, listings, tenancies, ownership, transactions and related communications
- account or profile details if you create or use an account on our website
- records of enquiries, appointments, correspondence, complaints and dealings with us
- marketing preferences and records of any consent you give us
- employment or contractor application information, such as your resume, work history, qualifications and references and
technical and usage information, such as your IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, referring website, approximate location, cookie or similar identifiers, and the date and time of your visit
We do not generally need to collect sensitive information. If sensitive information is reasonably necessary for our functions, we will collect it with your consent or where otherwise permitted or required by law.
3. How we collect personal information
We usually collect personal information directly from you, including when you;
- complete an enquiry, callback, subscription, property-search or other website form
- contact us by telephone, email, post, through the website or in person
- inspect, enquire about, buy, sell, lease, manage, develop or invest in a property
- create or use a website account, save a search, compare or favourite a listing
- subscribe to updates or communicate with us through social media; or
- apply for employment or to work with us
We may also collect personal information from third parties where lawful and reasonably necessary, including from property owners, landlords, tenants, buyers, sellers, developers, agents, representatives, referrers, advisers, service providers, publicly available sources and property or government records.
If you provide us with personal information about another person, you should have authority to do so and, where appropriate, make them aware of this policy.
You may deal with us anonymously or by using a pseudonym where it is lawful and practicable. However, if you do not provide information we reasonably need, we may not be able to respond to your enquiry, identify a suitable property or provide the requested service.
4. Why we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information
We may handle personal information to;
- respond to enquiries and requests for a callback
- provide, administer and improve our property, consultancy and related services
- identify, assess, advertise, acquire, sell, lease, manage or develop properties
- match prospective buyers, investors, tenants, sellers, developers or other stakeholders with relevant opportunities
- communicate with clients, prospective clients, property owners, agents, service providers and other parties involved in a matter
- operate website features, accounts, saved searches, comparisons and subscriptions
- arrange appointments, inspections and property-related communications
- maintain business and transaction records
- conduct analytics, improve our website and services, and understand how the website is used
- protect the security and integrity of our website, systems, people and property, and prevent fraud or misuse
- send direct marketing where we have consent or are otherwise permitted by law
- assess employment and contractor applications
- obtain professional advice, manage disputes and enforce our rights; or to
- comply with legal, regulatory, insurance and professional obligations
We will not use or disclose personal information for an unrelated purpose unless you consent or the use or disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law.
5. When we disclose personal information
We may disclose personal information, where reasonably necessary, to;
- our employees, contractors, representatives and related entities
- property owners, landlords, tenants, buyers, sellers, developers, agents, consultants and other parties involved in a property enquiry, service or transaction
- technology providers that support our website, hosting, email, customer relationship management, communications, analytics, security, data storage and backups
- professional advisers, including lawyers, accountants, auditors and insurers
- government agencies, regulators, courts, law-enforcement bodies and other persons where authorised or required by law; or
- a purchaser, successor or adviser in connection with a proposed or completed sale, merger or restructure of our business, subject to appropriate confidentiality arrangements
We do not sell or rent personal information to third parties for their own unrelated marketing.
6. Overseas disclosures
Some technology and service providers we use may store or process personal information outside Australia. In particular, website analytics, security, communications and cloud-service providers may involve recipients or systems located in the United States and in other countries in which those providers or their subcontractors operate.
The countries involved can change when providers change their infrastructure or subcontractors. Where practicable, we will identify relevant overseas locations at or before the time of collection. Where Australian privacy law applies, we will take reasonable steps to ensure overseas recipients handle personal information consistently with applicable requirements, subject to any legal exceptions.
7. Website analytics, cookies and third-party services
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to operate the site, remember preferences, measure use, improve performance and help protect against misuse. The site uses Google tagging and may use Google Analytics or related Google services. Website forms may also use Google reCAPTCHA or a similar security service.
These services may collect or receive technical information such as your IP address, browser or device information, pages viewed, timestamps, referring pages and cookie or similar identifiers. Their handling of information is also governed by their own privacy terms.
You can limit cookies through your browser settings. Blocking some cookies may affect how the website functions. Where required, we will seek consent before placing non-essential cookies or similar technologies.
Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies.
8. Direct marketing
We may send you information about properties, opportunities or services where you have consented or where the communication is otherwise permitted by law. Submitting a general enquiry does not, by itself, mean that you agree to receive unrelated ongoing marketing. You can opt out at any time by using the unsubscribe facility in an electronic message or by contacting via our contact form. We will action electronic marketing opt-out requests within the period required by law. We may still send non-marketing communications that are necessary to respond to an enquiry, provide a service or administer an existing relationship.
9. How we hold and protect personal information
We may hold personal information electronically and, in some cases, in physical records. We take reasonable steps appropriate to the circumstances to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These steps may include access controls, authentication, security monitoring, staff procedures, secure service providers and physical security.
No internet transmission or storage system is completely secure. If a data breach occurs, we will assess and respond to it and, where applicable, comply with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.
10. Retention and deletion
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, to maintain business and transaction records, or to comply with legal, regulatory, insurance and dispute-resolution requirements.
When personal information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to destroy it or de-identify it, unless we are required or authorised by law to retain it. Backup copies may remain for a limited period until they are overwritten in the ordinary course.
11. Accessing or correcting your personal information
You may request access to personal information we hold about you or ask us to correct information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading.
Please contact our Privacy Officer using the details below. To protect your information, we may need to verify your identity. We will respond within a reasonable period. We will not charge you for making a request, but may charge a reasonable cost for providing access where permitted by law. If we refuse access or correction, we will generally provide written reasons and explain available complaint options, unless the law permits otherwise.
12. Privacy complaints
If you have a concern or complaint about how we have handled personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer and provide enough detail for us to investigate. We will acknowledge your complaint and aim to provide a substantive response within 30 days. If we need more time, we will explain why and provide an expected response date.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at the OAIC website or by calling them on 1300 363 992.
13. Contact us
Privacy Officer — QCR
Email: info@qcr.net.au
Mail: 1 Eagle Street Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
14. Changes to this policy
We reserve our right to update this Privacy Policy when our practices, service providers or legal obligations change, without notice. The current version is published on this page on our website.