PRIVACY POLICY

Last updated: April 13, 2026

This Privacy Notice is provided by The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School, on behalf of the Leonard W. Wood Center for Real Estate tudies, having its registered office at 300 Kenan Center Drive, Campus Box 3490, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3490 (hereafter, "KFBS").

The KFBS offers a platform for a community engagement center to connect individuals with an interest in real estate for networking, events, growth and professional development, and exploration of job opportunities (hereafter, the “Platform”) to its users which have subscribed on the Platform and as such have a user account (hereafter, “you” or “Users”). The Platform is available at the following URL address www.realestate.unc.edu/wcconnect, and any other websites, desktop applications, or mobile applications that link or refer to this Privacy Notice. This Privacy Notice applies to the information that KFBS collects, processes, uses, shares, and transfers when you use the Platform.

KFBS is providing this Privacy Notice to help you understand our privacy practices and make informed decisions when using the Platform. This Privacy Notice is part of the KFBS Terms of Use , which is binding on the Platform. This Privacy Notice, along with the Terms of Use, govern your use of the Platform. When you access the Platform, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Notice and understand and agree to its contents.

ARTICLE 1.    COLLECTED PERSONAL DATA

KFBS collects personal data voluntarily supplied by you when you use the Platform and automatically collected information about you as you navigate the Platform. “Personal data” is any data that identifies, relates to, describes, or can reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a specific individual or household.

 

1.1 Personal data collected when subscribing on the Platform

When subscribing to the Platform, the User is informed that the following personal data is collected for the purpose of creating a user account:

Personal data required to create an account:

  • First name;
  • Last name;
  • Email address; and
  • UNC affiliation. 

Optional personal data to create an account:

·    Additional contact information including city/region, secondary email, mobile phone number, LinkedIn profile, and company website; and

·      Information regarding university education, skills, professional experience and Resume.

You may choose to register or login to the Platform using your existing accounts with third-party social networks, including, Google, LinkedIn, and Apple. If you use this option, and upon your consent, we will import the following information from your chosen social network to create or complete your user profile:

·         Full name; and

·         Email address.

No other personal data or profile information is imported from your social network. Once imported your name and email address will be incorporated into your user account and processed by KFBS in accordance with the purposes described in this Privacy Notice.

Please note that the KFBS is not responsible for the legal compliance or privacy practices of the social network you use for registration and login. We recommend you review the terms of use and privacy policy of the relevant social network to ensure that their processing of your personal data aligns with your privacy expectations and applicable data protection laws.

1.2 Personal data collected during the use of the Platform

Users may validly publish, at their own initiative, any content on the Platform which shall be kept by KFBS. Personal data that Users may share include:

·         Posts, Live Feed, Groups, Forums, Job Opportunities;

·         Profile, Portfolio, Resume;

·         News Articles and/or links to relevant industry articles/videos;

·         Camera roll, gallery, contacts;

·         Geolocation.

Do not publish, provide, or make available any sensitive personal data, including, but not limited to, tax information, social security numbers, driver’s license information, payment card information, or any other information you would not want to be publicly available. You acknowledge that any content you publish to the Platform, as described above, is done so voluntarily.

1.3 Personal data collected automatically while using the Platform

We may collect personal data automatically as you navigate the Platform. When you access and interact with the Platform, we may collect certain information about those visits for Platform operation purposes (e.g., to permit your connection to the Platform, our servers receive and record information about your computer, device and browser, browser type, and other software or hardware information). If using the mobile application to access the Platform, KFBS may collect limited device information and application usage information. This information is used solely to support the operation of the mobile application and is not retained by KFBS. The Platform may also use cookies for your convenience and security. For more information on the use of cookies and similar tracking technologies, please see Article 7 below. 

ARTICLE 2.    HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA

KFBS and its service providers and subcontractors process your personal data on the Platform for the following purposes:

·         Creation and management of a user account;

  • Sending invitations for events organized by KFBS or other Users, if the User has accepted to receive such invitations;
  • Invite the User to Groups or Forums organized by KFBS or other Users;
  • Ability to post in Live Feed, Forums, Groups, and Opportunities (job postings);
  • Ability to direct message other Users that have enabled the direct messaging option through their individual account privacy settings;
  • Sending email prospect campaigns on behalf of The Leonard W. Wood Center for Real Estate Studies;
  • Sending newsletters on behalf of The Leonard W. Wood Center for Real Estate Studies and/or its commercial partners;
  • Where we have a legitimate interest as described in this Privacy Notice; and
  • Where processing is required by law or is required to comply with and enforce legal requirements, agreement, and policies.

    ARTICLE 3.     LAWFUL BASES OF PROCESSING

We rely on one or more of the following legal bases to process personal data:

·         The processing is necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests, such as in improving, personalizing, and developing the Platform, and maintaining Platform safety and security as described above;

·         Consent is provided by you for a specific purpose (i.e., marketing); or

·         The processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, a court order, or to exercise or defend legal claims.

     ARTICLE 4.    DATA RETENTION PERIOD

KFBS retains your personal data for as long as needed to fulfill the particular purpose for which it was collected. KFBS may also retain your personal data if legally required or to fulfill a legitimate interest.

Inactive User Accounts may be deleted after two years of inactivity. - Following the termination of said subscription, the data collected upon the subscription as well as the content published by the User on the Platform shall be deleted after a period of thirty (30) calendar days. 

ARTICLE 5.    DATA TRANSFERS

Personal data provided to KFBS by Users outside of the United States may be transferred to other countries such as the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those of your home country. By providing KFBS with your personal data, you are giving your affirmative consent that your Personal data will be transferred to the United States and processed and stored on servers in the United States. However, all reasonable steps will be taken to protect your privacy in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

ARTICLE 6.    EXERCISE OF THE USERS’ RIGHTS

KFBS respects your rights related to your personal data under applicable laws and jurisdictions. Depending on where you reside, you may have the right: (1) to be informed about our collection, use, and disclosure of your personal data; (2) to know if we maintain your personal data, and if we do, to receive a copy (subject to the rights of others) and to update it if it is inaccurate or out of date; (3) to object to our processing of your personal data, and if we are processing your persona data based on your consent, to withdraw that consent at any time; (4) to ask us to delete or restrict the processing of your personal data; and (5) to not be subjected to any discriminatory treatment for the exercise of your privacy rights.

By contacting us as described in Article 14, you can send us your requests related to your personal data. We may require that you verify your identity before exercising your individual rights. Please note that these rights are not absolute, for example, your deletion request does not ensure complete deletion or comprehensive removal, as the content or information may be retained subject to applicable law. We will respond to your written request as soon as possible and in accordance with any deadlines imposed by law. Unless we notify you at the time of your request, we will not charge you any fee in connection with the exercise of your rights. KFBS will inform you of any action taken, and if KFBS refuses to take action in response to your request to exercise a right, will provide you with a written explanation of its reasoning. You may appeal this response by contacting us via the email provided in Article 14. For individuals located within the European Economic Area (EEA), if you have any concerns about the result of your appeal, you may file a complaint with the appropriate supervisory authority.

ARTICLE 7.    COOKIES AND SIMILAR TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES 

When you visit our Platform, we may send a cookie to your computer. A cookie is a text file which is stored on your computer or other device and allows us to distinguish you from other users of this Platform. Session-based cookies last only while your browser is open and are automatically deleted when you close your browser. Persistent cookies last until you or your browser delete them or they expire.

KFBS uses a service provider, Hivebrite, to provide the Platform. Hivebrite, as well as its subcontractors, uses a tracking technology on its terminal such as cookies whenever the User navigates on the Platform subject to the conditions described in Hivebrite’s privacy policy. 

