# Stack Research

**Domain:** Real estate agent website + PDF document signing web app
**Researched:** 2026-03-19
**Confidence:** HIGH (versions verified via npm/GitHub; integration strategies based on official docs)

---

## Recommended Stack

### Core Technologies

| Technology | Version | Purpose | Why Recommended |
|------------|---------|---------|-----------------|
| Next.js | 15.5.x (use 15, not 16 — see note) | Full-stack framework | App Router + Server Components + API routes in one repo; Vercel-native; 15.5 is current LTS-equivalent with stable Node.js middleware |
| React | 19.x | UI | Ships with Next.js 15; Server Components, `use()`, form actions all stable |
| TypeScript | 5.x | Type safety | Required; Prisma, Auth.js, pdf-lib all ship full types |
| PostgreSQL (Neon) | latest (PG 16) | Data persistence | Serverless-compatible, scales to zero, free tier generous, branches per PR — perfect for solo agent on Vercel |
| Prisma ORM | 6.x (6.19+) | Database access | Best-in-class DX for TypeScript; schema migrations; works with Neon via `@neondatabase/serverless` driver |

**Note on Next.js version:** Next.js 16 is now available but introduced several breaking changes (sync APIs fully removed, `middleware` renamed to `proxy`, edge runtime dropped from proxy). Use **Next.js 15.5.x** for this project to avoid churn — it has stable Node.js middleware, stable Turbopack builds in beta, and typed routes. Upgrade to 16 after it stabilizes (6-12 months).

---

### PDF Processing Libraries

Three separate libraries serve three distinct roles. You need all three.

| Library | Version | Purpose | When to Use |
|---------|---------|---------|-------------|
| `pdfjs-dist` | 5.5.x (5.5.207 current) | Render PDFs in browser; detect existing AcroForm fields | Use on the client side to display the imported PDF and to iterate over existing form field annotations so you can find where signature areas already exist |
| `pdf-lib` | 1.17.1 (original) OR `@pdfme/pdf-lib` 5.5.x (actively maintained fork) | Modify PDFs server-side: fill text fields, embed signature images, flatten | Use on the server (API route / Server Action) to fill form fields, embed the canvas signature PNG, and produce the final signed PDF. Use the `@pdfme/pdf-lib` fork — the original has been unmaintained for 4 years |
| `react-pdf` (wojtekmaj) | latest (wraps pdfjs-dist) | React component wrapper for PDF display | Use in the client-side signing UI to render the document page-by-page with minimal setup; falls back to `pdfjs-dist` for custom rendering needs |

**Critical distinction:**
- `pdfjs-dist` = rendering/viewing only — cannot modify PDFs
- `pdf-lib` / `@pdfme/pdf-lib` = modifying/creating PDFs — cannot render to screen
- You must use both together for this workflow

---

### Supporting Libraries

| Library | Version | Purpose | When to Use |
|---------|---------|---------|-------------|
| `better-auth` | 1.5.x (1.5.5 current) | Agent authentication | Single-agent portal; credentials auth (email+password) built in; rate limiting and session management out of the box; no per-MAU cost; first-class Next.js App Router support |
| `resend` + `@react-email/components` | 6.9.x / latest | Email delivery for signing links | Resend is the modern Nodemailer replacement; generous free tier (3k/mo), React-based email templates, dead simple API route integration |
| `signature_pad` | 5.1.3 | Canvas-based signature drawing | Core signature capture library; HTML5 canvas, Bezier curve smoothing, works on touch/mouse; use directly (not the React wrapper) so you control the ref and can export PNG |
| `react-signature-canvas` | 1.1.0-alpha.2 | React wrapper around signature_pad | Optional convenience wrapper if you prefer JSX integration; note: alpha version — prefer using `signature_pad` directly with a `useRef` |
| `@vercel/blob` | latest | PDF file storage | Zero-config for Vercel deploys; S3-backed (99.999999999% durability); PDFs are not large enough to hit egress cost issues for a solo agent; avoid vendor lock-in concern by abstracting behind a `storage.ts` service module |
| `playwright` | 1.58.x | utahrealestate.com forms library scraping; credentials-based login | Only option for sites requiring JS execution + session cookies; multi-browser, auto-wait, built-in proxy support |
| `zod` | 3.x | Request/form validation | Used with Server Actions and API routes; integrates with Prisma and better-auth |
| `nanoid` | 5.x | Generating secure signing link tokens | Cryptographically secure, URL-safe, short IDs for signing request URLs |
| `sharp` | 0.33.x | Image optimization if needed | Only needed if resizing/converting signature images before PDF embedding |

