Unlock MLS and Austin Board of REALTORS® Privacy Policy
Who We Are & About This Policy
Unlock MLS and Austin Board of REALTORS® (“ABoR,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) is a Texas nonprofit corporation. (Wherever possible, the use of “ABoR” herein includes ABoR’s subsidiary, Unlock MLS.) Unlock MLS owns, operates, and/or maintains UnlockMLS.com and other websites on which this notice appears or is linked (“Site” or “Sites”). Your privacy is important to Unlock MLS. This policy (“Privacy Policy”) explains how Unlock MLS collects, uses, maintains, and discloses your personal information. We take your privacy very seriously. Please read this privacy policy carefully as it contains important information on who we are and our information practices, meaning how and why we collect, use, disclose, share, store, and retain your personal information. It also explains your rights in relation to your personal information and how to contact us or supervisory authorities in the event you have a complaint or request. This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time, so please check back for updates. This Privacy Policy addresses the following items:
Information collected from your use of our Sites
Web browser cookies, web beacons, and similar technology
Third-Party Cookies for website analytics
Personally identifiable information that you disclose to us on the Site
Personally identifiable information from other sources
Texas Residents
Users in states other than Texas
California Users
Users under the age of 13
1. Your Acceptance of This Policy
Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using the Sites, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. If you do not agree to this Privacy Policy, do not use our Sites. Your continued use of the Sites following the posting of changes to this Privacy Policy will be considered your acceptance of those changes.
2. Information We Collect
Unlock MLS collects information about you when you use our Sites, products, and services. The kinds of information we collect from you will vary depending on how you use our Sites, products, and services. We automatically collect information from you when you visit and interact with our Sites; this information does not personally identify you. We may also collect information from you that does personally identify you, if you choose to provide us with that information or purchase products or services from us. To learn about opting out and limiting information gathering, see Section 7 of the policy.
(a) Non-personally identifiable information collected from your use of our Sites
We collect information and data about users of our Sites whenever they interact with our Sites. Our systems are set up to gather certain data to help us better understand how the Sites are being used and how we can improve it.
This information and data are not linked to you personally, so it does not include your name, contact information, username, password, or other similar information. This information may include your internet protocol address, browser name/type, the type of computer or device you use and other technical information about your means of connection to our Sites, such as the
operating system and the Internet service providers, statistics about how you navigate and use our Sites, and information provided through the use of cookies and web beacons (which is described in more detail below), geographic location, and other similar information.
(b) Web browser cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technology
The Sites use cookies, web beacons, tracking pixels and similar tracking technology. Cookies are small files, text, or a piece of data that are sent to and stored on your computer or device. We use cookies so that we, and third parties that provide services for our Sites, can recognize your computer or device as a unique machine the next time you visit our Sites. Cookies have different durations depending on the type of cookie and its purpose. We use this technology for record keeping purposes and sometimes to track information about you for the following reasons:
Authenticating you and remembering your settings for your convenience;
Altering our content depending on your browsing patterns;
Tailoring advertisements (both on and off our Sites) for products and services;
Understanding the size of our audience and their traffic patterns within our network; and
Analyzing and researching other measures to help us pursue similar goals.
You may choose to set your web browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. Generally, this is done by selecting the appropriate cookies setting on your web browser (usually found in “Internet Options” or “Preferences”). Please note that if you do use such settings, some parts of our Sites may not function properly.
(c) Third-Party Cookies for Website Analytics
We use third-party analytics service providers to obtain information about users of the Sites. For known users of the website, we track how that user interacts and uses our Site. One of our third-party analytics providers, Google, uses a cookie that can be recognized by Google or its affiliates when you visit other websites to show advertisements across the internet. You can opt out of your data being used by Google Analytics, by clicking here and following the instructions provided.
(d) Personally identifiable information that you disclose to us on the Sites
We will collect personally identifiable information from you only if you voluntarily choose to submit such information to us, in connection with your purchase of our products and/or services, in connection with your membership or application for membership with ABoR, in connection with your subscription or application for subscription with Unlock MLS’s service, and to process your requests. The choices that you make with regards to the Sites, products, and services will determine when and what type of personally identifiable information is collected. For example, certain personally identifiable information will be requested when you register on our Sites, join ABoR or its multiple listing service, fill out forms (i.e. new member applications, committee applications, petitions, photography partnership), fill out applications, and use services, features, or resources we make available on our Sites.
