1. Who We Are
livehauz ("we", "our", or "us") is a real estate marketplace platform that connects verified real estate agents with home buyers. Our app is available on iOS and Android and is operated by the livehauz team.
By using our app you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
2. Information We Collect
- Account Information: Name, email address, phone number, role (buyer or agent), profile photo, and cover photo when you register.
- Agent-Specific Information: License number, company name, years of experience, bio, specializations, service areas, certifications, social media links, office address, and tagline.
- Buyer Preferences: Budget range, preferred property type, bedroom count, move timeline, and preferred features collected during onboarding.
- Property Listings: Title, description, price, location, photos, videos, and all property detail fields entered by agents.
- Messages: Content of messages exchanged between buyers and agents through our in-platform messaging system.
- Callback Requests: Name, phone number, preferred date and time entered when requesting a callback from an agent.
- Community Activity: Groups you join or create, posts, and comments you publish in the community section.
- Support Tickets: Subject, category, and message content you submit through Help & Support.
- Device & Usage Data: Device type, operating system, app version, and usage patterns collected automatically.
- Advertising Data: Google AdMob collects certain device identifiers and usage signals to serve relevant advertisements. See Section 6 for details.
3. How We Use Your Information
- Operate and maintain the livehauz platform and deliver our core services.
- Verify agent identities and license credentials before granting full listing access.
- Enable in-platform communication between buyers and agents.
- Display property listings to buyers and power search and filter features.
- Personalise the app experience based on your role, preferences, and activity.
- Send app notifications about new messages, listing updates, and account status changes.
- Respond to support tickets and resolve account issues.
- Serve advertisements through Google AdMob in accordance with Google's advertising policies.
- Detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, and security incidents.
- Comply with applicable laws and regulations.
4. Data Storage & Security
All data is stored on Google Firebase (Firestore and Firebase Storage), hosted on Google Cloud infrastructure. Firebase is SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR-compliant.
User authentication is handled through Firebase Authentication, which stores credentials securely using industry-standard encryption. Media files are stored in Firebase Cloud Storage with access controlled by Firestore Security Rules — ensuring only authorised users can read or write their data.
We implement appropriate technical measures to protect your personal data. However, no internet transmission is completely secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
5. Data Sharing
We do not sell your personal data. We share data only in the following circumstances:
- Publicly Visible Information: Agent profiles and published listings are visible to all app users.
- Community Content: Posts and comments in community groups are visible to all group members.
- Service Providers: Google Firebase (data storage and authentication), Google AdMob (advertising), each governed by their own privacy policies.
- Legal Obligations: We may disclose your data if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of our users or the public.
6. How We Earn
livehauz is free to download and use. We earn revenue through three streams:
1. Advertising (Google AdMob)
We earn from ads served by Google AdMob throughout the app. This is what keeps livehauz free for all users. AdMob may collect device identifiers (IDFA on iOS, GAID on Android) to serve relevant ads, governed by the Google Privacy Policy.
2. Pay Per Lead
Agents can choose to pay a fixed fee each time a verified buyer sends them a direct enquiry on a listing. This is on top of the free ad-supported experience.
- Charged only when a buyer actively contacts you through the app.
- Fee is shown clearly before activation.
- A lead is counted when a buyer sends the first message on your listing.
- Fees are non-refundable once a lead is delivered.
- livehauz does not guarantee any minimum number of leads or sales.
3. Commission Based
Agents can instead list for free and pay a small pre-agreed commission only when a sale closes through livehauz.
- Commission rate is agreed before the listing goes live.
- Calculated on the final sale price.
- A sale is "via livehauz" when the buyer first contacted the agent through the app.
- Commission is due within 14 days of the closing date.
- Failure to report a completed sale may result in account suspension.
Buyers use livehauz entirely free of charge. For billing questions: billing@livehauz.com
7. Data Retention
- Account data: Retained until you delete your account.
- Property listings: Retained until deleted by the listing agent or upon account deletion.
- Messages: Retained for the duration of the conversation.
- Support tickets: Retained for 2 years for quality assurance and legal compliance.
- Community posts & comments: Retained until deleted by the author or upon account deletion.
When you delete your account, we will remove your personal data from active databases within 30 days. Some data may be retained in backups for up to 90 days.
8. Your Rights
Depending on your country of residence, you may have the following rights:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Deletion: Delete your account directly from the app (Profile → Delete Account).
- Objection: Object to certain processing, including for advertising purposes.
- Portability: Request your data in a portable format.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@livehauz.com.
9. Children's Privacy
livehauz is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact privacy@livehauz.com and we will delete such information promptly.
10. Third-Party Links
The app may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties and encourage you to review their privacy policies.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make significant changes, we will notify you through the app or by email. Continued use of the app after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact Us
- Email: privacy@livehauz.com
- Support: livehauz.com/support
We aim to respond to all privacy-related enquiries within 5 business days.