Effective on: 05/01/2021
The Houston Realtors Information Service, Inc. (“HRIS” or “our”, “us” or “we”), a Texas corporation, operates ShowingSmart.com whereon real estate information and related services are available to a visitor and to Realtors®/licensees (for both “you” or “your”).
ShowingSmart.com was created to provide visitors and Realtors®/licensees information in relation to the sale or rental of real estate. One of our missions at ShowingSmart.com is to afford Realtors®/licensees the opportunity to connect with visitors through ShowingSmart.com. This Privacy Policy describes our policy relative to any and all information relating to you that you have provided to us or that we have collected from you. Upon your use of ShowingSmart.com, whether by entry onto ShowingSmart.com, by activating any account with ShowingSmart.com or by interacting with a Realtor®/licensee, you consent to our collection, use and disclosure of all information about you pursuant to this Privacy Policy. Further, you hereby acknowledge by your use of ShowingSmart.com that you are bound by this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use.
This Privacy Policy applies only to certain information we collect, process and use through ShowingSmart.com. This Privacy Policy does not apply to information that we collect through other channels, such as information that we collect offline, from other websites, third parties, public sources or from your blogs, posts, comments, texts, emails or uploaded content you provide to ShowingSmart.com.
1. What Information We Collect
a) Information You Submit To Us. We do not collect any personally identifiable information from you unless you register under a ShowingSmart.com account or login or with a Realtor®/licensee. If you sign up for any ShowingSmart.com account activate a login, or register with a Realtor®/licensee, you consent to our collection of information you submit to us such as your email address, your first name and last name, telephone numbers (including mobile), photo, username/password and any other information that you choose to provide to us or a Realtor®/licensee (“your information”). We and a Realtor®/licensee may use your information to verify your identify (through use of a third party contractor who actually processes the personal information you submit), to contact you and to provide you services. Use by and disclosure of your information to us or a Realtor®/licensee is with your consent, is entirely optional and is a service available if you desire to receive information or services related to real estate. We do not collect or store “sensitive” or “special categories of personal data” information as defined under European data protection laws. If a credit card number is submitted by you, then it and some of your information is processed by third-party credit card processing companies solely for payment. They are not permitted to use the credit card or your information for any purpose other than to fulfill the specific purchase transaction. We do not store or save your credit card number.
b) IP Address. We may collect your IP (Internet Protocol) address to administer our site. When a web browser or email application requests a web page or email from another device on the Internet, it automatically gives that device the address where it should send the information. This is called the computer’s “IP address”. This “address” does not contain any personally identifiable information.
c) Cookies and Web Beacons. Cookies are bits of electronic information that can be transferred to any device such as a computer or mobile device to uniquely identify its browser. When you visit ShowingSmart.com, we may place one or more cookies on your device. The use of cookies helps us improve the quality of our services to you, by identifying information, which is most interesting to you, tracking trends, or storing information you may want to retrieve on a regular basis, such as your favorite homes. At any time, you may adjust the settings on the browser of your device to refuse cookies. However, if you choose to disable cookies, many of the free features and services on ShowingSmart.com will not operate properly. Also, the pages of our service may include Web beacons, which are electronic files to count users who have visited that page.
d) Third-party Cookies. We work with service providers and advertising networks to track
and manage cookie information and your activities while you are on ShowingSmart.com. Our
third-party ad network providers and third-party advertisers may provide you with
advertisements that you may see on ShowingSmart.com or on other affiliated websites. To
improve the relevancy and help measure the effectiveness of such advertisements, these ad
networks or advertisers may use cookies, Web beacons, or similar technologies. These are used
to record your online activity, such as the pages visited, and to learn what types of information
are of most interest to you.
Use of these technologies by third-party ad servers is subject to their own privacy policies and is
not covered by our Privacy Policy. Learn more about our participation in the Network
Advertising Initiative, and the choices you have about these technologies (such as opting-out) at
networkadvertising.org The Network Advertising Initiative offers some centralized opt-out tools;
otherwise you must visit each provider’s website individually and opt out. Opting out of these
services does not mean you will no longer receive online advertising. It does mean that the
service from which you opted out will no longer deliver ads tailored to your web preferences and
usage patterns.
e) Usage Logs. When on ShowingSmart.com, your device communicates a variety of
information to computer servers, including the existence of cookies, your Internet Protocol
address, and information about your browser program. We also create a record of information
you are requesting, such as the page or subject areas you are visiting.
f) Location Data. ShowingSmart.com can provide you with helpful information based on
where you are. If you tell ShowingSmart.com where you are (e.g., by allowing your device to
send ShowingSmart.com your location), ShowingSmart.com may use that information to provide
you with location-based information and advertising. Your general location information may be
shared with third parties. If you wish to deactivate this feature, you can disable location services
on your device.
g) Social Information. When you enter ShowingSmart.com through Google, Facebook,
Twitter or any other third-party authorization service (“Social Information Site”), we may
receive information that you authorize the Social Information Site to share with us, which may
include your information. When we receive this information, it becomes ShowingSmart.com
information for purposes of your use of this site. Your information would also be subject to our
Privacy Policy. Any information that we collect from your Social Information Site account may
depend on the privacy settings you have set with that Social Information Site, so please consult
that Social Information Site's privacy policy. You have the ability to disconnect your Social
Information Site account from ShowingSmart.com by adapting the privacy settings in your
Social Information Site account. If you come to the ShowingSmart.com through a Social
Information Site, from other websites or with devices that enable third parties to collect
information from or about you, such third parties receive information about you subject to their
privacy policies. We may make use of the information that they provide us to further customize
your ShowingSmart.com experience.