If you choose to take advantage of some of our Site features, products, and services, you may be asked for the following personally identifiable information:
Name and contact information, including first and last name, email address, mailing address, phone number, fax number, and other similar contact data
Credentials, such as username, password, challenge questions, and similar security information used for authentication and account access
Demographic information, such as date of birth
Company/brokerage firm name, company mailing address, phone number, fax number, website address, and other similar professional contact data
Real estate license number, license type, license expiration date, and how long you have licensed or in the real estate industry, and information related to your real estate specialty
Information related to your previous board of REALTOR or MLS memberships
Credit card and/or bank account information when you pay for fees and services
Support interaction data, including the content of support requests, chat transcripts, email correspondence, call recordings (if applicable), and related metadata such as timestamps and device information, collected when you contact us for customer service or technical support
Providing us with personally identifiable information is always optional, however certain features, products, or services may not be available to you without the submission of personally identifiable information.
(e)Personally identifiable information from other sources
In addition to the personally identifiable information that you disclose to us, we may also obtain information from other sources, and we may collect and combine that information with information collected from you via the Sites. For example, if you used a third party platform (i.e., Clareity, Matrix, etc.) to create your account on Unlock MLS, then we may make use of the data that they provide to further customize your experience on the Sites in accordance with that third party’s procedures.
3. How We Use Collected Information
Unlock MLS uses your information for purposes based on your consent, our legitimate business interests, and our legal and compliance obligations. Specifically, we use the personally identifiable information we collect from you to:
Provide, maintain, and improve our Sites, products, and services, including creating and managing your account;
Provide and deliver information, products, and services requested by you;
Confirm your submission of applications;
Respond to your customer service requests and support inquiries;
Improve our customer service;
Use automated tools and analytics, including artificial intelligence features provided by our service providers, to help route, prioritize, and respond to support inquiries, and to analyze support trends in order to improve our services;
Personalize user experience;
Send you your billing notices and other invoices;
Market products or services that may be of interest to you;
Communicate with you through periodic emails or updates, which may include marketing or promotional communications, newsletters, technical notices, security alerts, and other administrative messages;
Process transactions, such as paying for membership or other products or services;
Validate your identity;
Track usage of our Site;
Perform other tasks for which the information was collected.
Information and communications submitted through our Sites, support channels, or other means of contacting us (including email, phone, live chat, and online forms) may be recorded, monitored, and stored by Unlock MLS or our service providers for quality assurance, training, and compliance purposes. Additionally, we will disclose personal information when we believe in good faith that such disclosures (a) are required by law, including, for example, to comply with a court order or subpoena, or (b) will help to: enforce our policies; protect your safety or security, including the safety and security of property that belongs to you; and/or, protect the safety and security of our Sites or third parties.
We use non-personally identifiable information we collect from you to:
Analyze traffic and usage of our Sites;
Compile anonymous statistical data and analysis for use internally or with third parties;
Analyze information in the aggregate to understand how our users as a group use the services and resources provided on our Sites;
Target promotional activities;
Improve our Sites, products, and services.
4. Information Sharing
Unlock MLS does not sell, trade, or rent any of your personal information. We may share information about you as part of our normal business operations with our corporate affiliates, and our vendors and consultants who perform services on our behalf, and within our systems and software. We may share generic aggregated demographic information not linked to any personally identifiable information regarding visitors and users with our business partners, trusted affiliates, and advertisers for the purposes outlined above.
We may share your personal data, including support interaction data, with third-party service providers who assist us in delivering and improving our services, including cloud-based customer support platforms, data hosting providers, analytics providers, and communications service providers. These service providers process your data on our behalf and are contractually obligated to use your personal data only for the purposes of providing services to Unlock MLS and in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
Unlock MLS does not sell your personal data to third parties as defined under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act. Unlock MLS does not process your personal data for purposes of targeted advertising. If our practices change in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy and provide you with the opportunity to opt out as required by applicable law.
Unlock MLS does not intentionally collect sensitive personal data as defined under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, which includes personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, mental or physical health diagnosis, sexual orientation, citizenship or immigration status, genetic or biometric data, personal data of a known child under 13 years of age, and precise geolocation data. In the event that we process sensitive personal data, we will first obtain your consent as required by applicable law.
5. How We Store and Protect Your Information
Unlock MLS is a company based in the United States, and we process and store information on servers and systems located in the United States, including databases maintained by Unlock MLS and cloud-based platforms operated by our trusted service providers. By accessing or using our Sites, products, or services, you consent to the processing, transferring, and storage of information in and to the United States.
