Privacy Policy
Effective date: January 1st, 2023
If you are a California resident, please see our Notice at Collection for California Residents.
This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) applies to the application, products, services, customer service, and platform (referred to collectively as the “Service”) owned, operated, and provided by Blend Brokerage, Inc. dba Blend Realty (“Blend Realty”, “we”, “our”, or “us”). Further, Blend Realty is an affiliate of but separate entity from Blend Labs, Inc. (“Blend Labs”) where you may have previously used the products, services, and platform to apply for a mortgage or other loan (referred to collectively as the “Blend Platform”). The Service facilitates the process of collecting and providing your information to real estate brokers (“Brokers”), for the purposes of connecting you with a real estate agent. For purposes of this Policy, “you” and “your” mean the Service account creator, authorized signer, authorized representative, delegate, and/or other authorized Service user, including a co-applicant or co-applicants. Except as provided herein, this Policy describes and governs the information collection, use, and sharing practices of Blend Realty with respect to the Service.
Before you use or submit any information on or through the Service, please carefully review this Policy. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY, PLEASE DO NOT USE THE SERVICE. By using any part of the Service, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of the information you provide as further outlined in this Policy.
We collect information in multiple ways, including when you provide information directly to us; when we passively collect information from you, such as from your browser or device(s); and from third parties.
A. Categories of Information
As described further below and depending on what products/services you use and how you use the Service and interact with us, we may collect the following categories of personal information about you or your use of the Service:
- Common identifiers (such as name and email address);
- Commercial information (such as transaction data);
- Internet or other network or device activity (such as browsing history and log data);
- Location information (such as general location information inferred from an IP address);
- Inference data about you (such as profiles we develop based on how you use the Service);
- Sensory information (such as recordings of your voice during customer service calls);
- Insurance information (such as homeowners insurance);
- Financial data (such as loan amount); and
- Other information that identifies or can be reasonably associated with you.
Blend Realty does not collect or process sensitive personal information for the purpose of inferring characteristics about you.
B. Categories of Sources of Information
We collect information in multiple ways, including when you provide information directly to us, when we passively collect information from your browser or device, and when we obtain information from third parties as indicated in this Policy.
We may collect information from you during your use of or access to the Service and/or the Blend Platform, such as when you request to be connected to a real estate agent through the Service, grant us access to information from your Blend Platform account, communicate with us, and respond to surveys and customer services engagements. For example, we may collect information such as your email address, phone number, current residence, and desired purchase location and property type. All such information we collect from you through or in connection with the Service is covered by this Policy.
Device/Usage Information
We may automatically collect certain information about the computer or device(s) (including mobile devices or tablets) you use to access the Service. We may collect and analyze information such as (a) IP addresses, unique device identifiers, and other information about your computer or device(s), browser types, browser language, operating system, mobile device carrier information, and the location from which you accessed the Service; and (b) information related to the ways in which you interact with the Service, such as mouse movements and scrolling, referring and exit web pages and URLs, platform type, number of clicks, domain names, landing pages, pages and content viewed and the order of those pages, statistical information about the use of the Service, the amount of time spent on particular pages, the date and time you used the Service, the frequency of your use of the Service, error logs, and other similar information. As described further below, we may use third-party analytics providers and technologies, including cookies and similar tools, to assist in collecting this information.
Cookies and Other Electronic Technologies
We may also collect data about your use of the Service through the use of internet server logs, cookies, tracking pixels or other data collection and tracking technologies. An internet server log is a file where website activity is stored. A cookie is a small text file that is placed on your computer when you visit a website that enables us to: (i) recognize your computer; (ii) store your preferences and settings; (iii) understand the web pages of the Service you have visited; (iv), enable your user experience in the Service; (v) perform searches and analytics; and (vi) assist with security administrative functions. Some cookies are placed in your browser cache. Tracking pixels (sometimes referred to as web beacons or clear GIFs) are tiny electronic tags with a unique identifier that are embedded in websites, online ads, and/or email and are designed to provide usage information like page clicks, measure popularity of the Service and associated content, and access user cookies. We may update this Policy from time to time as we adopt new technologies to gather additional information through other methods.
Blocking cookies through your browser settings: Please note that you can change your settings to notify you when a cookie is being set or updated, or to block cookies altogether. Please consult the “Help” section of your browser (e.g., Microsoft Edge; Google Chrome; Mozilla Firefox; or Apple Safari) for more information. Please note that by blocking any or all cookies, you may not have access to certain features or offerings of the Service.
