Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This website (the "Site") offers information and services related to real estate (the "Services") that The Ernst Team — a residential real estate team affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty — provides. We operate this Site directly and use a small number of service providers for specific functions such as email delivery, web analytics, advertising attribution, and form-capture infrastructure.

If you visit this Site, this Privacy Policy applies to you and describes how we collect, use, and disclose your personal information in connection with your use of the Site. We act as the controller of your personal data; any service providers we engage assist us solely in their capacities as service providers and data processors.

This Privacy Policy does not apply to any other websites, applications, or online services that do not link to this Policy. If you have questions about our use of your personal information, please contact us using the information in Section 14.

2. Information We Collect

Information you provide to us

Contact information you submit through forms on this Site, such as your name, email address, mailing address, and phone number; the contents of messages or correspondence you send us; your preferences and consent for receiving communications about our activities, events, and listings; and any other information you provide voluntarily in connection with our Services.

Information obtained from third parties

Social media: we maintain pages on third-party social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and others). When you interact with those pages the platform's privacy policy applies to that interaction; the platforms may also share certain information with us, which we will treat in accordance with this Policy.

Data enrichment sources: we may receive additional information about you from third-party data providers, including property and public-records databases, demographic data providers, and other commercially available sources. We use this information only to help us provide more relevant services and communications.

Other sources: we may obtain information from analytics services, marketing partners, and publicly available sources.

Communications data

If you communicate with us by email, SMS, or other electronic means, we may collect the content of those communications along with metadata such as timestamps, delivery status, and read receipts. We use customer-relationship tools to keep records of our interactions with you, which helps us follow up reliably and maintain accurate notes about your inquiry.

Automatic data collection

We and our service providers automatically log information about your device and your interaction with the Site over time, including: device data (operating system, browser, screen resolution, IP address, language, mobile carrier, and approximate location such as city or state derived from IP), and online activity data (pages viewed, time on page, navigation paths, access times, links clicked in our marketing emails).

We use the following technologies for automatic data collection: cookies (small text files stored in your browser); local storage (browser-resident storage similar to cookies but able to hold more data); and web beacons / pixels (small tracking images embedded in pages or emails that record opens and views).

3. How We Use Your Personal Information

We may use your personal information for the following purposes:

• To provide and operate the Site and Services: respond to inquiries, deliver requested information about properties or our team, send administrative messages, and improve the Site over time.
• To manage our relationship with you: maintain records of our communications, track your preferences and interests, and provide personalized service.
• To send you follow-up communications: if you've opted in, we may follow up by phone, email, or SMS — including with prerecorded or AI-assisted voice messages — about your inquiry. You can opt out at any time using the options in Section 6.
• To send marketing communications: if you've opted in, we may send you periodic marketing emails or SMS. We do not share your information with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
• To comply with law: respond to subpoenas, lawful requests, or other legal process.
• To prevent fraud and protect safety: protect our rights, your rights, or the rights of others; enforce the terms that govern our Services; investigate and deter fraudulent or unauthorized activity.
• To create anonymous data: remove personally identifying information and use the resulting anonymous data for research, analysis, and to improve our Services.

4. Use of Artificial Intelligence

We use AI and machine-learning technologies to support certain parts of our Services. This section describes how AI is used in connection with the Site.

AI-generated content

We may use AI to generate, draft, or enhance content on the Site, including blog posts, marketing materials, and listing descriptions. While we review AI-generated content for accuracy before publishing, such content may contain errors or omissions. You should not rely solely on content on this Site for important real-estate decisions without independent verification or professional advice.

AI-assisted communications

We may use AI to draft replies, suggest responses, prioritize incoming inquiries, and provide automated responses to common questions. A human may review and approve AI-assisted communications before sending; some routine automated responses may be sent without individual human review.

AI-based analysis and recommendations

We may use AI to analyze data and provide recommendations — for example, suggesting properties that may match the criteria you've shared, or analyzing market trends. AI recommendations are informational and should not be considered professional advice. Important decisions should be made in consultation with a qualified agent.

Your rights regarding AI

You have the right to: ask whether AI was used to generate specific content; request human review of significant decisions made with AI assistance; opt out of AI-powered features where technically feasible; and provide feedback on AI-generated content. To exercise these rights, contact us using the information in Section 14.

5. How We Share Your Personal Information

We do not "sell" your personal information as that term is defined under applicable law. We may share your personal information with:

• Members of The Ernst Team: our agents, employees, and contractors, in order to follow up on your inquiry and provide the Services.
• Coldwell Banker Realty: our brokerage affiliation, where required to fulfill the Services or as required by our brokerage agreement.
• Service providers: third parties that perform specific functions on our behalf, such as email delivery, analytics, advertising attribution, and form-capture infrastructure. We share only what those providers need to do their job and require them to handle your data consistently with this Policy.
• Professional advisors: attorneys, accountants, and insurers, where necessary in the course of services they render to us.
• Compliance, fraud prevention, and safety: where we believe necessary to protect rights, comply with law, enforce our terms, or investigate fraud.
• Business transfers: in connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, sale of assets, or similar transaction, we may transfer your information to the acquiring party; we will require the recipient to honor this Policy.