We follow generally accepted standards to protect the information we collect. We test our security procedures regularly and modify them as new technologies become feasible. We store our servers in a locked, secure environment. We store the information we collect for as long as it is necessary for the purpose(s) for which we initially collected it. We may retain certain information for legitimate business purposes or as required by law. Financial information is temporarily stored in our database, and once your application has been processed and charged, your financial information is cleared from our databases.
While we take reasonable measures to help protect your personal information, please be aware that no security measures are 100% secure. We encourage you to use common sense when disclosing information over the Internet and please immediately let us know if you suspect that information you shared with us is being used in any way contrary to this Privacy Policy. Please contact us at support@unlockmls.com.
6. Other Links and Websites
This Privacy Policy only applies to sites owned and operated by Unlock MLS. Our Site may contain links to websites and digital properties outside of our control. Please be aware that these websites and digital properties may collect information about you and operate according to their privacy practices that may differ from this Privacy Policy, including the use of cookies, web beacons, and other similar technologies. Remember that once you’re outside our Sites, any information you submit is outside of our control.
7. Opting Out and Limiting Information Gathering
For Sites that provide the creation and use of user accounts, you may at any time review or change the information in your account by logging in and changing your account information. You can terminate your account with Unlock MLS at any time. You also have the ability to opt-out of any advertising email communication by unsubscribing, by visiting the “My Account” section of www.UnlockMLS.com, or by emailing us at support@unlockmls.com. If you are an ABoR member, you can opt out of receiving ABoR’s member-wide email broadcasts at any time. If you are an Unlock MLS participant or subscriber, you can unsubscribe from marketing or advertising communications at any time. Even if you deactivate your Unlock MLS account created through the Site, we may keep a copy of your account information for our records in accordance with applicable laws.
You may opt out of third-party internet-based advertising on our Sites. You can use the Network Advertising Initiative's multi-cookie opt-out mechanism at: http://optout.networkadvertising.org, or the Digital Advertising Alliance Opt-out Tool at: http://optout.aboutads.info. Additionally, you can find more information about “do not track” options at http://www.allaboutdnt.com.
8. Additional Information Regarding Europe Economic Area Users, Users in Other States, and Users Under the Age of 13
(a) Texas Residents
If you are a Texas resident, the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (“TDPSA”) provides you with certain rights regarding your personal data, including the right to:
Confirm and Access. Confirm whether Unlock MLS is processing your personal data and to access that data.
Correction. Correct inaccuracies in your personal data, taking into account the nature of the data and the purposes for processing.
Deletion. Request deletion of personal data provided by you or obtained about you.
Portability. Obtain a copy of your personal data in a portable and, to the extent technically feasible, readily usable format that allows you to transmit the data to another controller without hindrance.
Opt Out. Opt out of the processing of your personal data for purposes of (a) targeted advertising, (b) the sale of personal data, or (c) profiling in furtherance of a decision that produces a legal or similarly significant effect concerning you.
How to Submit a Request. You may submit a request to exercise any of the rights described above by:
Emailing us at support@UnlockMLS.com with the subject line “Texas Privacy Rights Request”; or
Submitting a written request by mail to: Austin Board of REALTORS®, Attn: Data Protection Officer, 4800 Spicewood Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78759.
We will respond to your request without undue delay, but in all cases within forty-five (45) days of receipt. We may extend this period by an additional forty-five (45) days where reasonably necessary, in which case we will notify you of the extension and the reason for it.
We will not charge you a fee to process or respond to your request unless the request is manifestly unfounded, excessive, or repetitive. If we determine that a request warrants a fee, we will notify you of the fee and the reasons for it before completing your request. We will provide information in response to a consumer request free of charge, up to twice annually per consumer.
Appeals. If we decline to take action on your request, we will inform you of our decision and the basis for that decision. You may appeal our decision by emailing us at support@UnlockMLS.com with the subject line “Privacy Rights Appeal” or by submitting a written appeal to the mailing address listed above within a reasonable period of time after receiving our decision. We will respond to your appeal within sixty (60) days of receipt. If we deny your appeal, we will provide you with information on how to submit a complaint to the Texas Attorney General at https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov.
Unlock MLS will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights, including by denying goods or services, charging different prices, or providing a different level or quality of goods or services.
(b) Users in states other than Texas
If you are a resident of a state which has specific privacy law, you may have additional rights under those applicable state privacy laws (for example, California residents have additional rights listed below). If you wish to exercise any of your rights under your state’s specific privacy laws or regulations, please contact us at: support@unlockmls.com.
