Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

BackHome (backhomeproperty.com) is a property portal operated from the Western Cape, South Africa. We help South African expats and international buyers discover, compare, and invest in Western Cape property. Throughout this policy, "we", "us", and "our" refer to BackHome.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information you provide

• Waitlist & enquiry forms — name, email address, phone number, and any message you include.
• Agent listing submissions — name, email, phone, company, FFC number, property details, and uploaded photos.
• Property enquiries — your name, email, phone, and enquiry message sent to the listing agent.

2.2 Information collected automatically

• Analytics data — we use Google Analytics 4 to collect anonymised usage data including pages visited, time on site, device type, browser, country, and referral source. This data does not personally identify you.
• Cookies — we use essential cookies for site functionality (e.g. currency preference) and analytics cookies via Google Analytics. No advertising cookies are used.
• Server logs — our hosting provider (Vercel) may log IP addresses, request timestamps, and URLs for security and performance purposes.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to your enquiries and connect you with listing agents.
• Process agent listing submissions and manage property reviews.
• Send you updates if you join our waitlist (you can unsubscribe at any time).
• Improve our website, tools, and content based on anonymised usage patterns.
• Prevent fraud and ensure site security.

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share it with:

• Listing agents — when you submit a property enquiry, your contact details and message are forwarded to the agent who listed the property.
• Service providers — we use the following third-party services that may process your data:
  • Vercel (hosting & deployment)
  • Neon (PostgreSQL database)
  • Cloudinary (image storage)
  • Google Analytics (anonymised analytics)
• Legal compliance — we may disclose information if required by law, regulation, or legal process.

5. Data Storage & Security

Your data is stored in a secure PostgreSQL database hosted by Neon (AWS, US East region). All data is transmitted over HTTPS. We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information, but no system is 100% secure.

6. Your Rights

Under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate information.
• Request deletion of your personal information.
• Object to processing of your information.
• Withdraw consent at any time (e.g. unsubscribe from emails).

To exercise any of these rights, email us at backhome.admin@gmail.com.

7. Cookies

We use the following cookies:

You can disable cookies in your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect site functionality (e.g. currency preference will not be saved).

8. Third-Party Links

Our site may contain links to external websites (e.g. agent websites, WhatsApp). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party sites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies.

9. Children

BackHome is not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or your personal data, contact us at:

• Email: backhome.admin@gmail.com
• Website: backhomeproperty.com