ARTICLE 8.    HOW WE SHARE YOUR PERSONAL DATA

 We do not share personal data with any third parties who are unaffiliated with or who are not service providers to KFBS. Below is a description of the details on how we share personal data:

  • with service providers who help administer the Platform;
  • with affiliates to better serve KFBS and its evolving business needs;
  • as permitted or required by law or for our legitimate business purposes, including: (a) to comply with a law, legal process or regulations; (b) to protect the vital interests of a person; (c) to protect our property, services and legal rights; (d) to companies we plan to merge with or be acquired by. and (e) to support our audit, compliance and governance functions. In any such disclosure of information, your personal data would remain subject to this Privacy Notice; or
  • when we have obtained your consent to disclose personal data.

KFBS only provides third parties with the information they need to perform the service and ask them not to use your personal data for any other purpose. KFBS does its best to ensure that all these trusted service providers only process the personal data on our documented instructions and provide sufficient guarantees, in particular in terms of confidentiality, expert knowledge, reliability and resources, to implement technical and organizational measures which will meet the requirements of the applicable legislation, including for the security of processing. 

To the extent a service provider is receiving the personal data of a User who is a student at KFBS, and to the extent such personal data is subject to the Family Education Rights Act ("FERPA"), the service provider is acting as a "school official" with "legitimate educational interests" in "personally identifiable information" from "education records" of KFBS students, as those terms have been defined under FERPA. In such cases, the service provider is under the direct control of KFBS with respect to the service provider's use and maintenance of data in the education records, and the service provider will abide by the limitations and requirements imposed by FERPA on school officials. The service provider will also only use such personal data for the purpose of fulfilling its duties under the applicable agreement with KFBS.

KFBS does not sell your personal data.

ARTICLE 9.    HOW WE PROTECT YOUR PERSONAL DATA

We use physical, technical, organizational, and administrative safeguards for our Platform designed to protect against loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration or destruction of the information we collect through our Platform. Our security controls are designed to maintain data confidentiality, integrity, and an appropriate level of availability. However, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to our Platform.

Messages that you send to us by email, including by use of the contact us form on the Platform, may not be secure, and use of email is not recommended for sending us confidential or sensitive information.

ARTICLE 10. LINKED WEBSITES

The Platform contains links to other websites. Linked websites are independent from our Platform and are not governed by this Privacy Notice. KFBS does not endorse, review, or have any control over the content, products, or services of linked websites or their privacy policies, and KFBS is not responsible for the privacy practices of unaffiliated companies or organizations. Once you leave the Platform, you should read the applicable privacy policy of the other company. If you decide to access any of the linked websites, you do so at your own risk.

The Platform uses interfaces with social media websites such as LinkedIn. If you choose to “like” or share information from the Platform through these services, you should review the privacy policy of that service. If you are a member of a social media site, the interface may allow the social media site to connect your visit to your site to your personal data. 

ARTICLE 11. MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

We will send marketing and informational communications to individuals if they have affirmatively indicated they want to receive them by providing their contact information and selected the appropriate boxes to confirm their choices. You may opt-out of these mailings, future marketing, and informational materials at any time by contacting us as noted in Article 14 below and indicating you changed your preference or clicking the unsubscribe or opt-out feature at the bottom of electronic marketing and informational materials. If you choose to no longer receive marketing information, we may still communicate with you regarding transactional or administrative topics such as information requests.

ARTICLE 12. CHILDREN’S DATA

 Our Platform is not directed to children under the age of majority (i.e., 18). We do not knowingly collect information from children or others who are not legally able to use our Platform. If we obtain actual knowledge that we have collected information from a child under the age of majority, we will promptly destroy that information, unless we are legally obligated to retain it. If you believe we have mistakenly or unintentionally collected information from a child under the age of majority, please contact us as noted in Article 14.

ARTICLE 13. UPDATES TO THIS PRIVACY NOTICE

 We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time, so please visit this page periodically and review for any changes that might affect you. Your continued use the Platform following the posting of changes will constitute your acceptance of the changed terms.

ARTICLE 14.CONTACT US

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this Privacy Notice, please contact use by:

·         Email:  [email protected]

·         Phone:  +1  919-962-6749

·         Address:  The Leonard W. Wood Center for Real Estate Studies, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, 300 Kenan Center Drive, Campus Box 3490, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3490