JIM & PAT CARTER REAL ESTATE
Privacy Policy
Effective April 2026
Jim & Pat Carter Real Estate, Inc. (“Carter Real Estate,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, share, and protect personal information when you visit www.carterrealestate.com (the “Site”), contact us, or otherwise interact with our real estate services. It also describes the choices you have regarding our use of your information, including specific rights available to Virginia residents under the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (“VCDPA”).
By using the Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.
1. Information We Collect
Information You Provide
We collect information you voluntarily provide when you contact us, request a property valuation, sign up for property alerts, fill out a contact or inquiry form, schedule a showing, attend an open house, sign a buyer or listing agreement, or otherwise communicate with us. This may include:
• Name, email address, mailing address, and phone number.
• Information about properties you are interested in buying or selling.
• Price ranges, financing preferences, and timing.
• Communication preferences (email, phone, text).
• Any other information you choose to share with us in a message, form, or document.
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit the Site, we and our service providers automatically collect certain information about your device and browsing activity, including:
• IP address, general location (city/region), device type, browser, and operating system.
• Pages viewed, time spent on pages, links clicked, and referring URL.
• Date and time of visits.
• Search terms used on the Site.
• Information from cookies, pixels, and similar tracking technologies (see Section 5).
Information from Third Parties
We may receive information about you from third parties, including:
• Multiple Listing Service (MLS) data feeds and our IDX partner (ecartercountryhomes.com).
• Marketing partners and advertising platforms.
• Social media platforms when you interact with our pages or click our ads.
• Public records, where lawfully obtained.
• Other agents or brokers involved in a transaction.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
• Provide real estate brokerage services to you, including responding to inquiries, showing properties, marketing listings, and facilitating transactions.
• Send property alerts, market updates, newsletters, and other communications you request or that are reasonably related to our services.
• Operate, maintain, secure, and improve the Site and our services.
• Analyze how visitors use the Site so we can improve content, design, and performance.
• Personalize your experience and show relevant properties or content.
• Conduct marketing and advertising, including measurement and retargeting.
• Comply with legal obligations, including real estate licensing, recordkeeping, and anti-money-laundering rules.
• Detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, abuse, or security incidents.
• Enforce our Terms of Use and protect our rights, property, and the safety of others.
3. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information for money. We share information in the following limited situations:
• Service providers and vendors who help us operate the Site and our business, such as Squarespace (website hosting), Google (analytics, advertising, fonts), Meta/Facebook (advertising, pixel), email service providers, IDX/MLS providers, and document/transaction management services.
• Other real estate professionals (cooperating brokers, agents, appraisers, inspectors, lenders, title companies, attorneys, settlement agents) when reasonably necessary to provide the services you request.
• MLS systems and listing syndication networks for properties we list, in accordance with MLS rules and the listing agreement.
• Advertising and analytics partners, including for cross-context behavioral advertising (“targeted advertising” under Virginia law). See Section 5 and Section 12 for opt-out details.
• Government authorities, regulators, courts, or other parties when required by law, subpoena, or to protect legal rights.
• In connection with a sale, merger, or transfer of all or part of our business, subject to standard confidentiality protections.
4. Legal Bases and Purposes
We process personal information because it is necessary to provide the services you request, when you have consented (where required), when we have a legitimate interest in operating and marketing our business, or when we are required to do so by law.
5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
The Site uses cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to recognize your device, remember preferences, measure traffic, and support advertising. Among others, the Site uses:
• Squarespace platform cookies (essential for the Site to function).
• Google Analytics 4 (analytics and measurement).
• Meta (Facebook) Pixel (advertising, retargeting, and measurement).
• Typekit / Google Fonts (web fonts).
Most browsers let you refuse, delete, or block cookies through your browser settings. Blocking essential cookies may cause parts of the Site not to function correctly. You can also opt out of personalized advertising at sites like youradchoices.com (DAA) and youronlinechoices.eu (EDAA), and adjust ad personalization settings in your Google and Meta accounts.
6. Third-Party Links
The Site contains links to third-party websites and services, including ecartercountryhomes.com, MLS portals, social media platforms, and partner pages. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those services. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit.
7. Children’s Privacy
The Site is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us using the information in Section 17 and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.