---

### Development Tools

| Tool | Purpose | Notes |
|------|---------|-------|
| `tailwindcss` v4 | Styling | v4 released 2025; CSS-native config, no `tailwind.config.js` required; significantly faster |
| `shadcn/ui` | Component library | Copies components into your repo (not a dependency); works with Tailwind v4 and React 19; perfect for the agent portal UI |
| ESLint 9 + `@typescript-eslint` | Linting | Next.js 15 ships ESLint 9 support |
| Prettier | Formatting | Standard |
| `prisma studio` | Database GUI | Built into Prisma; `npx prisma studio` |
| `@next/bundle-analyzer` | Bundle analysis | Experimental in Next.js 16.1 but available as standalone package for 15 |
| Turbopack | Dev server | Enabled by default in Next.js 15 (`next dev --turbo`); production builds still use Webpack in 15.x |

---

## Installation

```bash
# Core framework
npm install next@^15.5 react@^19 react-dom@^19

# Database
npm install prisma @prisma/client @neondatabase/serverless

# Authentication
npm install better-auth

# PDF processing
npm install @pdfme/pdf-lib pdfjs-dist react-pdf

# E-signature (canvas)
npm install signature_pad

# Email
npm install resend @react-email/components react-email

# File storage
npm install @vercel/blob

# Scraping (for utahrealestate.com forms + listings)
npm install playwright

# Utilities
npm install zod nanoid

# Dev dependencies
npm install -D typescript @types/node @types/react @types/react-dom
npm install -D tailwindcss @tailwindcss/postcss postcss
npm install -D eslint eslint-config-next @typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin prettier
npx prisma init
npx playwright install chromium
```

---

## Alternatives Considered

| Recommended | Alternative | Why Not |
|-------------|-------------|---------|
| `better-auth` | Clerk | Clerk costs per MAU; overkill for one agent; hosted user data is unnecessary complexity for a single known user |
| `better-auth` | Auth.js v5 (NextAuth) | Auth.js v5 remains in beta; better-auth has the same open-source no-lock-in benefit but with built-in rate limiting and MFA. Notably, Auth.js is merging with better-auth team |
| `@pdfme/pdf-lib` | original `pdf-lib` | Original pdf-lib (v1.17.1) last published 4 years ago; `@pdfme/pdf-lib` fork is actively maintained with bug fixes |
| `resend` | Nodemailer + SMTP | Nodemailer requires managing an SMTP server or credentials; Resend has better deliverability, a dashboard, and React template support |
| Neon PostgreSQL | PlanetScale / Supabase | PlanetScale killed its free tier; Supabase is excellent but heavier than needed; Neon's Vercel integration and branching per PR is the best solo developer experience |
| Neon PostgreSQL | SQLite (local) | SQLite doesn't work on Vercel serverless; fine for local dev but you'd need to swap before deploying — adds friction. Neon's free tier makes this unnecessary |
| `playwright` | Puppeteer | Playwright has better auto-wait, multi-browser, and built-in proxy support; more actively maintained for 2025 use cases |
| `playwright` | Cheerio | utahrealestate.com requires authentication (login session) and renders content with JavaScript; Cheerio only parses static HTML |
| `@vercel/blob` | AWS S3 | S3 requires IAM setup, bucket policies, and CORS config; Vercel Blob is zero-config for Vercel deploys and S3-backed under the hood. Abstract it behind a service module so you can swap later |
| `signature_pad` | react-signature-canvas | The React wrapper is at `1.1.0-alpha.2` — alpha status; better to use the underlying `signature_pad@5.1.3` directly with a `useRef` canvas hook |

