PRIVACY POLICY 

PRIVACY POLICY General Real Estate Services ABN: 25 641 957 753

Version1.1

Effective Date 9.6.26 

Last Reviewed 9.6.26

Next Review Due 8.6.26

JurisdictionsQueensland, South Australia, Victoria

1. Introduction and Our Commitment to Privacy

General Real Estate Services (GRES, we, us, our) is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of every person we deal with. We are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

We operate as a licensed real estate agency across three Australian states:

• Queensland — licensed under the Property Occupations Act 2014 (Qld)

• South Australia — licensed under the Land Agents Act 1994 (SA)

• Victoria — licensed under the Estate Agents Act 1980 (Vic)

This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we store and use it, and your rights regarding that information. We review this policy regularly and encourage you to check our website for the most current version.

2. What Personal Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you deal with us. We may collect and hold the following:

2.1 Identity Information Full name (including former names), date of birth, photo identification (driver licence, passport, or proof of age card), signature, and photograph.

2.2 Contact Information Current and previous addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and emergency contact details.

2.3 Financial Information Bank account details for rent or disbursements, credit card information for payments, income and employment details, rental payment history, and Tax File Numbers where required by law.

2.4 Tenancy and Rental Information Current and previous rental history, tenancy database records, bond lodgement details, condition reports and inspection records, maintenance requests, lease agreements, breach notices, and compliance history.

2.5 Property and Landlord Information Ownership details, title documents, insurance and body corporate information, council rates, and banking details for trust account purposes.

2.6 Buyer and Purchaser Information Finance pre-approval documentation, solicitor and conveyancer details, settlement instructions, and special conditions.

2.7 Employment and Reference Information Employer details, length of employment, position held, income verification, and personal, professional, and landlord references.

2.8 Sensitive Information We only collect sensitive information (such as health information or criminal history) where you have consented, where it is required by law, or where otherwise permitted under the APPs.

2.9 Information We Are Prohibited from Requesting

South Australia: Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1995 (SA), we are prohibited from requesting certain information from prospective tenants. We use the prescribed Form A1 and do not collect information beyond what the law permits.

Victoria: Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic), as amended by the 2024 Housing Statement reforms, we do not collect unnecessary or excessive personal information during the rental application process. We collect only what is reasonably necessary to assess an application. Once an application is no longer being considered, we take steps to destroy or de-identify the applicant's personal information.

3. How We Collect Personal Information

3.1 Directly From You We collect personal information directly from you when you complete a tenancy application or expression of interest, sign a property management or sales agency agreement, attend an open home or inspection, contact us by phone, email, in person, or via our website or portals, subscribe to our communications, or provide feedback or make a complaint.

3.2 From Third Parties We may collect information from referees, previous landlords, employers, or agents you have nominated, residential tenancy databases (TICA, NTD, or similar), credit reporting bodies, government agencies (RTA in QLD; CBS in SA; Consumer Affairs Victoria), property portals and social media platforms, body corporate managers, solicitors, conveyancers, and financial institutions.

3.3 Unsolicited Information If we receive personal information we did not request and could not have lawfully collected, we will destroy or de-identify it as soon as practicable.

3.4 Anonymous and Pseudonymous Dealings Where lawful and practicable, you may deal with us anonymously or by pseudonym. However, for most tenancy, property management, or sales transactions we need to verify your identity.

4. Why We Collect, Use and Disclose Your Information

4.1 Property Management Processing and assessing tenancy applications, verifying identity, executing and managing tenancy agreements, collecting rent, managing rental bonds through the relevant state authority (RTA in QLD; CBS in SA; RTBA in VIC), conducting inspections and condition reports, coordinating maintenance and repairs, managing disputes and tribunal proceedings (QCAT / SACAT / VCAT), and listing tenants on residential tenancy databases where permitted by law.

4.2 Sales Services Marketing properties, conducting open homes and auctions, preparing contracts of sale, communicating with buyers, sellers and their representatives, coordinating settlement, and providing market appraisals.

4.3 Business Operations Maintaining client records, managing trust accounts, complying with legal and regulatory obligations in each jurisdiction, resolving complaints, staff training, and internal reporting.

4.4 Marketing and Communications Sending property alerts, new listing notifications, newsletters, and market updates, and promoting our services. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time — see Section 7.