Please note that our Service may include links to other websites or providers whose privacy practices may differ from those of Blend Realty. If you submit personal information to any of those websites or providers, your information is governed by their privacy statements. We encourage you to carefully read the privacy statement or terms of cookie usage of any website you visit.
Blend Realty may also obtain information about you from third parties such as real estate brokers, real estate agents and other third parties that provide products or services related to the Service.
Blend Realty may use the information we collect from and about you for the following business purposes:
- To process and fulfill a transaction that you initiate or to provide products or services through or in connection with the Service;
- To connect you with a real estate broker or agent;
- To send you information about your Service-related activities;
- To contact you with information or surveys regarding the Service;
- To process and respond to your inquiries or to request your feedback;
- For internal research and reporting;
- To promote customer reviews and testimonials in marketing and advertising material;
- To improve the content and features of the Service or develop new products or services; ;
- To prevent fraud and abuse of the Service;
- To enforce the legal terms that govern your use of the Service; and
- To administer and troubleshoot the Service.
We may also collect, use, and disclose your information in an anonymized, aggregated, and de-identified form (that does not identify you personally) for our business purposes.
Online and Email Analytics
We may use third-party web analytics services in conjunction with providing the Service, such as those of Google Analytics. These service providers use the sort of technology previously described in the “Cookies and other electronic technologies” section to collect information (including your IP address) to help us analyze how users use the Service, including by noting the third-party website from which you arrive, provide certain features to you, improve and develop the Service, monitor and analyze use of the Service, aid our technical administration, and verify that users have the authorization needed for us to process their requests. To prevent Google Analytics or a third-party from using your information for analytics, you may install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. If you get a new computer, install a new browser, erase or otherwise alter your browser’s cookie file (including upgrading certain browsers), you may clear the opt-out cookies, and you will need to re-visit the relevant opt-out page. If you receive email from us, we may use certain tools, such as clear GIFs, to capture data such as when you open our message or click on any links or banners our email contains.
Notice Concerning Do Not Track Signals
Do Not Track (“DNT”) is a privacy preference that users can set in certain web browsers. We are committed to providing you with meaningful choices about the information collected through the Service for third-party purposes, and that is why we provide choices provided by Google Analytics. However, we do not recognize or respond to browser-initiated DNT signals, as the internet industry is currently still working toward defining exactly what DNT means, what it means to comply with DNT, and a common approach to responding to DNT. You can learn more about DNT at All About Do Not Track.
We may disclose the categories of information identified above with the following categories of parties as described in this section.
- Real Estate Brokers and/or Real Estate Agents. We collect information for the purpose of connecting you with a real estate agent as part of your home shopping experience. We may connect you directly with a real estate agent or a Broker that maintains a network of agents who will connect you with a real estate agent in their network. We may share the information you provide with, and/or make that information available to, real estate agents, Brokers and/or their successors-in-interest in order to facilitate the process of providing the service you request from us
- Service Providers and Other Third Parties. We may provide access to or disclose your information with select third parties who perform services on our behalf to facilitate and expand the operation and functionality of the Service. For example, we may use companies that assist with billing, customer support, fulfillment, data storage, analysis and processing, legal services, and other relevant operations. We may also provide access to or disclose information to service providers and third parties as necessary to effect, administer, or enforce a transaction that you request or authorize. These service providers are only permitted to use your personal information in order to perform services on our behalf or as permitted by law.
- Affiliates and subsidiaries of Blend. With your authorization, we may disclose information we collect from and about you (and your device) to a parent, subsidiary or affiliate entity within the Blend Realty corporate family to deliver products and services to you, ensure a consistent level of service across our products and services, and enhance our products, services, and the customer experience.
- Consent. With your consent, we may also disclose your information to any third party that provides products or services in support of the provision of the Service.
- Protection of Blend Realty and Others. We may access, preserve, and disclose your information, including but not limited to any user content, if required to do so by law or in a good faith belief that such access, preservation, or disclosure is reasonably necessary to: (a) comply with legal process (e.g., a subpoena, court order, or warrant); (b) enforce our Terms of Service, this Policy, or other contracts with you, including investigation of potential violations thereof; (c) respond to claims that any content violates the rights of third-parties; (d) respond to your requests for customer service; and/or (e) protect the rights, property, or personal safety of Blend Realty, its agents and affiliates, and/or its users and/or the public. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection, spam/malware prevention, and similar purposes.
