At Canopy Realtor^® Association (Association) and Canopy MLS (collectively “Canopy”), we recognize that privacy is important and we respect and are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose and protect your information when you visit our websites: www.CarolinaRealtors.com; www.CarolinaHome.com; www.CanopyREInstitute.com; and www.CanopyHousingFoundation.org (the “Canopy Websites”). By using the Canopy Websites, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.  Canopy may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal or regulatory reasons.  We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.  Your continued use of the Canopy Websites after any updates to this Privacy Policy indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.

Information we collect and how we use it

• Personal Information - When you register for a program offered by the Association or MLS, register for a class offered through the Canopy Real Estate Institute, participate in an event sponsored by the Canopy Housing Foundation, or purchase a product from the Realtor^® Store, you may be asked to provide or enter certain personal information (such as your name, e-mail address, phone number, member number/user ID and an account password). For certain services, such as purchasing products, credit card or other payment account information may also be collected, which is maintained in encrypted form on our secure network servers. By providing your cell phone number, you consent to receive communications via text message.
• Non-Personal Information – By visiting the Canopy Websites, we also collect data that does not identify you, such as browsing history, device information, IP addresses, and location data.
• Cookies - When you visit Canopy Websites, we may transmit one or more cookies—a small file containing a unique string of characters—to your device. These cookies are used to uniquely identify your browser and help enhance the quality of our services by storing user preferences and to track user behavior. While most web browsers are initially configured to accept cookies, you have the option to modify your browser settings to decline all cookies or to notify you when a cookie is being sent. Please note that certain website features and services may not function optimally if cookies are disabled. 
• Communications - When you send e-mail or other forms of communication through our Canopy Websites, we might retain those communications in order to process your inquiries, respond to your requests, and enhance our services.
• Links – We may present links in a format that allows us to track whether the links have been clicked.  Canopy uses Google Analytics to track clicks and other interactions on Canopy websites. The information collected helps us gather general data on website usage, which we use to improve user experience and site performance. Canopy may also track clicks on property listings to provide statistical data to our members. This helps our members gauge the level of interest in their listings posted on theCarolinaHome.com. All collected data is shared in an aggregated form and does not identify individual users.  
• Our Use - We may use the information we collect from you for various purposes such as:
• To respond to your inquiries and fulfill your requests.
• To process transactions and send administrative information.
• To improve the Canopy Websites and to personalize your experience.
• To monitor and analyze Canopy Website usage in order to improve our services.
• To provide you with marketing communications, when applicable or send reminders about upcoming events.
• To send important information and updates, including event reminders or billing notices via text messages (SMS), if you have opted in to receive such communications.

Please note that by opting in to receive text messages, you agree to be contacted via SMS, and standard messaging rates may apply. You can opt out of receiving test messages at any time by following the instructions provided in the message or by contacting us directly.

Choices for personal information 

When you register for a specific service that requires personal information, we will ask you to provide certain details. If we intend to use this information for any purpose other than what it was originally collected for, we will request your consent before doing so.

Should we propose using your personal information for purposes beyond those described in this Privacy Policy or in specific service notices, we will provide you with a clear option to opt out. We will not collect or use sensitive information for purposes other than those outlined in this Privacy Policy or the relevant service notice unless we have obtained your prior consent.

You have the option to decline providing personal information for any of our services; however, this may prevent us from being able to offer those services to you.

Information sharing 

We limit access to personal information to employees who require it to perform, develop, or enhance our services.  These individuals are bound by confidentiality obligations and may be subject to disciplinary action, including termination or legal prosecution, if they fail to uphold these obligations. 

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information with:

• Service Providers. We may share your information with third-party vendors and service provides who perform services on our behalf, such as payment processing, data analytics and email delivery.
• Legal Compliance. We may disclose your information to comply with legal obligations or government requests or to protect our rights and safety.

We do not, and will not, sell or otherwise distribute your e-mail address.

Information security 

Canopy is committed to ensuring the safety of its Canopy Websites and your personal information.  Canopy has security measures in place to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure or destruction. These include internal reviews of our data collection, storage, and processing practices, as well as security measures, both digital and physical, to protect against unauthorized access to systems where we store personal data. Due to the nature of electronic communications, no data transmitted over the internet can be guaranteed to be completely secure.  While we take reasonable measures to protect your information, you acknowledge that any data you transmit or obtain through Canopy Websites is at your own risk.  By using a Canopy Website, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Canopy, its employees, officers and directors, from any claims or damages arising from your use of the Canopy Website, except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct on our part.

Security Policy

Canopy Websites utilize industry-standard Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to allow for the encryption of potentially sensitive information, such as your name and address and other critically sensitive information like your credit card number.

To benefit from this security and to use many of the features on this site, you will need to download a 128-bit enabled browser.

In addition to using 128-bit encryption in the browser, all credit card numbers that are stored in our databases are also encrypted.