5. Who We May Disclose Your Information To

5.1 Service Providers Tradespeople and maintenance contractors, property management software and CRM providers, payment processors, IT support and cloud storage providers, professional advisors, and marketing and mailing services.

5.2 Property Portals and Marketing Platforms realestate.com.au, Domain, and similar listing websites, social media platforms, and print and digital media.

5.3 Government and Regulatory Bodies

Queensland: Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA), Office of Fair Trading Queensland, QCAT.

South Australia: Consumer and Business Services (CBS), SACAT.

Victoria: Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV), VCAT, Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA).

National: Australian Taxation Office, local councils, and law enforcement agencies where required by law.

5.4 Other Third Parties Residential tenancy database operators (TICA, NTD), credit reporting bodies, body corporate and strata managers, insurance providers, utility companies, financial institutions, solicitors, conveyancers, and other real estate agents involved in transactions.

5.5 Landlords and Property Owners If you are a tenant or prospective tenant, we may share relevant application details, inspection reports, and payment information with the landlord or property owner of the property you are renting or applying to rent.

6. Tenancy Databases

6.1 Checking Databases When Assessing Applications When you apply for a tenancy, we may check residential tenancy databases to assess your application. We will notify you in writing of the databases we use before we check them.

Queensland: We will advise you in writing of the databases we may access. If we find you are listed, we will notify you as soon as reasonably practicable.

South Australia: Under section 99D of the Residential Tenancies Act 1995 (SA), we must provide written notice of the databases we use. Within 7 days of accessing a database about you, we must provide written notice confirming: (a) that your information is listed; (b) who listed it; and (c) how you can have it amended or removed. Non-compliance carries a maximum penalty of $35,000.

Victoria: Under section 439D of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic), if we find you are listed on a database, we must notify you in writing as soon as possible and within 7 days, stating who listed the information and how you can apply to have it corrected or removed.

6.2 Listing a Tenant on a Database We may only list a tenant on a residential tenancy database in limited circumstances. In all states, we must give at least 14 days' written notice before making a listing.

Queensland: Under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld), we may only list a tenant where the tenant owes more than the rental bond amount, or where QCAT has made a termination order.

South Australia: Under sections 99F and 99G of the Residential Tenancies Act 1995 (SA), we may only list information for specific breaches as prescribed by the Act. We must notify the person and give them 14 days to respond before listing. Maximum penalty: $35,000.

Victoria: Under section 439E of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic), we may only list a tenant where the tenant owes more than the rental bond amount, or where VCAT has made a possession order. We must give written notice at least 14 days before listing. Information stays on the database for a maximum of 3 years. If a tenant repays the amount owed within 3 months, the listing is no longer accurate and must be removed.

Written notice to the tenant before any listing will include the name of the database operator, the proposed listing details, and information about how the tenant can apply to have the listing amended or removed.

6.3 Family and Domestic Violence Protections In Queensland, South Australia, and Victoria, we are prohibited from listing information on a tenancy database where the tenant's breach was caused by an act of family or domestic violence. The relevant tribunal (QCAT / SACAT / VCAT) may make orders requiring listings to be amended or removed. If you believe this applies to you, please contact us or seek independent advice.

7. Direct Marketing

We may send you marketing communications about our services, properties, and market updates where you have consented or where we have a reasonable expectation of your interest.

You may opt out at any time by:

• Clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email

• Contacting us directly using the details in Section 14

• Replying STOP to any SMS marketing message

Even after opting out, we may still contact you for transactional or service-related purposes.

8. Overseas Disclosure of Personal Information

Some of our service providers use servers or support services outside Australia, including in the United States, Ireland, Singapore, and the Philippines. Before disclosing information overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure the recipient handles it in accordance with the APPs, or that you have consented to the disclosure, or that the disclosure is otherwise permitted under the Privacy Act.

9. Data Quality and Security

9.1 Keeping Information Accurate We take reasonable steps to ensure your information is accurate, up-to-date, and complete. Please notify us if any of your details change.

9.2 How We Protect Your Information We implement security measures including secure storage of physical documents, password protection and access controls for electronic systems, encryption of sensitive data in transit and at rest, regular security reviews, staff training, secure disposal of information no longer required, and access restricted on a need-to-know basis.