---

## What NOT to Use

| Avoid | Why | Use Instead |
|-------|-----|-------------|
| DocuSign / HelloSign | Monthly subscription cost for a solo agent; defeats the purpose of a custom tool | Custom `signature_pad` canvas capture embedded via `@pdfme/pdf-lib` |
| Apryse WebViewer / Nutrient SDK | Enterprise pricing ($$$); overkill; hides the PDF internals you need to control | `pdfjs-dist` (render) + `@pdfme/pdf-lib` (modify) |
| `jspdf` | Creates PDFs from scratch via HTML canvas; cannot modify existing PDFs | `@pdfme/pdf-lib` for modification |
| `pdfmake` | Same limitation as jspdf; generates new PDFs, can't edit existing form fields | `@pdfme/pdf-lib` |
| Firebase / Supabase Storage | Additional vendor; Vercel Blob is already in the stack | `@vercel/blob` |
| Clerk | Per-MAU pricing; vendor-hosted user data; one agent user doesn't need this complexity | `better-auth` |
| Next.js 16 (right now) | Too many breaking changes (async APIs fully enforced, middleware renamed); ecosystem compatibility issues | Next.js 15.5.x |
| WebSockets for signing | Overkill; the signing flow is a one-shot action, not a live collaboration session | Server Actions + polling or simple page refresh |

---

## PDF Processing Strategy

### Overview

The workflow has five distinct stages, each using different tools:

```
[Import PDF] → [Detect fields] → [Add signature areas] → [Fill + sign] → [Store signed PDF]
   Playwright     pdfjs-dist        @pdfme/pdf-lib          @pdfme/pdf-lib    @vercel/blob
```

### Stage 1: Importing PDFs from utahrealestate.com

The forms library on utahrealestate.com requires agent login. Use **Playwright** on the server (a Next.js API route or background job) to:
1. Authenticate with the agent's saved credentials (stored encrypted in the DB)
2. Navigate to the forms library
3. Download the target PDF as a Buffer
4. Store the original PDF in Vercel Blob under a UUID-based path
5. Record the document in the database with its Blob URL, filename, and source metadata

Playwright should run in a separate process or as a scheduled job (Vercel Cron), not inline with a user request, because browser startup is slow.

### Stage 2: Detecting Existing Form Fields

Once the PDF is stored, use **`pdfjs-dist`** in a server-side script (Node.js API route) to:
1. Load the PDF from Blob storage
2. Iterate over each page's annotations
3. Find `Widget` annotations (AcroForm fields: text inputs, checkboxes, signature fields)
4. Record each field's name, type, and bounding box (x, y, width, height, page number)
5. Store this field map in the database (`DocumentField` table)

Utah real estate forms from WFRMLS are typically standard AcroForm PDFs with pre-defined fields. Most will have existing form fields you can fill directly.

### Stage 3: Adding Signature Areas

For pages that lack signature fields (or when the agent wants to add a new signature area):
- Use **`@pdfme/pdf-lib`** server-side to add a new AcroForm signature annotation at a specified bounding box
- Alternatively, track "signature zones" as metadata in your database (coordinates + page) and overlay them on the rendering side — this avoids PDF modification until signing time

The simpler approach: store signature zones as coordinate records in the DB, render them as highlighted overlay boxes in the browser using `react-pdf`, and embed the actual signature image at those coordinates only at signing time.

### Stage 4: Filling Text Fields + Embedding Signature

When the agent fills out a document form (pre-filling client info, property address, etc.):
1. Send field values to a Server Action
2. Server Action loads the PDF from Blob
3. Use **`@pdfme/pdf-lib`** to:
   - Get the AcroForm from the PDF
   - Set text field values: `form.getTextField('BuyerName').setText(value)`
   - Embed the signature PNG: convert the canvas `toDataURL()` PNG to a `Uint8Array`, embed as `PDFImage`, draw it at the signature zone coordinates
   - Optionally flatten the form (make fields non-editable) before final storage
4. Save the modified PDF bytes back to Blob as a new file (preserve the unsigned original)

### Stage 5: Storing Signed PDFs

Store three versions in Vercel Blob:
- `/documents/{id}/original.pdf` — the untouched import
- `/documents/{id}/prepared.pdf` — fields filled, ready to sign
- `/documents/{id}/signed.pdf` — final document with embedded signature

All three paths recorded in the `Document` table. Serve signed PDFs via signed Blob URLs with short expiry (1 hour) to prevent unauthorized access.

---

## E-Signature Legal Requirements

Under the ESIGN Act (federal) and UETA (47 states), an electronic signature is legally valid when it demonstrates: **intent to sign**, **consent to transact electronically**, **association of the signature with the record**, and **reliable record retention**.

### What to Capture at Signing Time

Store all of the following in an `AuditEvent` table linked to the `SigningRequest`:

| Data Point | How to Capture | Legal Purpose |
|------------|---------------|---------------|
| Signer's IP address | `request.headers.get('x-forwarded-for')` in API route | Attribution — links signature to a network location |
| Timestamp (UTC) | `new Date().toISOString()` server-side | Proves the signature occurred at a specific time |
| User-Agent string | `request.headers.get('user-agent')` | Device/browser fingerprint |
| Consent acknowledgment | Require checkbox click: "I agree to sign electronically" | Explicit ESIGN/UETA consent requirement |
| Document hash (pre-sign) | `crypto.subtle.digest('SHA-256', pdfBytes)` | Proves document was not altered before signing |
| Document hash (post-sign) | Same, after embedding signature | Proves final document integrity |
| Signing link token | The `nanoid`-generated token used to access the signing page | Ties the signer to the specific invitation |
| Email used for invitation | From the `SigningRequest` record | Identity association |

### Signing Audit Trail Schema (minimal)

```typescript
// Prisma model
model AuditEvent {
  id              String   @id @default(cuid())
  signingRequestId String
  signingRequest  SigningRequest @relation(fields: [signingRequestId], references: [id])
  eventType       String   // "viewed" | "consent_given" | "signed" | "downloaded"
  ipAddress       String
  userAgent       String
  timestamp       DateTime @default(now())
  metadata        Json?    // document hashes, page count, etc.
}
```

### Signing Page Flow

1. Client opens the email link containing a `nanoid` token
2. Server validates the token (not expired, not already used)
3. Record `"viewed"` audit event (IP, timestamp, UA)
4. Client sees a consent banner: "By signing, you agree to execute this document electronically under the ESIGN Act."
5. Client checks consent checkbox — record `"consent_given"` audit event
6. Client draws signature on canvas
7. On submit: POST to API route with canvas PNG data URL
8. Server records `"signed"` audit event, embeds signature into PDF, stores signed PDF
9. Mark signing request as complete; email confirmation to both agent and client

### What This Does NOT Cover

This custom implementation is sufficient for standard real estate transactions in Utah under UETA. However:
- It does NOT provide notarization (RON — Remote Online Notarization is a separate regulated process)
- It does NOT provide RFC 3161 trusted timestamps (requires a TSA — unnecessary for most residential RE transactions)
- For purchase agreements and disclosures (standard Utah REPC forms), this level of e-signature is accepted by WFRMLS and Utah law

