On this page 16 sections
- Who we are
- What we collect
- How we collect it
- Why we collect and use it
- Who we share it with
- Cookies, analytics and tracking pixels
- Recording of calls and meetings
- Automated decisions and AI tools
- Direct marketing
- How we protect and keep it
- See or correct your information
- Data breaches
- Information about other people
- Complaints
- Contact us
- Changes to this policy
How Citadel Agency collects, uses, shares and protects your personal information, and the choices you have. Written in plain English, with the detail below.
- We collect what you give us (name, contact details, budget, goals) and some data from your device when you use our site.
- We use it to answer your enquiry, run your purchase, improve the site and, if you agree, send you property updates.
- We share it only with people who help deliver our service, such as your broker, conveyancer, inspector and our software providers.
- Some of those providers store data overseas, mainly in the United States.
- We never sell your personal information.
- You can ask to see or correct your information, or unsubscribe, at any time, free of charge.
- Questions or complaints: email hello@citadelagency.com.au. If you are not happy with our answer you can go to the OAIC.
Who we are
This policy explains how Citadel Agency Pty Ltd (ABN 72 673 070 847), trading as Citadel Agency, handles personal information. We are a licensed buyers agency in Victoria (estate agent licence 092247L) with an office at Suite 106/84 Hotham St, Preston VIC 3072, and we buy property for clients across Australia.
We follow the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. In this policy, "we" and "us" mean Citadel Agency and "you" means anyone whose information we handle: website visitors, people who enquire, clients and the people they buy with.
What we collect
Depending on how you deal with us, we may collect:
- Contact details: your name, email, mobile, the state you live in and how you found us.
- Your property brief: what you want to buy, your budget, timing, preferred locations and the questions you answer in our forms.
- Financial information you choose to share: savings, equity, borrowing capacity, existing properties and loan details, and whether you buy in your own name, a trust, a company or an SMSF.
- Identity information, such as a driver licence or passport, when we need to verify who you are, including where anti-money laundering law requires it.
- Records of our dealings: emails, messages, notes of calls and meetings and, with your consent, call recordings and transcripts.
- Calculator inputs: most calculators work in your browser and we do not store what you type. If you send us results or ask us to email them, we keep what you send.
- Payment details for shop purchases, which go directly to Stripe or PayPal. We see the order and payment status, not your full card number.
- Website and device data: pages viewed, links clicked, approximate location, device and browser, collected by cookies and pixels (see "Cookies, analytics and tracking pixels").
- Member account details if you have a login to our members area.
We do not ask for sensitive information such as health details. If you include it in a message, we only keep it if it is relevant to your purchase.
How we collect it
Mostly directly from you: when you fill in a form, book a call, email or phone us, meet us or buy from us.
Sometimes from others, with your knowledge: a mortgage broker or referral partner who introduces you, a selling agent or conveyancer during a purchase, a person you are buying with, identity verification services, and public sources such as property and title records.
Automatically from your device, through cookies, pixels and similar tools on our website.
Why we collect and use it
- To reply to your enquiry and book your strategy call.
- To provide our services: research, sourcing, due diligence, negotiation and managing your purchase through to settlement.
- To work with your broker, conveyancer, inspectors, property manager and the selling agent on your behalf.
- To verify your identity and meet our legal obligations, including anti-money laundering, tax and record keeping laws.
- To send invoices, take payments and process shop orders.
- To send you market updates, guides and offers, if you have agreed or would reasonably expect them. You can opt out at any time.
- To measure and improve our website and advertising.
- To handle complaints and protect our legal rights.
If you do not give us the information we ask for, we may not be able to answer your enquiry properly or act for you on a purchase. You can browse the site and ask general questions without telling us who you are, or by using a pseudonym, but we need your real details to act for you.
Who we share it with
We share personal information only as needed for the purposes above:
- Professionals involved in your purchase: mortgage brokers and lenders, conveyancers and solicitors, building and pest inspectors, valuers, property managers and the selling agent.
- Referral partners who introduced you, so they know how your enquiry is going, if you agree.
- Our service providers: our CRM and email platforms, Google Workspace, Calendly, website hosting, payment providers and the marketing tools listed below.
- Regulators, courts and government agencies when the law requires it, for example AUSTRAC, the ATO or Consumer Affairs Victoria.
- A buyer of our business, if the business is ever sold, under the same privacy protections.
We do not sell personal information, and we do not share it with other businesses for their own marketing.
Some of these providers store data outside Australia. The likely countries are listed in the table below, and we take reasonable steps to make sure they protect your information in line with the Australian Privacy Principles.
