Clarion Estates (“Clarion Estates”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information when you visit our website, interact with us, or use our services.

By using our website or providing personal data to us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the Lebanese Republic, including, where applicable, Law No. 81 of 2018 on Electronic Transactions and Personal Data, in addition to any other applicable regulations.

1. Who we are

Clarion Estates is a real estate company registered and based in Lebanon.

• Legal name: Clarion Estates

• Address: Beirut, Lebanon

• Website: https://www.clarionestates.com

• Email: info@clarionestates.com

• Phone: +961 81 380 387

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, you can contact us using the details above.

2. Scope of this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to:

• Visitors to our website https://www.clarionestates.com (the “Website”);

• Individuals who contact us via the Website, email, phone, messaging applications (such as WhatsApp), or social media;

• Prospective and existing buyers, tenants, sellers, landlords, and any other individuals whose personal data we process in connection with our real estate activities;

• Users who subscribe to our newsletters, updates, or marketing communications.

This Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party websites, services, or applications that may be linked to or from our Website. Those services are governed by their own privacy policies, for which we are not responsible.

3. Personal data we collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us.

3.1 Information you provide directly

You may provide personal data to us when you:

• Fill out forms on our Website (e.g., contact forms, property inquiry forms);

• Contact us by email, phone, WhatsApp, or through social media;

• Engage with us to buy, rent, sell, or lease a property;

• Enter into contracts or otherwise transact with us.

This may include:

• Identity and contact details

  • First name and last name

  • Email address

  • Phone or mobile number

  • Postal address and/or city and country of residence

  • Preferred language

• Property and preference information

  • Role (buyer, tenant, seller, landlord, investor, etc.)

  • Property details (type, location, size, features, ownership status)

  • Budget, preferred locations, property types, and other criteria

  • Information relating to property viewings, offers, negotiations, and closing

• Verification and transaction information

  • Copies of identification documents (e.g., ID card, passport), where necessary and lawful

  • Proof of address, proof of funds, or information on financing capability

  • Information contained in reservation forms, offers, sales contracts, leases, agency agreements, powers of attorney, and other legal documents

  • Tax-related information or data required by banks or financing institutions, if applicable

• Communications and feedback

  • Content of emails, messages, and other communications you send us

  • Feedback, reviews, or complaints that you submit

3.2 Information collected automatically

When you access or use our Website, we may automatically collect certain information using cookies and similar technologies, including:

• IP address and general location (e.g., city, country) derived from it;

• Browser type and version;

• Device type, operating system, and settings;

• Date and time of visit, pages viewed, time spent on pages, and navigation paths;

• Referring URLs (the site you came from before visiting us).

This information is often aggregated and does not directly identify you. However, it may be considered personal data where it can be linked to other information that identifies you.

3.3 Information from third parties

We may receive personal data about you from:

• Real estate listing portals and property websites where you have submitted an inquiry about a property represented by Clarion Estates;

• Social media platforms when you interact with our accounts or send us messages;

• Business partners, intermediaries, or referrers who introduce you to us;

• Publicly available sources, such as commercial registers, land registries, or public listings, in the context of property verification, due diligence, and compliance.

4. Legal basis and purposes for processing personal data

We process your personal data in accordance with applicable Lebanese laws, including Law No. 81 of 2018, and any other relevant regulations. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on one or more of the following legal bases:

• Your consent: for example, when you agree to receive marketing emails or when you accept non-essential cookies.

• Performance of a contract or pre-contractual steps: when processing is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract (e.g., arranging property viewings, preparing offers).

• Compliance with legal obligations: when processing is required to comply with obligations under Lebanese law (e.g., AML/KYC, tax, accounting, regulatory reporting).

• Legitimate interests: when processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided that these interests are not overridden by your rights and interests (e.g., improving our services, maintaining Website security, managing and developing our business).

We use personal data for the following purposes:

4.1 Providing our real estate services

• Responding to your inquiries, requests, and messages;

• Advising you on properties and matching your requirements with available listings;

• Organizing and managing property viewings and meetings;

• Facilitating negotiations between buyers and sellers or landlords and tenants;

• Preparing and managing contracts, reservations, offers, and other transaction documents;

• Coordinating with notaries, lawyers, surveyors, banks, and public authorities as necessary to complete transactions.

4.2 Compliance and due diligence

• Conducting identity verification, anti-money laundering (AML), and know-your-customer (KYC) checks where required;

• Verifying property ownership, encumbrances, and information with public registries or relevant authorities, where appropriate;

• Fulfilling tax, regulatory, and recordkeeping obligations under Lebanese law.

4.3 Operating and improving the Website

• Operating, administering, and securing our Website;

• Monitoring and analyzing Website performance, usage, and traffic patterns;

• Troubleshooting issues and improving the design, content, and user experience of the Website;

• Protecting against fraud, misuse, and security threats.

4.4 Marketing and communications

• Sending you property alerts, newsletters, or other communications about properties, services, or market updates that may interest you, in accordance with your preferences and applicable law;

• Personalizing marketing content, where permitted, based on your interactions and preferences;

• Managing your subscriptions and communication preferences.

You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by following the unsubscribe link in our emails or contacting us directly.

4.5 Legal protection and enforcement

• Establishing, exercising, or defending legal claims;

• Responding to lawful requests from public authorities or courts;

• Protecting our rights, property, and safety, as well as those of our clients and the public.

5. How we share personal data

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your personal data with:

5.1 Service providers

Third-party service providers who support our operations, such as:

• Website hosting and maintenance providers;

• IT and cloud services;

• Customer relationship management (CRM) and lead management systems;

• Email and communication platforms;

• Analytics and performance monitoring tools;

• External professional advisors (lawyers, accountants, auditors), where necessary.

