Turning WhatsApp conversations into a record

Most of the business happens on WhatsApp. PropOrdo's approach is not to reach into the agent's phone but to connect the agency's own WhatsApp Business line and make the conversations on that line the branch's record. This lesson covers the connection and daily use.

1. What happens without the connection

From the left menu open Client Conversations. If the connection is not configured, the screen says so plainly: “WhatsApp Business connection not configured.” In that state nothing is recorded; tapping a number only opens WhatsApp on your phone. Rather than offering a button that does nothing, it tells the truth.

2. Connect the WhatsApp Business line

As company admin go to Company > Communication Settings. Two things are configured here: the email provider and WhatsApp Business. The WhatsApp section asks for details from Meta's WhatsApp Business (Cloud API) account: the phone number ID and an access token. You obtain these from Meta's business dashboard; PropOrdo cannot generate them on your behalf.

The connection needs a WhatsApp Business number in the agency's name; a personal WhatsApp account cannot be connected. That is a deliberate limit: what gets recorded is the agency's business line, not an agent's private chats.

Once the connection is saved, the warning on the Client Conversations screen disappears and conversations start flowing.

3. The conversations screen

The screen has two columns: on the left the list of conversations (number or the name from Contacts, last message, unread count), on the right the selected conversation. Incoming and outgoing messages show with direction and timestamp; an incoming message awaiting a reply is marked “awaiting reply”.

You can type a message at the bottom and press Send; it goes out on the agency line and is recorded at the same moment. The Choose a template list fills in frequently used texts (appointment confirmation, listing share, title-deed day reminder). To start a conversation with a new number, use the “New conversation by number” field at the top.

If a message could not be delivered (number not on WhatsApp, line restricted), the screen says so: “Message saved but could not be sent.” The record is still kept; you see the problem.

4. Link the conversation to the client

The value of a conversation is that it shows in the client's file. If the phone number matches a record in Contacts, the conversation is linked automatically to that person and, if there is one, to their client enquiry; you see a name instead of a number in the list. If it does not match, add the number to Contacts: on the next refresh the conversation links up and sits on the client timeline alongside appointments and offers.

That is why getting the phone number right at first contact matters: the number in Contacts and the number on WhatsApp must be in the same format, with the country code.

5. Who sees it, and for how long

Conversations are visible to the branch's agents and managers according to role; another branch's conversations are not. Who wrote what and when is kept in the audit log. If an agent leaves, the conversations stay in the branch record.

The retention period is your agency's decision, not PropOrdo's. Set out in your privacy notice how long you keep client data and delete records when the period ends. We covered the personal-data side, without giving legal advice, in the blog post “Why WhatsApp property conversations get lost”; for your own agency we recommend consulting a specialist.

Checklist

• A WhatsApp Business number in the agency's name.
• Connection saved under Communication Settings, warning gone.
• Client phone numbers in Contacts written with the country code.
• Templates ready for frequently used messages.

Next lesson: reminders and follow-up rules.