Real estate licensing disclosure
The short version
I'm a Licensed Salesperson working through Harcourts Invercargill. This is my personal marketing website, not an independent agency.
I'm a Licensed Salesperson under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008 (REAA 2008). Real estate services are provided through Harcourts Invercargill, the licensed agency I work for.
This website doesn't itself hold a licence and isn't an independent real estate agency. Anything you agree with me about buying or selling is done through Harcourts Invercargill.
How I work with you
- I follow the Real Estate Agents Act 2008 and the Real Estate Agents Act (Professional Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2012, which set out how licensees must act, including acting honestly and fairly and being clear with you about how I'm working with you.
- Where it's required, I'll give you the Real Estate Agents Authority's Consumer Guide before you sign an agreement with me, so you know what to expect.
- An agency agreement to sell your property needs to be in writing and signed. I'll talk you through it, including the term, fees and what's included, before you sign.
- An appraisal or property snapshot is my opinion of likely market value, based on comparable sales and what I can see. It isn't a registered valuation and it isn't a guarantee of a sale price.
Identity checks (AML/CFT)
Real estate professionals in New Zealand must comply with the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009. That means when you buy or sell, I or the agency may need to verify your identity and ask about where funds are coming from. I'll explain what's needed at the time.
Privacy policy
The short version
I only collect what I need to help you, I don't sell it, and you can ask to see it, change it or remove it whenever you like.
This explains how I collect, use and look after your personal information, in line with the Privacy Act 2020. It covers this website and any enquiry you send me through it. Harcourts Invercargill (W Thompson & Co Ltd) is the licensed agency I work through, so it may also hold your information and its own privacy policy applies to what it holds.
What I collect
- From the contact, appraisal and property snapshot forms: your name, phone number, email address, property address, message and how you'd like me to contact you.
- From the Buyers Loop: your contact details plus what you're looking for, such as suburbs, budget range, property type and features, timeframe, whether you're first home buying, pre-approval status and whether you need to sell first.
- How you found the site, for example which advertisement you clicked, so I can see what's useful.
- Anything else you tell me when we speak, email or meet.
Why I use it
- To respond to your enquiry and provide what you've asked for, such as an appraisal, a property snapshot or updates on properties that suit you.
- To provide real estate services and meet my legal obligations, including identity checks.
- To improve the website and understand which of my advertising is working.
I won't send you marketing you haven't asked for, and every marketing message will tell you how to opt out.
Who I share it with
I don't sell your information. I may share it with:
- Harcourts Invercargill, where needed to provide services to you.
- Companies that help run the website and handle enquiries, such as Google (which stores Buyers Loop sign-ups and supplies the fonts this site uses), Web3Forms (which delivers the messages sent through this site's contact, appraisal, snapshot and guide forms to me by email) and email providers.
- Other professionals, such as a mortgage adviser, but only when you ask me to put you in touch.
- Anyone else where the law requires it.
Some of these providers store information on servers outside New Zealand. Where that happens, I take reasonable steps to make sure your information is protected.
Keeping it safe, and for how long
I take reasonable steps to keep your information secure, though no method of sending information over the internet is completely secure.
I keep information only as long as I need it to help you or meet legal obligations, including record-keeping requirements for real estate. Buyers Loop details are kept until you ask me to remove them.
Cookies and similar tools
This site doesn't currently use tracking cookies. It does use your browser's own storage in two ways: to save your Buyers Loop answers (not your name, phone or email) so you don't lose them if you leave the page, and to remember which advertisement brought you here. The Buyers Loop draft is cleared once you submit the form.
Google may receive your IP address when your browser loads the fonts. If I add analytics or advertising tools, I'll update this policy first.
Your rights
You can ask to see the personal information I hold about you, ask me to correct it, or ask me to delete it or stop contacting you. Call me on 021 652 071 or send me a message and I'll sort it out.
If you're not happy with how I've handled your information, please tell me first. You can also complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz.
Website terms
The short version
This site is general information to help you, not professional advice. Check the details that matter with the right professional.
General information only
Everything on this site, including the articles in Insights, is general information. It isn't legal, financial, tax, building or investment advice, and it may not suit your situation. Rules and market conditions change, so please check the details with your lawyer, lender, adviser or the relevant authority before you make decisions.
Any appraisal, property snapshot or price range is an estimate and not a guarantee of what a property will sell for.
Accuracy and other websites
I take reasonable care to keep this site accurate and up to date, but I can't promise it's always complete. Where information comes from someone else, I publish it in good faith, and you should check it independently before you rely on it.
This site links to other websites, such as Harcourts. I'm not responsible for their content or how they handle your information.
Ownership of content
The text, photos, logos and design on this site belong to me, Harcourts or the people who've given permission to use them. The Harcourts name and logo are Harcourts trademarks. Please don't copy or reuse anything without asking first.
Using the site
Please use the site lawfully and give accurate details in any form. Please don't try to interfere with how the site works or misuse it in any way.
Liability
To the extent the law allows, I'm not liable for loss that comes from relying on the general information on this site. Nothing in these terms limits your rights under New Zealand law, including the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and the Fair Trading Act 1986, or excludes liability that can't legally be excluded.
Changes and governing law
I may update these terms, and the date at the top of this page shows when they last changed. They're governed by New Zealand law, and any dispute is subject to the New Zealand courts.
Concerns and complaints
If something isn't right, please tell me first. I'd like the chance to sort it out. If we can't resolve it, you can contact:
- Harcourts Invercargill, the licensed agency I work through, at 182 Dee Street, Invercargill.
- The Real Estate Agents Authority (REAA), the independent regulator for real estate agents. Visit reaa.govt.nz to find out how to make a complaint, or to check the public register of licensees.
- For privacy concerns, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz.