Home Whispers
Release Notes

What's New in Home Whispers

Track all the latest updates and improvements to the platform

Version 3.16.0

Home Whispers — A New Identity

27 Apr 2026
  • Platform rebranded from PropChat to Home Whispers — a fresh identity built around the idea that every home has a secret story waiting to be discovered
  • New tagline: "The Inside Word on Sydney Property" — reflecting our focus on local insights, community intel, and the whispers behind every listing
  • New domain: homewhispers.com.au — a clean, memorable address that matches the brand
  • Updated all page titles, descriptions, hero sections, and metadata across the site to reflect the Home Whispers identity
  • Header, footer, login, signup, and all public-facing copy refreshed with the new brand voice
  • OpenGraph and SEO metadata updated for better social sharing under the new name
  • API User-Agent strings, internal references, and reserved handle list updated to include homewhispers
Version 3.15.0

Local Insights — Suburb Reports On Demand

26 Apr 2026
  • New "Local Insights" button on every auction detail page — click to open a rich modal with everything you need to size up the location
  • NSW Planning zoning lookup at the exact property coordinates — shows zone code (e.g. R2, B4, SP5), human-friendly description, the LEP it sits under, and the LGA
  • Plain-English explanations for 40+ NSW zone codes (R1–R5, B1–B7, E1–E4, IN1–IN4, RE1–RE2, RU1–RU6, SP1–SP5, W1–W3, C1–C4, MU1) so you instantly know what the zoning means
  • Nearby amenities sourced live from OpenStreetMap — schools/colleges/universities, places of worship (grouped by religion with colour cues), parks & playgrounds, transport (train, light rail, bus, ferry), and shopping (supermarkets, malls)
  • Each amenity sorted by distance from the property and shown with metres / kilometres to the door
  • Suburb median sale price calculated from Home Whispers’s own sold listings over the last 24 months (filtered by property type, with bedroom-level breakdown when there are enough samples)
  • AI-generated narrative summary: a two-paragraph plain-English overview of the area’s zoning, transport, schools, services and price profile — written specifically for this address
  • Source attribution and a one-tap "View on map" link to OpenStreetMap so you can verify everything yourself
  • Two-layer caching keeps things fast and respectful of free APIs — suburb-level data (amenities, median, narrative) cached 7 days, property-level data (geocode + zoning) cached 30 days
  • Admin-only "Force refresh" button on the modal to invalidate the cache for an individual property when needed
  • Sign-in required to open the insights modal — protects the underlying API quotas from anonymous traffic
  • New database models: SuburbInsight (suburb + postcode unique key, amenities, median price, narrative, 7-day TTL) and PropertyInsight (auctionId unique, lat/lng, zoning, 30-day TTL)
  • New API endpoint: GET /api/insights/[auctionId] — login-required, two-layer cache, ?refresh=1 admin override
  • New library modules under /lib/insights: types, geocode (Nominatim), overpass (OSM), nsw-planning (ArcGIS layer 19), median-price (own DB), narrative (LLM)
Version 3.14.0

User Handles — Pick Your @name

25 Apr 2026
  • Every account now has a public @handle (X-style): 3–20 characters, lowercase letters, numbers and underscores, globally unique
  • Handle picker on the sign-up form with a live availability check — green tick, red cross, or a friendly reason why it can’t be claimed (reserved, too short, taken, etc.)
  • Separate Display Name on sign-up, shown next to comments and replies — handle stays unique, display name can be whatever you want
  • New Settings → Public Handle card: change your handle (with the same availability check), guarded by a 30-day cooldown to prevent abuse
  • Public profile URL for every member at /u/<handle> — share your profile with a single clean link
  • X-style short URL: /@bob transparently serves the same /u/bob profile without a redirect, so shared links stay short
  • Profile page now has a Share button that copies the canonical /@handle link to the clipboard
  • @handle now appears next to your name in the header profile menu, in comments and replies, on the leaderboard, and on member cards — clicking any of them opens the profile
  • Legacy /members/<id> links auto-redirect to /u/<handle> when a user has a handle, so old bookmarks and shared links keep working
  • Reserved list protects system names (admin, support, settings, homewhispers, etc.) from being claimed as handles
  • New database fields: User.handle (unique), User.handleLower (unique mirror for case-insensitive lookup), User.displayName, User.handleChangedAt
  • Backfill ran across all 48 existing accounts: every user now has a unique handle (derived from their email/username) and a displayName
  • New API endpoints: GET /api/handle/check (availability), PATCH /api/handle (change with cooldown), GET /api/users/by-handle/[handle] (public profile)
  • New route: /u/[handle]/page.tsx; middleware rewrite from /@:handle to /u/:handle
Version 3.13.0

Rewards Store — Earn Points, Redeem Real Benefits

25 Apr 2026
  • New Rewards Store at /rewards — browse available rewards, see your points balance, redeem with one click, and track all past redemptions in one place
  • Persistent points ledger — every point you earn is recorded as a transaction; your balance updates in real time and never has to be recalculated
  • Earn 1 point when someone likes one of your comments — and if they un-like it, the point is refunded cleanly
  • Earn 2 points every time one of your listings gets published (applied immediately for auto-published agent/admin/reviewer listings, and on admin approval for reviewed submissions)
  • Earn 1 point for your first price prediction on each listing (updating your prediction does not double-count)
  • Starter catalogue — Profile Verified Badge (150 pts), Featured Comment (100 pts), Promote My Listing (500 pts), Local Insights Voucher (300 pts), 1-1 Buyer Strategy Call (1000 pts)
  • Redemption workflow — confirm, admin fulfils (or cancels with automatic point refund), and everyone sees status in the Store
  • Admin Rewards & Redemptions page at /admin/rewards — manage the full catalogue (create/edit/soft-delete) and process redemption queue with notes
  • Points balance and lifetime earned are now front-and-centre on member and agent dashboards with a direct link to the store
  • Rewards link added to the site header profile dropdown, mobile menu, and footer
  • Leaderboard and Members list now use your persistent lifetime points instead of recalculating every page view — leaderboard rank is never affected by spending points
  • Backfill ran across the database: every historical like, published listing and prediction has been turned into a points transaction so existing members start with their true balance
  • New database fields: User.pointsBalance (Int), User.lifetimePoints (Int)
  • New database models: PointsTransaction (ledger), Reward (catalogue), Redemption (user requests with status, fulfilmentData, reviewer & notes)
  • New API endpoints: GET /api/rewards, GET /api/rewards/me, POST /api/rewards/[id]/redeem, GET/POST /api/admin/rewards, PATCH/DELETE /api/admin/rewards/[id], GET /api/admin/redemptions, POST /api/admin/redemptions/[id]/fulfill, POST /api/admin/redemptions/[id]/cancel
Version 3.12.0

Suburb Search, Property Type Filter & Agent Picks

25 Apr 2026
  • Searchable suburb combobox on the listings page — start typing and pick from auto-suggested Sydney suburbs (still works as a free-text filter for partial matches)
  • New "Property Type" filter — narrow listings by House, Apartment, Townhouse, Villa, Duplex, Land, Acreage, or Other
  • Property type now stored on each listing and shown as a chip on listing cards and the auction detail page
  • Domain.com.au ingest auto-detects and saves the property type when importing a listing from a Domain URL
  • Submit & Edit Listing forms now include a Property Type dropdown
  • Agent Picks — agents can now request to "Promote" any of their published listings to the Sponsored row on the homepage from the auction detail page
  • Public Sponsored row at the top of the homepage shows up to 5 active Agent Picks (randomised per pageview, hidden when none are active)
  • Promote modal includes optional notes for the admin team and a clear notice that billing is handled manually outside the app — there is no charge in the app
  • New Admin "Agent Picks" tab — review pending requests, approve or reject with reason, extend by 30 days, or end an active pick
  • Approved picks run for a default 30-day window; admins can extend or end them at any time
  • Active picks auto-expire when their end date passes — no manual cleanup required
  • New database field: Auction.propertyType (String?)
  • New database model: AgentPick (status, notes, rejectionReason, requestedAt, reviewedAt, startsAt, endsAt, userId, reviewedById, auctionId)
  • New API endpoints: POST/GET /api/agent-picks, POST /api/agent-picks/[id]/approve, POST /api/agent-picks/[id]/reject, POST /api/agent-picks/[id]/extend, POST /api/agent-picks/[id]/end, GET /api/agent-picks/active
Version 3.11.0

Listing Image Management & Refresh from Domain

25 Apr 2026
  • Listing edit page now supports direct image upload — drag-and-drop or click to upload JPG/PNG/WebP/GIF up to 10 MB (uploads go to secure cloud storage)
  • Gallery support — listings can have up to 10 images; add new images, replace existing ones, remove individual images, or promote any gallery image to the hero position
  • New "Refresh from Domain" button on the edit page for listings sourced from Domain.com.au — fills in missing fields only, never overwrites existing data
  • Refresh diff modal lets you review each proposed change field-by-field and tick which ones to apply
  • Auction detail page now shows a gallery thumbnail row below the hero image; click to open full size
  • Admin Listings tab now has search (by address or suburb) and status filter (Published, Pending, Rejected, Off-Market), with status badges inline
  • Admin Listings Edit button now opens the full edit page (with image upload & Domain refresh) instead of the legacy modal
  • Reviewer edits now apply directly (same as admin); submitter edits still go through the review queue
  • New database field: Auction.galleryImages (String[])
  • New API endpoint: GET/POST /api/auctions/[id]/refresh-from-domain (gap-fill only)
Version 3.10.0

Feedback Submission & Admin Feedback Management

5 Apr 2026
  • New Feedback page — any signed-in user can submit a bug report or enhancement request with a title, type toggle (Bug / Enhancement), and detailed fields
  • Bug reports have three fields: Title, Steps to Reproduce, and Expected Behaviour — each with greyed-out placeholder examples
  • Enhancement requests have two fields: Title and Acceptance Criteria — with placeholder examples showing bullet-point format
  • Admin Panel now has a "Feedback" tab showing all submitted feedback with type badges, status labels, steps/criteria, expected behaviour, submitter info, and timestamps
  • Admins can update feedback status (Open → In Progress → Resolved → Closed) directly from the admin panel via a dropdown
  • Feedback link added to footer under the Platform section for easy access
  • New database model: Feedback (title, type, acceptanceCriteria, expectedBehaviour, status, userId)
  • New API endpoints: POST /api/feedback (submit), GET /api/feedback (admin list), PATCH /api/feedback/[id] (update status)
Version 3.9.0

Clickable Dashboard Stats & Admin Deep-Linking

5 Apr 2026
  • All stat cards on role-based dashboards are now clickable — tap any metric to navigate directly to the relevant page (e.g., "Total Users" → Admin Users tab, "Watchlist" → My Listings, "Pending Reviews" → Review Queue)
  • Admin Panel now supports URL-based tab selection — links like /admin?tab=users or /admin?tab=reports open the correct tab automatically
  • Stat cards show hover effects (scale + shadow) to indicate they are interactive
  • Member dashboard: Watchlist → My Listings, Comments → Community, Predictions → Community, Messages → Messages
  • Agent dashboard: All listing stat cards link to My Listings management page
  • Reviewer dashboard: Pending Listings → Review Queue, Partner Requests → Partners page, Comments → Community, Watchlist → My Listings
  • Admin dashboard: Users → Admin Users tab, Listings → Admin Auctions tab, Comments → Community, Pending Reviews → Review tab, Reports → Reports tab, Partner Requests → Partners page
Version 3.8.0