---

## utahrealestate.com Integration Strategy

### Two Separate Use Cases

**Use Case 1: Forms Library (PDF import)**
The forms library requires agent login. There is no documented public API for downloading forms. Strategy:
1. Store the agent's utahrealestate.com credentials encrypted in the database (use `bcrypt` or AES-256-GCM encryption with a server-side secret key — not bcrypt since you need to recover the plaintext)
2. Use Playwright to authenticate: navigate to the login page, fill credentials, submit, wait for session cookies
3. Navigate to the forms section, find the desired form by name/category, download the PDF
4. This is fragile (subject to site redesigns) but unavoidable without official API access
5. Implement with a health check: if Playwright fails to find expected elements, send the agent an alert email via Resend

**Use Case 2: Listings Display (MLS data)**
WFRMLS provides an official RESO OData API at `https://resoapi.utahrealestate.com/reso/odata/`. Access requires:
1. Apply for licensed data access at [vendor.utahrealestate.com](https://vendor.utahrealestate.com) ($50 IDX enrollment fee)
2. Obtain a Bearer Token (OAuth-based)
3. Query the `Property` resource using OData syntax

Example query (fetch recent active listings):
```
GET https://resoapi.utahrealestate.com/reso/odata/Property
  ?$filter=StandardStatus eq 'Active'
  &$orderby=ModificationTimestamp desc
  &$top=20
Authorization: Bearer <token>
```

4. Cache results in the database or in-memory (listings don't change by the second) using Next.js `unstable_cache` or a simple `revalidate` tag
5. Display on the public marketing site — no authentication required to view

**Do not scrape the listing pages directly.** WFRMLS terms of service prohibit unauthorized data extraction, and the official API path is straightforward for a licensed agent.

### Playwright Implementation Notes

Run Playwright scraping jobs via:
- **Vercel Cron** for scheduled form sync (daily refresh of available forms list)
- **On-demand API route** when the agent requests a specific form download
- Use `playwright-core` + a managed browser service (Browserless.io free tier, or self-hosted Chromium on a small VPS) for Vercel compatibility — Vercel serverless functions cannot run a full Playwright browser due to size limits

Alternatively, if the Vercel function size is a concern, extract the Playwright logic into a separate lightweight service (a small Express app on a $5/month VPS, or a Railway.app container) and call it from your Next.js API routes.

---

## MLS/WFRMLS Listings Display

Once you have the RESO OData token, the listings page on the public marketing site is straightforward:

1. **Server Component** fetches listings from the RESO API (or from a cached DB table)
2. Display property cards with photo, price, address, beds/baths
3. Photos: WFRMLS media URLs are served directly; use `next/image` with the MLS domain whitelisted in `next.config.ts`
4. Detail page: dynamic route `/listings/[mlsNumber]` with `generateStaticParams` for ISR (revalidate every hour)
5. No client-side JavaScript needed for browsing — pure Server Components + Suspense

---

## Database Schema (Key Tables)

```prisma
model User {
  id        String   @id @default(cuid())
  email     String   @unique
  // better-auth manages password hashing
  createdAt DateTime @default(now())
  clients   Client[]
  documents Document[]
}

model Client {
  id        String   @id @default(cuid())
  agentId   String
  agent     User     @relation(fields: [agentId], references: [id])
  name      String
  email     String
  phone     String?
  createdAt DateTime @default(now())
  signingRequests SigningRequest[]
}

model Document {
  id             String   @id @default(cuid())
  agentId        String
  agent          User     @relation(fields: [agentId], references: [id])
  title          String
  originalBlobUrl  String
  preparedBlobUrl  String?
  signedBlobUrl    String?
  status         String   // "draft" | "sent" | "signed"
  fields         DocumentField[]
  signingRequests SigningRequest[]
  createdAt      DateTime @default(now())
}

model DocumentField {
  id         String   @id @default(cuid())
  documentId String
  document   Document @relation(fields: [documentId], references: [id])
  fieldName  String
  fieldType  String   // "text" | "checkbox" | "signature"
  page       Int
  x          Float
  y          Float
  width      Float
  height     Float
  value      String?
}

model SigningRequest {
  id         String   @id @default(cuid())
  documentId String
  document   Document @relation(fields: [documentId], references: [id])
  clientId   String
  client     Client   @relation(fields: [clientId], references: [id])
  token      String   @unique  // nanoid for the signing URL
  expiresAt  DateTime
  signedAt   DateTime?
  status     String   // "pending" | "signed" | "expired"
  auditEvents AuditEvent[]
  createdAt  DateTime @default(now())
}

model AuditEvent {
  id               String        @id @default(cuid())
  signingRequestId String
  signingRequest   SigningRequest @relation(fields: [signingRequestId], references: [id])
  eventType        String        // "viewed" | "consent_given" | "signed"
  ipAddress        String
  userAgent        String
  timestamp        DateTime      @default(now())
  metadata         Json?
}
```

