Why we built advanced search filters into Findr
Three weeks after launch, a photographer emailed us: 'I need a studio with north-facing light, a smooth backdrop, and parking for two cars. Your search just shows me a list of rooms.' She was right. We'd built a search bar. We hadn't built search for real people doing real work.
The gap between 'finding' and 'booking'
Findr exists because creatives and organisers need flexible space, fast. A freelancer books a meeting room for the afternoon. A photographer rents a studio for a shoot. An event organiser locks in a hall six weeks out. These aren't hotel stays. People aren't looking for 'a place to sleep.' They're looking for a space that fits a specific job.
When we first launched, the core loop was simple: browse listings, send a booking request, wait for a host to reply. That worked for people who knew what they wanted. But most people didn't. They knew constraints: budget, location, time, features. A photographer didn't need 'a studio.' She needed a studio with natural light, a sprung floor, or a cyc wall. A small business owner didn't need 'a meeting room.' He needed one that felt professional, could fit six people, and had a projector already there.
Natural language search (which came later in the Plus tier) helped. You could type 'studio with windows near King's Cross' and get sensible results. But even that wasn't enough. Some people think in filters. They want to click: daylight, parking, kitchen, under £100 per hour. They want to narrow down fast and see the exact spaces that match.
What we learned from early hosts
The real lesson came from hosts. Many of them told us they were losing bookings because renters couldn't find them. A host with a beautiful light-filled studio in Hackney was only getting discovered by people searching for 'Hackney' or 'studio.' Someone looking for 'north-facing natural light' would never see her listing, even though it was perfect.
That's when we realised the problem wasn't just on the renter side. Our search was failing both ways. Hosts couldn't communicate what made their space special; renters couldn't ask for what they actually needed.
Advanced filters were the answer. Not because filters are trendy or clever. Because they solve a real match-making problem. A host with a meeting room can now tag that space: capacity (8 people), wifi, video conferencing setup, quiet location, hourly rates. A renter searching Plus tier can filter by those exact tags. The host gets found by the right person. The renter books the right space. No wasted booking requests. No 'sorry, that room doesn't have a projector' messages.
Building for the decision, not the moment
I think about this a lot: people don't search when they're casual. They search when they've already decided to book something. So the search experience has to match that intent. It has to be fast, precise, and honest.
That's why we put advanced filters behind the Plus tier. It's not a paywall tactic. It's about audience fit. Renters who are serious about finding the right space (not just browsing idly) are willing to pay for better search. Hosts who want to rent their space regularly are willing to pay for better discovery.
The filters themselves are straightforward: capacity, amenities, facilities, lighting, hourly or daily rates, availability windows. But the decision to include them was anything but. We had to decide: do we keep search simple and lose the renters who need precision? Or do we build filters, knowing some users won't need them and might not see the value? We chose precision. We chose to build for the person with a real job to do, not the casual browser.
What we got right (and what we're still thinking about)
Three months in, the data is clear. Renters using advanced filters book faster. Hosts whose listings have detailed filter tags get more inquiries. The photographer who emailed us in week three? She upgraded to Plus, set her filters (north light, parking, cyc wall), and booked her first studio within two days.
But we're not done thinking about this. Some features are still rough. Calendar sync on the host side helps, but it's still manual work to keep everything in sync if you're juggling multiple spaces. Instant Book (Pro tier) solved part of that, but there are hosts who want to book instantly without upgrading to Pro. We're watching how people use these tools in the real world, and we'll keep adjusting.
The bigger picture is this: a booking marketplace only works if both sides win. If renters find the space they actually need (not just space that exists), they book faster and come back. If hosts get the right inquiries, not random ones, they say yes more often and list more spaces. Advanced filters aren't a feature. They're a fix for the entire matching problem.
The question we kept asking ourselves was simple: are we helping people book the right space, or just helping them find a space? The answer shaped every design decision that followed. What does 'right' mean for the space you're looking for?