Role-Based Dashboards & Prominent Listing Badges

5 Apr 2026
  • Role-based dashboards — each user type now sees a tailored dashboard when they sign in: Member (watchlist, predictions, activity), Agent (listing management, engagement stats), Reviewer (pending listing queue, partner requests), Admin (site-wide metrics, user breakdown, quick actions)
  • Reviewer dashboard includes inline approve/reject buttons for pending listings and a view of pending partner requests
  • Agent dashboard shows total/active/pending/sold listing counts, engagement bars, and quick actions for managing listings
  • Admin dashboard shows user role breakdown chart, recent signups, pending reports count, and quick action links to the full admin panel
  • "Agent Pick" and "Discussion Requests" badges are now prominently displayed as overlay badges on the listing image thumbnail (top-right), making them much more visible
  • Discussion request badge shows count with "Request/Requests" label in indigo; agent highlight shows "Agent Pick" in orange
  • Added Prisma retry middleware for transient database connection errors (idle-session timeout) — reduces random 500 errors
  • Auth flow now catches database errors gracefully and shows "Server error — please try again" instead of blank screen
  • Header simplified — only a single "Sign In" button instead of separate Sign In + Sign Up
Version 3.7.0

Partners Directory & Business Listings

5 Apr 2026
  • Partners page completely revamped — now showcases 22 property-related businesses across 11 categories including mortgage brokers, buyers agents, construction companies, and more
  • Business type filter — filter partners by category (Mortgage Broker, Buyers Agent, Real Estate Agent, Conveyancer, etc.)
  • Search functionality — search partners by name, type, tagline, or description
  • "Become a Partner" form — businesses can submit an application to be listed on the Partners page. Form captures business name, contact details, type, and message
  • Each partner card shows a coloured gradient banner by category, contact details, and featured badge for highlighted businesses
  • New database model: PartnerRequest for tracking business partnership applications
  • New API endpoint: POST /api/partner-request for submitting partner applications
Version 3.6.0

Discussion Requests, Agent Highlights & URL Safety

5 Apr 2026
  • Request Discussion — any signed-in user can request more community discussion on a listing. A 🤘 hand icon with count appears on listing cards when requests are active
  • Agent Highlight — agents and admins can highlight listings to draw attention, shown with a 📢 megaphone icon on listing cards
  • URL Masking — any URL posted in comments is automatically replaced with www.nowebsite.com when displayed, keeping the community safe from external links
  • Navigation renamed — "Auctions" is now "Listings" in the header to reflect that the platform covers all property types, not just auctions
  • "Back to Auctions" button on detail pages simplified to "Back" for cleaner navigation
  • Import from Address now uses the same autocomplete dropdown as Manual Entry — type to search, select from suggestions, then click Find Listing
  • New database models: DiscussionRequest and AgentHighlight (unique per user + listing)
  • New API endpoints: POST /api/auctions/[id]/discuss and POST /api/auctions/[id]/highlight
  • Auctions list and detail APIs now return discussion request and agent highlight counts
Version 3.5.0

Submission Workflow Overhaul — Three-Tab Entry & Smart Import

4 Apr 2026
  • Three-tab submission system — Import from Link, Import from Address, and Manual Entry, giving users flexible ways to add listings
  • Import from Address — enter a street address and the system uses Photon geocoding to find and import the matching Domain.com.au listing automatically
  • Preview Listing — see a visual card preview (image, address, specs, price guide) of your property before submitting
  • Auction date is now optional — listings without a confirmed auction date can be submitted and will show "Date TBC"
  • Address autocomplete on Manual Entry — type to search with debounced Photon geocoder suggestions and one-click selection
  • Auction model updated — auctionDateTime is now nullable (DateTime?)
  • New API endpoint: POST /api/domain/search-address for address-based Domain.com.au listing discovery
Version 3.4.0