9.3 How Long We Keep Your Information We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, comply with legal obligations, and resolve disputes. Minimum retention periods include:

• Trust account records: 7 years (QLD); as required under the Land Agents Act 1994 in SA; 7 years (VIC)

• Tenancy records: 7 years from end of tenancy (QLD and VIC); 5 years from last transaction (SA)

• Sales records: 5 years (QLD); 5 years from last entry (SA); 7 years (VIC)

• Database listing notices: 1 year after notice was given (SA and VIC)

10. Your Right to Access and Correct Your Information

10.1 Access You may request access to the personal information we hold about you by contacting our Privacy Officer (see Section 14). We will respond within 30 days and may charge a reasonable fee to cover retrieval costs. We may decline access in limited circumstances, such as where providing access would unreasonably affect another person's privacy or where access is restricted by law. If we decline, we will explain why in writing.

10.2 Correction You may ask us to correct personal information that is inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, or misleading. If we agree a correction is needed, we will update the information and notify relevant third parties where reasonable and practicable. If we do not agree, you may ask us to attach a statement to the record noting your view.

11. Data Breach Notification

We have a Data Breach Response Plan in place. Under the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) if we experience an eligible data breach.

An eligible data breach occurs when personal information is accessed or disclosed without authorisation and a reasonable person would conclude this is likely to result in serious harm to those affected. Our response plan covers containing the breach, assessing risks, notifying affected parties, and reviewing and improving our security practices.

12. Website, Cookies and Digital Practices

When you visit our website, we may collect standard information including the pages you access, your IP address, browser type, and referral source. We use this to improve our site and services.

Our website may use cookies to enhance your experience and analyse site traffic. You can configure your browser to refuse cookies, however some website features may not function correctly if you do so.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Please review their privacy policies directly.

We may have a presence on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. When you interact with us on those platforms, you are subject to those platforms' own privacy policies.

13. How to Make a Privacy Complaint

If you believe we have mishandled your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer (see Section 14) with as much detail as possible, including what occurred, when, and the outcome you are seeking. We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 business days and aim to respond within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate your complaint to:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) Phone: 1300 363 992 | www.oaic.gov.au

Queensland — Office of Fair Trading Phone: 13 74 68 | www.qld.gov.au/law/fair-trading

South Australia — Consumer and Business Services Phone: 131 882 | www.cbs.sa.gov.au

Victoria — Consumer Affairs Victoria Phone: 1300 558 181 | www.consumer.vic.gov.au

14. Contact Us

For privacy enquiries, access or correction requests, or complaints, please contact our Privacy Officer:

Privacy Officer: [INSERT NAME] Trading Name: General Real Estate Services Address: [INSERT ADDRESS] Phone: [INSERT PHONE] Email: [INSERT EMAIL]

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal obligations. When we make material changes, we will update the version date and take reasonable steps to notify you, such as posting a notice on our website.

16. Definitions

APPs — Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). CBS — Consumer and Business Services, South Australia. CAV — Consumer Affairs Victoria. Personal Information — Information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable (Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)). Privacy Act — Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) as amended. QCAT — Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal. RTA — Residential Tenancies Authority of Queensland. RTBA — Residential Tenancies Bond Authority of Victoria. SACAT — South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Sensitive Information — Information about racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, health, or criminal record (Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)). VCAT — Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

17. Applicable Legislation

Commonwealth: Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), Australian Privacy Principles.

Queensland: Property Occupations Act 2014 (Qld), Property Occupations Regulation 2014 (Qld), Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld), Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Regulation 2009 (Qld).

South Australia: Land Agents Act 1994 (SA), Land Agents Regulations 2010 (SA), Residential Tenancies Act 1995 (SA), Residential Tenancies Regulations 2025 (SA), Land and Business (Sale and Conveyancing) Act 1994 (SA).

Victoria: Estate Agents Act 1980 (Vic), Estate Agents (Professional Conduct) Regulations 2018 (Vic), Estate Agents (General, Accounts and Audit) Regulations 2018 (Vic), Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (Vic), Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021 (Vic), Sale of Land Act 1962 (Vic).

— End of Privacy Policy — General Real Estate Services | Version 1.1