We will never disclose phone numbers or SMS consent to any third party for marketing purposes.

6. Advertising and Tracking Technologies

We use third-party advertising and analytics platforms to measure how visitors find and use the Site, to deliver advertisements about our Services on other websites, and to attribute the effectiveness of those advertisements.

Information collected by these technologies may include device identifiers, browsing behavior across multiple websites, and how you interact with our content. We use this information to: deliver relevant advertisements; measure campaign performance; build audiences of similar users; and track conversions.

Opting out of interest-based advertising: the major advertising platforms offer dedicated opt-out controls. For Google's properties, visit adssettings.google.com. For Meta (Facebook, Instagram), visit facebook.com/about/ads. Industry-wide opt-outs are available at the Digital Advertising Alliance and the Network Advertising Initiative. These opt-out controls apply to the browser or device on which you exercise them; you'll need to repeat the process on every browser and device you use.

Do Not Track: some browsers can send a "Do Not Track" signal. We do not currently respond to those signals. More information at allaboutdnt.com.

7. Your Privacy Choices

Cookies: most browsers let you reject or delete cookies. Instructions are in your browser's settings, or visit allaboutcookies.org. Blocking advertising-ID use is available in your mobile device's settings. Privacy-focused browsers and plugins (Brave, Privacy Badger, DuckDuckGo, Ghostery, uBlock Origin) also limit tracking.

SMS opt-out: reply STOP to any SMS we send you to stop receiving SMS messages.

Email opt-out: click the unsubscribe link in any marketing email we send you.

8. Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live and the nature of your interactions with us, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access a copy of the personal information we have collected about you.
• Correct personal information that is inaccurate or out of date.
• Delete personal information that we no longer need.
• Object to or restrict our use of your personal information.
• Withdraw consent you have previously given.

To exercise these rights, contact us using the information in Section 14.

9. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as needed to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, and reporting requirements, and to provide the Services. Contact information and communication records are typically retained for the duration of our relationship with you and a reasonable period thereafter. When personal information is no longer necessary, we securely delete or anonymize it.

10. Third-Party Services and Links

The Site may link to websites or services operated by third parties. We do not control those websites or services and are not responsible for their actions or privacy practices. Following a link is not an endorsement of, or representation that we are affiliated with, the third party.

11. Security

We use a layered combination of technical, organizational, and physical safeguards designed to protect the personal information we collect, both in transit and at rest, consistent with generally accepted industry standards. No method of transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

12. Children

Our Services are not intended for use by children under 18. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 18 without parental consent, we will delete it.

13. SMS Text Messaging Terms

Use of SMS: we use SMS to confirm appointments, send reminders, and notify clients of schedule updates or important transaction milestones.

Unsubscribe: you can cancel SMS at any time by texting STOP. We will send a final confirmation message and stop sending you SMS. To re-subscribe, opt in again the same way you originally did.

Help: reply HELP at any time for assistance, or email us at theernstteam@cbrealty.com.

Carrier liability: wireless carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

Message frequency and rates: message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. Check with your wireless provider for plan details.

14. How to Contact Us

You can reach us by email at theernstteam@cbrealty.com or by mail at:

The Ernst Team
9321 Montgomery Road, Suite C
Montgomery, OH 45242

15. Changes to This Policy

We may modify this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top of this Policy and post the revised version on this Site.

16. Additional Rights for California Residents

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act ("CCPA"), gives you additional rights regarding personal information we collect.

Categories of personal information collected

In the preceding 12 months we may have collected the following categories of personal information: identifiers (name, email, phone, IP address); commercial information (property preferences, inquiry history); internet activity (browsing history and Site interactions); approximate geolocation (city/state derived from IP); professional or employment-related information (if you provided it); inferences drawn from the above; and sensitive personal information (only if voluntarily provided).

Requests to know, correct, or delete

You have the right to request that we disclose the categories of personal information we have collected about you, the sources we collected it from, the business purposes for collecting it, the categories of third parties we share it with, and the specific pieces of personal information collected. You have the right to request correction of inaccurate information and deletion of personal information we have about you, subject to limited exceptions.

How to submit a request

Submit requests by email to theernstteam@cbrealty.com or by mail to the address in Section 14. We may ask you for additional information to verify your identity; that information will be used only to verify identity. We acknowledge requests within ten business days and respond within 45 calendar days (extendable to 90 days where reasonably necessary, with notice to you).

Authorized agents

You may designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. We may require written permission and may verify your identity directly. The right to non-discrimination applies: you will not be discriminated against for exercising your CCPA rights.

Selling and sharing

We do not sell personal information for money. We may "share" certain personal information (such as device identifiers and browsing activity) with third-party advertising platforms for cross-context behavioral advertising as defined under the CCPA. You can opt out of this sharing using the opt-out controls described in Section 6.