Privacy Policy

Y-A Real Estate S.A.L. ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share information about you when you use our website, contact our team, or engage our services.

This policy is intended to comply with Lebanese data protection principles and, where applicable, internationally recognized privacy standards including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for clients located in the European Union.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect personal information you provide when you:

• Fill out a contact or enquiry form on our website.
• Register for property alerts or newsletters.
• Engage us to buy, sell, rent, or manage a property.
• Call, email, or visit our office.
• Sign a service agreement or power of attorney.

This may include your full name, email address, phone number, nationality, passport or ID details (for transaction purposes), financial information, and property preferences.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:

• IP address and browser type.
• Pages visited and time spent on each page.
• Referring website or search terms used.
• Device information and operating system.

This data is collected using cookies and similar tracking technologies. Please see Section 7 (Cookies) for more information.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

• Respond to your enquiries and provide the services you have requested.
• Match you with suitable properties based on your preferences.
• Conduct due diligence required for property transactions under Lebanese law.
• Send you property listings, market updates, and newsletters (only with your consent).
• Comply with anti-money laundering (AML) regulations and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements.
• Improve our website, services, and marketing communications.
• Manage our relationship with you and maintain accurate business records.

3. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following legal grounds:

• Contractual necessity — to perform services you have engaged us to provide.
• Legal obligation — to comply with Lebanese law, including AML and KYC requirements.
• Legitimate interests — to operate and improve our business, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights.
• Consent — for marketing communications, where required.

4. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We may share your information with:

• Property owners, landlords, or developers — where necessary to facilitate a transaction you have initiated.
• Legal and notarial professionals — as required for property registration and conveyancing under Lebanese law.
• Financial institutions — if you require mortgage assistance or escrow services.
• Service providers — such as IT and website hosting companies acting on our behalf, under strict data processing agreements.
• Regulatory or legal authorities — where required by law or court order.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

• Client transaction records are retained for a minimum of 10 years as required by Lebanese commercial law.
• Marketing contact data is retained until you withdraw your consent or request deletion.
• Website analytics data is typically retained for 24 months.

6. Your Rights

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access — to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification — to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Erasure — to request deletion of your data, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Restriction — to request that we limit processing of your data in certain circumstances.
• Portability — to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Objection — to object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
• Withdraw consent — at any time, where processing is based on consent.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@ya-realestate.com.lb. We will respond within 30 days.

7. Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience. We use:

• Essential cookies — necessary for the website to function properly.
• Analytical cookies — to understand how visitors use our site (e.g., Google Analytics).
• Marketing cookies — to show relevant advertisements, only with your consent.

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings at any time. Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include encrypted communications (HTTPS), restricted access controls, and regular security assessments.

However, no method of internet transmission is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information is primarily processed and stored within Lebanon. Where we transfer data to third parties located outside Lebanon (e.g., cloud service providers), we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with applicable data protection standards.

10. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child, please contact us immediately and we will take appropriate action.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. The updated policy will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact our Data Protection Officer:

• Y-A Real Estate S.A.L. — Data Protection Officer
• Hamra Street, Block B, 4th Floor, Beirut, Lebanon
• Email: privacy@ya-realestate.com.lb
• Phone: +961 1 234 567