In short: I collect the information you choose to send me through this website, plus basic technical information from your visit. I use it to respond to you and to provide real estate services in California. I share it with my brokerage, Compass, and with the services that run this website and its property search. I do not sell your personal information, and you can ask me to see, correct or delete it at any time.
1. Who we are
This website, johnseffker.com, and its property search pages at search.johnseffker.com (together, the "Site") are operated by John Seffker, a California real estate broker (DRE #01250360) affiliated with Compass California Inc. (DRE #01991628), 9454 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 100, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. In this policy, "I," "we" and "us" mean John Seffker and the Site.
My license is issued by the State of California, and I provide real estate services only for property located in California. The Site is intended for people interested in buying, selling, leasing or investing in California real estate.
This is my personal website, not the official website of Compass. Compass's own websites and apps are covered by the Compass Privacy Policy, which also applies to information Compass receives and handles as my brokerage.
2. Information we collect
Information you give us
When you fill out a form on the Site (for example, to contact me, request a market report, ask about selling, or share investment criteria), we collect what you enter, which may include:
- Your name, email address and phone number
- A property address or general location
- The type of property you're interested in, your buying or selling plans, timeframe and investment objectives
- Any message you write
- Your consent to be contacted, with the date and time you gave it
If you create an account, save a search or a listing, or request listing alerts on the property search pages, the information you provide there (such as your name, email, phone and saved searches) is collected through IDX Broker, the service that powers those pages.
Please don't send sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers or bank account details through the Site's forms. If we work together on a transaction, we'll use secure channels for documents like these.
Information collected automatically
When you visit, some information is collected automatically by the services that run the Site:
- Technical information such as your IP address, browser and device type, the pages you view, the page that referred you, and the date and time of your visit (collected in server logs by our hosting provider)
- Information about your activity on the Site collected through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, as described in section 5
- Your listing searches, viewed properties and saved searches on the property search pages
Your browser also sends your IP address to the services that deliver the Site's fonts (Google Fonts) and photographs (Unsplash) so they can load.
Information from other sources
If we work together, I may receive information about you from Compass, from another agent or person who referred you, from lenders, escrow and title companies involved in your transaction, and from public records such as property ownership records. Listing information shown on the Site comes from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS) and is about properties, not about you.
3. How we use your information
- To respond to your inquiry and to provide the real estate services you ask for
- To send you listings, alerts, market reports or other information you request
- To contact you by phone, text or email, with your consent (see section 6)
- To prepare and manage a transaction if we work together, including coordinating with escrow, title, lenders and other parties
- To operate, maintain, secure and improve the Site, and to prevent spam, fraud and misuse
- To keep records and meet legal, licensing and brokerage requirements, including California real estate recordkeeping rules and Compass's supervision and compliance policies
- For any other purpose we describe to you when we collect the information, or with your consent
4. How we share your information
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as described here:
- Compass, my brokerage. Inquiries and client information are shared with Compass, which supervises my real estate activity, provides the client-relationship tools I use, and keeps transaction records. Compass handles that information under the Compass Privacy Policy.
- IDX Broker (Elm Street Technology). IDX Broker provides the Site's property search and receives the information you submit through the Site's forms so I can manage and follow up on inquiries.
- Service providers. Companies that host and deliver the Site (Vercel), deliver fonts and images (Google Fonts, Unsplash), and provide email, phone and text messaging services. They may use your information only to provide their services.
- People involved in your transaction. If we work together, I share information as needed with escrow, title, lenders, inspectors, appraisers, the other party's agent and other professionals involved, at your direction or as the transaction requires.
- Legal and safety reasons. When required by law, subpoena or court order, by the California Department of Real Estate or other regulators, or to protect the rights, property or safety of you, me, Compass or others.
- If my practice changes. If my real estate practice or this Site is transferred, for example to another brokerage, your information may transfer with it, subject to this policy.
- With your consent. In any other case where you ask or agree to it.
We do not share your personal information with third parties for their own direct marketing purposes.
5. Cookies, pixels & tracking
Cookies are small files stored by your browser; pixels and scripts are small pieces of code that report activity on a page. The Site itself does not set advertising cookies, but it uses these third-party technologies:
- Compass lead pixel. A script provided by Compass that records activity on the Site, such as pages viewed and forms submitted, and connects it to Compass's client-relationship tools so I can follow up on inquiries.
- IDX Broker. The property search pages use cookies to run searches, remember saved searches and accounts, and record listing views.
Your choices:
- Global Privacy Control. If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal, the Site does not load the Compass pixel. We treat the signal as a request to opt out of any sale or sharing of your personal information.
- Browser settings. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Some parts of the property search, such as saved searches, may not work without them.
- Do Not Track. There is no common standard for browser "Do Not Track" signals, so the Site does not respond to them. We do honor Global Privacy Control as described above.
6. Calls, texts & email
We contact you by phone, text message or email only if you've asked us to or agreed to it, for example by checking the consent box on a form. Consent is not a condition of buying or selling property or of working with me. Message and data rates may apply to texts.
- Reply STOP to any text message to stop texts.
- Use the unsubscribe link in any marketing email, or email hello@johnseffker.com.
- Tell me on any call that you'd like no further calls.
Even after you opt out of marketing, we may still contact you about an active transaction or a request you've made.
7. Your California privacy rights
California residents have rights over their personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act. Whether or not those laws formally apply to a practice of my size, I honor the following requests from anyone who uses the Site:
- Know and access. Ask what personal information we have collected about you, where it came from, why we collected it, who we've shared it with, and get a copy of it.
- Delete. Ask us to delete the personal information we collected from you. Some records may need to be kept for legal or brokerage recordkeeping reasons; if so, we'll tell you.
- Correct. Ask us to correct inaccurate information.
- Opt out of sale or sharing. We don't sell personal information. You can ask us not to share your information for advertising purposes, or simply turn on Global Privacy Control in your browser.
- Sensitive information. We don't use sensitive personal information to infer characteristics about you.
- No discrimination. We won't treat you differently for using any of these rights.
How to make a request. Email hello@johnseffker.com with the subject "Privacy request," or call 424.249.9008. To protect your information, we'll verify your request by matching details you provide with information we already have, such as your email address and phone number. You may use an authorized agent; we may ask for proof of their authority and confirm your identity directly. We aim to respond within 45 days and will let you know if we need more time.
California "Shine the Light." California Civil Code section 1798.83 lets California residents ask whether a business has shared personal information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes. We don't share information that way, but you're welcome to ask at the email address above.
Requests about information held by Compass can also be made through Compass's Privacy Center.
8. How long we keep information
We keep personal information for as long as it's needed for the purposes described in this policy. Inquiry information is kept while it's useful for responding to you or staying in touch, and we delete it when you ask unless we must keep it. If we work together on a transaction, records are kept for the periods required by California real estate law and Compass's policies, and longer if needed to resolve disputes or meet other legal obligations.
9. Security
The Site is served over encrypted connections (HTTPS), and we use reputable service providers and reasonable safeguards to protect personal information. No website or online service can be guaranteed completely secure, so please use care with what you send online. If you believe your information has been compromised, contact us right away.
10. Minors
The Site is intended for adults. We don't knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has sent us information, contact us and we'll delete it.
11. Other websites
The Site links to other websites, including Compass, IDX Broker and other real estate resources. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies, not this one.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top shows when it last changed. If we make significant changes, we'll post a notice on the Site.
13. Contact
Questions about this policy or your information:
John Seffker | Compass
California DRE #01250360
9454 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 100
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
hello@johnseffker.com · 424.249.9008