Cookies, analytics and tracking pixels
Our website uses cookies and tracking pixels. Some are needed for the site to work. Others tell us how the site is used and help us show our ads to people who have visited. Pixels can send information about your visit, such as the pages you viewed, to the ad platform.
We set these tools up to collect the least information we need, and we do not send form answers, financial details or sensitive information to ad platforms.
| Tool | What it does | Provider | Where data may be stored | How to opt out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics and Google tag (Site Kit) | How visitors use the site, which pages and sources bring enquiries | United States and other countries | Google Ads Settings, or the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on | |
| Meta pixel | Measuring and showing our ads on Facebook and Instagram | Meta | United States and other countries | Facebook ad preferences, or block third-party cookies |
| TikTok pixel | Measuring and showing our ads on TikTok | TikTok | Singapore, United States and other countries | TikTok ad settings, or block third-party cookies |
| YouTube and Vimeo videos | Playing embedded videos | Google, Vimeo | United States | Do not play the video, or use your browser privacy settings |
| Calendly | Booking strategy calls, reminders and, with consent, call notes | Calendly | United States | Book by phone or email instead |
| Stripe and PayPal | Taking payments in our online shop | Stripe, PayPal | United States and other countries | Payment details go straight to them; we never see your full card number |
| Trustindex | Showing our Google reviews on the site | Trustindex | European Union | Use your browser privacy settings |
| Essential site cookies | Keeping forms, the shop cart and logins working, and blocking spam | Citadel Agency (WordPress) | Australia | Needed for the site to work; you can clear them in your browser |
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Blocking essential cookies may stop forms or the shop from working.
Recording of calls and meetings
With your consent, we may record and transcribe strategy calls and video meetings, for example with Calendly's notetaker, so we have an accurate note of your brief.
We will tell you before a call is recorded. If you would rather not be recorded, tell us at any time and we will take notes by hand instead. Recordings are used only to provide our services and are not published.
Automated decisions and AI tools
We use software to handle routine tasks, such as sending booking confirmations, reminders and follow-up emails, and organising enquiries in our CRM. We may use AI tools to help draft documents and summarise call notes.
We do not use computer programs to make decisions that significantly affect you, such as whether we act for you or what property you buy. A person on our team makes those decisions. If that changes, we will update this policy to explain how.
Direct marketing
If you have agreed, or you would reasonably expect it from your dealings with us, we may send you emails, texts or calls about property investing, our services and events.
Every marketing email and text has a free, simple way to unsubscribe, and we action requests within five working days. You can also opt out by emailing us. If you ask, we will tell you where we got your details. We do not call numbers on the Do Not Call Register for marketing unless you have given us permission.
How we protect and keep it
We store information in secure cloud systems with access limited to staff who need it, multi-factor sign-in where available, encrypted connections and regular review of who has access. Our website forms use encryption and spam protection, and personal information is never put into page addresses.
We keep personal information only for as long as we need it for the purposes in this policy or the law requires. When we no longer need it, we delete it or remove details that identify you.
| Information | How long we keep it |
|---|---|
| Enquiries that do not go ahead | 2 years after your last contact with us |
| Client files and purchase records | 7 years after our engagement ends |
| Identity checks, where the law requires them | At least as long as the law requires |
| Call recordings and transcripts | 12 months, unless they form part of a client file |
| Marketing list | Until you unsubscribe, then only your opt-out record |
| Website analytics | The retention period set in each tool |
See or correct your information
You can ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you, or ask us to correct it, by emailing hello@citadelagency.com.au. It is free to ask. We will confirm your identity first and aim to respond within 30 days.
If we refuse a request, for example because the law allows or requires it, we will explain why in writing and tell you how to complain.
Data breaches
If personal information we hold is lost or accessed without authority, we will act quickly to contain it and assess the risk. Where a breach is likely to cause serious harm, we will notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.
Information about other people
If you give us information about someone else, such as a partner or co-buyer, please make sure they agree and know about this policy.
Our website and services are for adults. They are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.
Complaints
If you have a concern about how we have handled your personal information, please email hello@citadelagency.com.au with the subject "Privacy" or write to us at Suite 106/84 Hotham St, Preston VIC 3072. We will acknowledge your complaint within five business days and aim to give you a written answer within 30 days.
If you are not satisfied with our answer, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner: oaic.gov.au or 1300 363 992.
Contact us
Privacy Officer, Citadel Agency
Suite 106/84 Hotham St, Preston VIC 3072
Email: hello@citadelagency.com.au
Phone: 03 9494 3151
Changes to this policy
We review this policy at least once a year and when our practices or the law change. The current version is always on this page.