The Closing Atelier Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 8, 2026 · The Closing Atelier, LLC ("we", "us") · theclosingatelier@gmail.com · 10715 S. Roberts Rd., Palos Hills, IL 60465

Where we operate: the Service is offered to Illinois real estate licensees and their clients and is hosted in the United States.

In short: We collect only what is needed to run your closing timeline: names, contact details, transaction milestones, documents and messages. We never sell personal information and never use it for advertising. Documents are encrypted at rest, agents use two-factor sign-in, and each client sees only their own file. We do not collect Social Security numbers, bank or routing numbers, wire instructions or biometric information, and the app blocks them in messages. See our Privacy Policy for details and your choices.

1. Roles

• For Agent accounts and billing, we decide how the information is used.
• For client files (names, contact details, property address, milestones, documents and messages), the Agent decides what to collect and share, and we process it on the Agent's behalf to provide the Service. Clients with questions about their file should contact their Agent first; we will help.
• For public inquiries sent through an Agent's contact page, the information goes to that Agent.

2. What we collect

• Agent account data: name, email, phone, brokerage, license number (optional), password (stored only as a hash), two-factor secret, plan and billing status. Card details are handled by our payment processor, not stored by us.
• Client data entered by the Agent: name, email, phone, preferred language, property address, transaction dates and status, checklist items, documents the Agent or client uploads, and messages.
• Text and email records: phone numbers, opt-in and opt-out records (date, time, wording shown and method), message content and delivery status.
• Virtual Staging photos (optional add-on): property photos an Agent uploads, the Staged Images created from them, the chosen style, and the Agent's confirmation that they have the rights to the photo and will not misrepresent the property. When a photo is uploaded we re-encode it and remove embedded metadata such as GPS location, camera model and date. Agents should avoid photos showing people, documents or other personal details.
• Inquiry form data: name, email, phone, whether you are buying or selling, contact preference, message, and whether you agreed to be contacted.
• Technical and security data: sign-in times, IP address, browser type, and an audit log of who viewed or changed a file. We use only cookies needed to keep you signed in and protect forms (no advertising or analytics cookies).

We do not ask for or knowingly store Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, or biometric information, and we ask users not to upload them. See Children and age below.

2A. Features that process content you give us

• Voice dictation (agents): the recording is converted to text and then discarded; audio is never stored. This is plain transcription. We do not create a voiceprint and we do not use a voice to identify who is speaking. The text is checked for bank or wire details before anything else happens (blocked text is not stored or sent to an AI service; only a "blocked: banking details" record is kept). Dictated drafts and transcripts are deleted after 30 days.
• Email forwarding (agents): emails forwarded to the agent's private address are read in memory to suggest timeline updates. We keep only the date, sender, status and, for processed emails, the subject and a short excerpt (deleted after 30 days or when the file closes). Full messages and attachments are not stored. Emails with bank or wire details are blocked the same way; emails saying payment details "changed" are flagged as possible fraud.
• Document uploads (inspection and sewer-scope reports; contracts and other transaction documents reviewed by our team): the PDF's text is extracted in memory, screened for bank or wire details, summarized, and the PDF itself is not stored. Summaries are deleted after 90 days unless the agent removes them sooner. Summaries are informational only and are not legal, inspection or engineering advice.
• Contractor quotes: a contractor invited by an agent sees only the repair items the agent selected and the city/ZIP — never client names, contact details, price, contract or documents. Contractors provide their quote, license details and an optional insurance certificate (stored encrypted). Payment details are refused.
• AI services: suggestions are currently produced by a built-in rule-based analyzer that does not send your content to any outside service. No outside AI provider is connected. Before one is connected, we will name it here. Only screened text would be sent, and only under terms that do not allow the provider to train on it.

2B. Appointments, notifications and calendars

• Appointments: agents can schedule appointments (for example inspections, appraisals, walk-throughs) and invite the file's clients and outside attendees such as inspectors, contractors or surveyors. Each attendee receives only their own appointment details (type, time, address, notes the agent marked as shared, and the agent's name) through a private link, email with a calendar invite (.ics), in-app or push notifications they enabled, and text messages only if they opted in (reply STOP to stop). We record who was notified, by which channel and when.
• Calendar connections (Google Calendar): an agent may connect a Google account. We then create a separate "The Closing Atelier" calendar and add, change or delete only the appointments and dated tasks the agent manages in the Service; changes the agent makes to those events in Google come back to the Service. We do not read the agent's other calendars, except free/busy times (no event details) when the founder account uses website booking. Google access and refresh tokens are encrypted at rest and deleted when the agent disconnects. The Closing Atelier's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs to any other app will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. We do not use Google user data for advertising, do not sell it, and do not let humans read it except with the user's consent, for security, or as required by law.
• Calendar feeds: agents can turn on a private iCal subscription address (for Apple, Outlook and others) and reset or turn it off at any time.