These service providers act as processors and are required to process personal data only on our instructions and to implement appropriate security measures.

5.2 Parties involved in real estate transactions

In the context of a property transaction or potential transaction, we may share relevant personal and property-related data with:

• Buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, and their authorized representatives;

• Notaries, legal advisors, surveyors, and other professionals involved in the transaction;

• Banks, financing or mortgage institutions, and insurance providers, where appropriate;

• Public authorities and registries (e.g., land and property registries) as required to validate or complete transactions.

We share only the information that is reasonably necessary for the specific purpose.

5.3 Legal and regulatory authorities

We may disclose your data if required to:

• Comply with applicable laws, regulations, or legal proceedings;

• Respond to requests from governmental or public authorities;

• Cooperate with investigations into suspected unlawful activity, fraud, or security incidents.

5.4 Business transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your personal data may be transferred to the relevant acquiring or successor entity, subject to confidentiality obligations and in accordance with applicable laws.

6. International data transfers

Clarion Estates is based in Lebanon, and your personal data is primarily processed and stored in Lebanon. However, some service providers we work with may be located outside Lebanon or may store data in data centers located in other countries.

Where personal data is transferred outside Lebanon:

• We limit transfers to what is necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy (for example, email hosting, website hosting, analytics);

• We seek to use reputable service providers that implement appropriate security measures;

• We require such providers to process personal data in line with our instructions and applicable legal requirements.

7. Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy or as required by law.

In particular:

• General inquiries and leads: kept for a reasonable period (for example, 2–3 years from the last interaction) to follow up on your interest and maintain business records, unless you request deletion earlier and no legal obligation requires retention.

• Contracts and transaction records: kept for the periods required by Lebanese law, including statutes of limitation and regulatory retention obligations, which may be several years.

• Marketing data: kept until you unsubscribe or object to receiving marketing communications, or after a period of inactivity, except for minimal data needed to respect your opt-out preferences.

When personal data is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to delete, anonymize, or securely archive it, in accordance with our internal policies and applicable law.

8. Your rights

Under applicable Lebanese law (including Law No. 81 of 2018) and, where relevant, other data protection laws, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Right of access: to request confirmation as to whether we process your personal data and, if so, to obtain a copy and certain information about how it is processed.

• Right to rectification: to request correction or update of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

• Right to deletion: to request, in certain circumstances, the deletion of your personal data, subject to our legal and contractual obligations to retain specific records.

• Right to restriction: to request restriction of the processing of your data in specific situations (for example, if you contest the accuracy of the data).

• Right to object:

  • to processing based on our legitimate interests, for reasons relating to your particular situation;

  • to the use of your data for direct marketing purposes at any time.

• Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

To exercise your rights, please contact us at info@clarionestates.com, clearly stating your request and providing sufficient information for us to verify your identity. We may request additional information if reasonably necessary to ensure that we respond to the correct person and to safeguard your data.

If you believe that your rights have been violated, you may have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent authority in Lebanon. We encourage you to contact us first so we can attempt to resolve your concern directly.

9. Cookies and similar technologies

Our Website may use cookies and similar technologies (such as pixels and tags) to enhance your experience and to help us understand how the Website is used.

9.1 What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They serve a variety of purposes, such as enabling basic functionality, remembering preferences, and helping us analyze Website performance.

9.2 Types of cookies we may use

• Strictly necessary cookies: Required for the Website to function properly (e.g., to maintain sessions, security, or form submissions).

• Performance and analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use the Website (e.g., pages visited, time spent, errors encountered) so we can improve its performance and content. These may include tools such as Google Analytics or similar services.

• Functionality cookies: Allow the Website to remember choices you make (such as language preferences) to provide a more personalized experience.

• Advertising or targeting cookies (if implemented): Used to deliver advertisements that are more relevant to you and to measure the effectiveness of campaigns.

9.3 Managing cookies

Depending on your jurisdiction and browser settings:

• A cookie banner may appear when you first visit the Website, giving you the option to accept or manage certain types of cookies (other than strictly necessary cookies).

• You can usually modify your browser settings to block or delete cookies. The method varies by browser; please refer to your browser’s help section for more information.

Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality and performance of the Website.

10. Security of your personal data

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure, or access.

These measures may include:

• Keeping systems and devices up to date and protected;

• Using secure hosting services and controlled access to data;

• Restricting access to personal data to personnel and service providers who need it for legitimate business purposes;

• Reviewing and updating our security practices where appropriate.

Despite our efforts, no system or method of transmitting or storing information is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we strive to protect your data using industry-appropriate measures.

11. Children’s privacy

Our Website and services are intended for adults and are not directed to children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 18 without appropriate parental or guardian consent when required by law.

If you believe that a child under 18 has provided personal data to us without such consent, please contact us, and we will take appropriate steps to delete the data as soon as reasonably possible.

12. Third-party websites and services

Our Website may contain links to third-party websites, applications, or services that are not operated by Clarion Estates. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of such third parties.

We recommend that you review the privacy policies of any third-party services you visit or use.

13. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update or modify this Privacy Policy from time to time, for example, to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, or legal obligations.

When we do so:

• We will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page; and

• Where appropriate, we may provide additional notice (e.g., a prominent notice on the Website).

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.

14. Contact us

If you have any questions, comments, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

• Email: info@clarionestates.com

• Phone: +961 81 380 387

We will use reasonable efforts to respond to your request in a timely manner and in accordance with applicable laws.