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Introduction

Matthew Hoult is a licensed California real estate salesperson (DRE License #02112916). All real estate services and transactions are conducted under the supervision of Christie's International Real Estate Southern California (CA DRE #01527644), the responsible broker. "Matthew Hoult Estates" is a personal brand identifier used by Matthew Hoult; it does not represent a separate licensed real estate brokerage entity. In this Privacy Policy, "we," "us," or "our" refers to Matthew Hoult acting under his California real estate license, serving Los Angeles, California.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard personal information when you visit our website, use our Tenant Guide, interact with our Rental Resume Builder, or engage our real estate services. It applies to information collected through our website, email communications, chat features, and related services. This policy describes our current practices and is not legal advice.

By using our website or services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our practices, please discontinue use of our services.

Notice at Collection

At or before the point where we collect information, we aim to make clear what we are asking for and why. In practical terms, that means we collect contact details, search preferences, consultation notes, site usage data, payment confirmations, and service records only for the purposes described below: responding to inquiries, providing real estate and lease-related services, improving the site, processing transactions, sending requested updates, measuring consented analytics and advertising, protecting the business, and complying with legal obligations.

Information We Collect

We collect information in several categories, depending on how you interact with our services.

Personal Identifiers

  • Full name
  • Email address
  • Phone number

Property Preferences and Search Criteria

  • Desired neighborhoods, price range, and move-in timeline
  • Property requirements such as pet policies, parking, and unit features
  • Household size and occupancy details

Financial Information

When you use our Rental Resume Builder, payment is processed securely through Stripe. We do not store, access, or retain your credit card numbers, debit card numbers, or bank account information. Stripe handles all payment data in compliance with PCI-DSS standards. We retain only a transaction confirmation and the amount paid.

Sensitive Personal Information

We do not intentionally ask for sensitive personal information through the public website unless it is necessary for a service you request or you voluntarily provide it. For example, a rental application or tenant screening service may involve financial, identity, or background information handled by a third-party provider such as RentSpree. We do not use sensitive personal information to infer characteristics about you or for purposes unrelated to the service you requested.

Browsing and Device Data

  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Device type and operating system
  • Pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation paths
  • Referring URL and exit pages

Cookies and Tracking Data

We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience. See Section 5 and our Cookie Policy for full details.

Communications

  • Messages sent through our website chat feature
  • Email correspondence
  • Newsletter or digest signup details, including name and email address when you opt in
  • Call notes and consultation summaries created during our work together

Property Inquiry and Showing Data

  • Properties you inquire about or request showings for
  • Showing feedback and preferences expressed during tours
  • Application materials you ask us to submit on your behalf

Sources of Information

We collect information directly from you, automatically from your browser or device, from service providers that help us operate the site, and from real estate tools or platforms you ask us to use as part of your search, application, purchase, sale, or relocation process.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • Providing real estate services -- matching you with rental properties, scheduling showings, and facilitating lease applications
  • Property recommendations -- sending you listings that match your stated criteria via email or MLS alerts
  • Payment processing -- completing transactions for paid services such as the Rental Resume Builder
  • Website improvement -- analyzing browsing behavior to improve site content, navigation, and user experience
  • Communication -- responding to your inquiries, sending updates about listings, and providing relevant market information
  • Digest and article updates -- sending new articles, market notes, and rental guidance when you sign up
  • Legal compliance -- fulfilling obligations under California real estate law, tax regulations, and applicable privacy laws
  • Fraud prevention -- protecting our services and users from fraudulent activity

Legal Bases for Processing

We process your personal information under the following legal bases:

  • Consent -- When you voluntarily provide information through forms, chat, or email, or when you opt in to receive property alerts and marketing communications
  • Contractual necessity -- When processing is required to fulfill our obligations as your real estate agent, including property search, showing coordination, and application assistance
  • Legitimate interests -- When processing is necessary for improving our services, maintaining site security, and conducting internal analytics, provided these interests do not override your rights
  • Legal obligations -- When we are required to retain or disclose information under California real estate regulations, tax law, or court order

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to provide core functionality, remember your preferences, and understand how visitors use our site.

We use the following categories of tracking technologies:

  • Essential cookies -- Required for basic site functionality such as navigation and session management
  • Analytics cookies -- Google Analytics 4 helps us understand traffic patterns, popular pages, and site behavior in aggregate after consent
  • Advertising and retargeting pixels -- We may use retargeting technologies to show relevant advertisements to visitors who have previously interacted with our site

Non-essential analytics and advertising cookies are loaded only after you choose "Accept All." If you choose "Essential Only," or if your browser sends a recognized Global Privacy Control or Do Not Track signal, our site treats that browser as opted out of non-essential tracking. For comprehensive information about the cookies we use, their purposes, and how to control them, please see our Cookie Policy.

Third-Party Services

We work with trusted third-party services to operate our business. Each service receives only the information necessary for its function:

  • Stripe -- Processes payments for the Rental Resume Builder. Stripe's handling of your payment data is governed by the Stripe Privacy Policy.
  • Google Analytics 4 -- Helps us understand site usage after you choose "Accept All" on a production site. Google Analytics uses cookies and related identifiers to produce reports about site activity. You can also opt out using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
  • Meta Pixel -- Helps measure site activity and advertising performance after you choose "Accept All" on a production site.
  • Google advertising tags -- The site code can support Google Ads or conversion measurement if configured. These tags are not loaded unless a Google Ads ID is configured and you choose "Accept All."
  • Lofty CRM -- Our client relationship management platform, used to organize client communications, property preferences, and service records
  • RentSpree -- Tenant screening platform. When you choose to use RentSpree for your rental application, your screening data is shared at your request and subject to RentSpree's Privacy Policy.
  • Supabase -- Provides backend infrastructure for the chat feature. Chat messages may be processed through our chat endpoint to generate a response and may appear in ordinary service logs.