(c) California Users
In addition to these policies, if you are a California resident, you are protected by the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). Please note that you may only make a CCPA/CPRA-related data access or data portability disclosure request twice within a 12-month period. The rights you are entitled to include:
Right to Know and Data Portability: You have the right to request that we disclose certain information to you about our collection and use of your personal information over the past 12 months. Once we receive your request and confirm your identity, we will disclose to you: 1) the categories of personal information we collected about you, 2) the categories of sources for the personal information we collected about you, 3) our business or commercial purpose for collecting or sharing that personal information, 4) the categories of third parties with whom we share that personal information, and 5) the specific pieces of personal information we collected about you (also called a data portability request).
Right to Limit the Use and Disclosure: You have the right to limit the use and disclosure of any sensitive personal information collected about you.
Right to Delete: You have the right to request that we delete any of your personal information that we collected from you and retained, subject to certain exceptions. Once we receive your request and confirm your identity, we will review your request to see if an exception allowing us to retain the information applies. We may deny your deletion request if retaining the information is necessary for us or our service provider(s) to: 1) complete the transaction for which we collected the personal information, provide a good or service that you requested, take actions reasonably anticipated within the context of our ongoing business relationship with you, fulfill the terms of a written warranty or product recall conducted in accordance with federal law, or otherwise perform our contract with you, 2) detect security incidents, protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity, or prosecute those responsible for such activities, 3) debug products to identify and repair errors that impair existing intended functionality, 4) exercise free speech, ensure the right of another consumer to exercise their free speech rights, or exercise another right provided for by law, 5) comply with the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act (Cal. Penal Code § 1546 et. seq.), 6) engage in public or peer-reviewed scientific, historical, or statistical research in the public interest that adheres to all other applicable ethics and privacy laws, when the information’s deletion may likely render impossible or seriously impair the research’s achievement, if you previously provided informed consent, 7) enable solely internal uses that are reasonably aligned with consumer expectations based on your relationship with us, 8) comply with a legal obligation, or 9) make other internal and lawful uses of that information that are compatible with the context in which you provided it. We will delete or de-identify personal information not subject to one of these exceptions from our records and will direct our service providers to take similar action.
Right to Correct: You have the right to correct inaccurate information we may have collected from you. Once we receive your request and confirm your identity, we will rectify any inaccuracies on our end.
Right to Opt Out: You have the right to opt-out of the sharing of your personal information for the purpose of targeted behavioral advertising. If you exercise your right to opt-out of the sharing of your personal information, we will refrain from sharing your personal information, unless you subsequently provide express authorization for the sharing of your personal information.
(d) Users under the age of 13
The Sites are not intended to collect information from children under the age of 13. Unlock MLS does not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under the age of 13. If you are the parent or legal guardian of a child under the age of 13, and you think that your child has given us personally identifiable information, please contact us at: support@unlockmls.com.
9. Changes to this Privacy Policy
Unlock MLS has the sole discretion to update this Privacy Policy at any time. When we do make changes to the Privacy Policy, we will revise the “Last Update” date at the top and bottom of the policy. We encourage you to frequently check this page for changes and to stay informed about how we are protecting the personal information we collect. You acknowledge and agree that it is your responsibility to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Any changes or modifications will be effective immediately upon posting the updated Privacy Policy on the Sites, and you waive the right to receive specific notice of each such amendment or modification.
10. How to Exercise Your Rights
If you would like to exercise any of your rights as described in this Privacy Policy, you can contact us using the information provided below. You will need to provide us with:
Enough information to identify you (e.g., your full name, address, and any other necessary account information);
Proof of your identity and address (e.g., a copy of your driving license or passport and a recent utility or credit card bill); and
A description of what right you want to exercise and the information to which your request relates.
We are not obligated to make a data access or data portability disclosure if we cannot verify that the person making the request is the person about whom we collected information or is someone authorized to act on such person's behalf. Any personal information we collect from you to verify your identity in connection with you request will be used solely for the purposes of verification.
11. Contacting Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the Sites, or our practices with regards to your personal information, or our other services or products, please contact us at:
Austin Board of REALTORS®
Attn: Webmaster/Data Protection Officer
4800 Spicewood Springs Rd Austin, TX 78759
support@unlockmls.com
12. Last Update
This Privacy Policy was last updated on March 5, 2026.