Community Hub, Leaderboard & Member Profiles

1 Apr 2026
  • Community Feed — browse all discussions across every property listing in one unified, searchable feed with sort options (Newest, Top, Active)
  • Leaderboard — ranked community table with a visual podium for the top 3 contributors, filterable by All Time, This Month, or This Week
  • Members Directory — card grid of all community members with search, role filter (All/Agents/Users), and sort by activity, level, or join date
  • Member Profiles — full public profiles with bio, agency name, stats grid, points progress bar, and recent activity feed
  • Points & Levels System — Skool-inspired gamification with 7 levels (Newcomer → Legend). Earn points from likes received (+1), listings submitted (+2), predictions made (+1), and accurate predictions (+3)
  • Level Badge — colour-coded badge component showing your community level across the platform
  • Profile Bio & Agency Name — edit your bio (up to 300 characters) and agency name from the Settings page
  • Header navigation — added Community and Leaderboard links to desktop nav; Community, Leaderboard, and Members to mobile nav
  • Member profiles link to direct messaging for easy community connection
  • Points breakdown legend on the Leaderboard page explains how points are earned
  • Profile API extended to support bio and agencyName fields alongside username
  • Four new API endpoints: /api/community, /api/leaderboard, /api/members, and /api/members/[id]
Version 3.3.0

Agent Badges, Advanced Search & Partners Page

31 Mar 2026
  • Agent Badge — verified agents now display a distinctive badge next to their name in comments and listings
  • Partners page — browse verified property agents with their profiles, agency info, and activity stats
  • Advanced search filters — filter by outcome (sold/passed in/upcoming), min bedrooms, min bathrooms, and off-market status
  • Off-Market listings — agents can mark properties as off-market opportunities with a distinctive purple badge
  • Featured/Promoted listings — admins can promote listings to always appear at the top of search results
  • Property details — bedrooms, bathrooms, and car spaces now displayed on listing cards and detail pages
  • Submit form — new fields for bedrooms, bathrooms, car spaces, and off-market toggle (agents only)
  • Submitter attribution — detail pages now show who listed the property with agent badge and agency name
  • Admin panel — star toggle to promote/feature listings directly from the listings tab
Version 3.2.0

Community Photos, Image Upload & AI Moderation

31 Mar 2026
  • Community Photos section — upload and share photos of properties on any listing page with lightbox gallery
  • Direct image upload on submit page — upload property images alongside URL paste option
  • AI Content Moderation — uploaded images are automatically checked for appropriate content using vision AI
  • Photo gallery with lightbox — browse uploaded images full-screen with keyboard navigation
  • Upload flow uses presigned URLs for fast, secure direct-to-cloud uploads
  • Media management — owners and admins can delete community photos
  • New CommunityMedia database model with moderation status tracking
Version 3.1.0

Domain.com.au Integration — Import Listings

30 Mar 2026
  • Import listings directly from Domain.com.au — paste a URL or search by address to auto-fill all property details
  • Address search on submit page — find Domain listings by street address with optional suburb filter
  • Image auto-fetch — property images are automatically imported from Domain listings with gallery selection
  • Submit page redesigned with Import from Domain and Manual Entry tabs
  • Imported listings track Domain listing ID for future sync and updates
  • New API routes for Domain property search, listing details, and URL import
Version 3.0.0