---

## Sources

- [Next.js 15.5 Release Notes](https://nextjs.org/blog/next-15-5) — HIGH confidence
- [Next.js 16 Upgrade Guide](https://nextjs.org/docs/app/guides/upgrading/version-16) — HIGH confidence (confirms 16 is available but breaking)
- [pdf-lib npm page](https://www.npmjs.com/package/pdf-lib) — HIGH confidence (v1.17.1, unmaintained 4 years)
- [@pdfme/pdf-lib npm page](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@pdfme/pdf-lib) — HIGH confidence (v5.5.8, actively maintained fork)
- [pdfjs-dist npm / libraries.io](https://libraries.io/npm/pdfjs-dist) — HIGH confidence (v5.5.207 current)
- [JavaScript PDF Libraries Comparison 2025 (Nutrient)](https://www.nutrient.io/blog/javascript-pdf-libraries/) — HIGH confidence
- [signature_pad npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/signature_pad) — HIGH confidence (v5.1.3)
- [react-signature-canvas npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/react-signature-canvas) — HIGH confidence (v1.1.0-alpha.2, alpha status noted)
- [better-auth npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/better-auth) — HIGH confidence (v1.5.5)
- [Auth.js joins better-auth discussion](https://github.com/nextauthjs/next-auth/discussions/13252) — HIGH confidence
- [better-auth Next.js integration](https://better-auth.com/docs/integrations/next) — HIGH confidence
- [resend npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/resend) — HIGH confidence (v6.9.4)
- [Prisma 6.19.0 announcement](https://www.prisma.io/blog/announcing-prisma-6-19-0) — HIGH confidence
- [Neon + Vercel integration](https://vercel.com/marketplace/neon) — HIGH confidence
- [playwright npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/playwright) — HIGH confidence (v1.58.2)
- [UtahRealEstate.com Vendor Data Services](https://vendor.utahrealestate.com/) — HIGH confidence (official RESO OData API confirmed)
- [RESO OData endpoints for WFRMLS](https://vendor.utahrealestate.com/webapi/docs/tuts/endpoints) — HIGH confidence
- [ESIGN/UETA audit trail requirements (Anvil Engineering)](https://www.useanvil.com/blog/engineering/e-signature-audit-trail-schema-events-json-checklist/) — HIGH confidence
- [E-signature legal requirements (BlueNotary)](https://bluenotaryonline.com/electronic-signature-legal-requirements/) — HIGH confidence
- [Vercel Blob documentation](https://vercel.com/docs/vercel-blob) — HIGH confidence
- [Playwright vs Puppeteer 2025 (BrowserStack)](https://www.browserstack.com/guide/playwright-vs-puppeteer) — HIGH confidence
- [NextAuth vs Clerk vs better-auth comparison (supastarter)](https://supastarter.dev/blog/better-auth-vs-nextauth-vs-clerk) — MEDIUM confidence (third-party analysis)

---

*Stack research for: Teressa Copeland Homes — real estate agent website + document signing*
*Researched: 2026-03-19*