- Business Transfers. As we continue to develop our business, we may buy or merge with other companies. In such transactions (including in contemplation of such transactions, e.g., due diligence), user information may be among the transferred assets. If a portion or all of Blend Realty’s assets are sold or transferred to a third party pursuant to a corporate purchase, sale, or merger, customer information may be one of the transferred business assets.
We have implemented administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect against the loss, misuse, and/or alteration of your information. These safeguards vary based on the sensitivity of the information that we collect and store. For example, we store usernames, passwords, and other log-in information in encrypted and anonymized form. However, we cannot and do not guarantee that these measures will prevent every unauthorized attempt to access, use, or disclose your information because despite our efforts, no internet and/or other electronic transmissions can be completely secure.
You may be able to add, update, or edit certain information while using the Service. When you update information, however, we may maintain a copy of the unrevised information in our records to the extent necessary for legal compliance purposes and where permitted by applicable law. We may also retain some of the information for reasons including, but not limited to, compliance with applicable regulations, resolving disputes, and enforcing our agreements.
California Residents.
This section of the Policy applies solely to those individuals who reside in the State of California (“consumers” or “you”). We are providing this policy in compliance with the
California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), and other applicable California privacy laws. Any terms used in this Notice that are not defined in the Notice itself have the same definition as used in the CCPA/CPRA and its implementing regulations.
Notice at Collection for California Residents
- What Information We Collect: We collect the categories of information disclosed above in the “What Information Does Blend Realty Collect” section of the Policy, and we collect that information from the categories of sources described above in “Categories of Sources of Information.” The exact information we collect, and the sources, about you depends on what products/services you use and how you use the Service and interact with us. We base the information in this disclosure on our data collection practices over the previous 12 months until present time.
- How We Use and Disclose Your Information: We use your information for the business or commercial purposes described above in the “How Will Blend Realty Use My Information” section of the Policy, and we disclose your information to the categories of third parties described above in “How Will Blend Realty Disclose My Information.” Exactly how we use and disclose your information depends on what products/services you use and how you use the Service and interact with us. We base the information in this disclosure on our data collection and disclosure practices over the previous 12 months until present time.
Right to Know: You have a right to know what personal information is being collected about you. This includes the following: the categories of personal information collected; the categories of sources of that information; the business or commercial purpose for collecting, selling, or sharing personal information; the categories of third parties to whom the business discloses personal information; the specific pieces of personal information collected; and, to the extent applicable, the categories of personal information sold or shared (and to which categories of third parties) and the categories of personal information disclosed for a business purpose (and to which categories of persons). However, this “right to know” is subject to certain exceptions. Please see below under “Contact us” for information on how to submit an access request.
Right to Delete: You have a right to request deletion of personal information collected about you. However, this “right to delete” is subject to certain exceptions. Please note, we need certain types of information so that we can provide the Service. If you request deletion of your information and we are required to delete your information, your access or use of the Service may be impacted. Please see below under “Contact us” for information on how to submit a deletion request.
Right to Correct: You have a right to request correction of inaccurate information about you. However, this “right to correct” is subject to certain exceptions. Please see below under “Contact us” for information on how to submit a correction request
Right to Limit: While the CCPA/CPRA provides California consumers with the right to request that covered businesses limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information collected or processed with the purpose of inferring characteristics about them (subject to certain exceptions), Blend Realty does not collect or process sensitive personal information for the purpose of inferring characteristics about you, as we understand those terms to be defined by the CCPA/CPRA.
Blend Realty Does Not Sell or Share Your Data: While the CCPA/CPRA provides California residents with the right to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of their personal information (subject to certain exceptions), Blend Realty has not “sold” or “shared” consumer personal information or sensitive personal information in the preceding 12 months and does not “sell” or “share” your personal information or sensitive personal information, as those terms are defined under the CCPA/CPRA and its implementing regulations.
Authorized Agent: When a consumer uses an authorized agent to submit a request to know, correct or delete, a business may require that the consumer do the following (this does not apply when a consumer has provided the authorized agent with power of attorney pursuant to Probate Code sections 4000 to 4465):
- Provide the authorized agent signed permission to do so.