We do not sell your personal information for money. We have not sold personal information in exchange for money in the preceding twelve months and have no plans to do so. If you choose "Accept All," we may share limited browser, device, and interaction data with advertising partners such as Meta or Google for measurement, retargeting, audience creation, or conversion measurement. Some privacy laws may define that kind of advertising activity as "sharing" for cross-context behavioral advertising. You can opt out by choosing "Essential Only," clearing your cookie choice and reloading the site, using supported browser privacy signals, or contacting us.

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Rights

If you are a California resident and the California Consumer Privacy Act applies to your information, you may have specific rights regarding your personal information.

Right to Know

You have the right to request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources from which it was collected, the business purpose for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.

Right to Delete

You have the right to request that we delete the personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions under the law (such as records we are legally required to retain).

Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing

We do not sell personal information for money. To the extent that advertising cookies or pixels are considered "sharing" under California privacy law, you may opt out by selecting "Essential Only" in the cookie banner, using a recognized Global Privacy Control or Do Not Track browser signal, clearing your cookie choice and reloading the site, or contacting us at .

Right to Limit Sensitive Personal Information

We do not use sensitive personal information for purposes that would require a separate right-to-limit mechanism, such as inferring characteristics about you. If that changes, we will update this policy and provide the required controls.

Right to Non-Discrimination

We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights. You will not receive different pricing, a different level of service, or be denied services for making a privacy request.

How to Exercise Your Rights

To submit a request to know or a request to delete, contact us at . We will respond within 45 days of receiving a verifiable request. If we need additional time, we will notify you of the extension and the reason.

Verification

To protect your privacy, we must verify your identity before fulfilling your request. We will ask you to confirm details that match the information we have on file. If we cannot verify your identity, we may not be able to fulfill your request.

Authorized Agents

You may designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. The agent must provide written authorization signed by you, and we may still require you to verify your identity directly.

GDPR Rights for International Visitors

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

  • Right of access -- You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
  • Right to rectification -- You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data
  • Right to erasure -- You may request deletion of your personal data under certain circumstances
  • Right to restriction of processing -- You may request that we limit how we use your data
  • Right to data portability -- You may request your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format
  • Right to object -- You may object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes
  • Right to withdraw consent -- Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing
  • Right to lodge a complaint -- You have the right to file a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at . We will respond within 30 days.

California-Specific Privacy Rights

Shine the Light Law (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.83)

California residents may request information about the disclosure of personal information to third parties for direct marketing purposes. As stated above, we do not share your personal information with third parties for their own direct marketing purposes. If you would like to make such a request, contact us at .

Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers transmit "Do Not Track" (DNT) or Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals. When our site detects a supported DNT or GPC signal, it treats that browser as an "Essential Only" cookie preference and does not load non-essential analytics or advertising tracking. Because these controls are browser- and device-specific, you may need to set them separately on each browser or device you use.

MLS Data and Property Information

Property listing data displayed on our website or shared through our services may be sourced from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and is provided for the personal, non-commercial use of consumers.

MLS data may not be used for any purpose other than identifying prospective properties you may be interested in. Redistribution, copying, or republication of MLS data is strictly prohibited.

Property information, including pricing, square footage, and availability, is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. All information should be independently verified by the buyer or tenant.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy:

  • Active client records -- Retained for the duration of our professional relationship plus seven (7) years, as required by California real estate regulations and tax law
  • Marketing consent and communications -- Retained until you withdraw consent or unsubscribe
  • Browsing and analytics data -- Retained according to analytics provider settings and our account configuration
  • Chat messages -- The visible chat history is kept in browser memory while the page is open. Messages may be processed by our chat infrastructure to generate a response and may appear in ordinary service logs. We do not intentionally store chat history in browser local storage or session storage through the current front-end.
  • Payment records -- Transaction confirmations retained for seven (7) years for tax and accounting purposes

When retention periods expire, data is securely deleted or anonymized. We may retain limited records for longer where necessary to resolve disputes, comply with legal or accounting obligations, prevent fraud, enforce our agreements, or maintain required California real estate records.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information:

  • Encryption in transit -- All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is protected using SSL/TLS encryption
  • Secure payment processing -- All payment transactions are handled by Stripe, which is PCI-DSS Level 1 certified
  • Access controls -- Access to personal information is restricted to authorized personnel who require it for legitimate business purposes
  • Secure infrastructure -- Our website and services are hosted on platforms with enterprise-grade security measures

While we take reasonable precautions to protect your information, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we are committed to protecting your data to the highest practical standard.

Children's Privacy

Our website and services are not directed at children or minors. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, and we do not knowingly sell or share personal information of consumers under 16. If we become aware that a child or minor has provided us with personal information without appropriate consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at so we can take appropriate action.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make changes, we will revise the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.

For material changes that significantly affect how we handle your personal information, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you, such as posting a prominent notice on our website or sending an email to the address associated with your account.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise your privacy rights, or have concerns about how your information is handled, contact us:

Matthew Hoult, California Real Estate Salesperson
DRE License #02112916
Under the supervision of Christie's International Real Estate Southern California (CA DRE #01527644), the responsible broker.

Email:
Phone: Call Now

We will respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.

Effective Date: July 2026