👤 Profile & Settings — User Guide

📋 Overview

Your profile page has several sections, each with its own Save or Connect button:

👤 Account Information

Your basic account details at the top of the profile card.

Fields

• 🔒 Email — Your login email address. This field is read-only and cannot be changed after registration. Contact support if you need to update it.
• Full Name — Your display name throughout the app and in email signatures when contacting sellers.
• Role — Your account type (admin, wholesaler, etc.) — displayed in the profile header.

🏢 Business Profile

Your company information appears in email signatures and communications with sellers and buyers. A blue info note on the page reminds you: if you haven't formed a business yet, your personal name and contact details work perfectly fine.

Company Information

• Company Name (Trade Name) — The name you do business as — what sellers will see in your emails. Example: "Smith RE Investments". Hover the field for a tooltip.
• Legal Entity Name (optional) — Your officially registered business entity name (LLC, Corp, etc.). Example: "Smith RE Investments LLC". Leave blank if you haven't formed a business entity yet.
• Business Phone — Auto-formats to (xxx) xxx-xxxx as you type. Also used as a fallback for SMS test messages.
• Business Email — The email address sellers should reply to. Can be the same as your login email.
• Website URL (optional) — Your business website. Leave blank if you don't have one yet.

Experience & Track Record

• Representative Name — The main point of contact for your business — usually your own name. Hover for a tooltip.
• Years in Business — How long you've been investing. Enter 0 if you're just getting started — everyone starts somewhere!
• Properties Purchased — Total deals closed so far. Enter 0 if you haven't done a deal yet — this is just for your records.

Mailing Address

Used for official business correspondence only. A note on the page confirms: this is private and will not be shared with sellers.

• Street Address — Your business or home mailing address.
• City — City name.
• State — Select from the dropdown (all 50 US states + DC).
• ZIP Code — 5-digit ZIP. ZIP+4 format (e.g., 89123-4567) is also accepted.

📧 Email Configuration (optional)

Set up how outgoing emails are sent to property owners, agents, and buyers from within RE Flip Finder.

Email Sending Method Options

Auto-fill Quick Setup Buttons

Inside the email server settings panel, three buttons auto-fill the technical SMTP settings for you:

• 📧 Gmail — fills smtp.gmail.com, port 587
• 📧 Outlook / Hotmail — fills smtp-mail.outlook.com, port 587
• 📧 Yahoo Mail — fills smtp.mail.yahoo.com, port 465

After clicking a quick-setup button, you only need to enter your email address and password.

Common SMTP Settings (manual reference)

App Passwords (Gmail & Yahoo)

Gmail and Yahoo require a special "App Password" instead of your regular login password when using SMTP. This is a 16-character code generated in your Google or Yahoo security settings.

• Gmail App Password: myaccount.google.com/apppasswords
• Yahoo App Password: login.yahoo.com/myaccount/security

Email Verification

After saving SMTP configuration, a yellow verification banner may appear asking you to verify ownership of the email address:

1. Click "Send Verification Code"
2. Check your inbox for the 6-digit code (check spam if not received)
3. Enter the code and click "Verify Code"
4. Done — your email address is verified and ready to use

If the code doesn't arrive, click "Resend Code". Codes expire after 15 minutes.

📱 SMS Configuration (optional)

Set up SMS to send text messages to property owners and sellers. Text messages have a 98% open rate — much higher than email — making them very effective for real estate outreach.

Supported SMS Providers

API Keys

Each SMS provider requires an API key — think of it as a secure code that connects your provider account to RE Flip Finder. The API key field has a show/hide eye icon so you can verify it before saving. API keys are encrypted and stored securely; we never display them after saving.

SMS Best Practices

• Always get permission before texting sellers ("May I send you a text message?")
• Include your name and business in every message
• Honor any opt-out or "do not contact" requests immediately
• This keeps you compliant with texting laws (TCPA)

🎯 TextMagic Setup (Recommended)

TextMagic is the easiest SMS provider to set up. You don't need a dedicated phone number — TextMagic provides shared sender numbers, so you can start immediately with just a username and API key.

Step-by-Step Setup

TextMagic Pricing

📞 Other SMS Providers

Twilio Setup

The most popular SMS API. Requires purchasing a Twilio phone number (~$1–2/month).

• Account SID: Found on your Twilio Console dashboard (starts with AC)
• Auth Token: Found below Account SID on the Console dashboard — treat this like a password
• From Phone Number: A Twilio number you've purchased — enter in +1XXXXXXXXXX format

Dashboard: console.twilio.com

Salesmsg Setup

Built specifically for real estate professionals. Good for high-volume outreach.

• API Key: Get from Salesmsg → Settings → API
• From Phone Number: Your Salesmsg number in +1XXXXXXXXXX format

Dashboard: app.salesmessage.com/settings/api

SimpleTexting Setup

User-friendly interface, good support team.

• API Key: Generate in your SimpleTexting dashboard under Settings → API
• From Phone Number: Your SimpleTexting number in +1XXXXXXXXXX format

Clerk Chat Setup

Alternative provider with competitive pricing.

• API Key: From your Clerk Chat dashboard
• From Phone Number: Your Clerk Chat number in +1XXXXXXXXXX format

🔐 Phone Number Verification

If you enter a dedicated "From Phone Number" when saving your SMS configuration, a yellow verification banner will appear asking you to confirm you own that number. This prevents someone from sending texts pretending to be from a number they don't own.

Verification Process

1. Save your SMS configuration with your phone number filled in
2. A yellow verification banner appears showing your phone number
3. Click "Send Verification Code"
4. You'll receive a 6-digit code via text message
5. Enter the code in the box and click "Verify Code"
6. Your number is now verified and ready to use

No Phone Number? No Problem.