- Verify their own identity directly with the business.
- Directly confirm with the business that they provided the authorized agent permission to submit the request.
A business may deny a request from an authorized agent that does not submit proof that they have been authorized by the consumer to act on their behalf. To make an authorized request on behalf of another pursuant to consumer rights provided by California law, please use our Data Request Form or call 866-602-9022.
Additional Rights: Under California Civil Code Sections 1798.83-1798.84, California residents are entitled to ask certain covered businesses for a notice (a) identifying the categories of personal information (as defined by California law) that are disclosed to third parties for their own marketing purposes and (b) providing contact information for such third parties. However, as disclosed here in our Privacy Policy, Blend Realty does not disclose such personal information for these purposes.
Financial Incentives: Blend Realty does not offer financial incentives for the collection of your data.
Right of No Retaliation: You also have the right to not be discriminated against for exercising certain of your rights under the CCPA. If you exercise your rights under the CCPA, we will not:
- Deny you goods or services.
- Charge you different prices or rates for goods or services, including through granting discounts or other benefits, or imposing penalties.
- Provide you a different level or quality of goods or services.
- Suggest that you may receive a different price or rate for goods or services or a different level or quality of goods or services.
- Retaliate against an employee, applicant for employment, or independent contractor, as those terms are defined in California Civil Code Section 1798.145.
How other data privacy laws may affect your ability to request access to, or delete, your data: Please note that your rights and choices regarding your personal information are often subject to other laws. Personal information collected pursuant to other laws, such as information governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and the California Financial Information Privacy Act, may be exempt from requests to access, correct, limit or delete data.
Contact us: If you would like to make a request to exercise any of these rights, please use our Data Request Form or call 866-602-9022. You will be required to verify your identity before we fulfill your request. You can also designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. To do so, you must provide us with written authorization or a power of attorney, signed by you, for the agent to act on your behalf. You will still need to verify your identity directly with us.
Residents of Other U.S. States.
Residents of certain other U.S. states, such as Virginia and Connecticut, may have additional rights with respect to their personal data, subject to certain limitations. These rights may include:
- Opt out of the sale of personal information
- Opt out of the the use of personal information for targeted advertising or profiling
- Confirm the processing of personal information and access such information in a portable format
- Correct inaccurate personal information
- Delete personal information
Making a request to exercise your rights: Residents of these states can exercise their rights by submitting a request through the Data Request Form. Depending on your state, an authorized agent may make requests on your behalf under certain circumstances. We may have a reason under the law why we do not have to comply with your request, or why we may comply with it in a more limited way than you anticipated. If we do, we will explain that to you in our response.
Verification: We must verify your identity before responding to your request. We verify your identity by asking you to provide personal identifiers that we can match against information we may have collected from you previously. We may need to follow up with you to request more information to verify identity.
Appeals: Depending on your state, you may have the right to appeal a denial of their request by contacting us as described in the notice of denial.
The Service may contain links to or “from” third-party websites, applications, and other services available to support Service operations and functionality. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites and services. If you submit information to any of those websites, your information is governed by their privacy statements. We encourage our users to be aware when they access third-party websites and/or leave the Service and to read the privacy statements of each and every site they visit that collects their information.
We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information (as defined by the “Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act”) from anyone under the age of 13. If you are under 13, please do not attempt to register for the Service or send any personal information about yourself to us. If we learn that we have collected Personal Information for anyone under the age of 13, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe that anyone under the age of 13 may have provided us personal information, please contact privacy@blend.com.
Blend Realty keeps your information in identifiable form for no longer than necessary to provide you services. The length of time for which we retain information depends on the purposes for which we collect and use it and/or as required to comply with applicable laws. We may, if necessary, retain some of the information for compliance with applicable banking and lending regulations, fraud prevention and identity verification, resolving disputes, and enforcing our agreements. We may also continue to use any aggregated or de-identified information but not in a manner that would identify you personally.
We reserve the right to change this Policy at any time to reflect changes in the law, our data collection and use practices, the features of the Service, or advances in technology. Please check this page periodically for changes. Your continued use of the Service following the posting of changes to this Policy will mean you accept those changes.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding our Privacy Policy, please send us a detailed message to privacy@blend.com and we will try to resolve your concerns.
Blend Brokerage, Inc. dba Blend Realty
415 Kearny Street
San Francisco, CA 94108