h) Licensees Only. To gain access to ShowingSmart.com you are given a login and
password. We do not collect any personally identifiable information unless you voluntarily
create an account or profile. Using this process, we collect contact information such as name,
business address, home address, photo, birthday, photo, telephone numbers (including mobile),
and email address. ShowingSmart.com will use this information to contact you and provide
requested services. We use a third-party credit card processing companies to process payments
due. They are not permitted to use the credit card information or your information for any
purpose other than to fulfill the specific payment transaction. We do not store or save your credit
card number, but we may keep a generic and non-personal identity of your account for
reoccurring membership payments. A list of these vendor companies and the one for your
account is available upon request. Your contact and other information is available to visitors to
ShowingSmart.com. Access to ShowingSmart.com services are made available with your
consent.
2. How We Use the Information
a) To Provide You Services. If you have chosen to receive information from us or a
Realtor®/licensee by submitting your information through registering on ShowingSmart.com,
then we or a Realtor®/licensee may use your information to identify you, contact you and
provide you real estate related services. If you have activated some type of ShowingSmart.com
account, we may share your information and activity from that account with Realtors®/licensees
in order for them to provide you real estate related information in relation to the type of account
or services you activated. ShowingSmart.com will use information collected as described in 1.
b)-f), internally, to provide you better services on ShowingSmart.com. Also, ShowingSmart.com
may use your email address and mobile phone number provided to us to contact you, call you,
leave automated messages and text you with real estate related information, surveys or
promotions.
b) Entity Sale. We may disclose, transfer, sell or assign your information obtained through
ShowingSmart.com, or information otherwise in its possession, to third parties as a result of a
sale, merger, consolidation, change in control, transfer of substantial assets, reorganization or
liquidation of HRIS. You will be notified via email or prominent notice on ShowingSmart.com
for 30 days of any such change in ownership or control of your information.
c) Investigations. We may also make your information available to law enforcement
personnel and agencies when requested to do so or as required by law, subpoena or court order.
We may disclose information that is useful or helpful to prevent, investigate or address possible
wrongdoing in connection with any service provided by us, to protect our services as well as our
users, affiliates, vendors, us or the public and to enforce our Terms of Use. Information you
provide to us relative to complaints or comments about another may be shared with the person or
entity to which the complaints or comments were directed as well as the public.
d) Retention and Termination. We will retain your information for as long as your account
is active or as needed to provide you services. The subsequent use, management or disclosure of
any information collected by or provided to third parties such as Realtors®/licensees is subject to
their privacy policies and practices. If you wish to cancel your account with ShowingSmart.com
or request that we no longer use your information to provide you services, then contact us at
privacy@ShowingSmart.com. We will retain and use your information as necessary to comply
with our legal obligations, perform investigations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.
3. You Have Choices
ShowingSmart.com offers you the opportunity to correct, update and amend your information at
your ShowingSmart.com account at any time. Simply access your account settings page and
change, remove or update your information there. You can withdraw your consent for our use of
your information at any time by going to your account settings and deleting the account.
Withdrawing your consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing of your information
we conducted prior to your withdrawal or deletion, nor will it affect processing of information
conducted in reliance on lawful processing grounds other than consent. If you have any concerns,
want an electronic copy of your information from your account, or need help in correcting,
updating, amending or removing your information at ShowingSmart.com, then please contact us
by email at privacy@ShowingSmart.com or call us at (713) 629-1900, and we will help you in
any way possible.
4. Email Management
You may receive email from ShowingSmart.com for a variety of reasons. We respect your desire
to manage email correspondence. If you have an account with ShowingSmart.com, you can
select your preferences through your account tools. Also, you can manage your receipt of some
types of communication by following the instructions included in the email we send you. If you
wish not to receive further emails from real estate entities or agents with whom you have
registered, then you must personally contact that entity or agent and convey that information to
them.
5. Storage and Security of Data
We also want you to know that we take the security of your information very seriously. We use
industry accepted tools and procedures that protects certain data in our system. However, due to
the open communication nature of the Internet we cannot guarantee that information we receive
from you or that communication between you and us and us and you will be free from
unauthorized access by third parties.
6. Business & Privacy Issues with Links to Other Sites
We are not responsible for the availability of or the business and privacy practices for other
websites which are linked or connected to ShowingSmart.com. We provide these links for
information and service. We do not take responsibility for the contents, advertising, products or
other materials made available through any other websites nor for their data collection practices.
We refer you to their privacy statements and policies to learn how they collect and use
information about you.
7. Children
ShowingSmart.com is intended for adult use and is not directed to anyone under 18. We do not
knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If you become aware that a child has
provided us with information without parental consent, please contact us. If we become aware
that a person under 18 has provided us with information without parental consent, we take steps
to remove such information and terminate that person’s account.
8. Privacy Statement Changes
ShowingSmart.com reserves the right to make changes to its Privacy Policy at any time. Any
changes will be effective on the Effective Date noted above. Your use of ShowingSmart.com
after the Effective Date constitutes your acceptance of any changes to the Privacy Policy. It is
your responsibility to read and understand what, if any, changes affect you.
9. Questions About Our Privacy Policy?
If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy or the practices of ShowingSmart.com, you
can send an email to privacy@ShowingSmart.com, or send correspondence to Houston Realtors
Information Service, Inc., Attention: Privacy Policy Issue, 3693 Southwest Freeway Houston,
TX 77027. You can reach us by phone at (713) 629-1900.