If you're using TextMagic without a dedicated number:

• Leave the From Phone Number field empty
• TextMagic uses shared sender numbers automatically
• No verification step needed

✅ Testing Your Setup

Test Email

1. Configure and save your email settings
2. Click the "Test Email" button
3. Check your inbox — you should receive the test email within seconds
4. Check spam/junk folder if it doesn't arrive

Test SMS

1. Configure and save your SMS settings
2. Click the "Test SMS" button
3. Check your business phone for a text message
4. You should receive: "RE Flip Finder SMS Configuration Test: Your SMS is working correctly! 🎉"

Troubleshooting Tests

💬 Reach your assistant from your phone

Your assistant isn't just on the website. You can reach it from any phone — by a regular voice call, by WhatsApp message, or by Telegram message. It's the same assistant every time, with the same tools and the same memory of past conversations. See the Assistant help page for what your assistant can actually do.

📞 Phone Call & 🟢 WhatsApp (same link)

On your profile page, find the WhatsApp or Phone Call card. Click Link my number once to get a 6-digit code, then activate it either way — the same code works for both.

Setup Steps

1. On your profile page, find the WhatsApp or Phone Call card.
2. Click Link my number. A box appears with a 6-digit code and two usage options.
3. Activate the code either way:
   • By WhatsApp — open WhatsApp on your phone and send the code to +1 (805) 719-7162. You can tap Open WhatsApp chat in the box for a pre-filled message.
   • By phone call — dial +1 (805) 719-7162 from your phone. When the assistant asks, enter the 6 digits on your keypad and press #. The assistant greets you as soon as the code is accepted.
4. Back on your profile, the card now shows "Your number is linked" with a green check.

Using the Phone Call

• Dial +1 (805) 719-7162 any time. Your assistant picks up in about two seconds and you can just start talking.
• Works from any mobile or landline that can make a regular phone call.
• Completely hands-free — say what you want naturally.
• Call quality is phone-line (narrowband) audio. Voice is clear but not studio quality.

Using WhatsApp

Open your regular WhatsApp and message +1 (805) 719-7162 any time. Replies stream back in the same chat.

✈️ Telegram

Chat with your assistant through the RE Flip Finder Telegram bot — fast, free, and works on any device with Telegram installed. Telegram is a separate link from your phone number because it uses your Telegram username.

Setup Steps

1. On your profile page, scroll to the Telegram Chat card.
2. Click the blue Connect Telegram button.
3. A box appears with a 6-digit link code and instructions:
   1. Open Telegram on your phone
   2. Search for @reflipfinder_bot and open it
   3. Send this message: /start <your-code> (the code is shown in the box)
4. The bot confirms your account is linked. Your profile now shows "Telegram connected" with your Telegram @username and a Disconnect button.

From then on, just open your chat with @reflipfinder_bot in Telegram and type — no more codes needed.

🧠 How the Channels Work

• Same assistant everywhere — same tools, same memory of past conversations, same preferences. Start on a call in the morning, keep going on the website in the afternoon.
• Everything your assistant does on the website works here — search deals, explain a deal's grade, pull market briefings, find buyers, save deals to your watchlist, and more. See the Assistant help page for the full list.
• Long replies stay readable — Your assistant keeps WhatsApp/Telegram replies concise by default. On a phone call, replies are spoken conversationally — no walls of text.

Examples to Try from Your Phone

• "Any new A-grade deals in Phoenix today?"
• "What's the ARV on 123 Main Street?"
• "How's the Austin market doing?"
• "Save this deal as interested."
• "What follow-ups do I have today?"

🔌 Disconnecting

The WhatsApp or Phone Call card has a Disconnect button once linked — clicking it unlinks your number from both the phone and WhatsApp channels at the same time. Telegram has its own Disconnect on its card. You can reconnect any time by generating a new code.

🔐 Security & Password

Changing Your Password

Scroll to the "Change Password" section at the bottom of the profile page.

Password Requirements

The requirements are shown above the password fields so you know what's needed before you start typing. Each requirement turns green with a checkmark as you meet it:

• At least 8 characters
• One uppercase letter (A–Z)
• One lowercase letter (a–z)
• One number (0–9)

Show/Hide Passwords

Both the New Password and Confirm New Password fields have an eye icon (👁) on the right side. Click it to reveal what you've typed and verify it looks correct before saving.

Clear Button

The "Clear" button next to "Update Password" clears both password fields and resets the requirement indicators. Use it if you want to start over without saving.

Security Best Practices

• Strong Passwords: Use a password manager (e.g., LastPass, 1Password) to create and store strong unique passwords
• API Keys: Never share your API keys or passwords — treat them like bank account credentials
• Encrypted Storage: All API keys are encrypted in the database — we never display them after saving
• Regular Updates: Consider updating your password periodically

🔧 Troubleshooting

Email Not Sending

SMS Not Sending

Configuration Not Saving

Getting Help

• Check Provider Status: Visit your SMS/email provider's status page to see if there's an outage
• Test Credentials: Log into the provider's dashboard directly to confirm your account is active
• Your Assistant: Click the chat bubble in the bottom-right corner — it can answer profile and setup questions
• Contact Support: Use the ? button in the bottom-left corner to submit a bug report or question

📚 Quick Reference

Provider Links

Common SMTP Ports

• 587: TLS — recommended for Gmail and Outlook
• 465: SSL — used by Yahoo Mail
• 25: Unencrypted — not recommended; blocked by most providers

Phone Number Format for SMS Providers

All SMS providers (except TextMagic shared numbers) require the number in international format:

• US/Canada: +17025551234 (country code 1 + 10 digits)
• UK: +447700900123
• No spaces, dashes, or parentheses

The form shows a friendly placeholder like +1 (702) 555-1234 as a guide, but save it without spaces in the actual field.