8. Data Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against loss, theft, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, or alteration. No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is fully secure, however, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Data Retention
We retain personal information for as long as needed to provide our services, comply with our legal and regulatory obligations (including Virginia real estate licensing recordkeeping requirements), resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it.
10. Your Choices
You have the following choices regarding your information:
• Email marketing: You may unsubscribe from marketing emails by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any marketing message or by contacting us. Transactional or service-related emails may continue.
• Text messages: You may opt out of marketing text messages at any time by replying STOP.
• Property alerts: You may stop receiving property alerts by following the unsubscribe link or contacting us.
• Cookies and ads: See Section 5 for cookie and advertising opt-out options.
• Account or contact information: You may ask us to update or correct your information at any time.
11. Virginia Privacy Rights (VCDPA)
If you are a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act gives you specific rights regarding personal data we process about you. We honor these rights for Virginia residents regardless of whether the law technically applies to a business of our size, as a matter of best practice and respect for our clients.
Your Rights
Subject to certain exceptions and verification, you have the right to:
• Confirm whether we are processing your personal data and access that data.
• Correct inaccuracies in your personal data, taking into account the nature of the data and the purposes of processing.
• Delete personal data we have collected about you.
• Obtain a copy of your personal data in a portable, readily usable format, where technically feasible.
• Opt out of the processing of your personal data for purposes of (a) targeted advertising, (b) the sale of personal data, or (c) profiling in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects about you.
Targeted Advertising and “Sale” of Data
We use Meta (Facebook) Pixel and Google advertising tools, which may constitute “targeted advertising” and, depending on configuration, may be considered a “sale” of personal data under Virginia law because they involve sharing certain personal data with third parties for advertising purposes. We do not exchange personal data for monetary compensation. You can opt out of these activities by submitting a request as described below, by adjusting your browser cookie controls, or by using opt-out tools at youradchoices.com and in your Google and Meta account settings.
How to Exercise Your Rights
To submit a Virginia privacy rights request, please contact us using one of the following methods:
• Email: Emily@CarterRealEstate.com with the subject line “Virginia Privacy Request.”
• Phone: 804-436-4949.
• Mail: Privacy Request, Jim & Pat Carter Real Estate, Inc., Post Office Box 7, White Stone, VA 22578.
We will need to verify your identity before responding to a request, and we may ask you for information sufficient to confirm that you are the person about whom we hold personal data. We will respond within 45 days of receiving a verifiable request. If we need more time (up to an additional 45 days), we will inform you of the reason and the extension period.
Authorized Agents
You may designate an authorized agent to exercise your rights on your behalf. We may require written authorization, identity verification, and confirmation that the agent has authority to act for you.
Right to Appeal
If we decline to take action on your request, you may appeal our decision by contacting us at Emily@CarterRealEstate.com with the subject line “Virginia Privacy Appeal.” We will respond in writing within 60 days. If your appeal is denied, you may contact the Virginia Attorney General to submit a complaint at:
• Office of the Attorney General of Virginia
• 202 North 9th Street, Richmond, VA 23219
• Phone: 804-786-2071
Non-Discrimination
We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your Virginia privacy rights. We will not deny services, charge different prices, or provide a different level of service because you exercised your rights, except where the difference is reasonably related to the value of your data or required by law.
12. Other State Privacy Rights
If you are a resident of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, or another state with a comprehensive privacy law, similar rights may apply to you. To exercise rights under another state’s law, please use the contact methods in Section 17 and identify your state of residence in your request. We will respond consistent with applicable law.
13. Email, Text, and Other Communications
If you provide us with your email address or phone number, you consent to receive communications from us related to your inquiry, our services, listings of interest, and our business. We comply with the federal CAN-SPAM Act and applicable telephone consumer protection laws. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time as described in Section 10.
14. Do Not Track
Some browsers transmit a “Do Not Track” (DNT) signal. There is no consistent industry standard for responding to DNT signals, and the Site does not currently respond to them. You can control tracking through the cookie and opt-out tools described in Section 5.
15. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other reasons. When we make material changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this policy and, where appropriate, provide additional notice. Your continued use of the Site after changes take effect indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.
16. Contact Us
Jim & Pat Carter Real Estate, Inc.
349 Chesapeake Drive, White Stone, VA 22578
Phone: 804-436-4949
Email: Emily@CarterRealEstate.com
Website: www.carterrealestate.com