Reimagining Commercial Property Search with AI
Traditional property search asks people to think like a database: pick a location, set a size band, tick a column of filters and hope the right building appears and this process takes time. Sanderson Weatherall challenges us to build AI into the process and re-imaging the user experience. They asked us to design and build a search experience where occupiers simply describe what they need, in their own words or voice, and AI does the sorting, matching and explaining for them.
Our Solution
We designed and built a powerful AI property search that starts with a single prompt box instead of a list of filters. Users type or speak their brief, such as a ground-floor unit in Leeds city centre, ten minutes from the station, with secure bike storage, and the AI reads every requirement, compares it against live listings and returns a personalised & curated shortlist. When the brief is thin, the interface asks users to add extra details such as budget, square footage or parking. Each result then opens into an AI assistant that answers questions about that specific property, while a map view shows the shortlist in context.
The Project
Natural Language Search
The search page leads with one question: what do you need? A descriptive example prompt sits in the box as a placeholder, showing users how much detail they can give, and a three-step guide (tell us what you need, AI analysis, tailored results) explains what happens next. Voice search lets users speak their brief, with a pulsing microphone UI that reacts to their voice so they know they are being heard. Under the results, prompt chips for budget, square metres and car parking help people refine their brief without starting again.
Results Built for Decisions
Results arrive as rich, we display scannable cards rather than a list of addresses. Each card pairs an image carousel with rent, availability, size and the features that matter, such as BREEAM rating, secure parking and changing facilities, so users can compare their shortlist at a glance. A named surveyor sits on every card with one-tap call and email, keeping Sanderson Weatherall's people at the heart of the journey and a map view plots the whole shortlist across the city.
An AI Assistant for Every Property
Every listing comes with Ask AI, a conversational assistant there for when you need it during each search. Users can ask what the transport links are like, whether there is parking, or how the space is fitted out, and get an instant, plain-English answer without trawling a PDF brochure.
Outcomes
The new search replaces sorting and filtering with a conversation, positioning Sanderson Weatherall at the front of AI adoption in UK commercial property. Potential occupiers get a shortlist that reflects their real brief in seconds and every step shows an SW surveyor to contact easily so the human relationship stays central. For us, the project showed how AI earns its place in a product when it is designed around a clear user need, not bolted on as a feature.
