Privacy policy

Office A3E ("Office A3E," "we," "us" or "our") respects your privacy. This Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain and protect personal information when you visit officea3e.com, use the free Property Potential tool, order a Property Review or Property Strategy, communicate with us or otherwise use our services.

1. Accountability

Office A3E is responsible for personal information under its control, including information processed for us by service providers. Our Privacy Officer oversees this Policy and responds to access, correction, withdrawal-of-consent and complaint requests. Contact the Privacy Officer at ciao@officea3e.com or Office A3E, Toronto, Ontario. A mailing address is available on request.

2. Information we collect

Depending on how you use the site, we may collect:

contact information, including name, email address and professional role;
property information, including address, property relationship, property type, current units, rear access and documents you choose to provide;
project and financial-planning information, including objectives, timing, preferred development paths, budget range, desired income, financing stage and appetite for change;
transaction information, including the service purchased, order number, payment status, tax and billing-related information supplied through our payment provider; and
technical and usage information that may be generated by the website or hosting and security systems, such as IP address, device or browser type, timestamps, referring page, requested pages and diagnostic or security logs.

We do not intend to collect government identification, complete payment-card numbers, banking credentials, health information or other highly sensitive personal information through the website. Please do not send it unless we specifically request it and provide an appropriate method.

3. Public and derived property information

When you submit an address, we may retrieve or combine it with municipal records, mapping and geocoding services, permit information, parcel or zoning data, satellite or street-level imagery and other public or licensed sources. We may derive screening results, development paths, constraints, assumptions and recommendations from the information supplied and the records reviewed. Public availability does not change how we protect personal information associated with your enquiry or order.

4. Why we use information

We use personal information only for reasonable identified purposes:

to operate the website and free Property Potential tool;
to verify an address and retrieve relevant property records;
to screen development paths and generate a directional free result;
to assess, accept, process, prepare, review, deliver and discuss paid reports;
to arrange calls, request missing information and recommend next steps;
to process payments, issue confirmations, maintain professional and business records and provide customer support;
to protect the website, detect misuse, troubleshoot errors and meet security, insurance, accounting, tax, legal and professional obligations; and
to send marketing messages only where we have consent or another lawful basis, with a working way to unsubscribe.

If we want to use information for a materially different purpose, we will explain that purpose and obtain any consent required before doing so.

5. Consent and choices

We obtain consent in a form appropriate to the information and context. Some collection and use are necessary to provide a requested service; if you do not provide that information, we may be unable to prepare a result or complete an order. Optional marketing consent is separate from purchasing or using the free tool. You may withdraw consent, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice, by contacting us. We will explain any resulting effect on the Services.

6. Free-tool screening and automated processing

Property Potential uses software rules to screen the answers you provide and available public data, generate a preliminary property-potential result and screen six development paths. The result is automated and is not reviewed by an architect. It should not be treated as approval, professional advice or a final feasibility conclusion. Paid reports involve review by a licensed architect as described in the applicable service.

7. When information is disclosed

We do not sell or rent personal information. We may disclose only the information reasonably needed to service providers that help us operate the website, host or secure data, verify addresses, process payments, send service emails, store working files, schedule calls or provide professional and business support. These providers may use information only to perform services for us or as otherwise permitted by law.

We may also disclose information with your direction or consent; to professional advisors under confidentiality; to investigate fraud, security incidents or misuse; to comply with a subpoena, court order or lawful government request; to establish or defend legal rights; in an emergency involving safety; or in connection with a proposed or completed financing, reorganization, sale or transfer of the business, subject to appropriate protections and legal requirements.

8. Payment information

Payments are handled by a third-party payment processor. Payment-card details are submitted directly to that provider and are governed by its privacy policy and terms. Office A3E receives limited transaction details needed to confirm and administer the order, but does not store complete card numbers or security codes.

9. Service providers outside Canada

Some service providers may process or store information outside Ontario or Canada. Information in another jurisdiction may be accessible to courts, law-enforcement or government authorities under that jurisdiction's laws. We remain accountable for personal information transferred to providers for processing and use contractual or other reasonable measures appropriate to the service and sensitivity.

10. Cookies and local storage

The website may use essential browser storage, cookies or similar technologies to maintain a cart, preserve form details, support secure checkout, remember a step in the free tool and keep the site functioning. Our hosting and payment providers may use their own essential security technologies. You can restrict browser storage through your browser, but parts of the tool or checkout may no longer work. We will not use non-essential advertising or analytics cookies without providing any notice or choice required by law.

11. Retention

We keep personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described, including completing the service, answering follow-up questions, maintaining professional and transaction records, resolving disputes, enforcing agreements and meeting tax, accounting, insurance, legal and regulatory obligations. Retention periods vary by record type. When information is no longer required, we delete, anonymize or securely dispose of it, subject to backup cycles and legal holds.

12. Safeguards and breaches

We use reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity, amount, format and use of the information. These may include access restrictions, service-provider controls, secure payment processing, authentication and operational procedures. No website, email or storage system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

We assess suspected privacy breaches and, where required by applicable law, notify affected individuals and regulators, take reasonable steps to reduce harm and maintain required breach records.

13. Access, correction and deletion

You may ask whether we hold personal information about you and request access to or correction of that information. You may also request deletion or withdrawal of consent. We may need to verify your identity, and legal exceptions or record-retention obligations may limit what we can provide or delete. If we refuse a request, we will explain the reason where required and identify available recourse. Send requests to the Privacy Officer at ciao@officea3e.com.

14. Marketing communications

Service messages about an enquiry, tool result, order, payment, missing information, delivery or scheduled call are part of the requested service. Promotional email is separate. Where required, we will send it only with consent, identify Office A3E and provide a functioning unsubscribe method. You may also withdraw marketing consent by emailing ciao@officea3e.com. Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent necessary service or transaction messages.

15. Children

The website and Services are intended for adults and are not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from a child without appropriate parent or guardian consent. Contact us if you believe a child has submitted information so we can review and address it.

16. External links

The site may link to municipal sources, mapping services, social media, payment pages or other third-party sites. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies, and we are not responsible for them.

17. Complaints and regulator

Please send privacy questions or complaints to our Privacy Officer at ciao@officea3e.com. We will investigate and respond within a reasonable time. If a concern is not resolved, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or another regulator with jurisdiction.

18. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy to reflect changes in our Services, practices, providers or legal obligations. The current version will be posted here with its effective date. If a change materially affects how we use information already collected, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent where required.

Important: this Privacy Policy is a comprehensive working draft tailored to the current website and data flow. Have qualified Canadian privacy counsel confirm it against Office A3E's actual providers, retention schedule, security controls, consent language and business records before treating it as final.

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