2C. Website call and demo requests

On our website, "Pick a time to talk" and "Book a demo" are request forms. Nothing is booked automatically: you suggest times that suit you, and our Founder & CEO replies by email to confirm a time. The form collects your name, email, optional phone number, company, preferred language, the times you suggest, your message and your consent choice. We use these details only to reply to you, arrange the call and follow up about your request. These forms do not send text messages. Do not include bank, wire or account details. Website form entries are received and stored by our website host, Netlify, Inc., and forwarded to our email inbox (see section 4). Request records are deleted 180 days after the call or request unless you become a customer.

3. How we use it

To provide the Service (show status, send notifications the user chose, deliver messages); to secure it (sign-in protection, fraud and abuse prevention, audit logs); to bill Agents; to provide support; and to comply with law. We do not sell personal information, share it for cross-context behavioral advertising, or use client data to market to clients.

4. Who we share it with

• The Agent and the clients on the same file (each client sees only their own file).
• Website host: our website, closingatelier.com, is hosted by Netlify, Inc. Netlify receives what you enter in the website's forms (call and demo requests, the contact form, checklist requests and the early-access list) and keeps those entries in our Netlify account so we can read and reply to them; notifications of new entries go to our email inbox. Netlify may also keep standard server logs (such as IP address, browser type and the page requested) for security and reliability.
• Service providers: we will list each company that hosts the Service or sends email, texts, or charges cards here before real accounts open. None of those is turned on for real customer data yet. When billing is turned on, card payments are built to go through Stripe, and we do not store full card numbers. Billing is not live. Texts are not sent to phones yet. Email today goes to the company Gmail inbox.
• Virtual Staging: no outside image provider is connected. The demonstration generator in this version does not send photos to anyone. If we connect one later, we will name it here before it is used, send only the photo with metadata removed and the chosen style, and only under terms that do not allow it to train on the photo.
• Authorities when required by law or to protect rights and safety.
• A successor in a merger or sale, subject to this policy.

5. Text messages

Mobile numbers and opt-in data are used only to send the messages you agreed to and are not shared with third parties for their marketing. See the SMS Terms.

6. Retention and deletion

Summary: We keep transaction files while the agent’s account is active and for a limited period afterward so agents can meet their record-keeping duties, unless the agent deletes them sooner or the law requires otherwise. Agents can export their files at any time. Clients may ask their agent or us to correct or delete their information; some records may be kept where the agent or the law requires. Backups are deleted on a rolling schedule.

We keep client file data while the Agent's account is active. The number of days we keep a file after the account ends is not set yet; we will publish that number here before real accounts open. Until then, an Agent can export or delete a file at any time, and we do not apply a multi-year retention period. Backups are a short safety copy and are overwritten on a rolling schedule; the exact number of days will be stated here before real accounts open. Opt-out records are kept as long as needed to honor them. Virtual Staging photos and Staged Images stay with the transaction file and follow the same rules. Agents can delete them at any time, including after the add-on ends, and they are removed when the file is deleted or the account is closed.

7. Security

We use measures including encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed passwords, two-factor sign-in for Agents, per-account data separation, access logging, rate limiting and least-privilege access. No system is perfectly secure.

Breach notice. If we learn of a security incident that affects your personal information, we will act quickly to contain it, tell affected people without unreasonable delay and as Illinois law requires, explain what happened and what we are doing, and notify the Illinois Attorney General when required. Agents will be told about incidents affecting their clients.

WIRE FRAUD WARNING: The Closing Atelier will never send, request, or change wire instructions. Before sending any money, call your attorney or title company directly at a phone number you have independently verified (not one from an email or text). Never act on emailed or texted wire instructions or changes.

8. Cookies and analytics

Our website does not use cookies, advertising pixels or tracking analytics. The app uses only strictly necessary cookies to keep you signed in and protect your account. If we ever add privacy-friendly analytics, we will update this notice first. We do not sell or share browsing data.

9. Children and age

The Closing Atelier is meant for adults. Agents must be at least 18. Clients must be at least 18 or be invited by their agent together with a parent or guardian. The service is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their information; if we learn we have, we delete it.

10. Your choices and rights

You can view and update your information, opt out of texts (reply STOP) and non-essential emails (unsubscribe link), and ask us or your Agent for a copy or deletion of your data. Contact theclosingatelier@gmail.com. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these choices. We do not sell personal information. We have not concluded whether the California privacy law or other state privacy laws apply, because that depends on revenue, how many people we serve, and where they live. You may still email us to ask for a copy or deletion.

11. Changes

We will post changes here and notify Agents by email of material changes.

12. Contact

theclosingatelier@gmail.com · The Closing Atelier, LLC (formation pending), 10715 S. Roberts Rd., Palos Hills, IL 60465

Website: https://closingatelier.com. Founder and CEO: Anett Y. Wator. The Illinois registered agent will be named here when the Articles of Organization are approved.