PropChat Rebrand, User Roles & Listing Approval Workflow

30 Mar 2026
  • Platform rebranded from AuctionTalk to PropChat with new identity and messaging
  • Community Roadmap page — submit feature requests, vote on ideas, and track development priorities
  • User Roles — four-tier system: Member, Agent, Reviewer, and Admin with distinct permissions
  • Role selection during signup — choose between Member or Agent when registering
  • Listing Approval Workflow — member submissions go through review; agent/admin listings publish immediately
  • Review Queue — admins and reviewers can approve or reject pending listings with feedback
  • Rejection Feedback — rejected listings show the reason and can be edited and resubmitted
  • Published Version Persistence — edits to published listings are stored as drafts while the original stays visible
  • My Listings page — track all your submissions with status filters (Published, Pending, Rejected)
  • Edit Listing page — modify your submissions with role-aware behaviour (admin edits instantly, others go to review)
  • Admin Role Management — admins can change any user's role directly from the Users tab
  • Admin panel now accessible to Reviewer role (review queue only)
  • Listing detail page shows status banners for pending, rejected, and pending-edit states
  • Header navigation updated with My Listings link and Review Queue access for reviewers
  • Database schema expanded with listingStatus, rejectionReason, draftData, hasPendingEdit, and reviewedBy fields on Auction model
  • Public feed now filters to published-only listings
Version 2.0.0

Major Platform Uplift — Predictions, Outcomes, Messaging & Analytics

28 Mar 2026
  • Community Price Predictions — submit your price estimate for any upcoming auction and see the crowd consensus range (25th–75th percentile + median)
  • Auction Outcome Tracking — report results after auction day: Sold (with price), Passed In, Withdrawn, or Postponed
  • Prediction vs Reality — once an auction sells, see how the community prediction compared to the actual sold price
  • "I'm Attending" RSVP — tap to say you're going to an auction and see how many others plan to attend
  • Direct Member Messaging — send private messages to other community members with a full conversation inbox
  • Unread message badges in the header with automatic polling
  • Suburb Insights pages — browse all suburbs with clearance rates, average sold prices, and community activity
  • Follow Suburbs — subscribe to suburbs you're interested in and track them from your dashboard
  • Revamped User Dashboard — watchlist with countdown timers, prediction accuracy tracker, recent activity feed, and suburb follows
  • Admin Analytics Dashboard — auction outcome breakdowns, top contributors leaderboard, most discussed auctions, and suburb activity charts
  • Auction detail page redesigned with 4-column stats grid (date, comments, watchers, attending)
  • Auction cards now show outcome badges (Sold, Passed In, etc.)
  • Header navigation updated with Suburbs and Messages links
  • Suburb names on auction pages now link to the suburb insights page
  • Database schema expanded with 6 new models: PricePrediction, AuctionAttendee, SuburbFollow, Conversation, Message, and AuctionResult enum
  • Auction feed now includes past auctions so outcome data is visible
Version 1.0.4

User Submissions & Domain API Integration

16 Mar 2026
  • Users can now submit their own auction listings
  • Duplicate check prevents submitting listings that already exist
  • Added "Submit Listing" button in navigation header
  • Domain API integration scaffold ready for when access is approved
  • Database schema updated to track listing source (user vs Domain)
  • When Domain syncs, user-submitted listings are updated with official data but comments are preserved
Version 1.0.3

Release Notes Page

16 Mar 2026
  • Added release notes page to track all platform updates
  • Added link to releases page in footer
Version 1.0.2

Community Insights Enhancement

16 Mar 2026
  • Updated mock comments to include realistic mix of positive and negative community insights
  • Added warnings about developments, flood zones, structural issues, strata levies, and noise
  • Added positive insights about schools, transport, and community feel
  • Comments now reflect the kind of insider knowledge agents may not share
Version 1.0.1

UI Improvements & Mock Data

16 Mar 2026
  • Fixed color contrast issues on homepage hero section for better readability
  • Added 104+ mock community comments across all auction listings
  • Added 5 regular user accounts for realistic community discussions
  • Nested Reddit-style comment threading now populated with sample data
Version 1.0.0

Initial Release

16 Mar 2026
  • Auction listing feed with filters by suburb and date
  • Individual auction detail pages with property information
  • Reddit-style nested comment system with likes and replies
  • User authentication with email/password and Google SSO
  • Watchlist functionality to track favorite auctions
  • Comment reporting and moderation system
  • Admin panel for managing auctions, users, and reports
  • 20 Sydney property listings across major suburbs
  • Sorting by soonest auction, newest listing, or most active discussion

Home Whispers is continuously improving based on community feedback.