💥 [NEW - On the web] A more efficient search

[Melissa.HomeExchange]

Note: This improvement currently applies only to the web search (the same update will be available on the mobile apps soon).

Everything you need to know in one minute

If you don’t have the time (or the desire) to read everything, here are the main points to remember about this update:

Web search has been improved to better organize and refine results, especially for alternative homes displayed after the main results (what we call internally “dual search”). This update makes search clearer, more relevant, and easier to use.

Available homes are now sorted by relevance and actual availability, with the option to view alternative dates up to 30 days before or after the ones you initially searched for. Results are also presented more clearly with a new carousel and an option to expand the search area if few homes are available.

This update is currently available on the web and will soon be rolled out to the mobile apps.

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Everything you need to know in 5 minutes – a deeper look

I’m happy to announce the improved search results, developed by @Benjamin.HomeExchange and his team.

This improvement focuses on homes shown after the main search results, as alternatives, when fewer than 20 homes match your criteria (this is what we internally refer to as “dual search”).

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Goals of this improvement

• Relevance: Enhance the relevance of these alternative results to better match your search criteria.
• User-friendliness: Make the results easier to understand, with better organization and more transparency.
• Efficiency & satisfaction: Reduce enquiries for unavailable dates and guide you toward homes that match your needs, with real availability—even if different from your initial dates (keep reading to learn more ).

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How did it work before?

Previously, the dual search (alternative homes shown after the main results) would appear when fewer than 20 homes matched your search criteria. This feature often displayed homes that were either available on different dates or had an “open to requests” calendar, but in reality had no true availability.

Issue with user experience: These alternative results were not always well understood by members. We now want to make the distinction between main results and alternative results clearer and more understandable.

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How does it work in the new version?

With this update, here’s what you can expect:

• Clarity: Main results and alternative homes are clearly separated.
• Flexibility: You can adjust your search criteria or view homes available on different dates.
• Simplified navigation: It’s easy to switch between main and alternative results.
• Transparency: You can clearly see the availability of alternative homes.

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New features

Here’s exactly how the new search works:

1. Calendar

• Priority to your selected dates: Homes available for your selected dates appear first and are clearly labeled. Homes with open calendars or no availability are pushed to the bottom of the results.
• Homes with different available dates: These will also be clearly marked.

• Order of Suggested Alternative Homes:

Alternative homes (those displayed after the main search results) are now sorted in the following order:

1. Homes with dates close to the ones you initially searched for
2. Homes with any kind of availability shown on their calendar
3. Homes without availability, but that can still be contacted outside their listed available periods

2. Display

• A new carousel: Alternative results are now displayed after the first 32 main results (when more than 8 homes are available).

• Additional search options: You can now refine your results and choose to view homes available on dates close to the ones you initially searched for (up to 30 days before or after your selected dates).
• Other available dates are clearly displayed on the home cards within the results, as shown below.

3. Location

• Automatic area expansion: For searches targeting specific cities (as opposed to countries or regions), if fewer than 35 homes are available in the selected city, the search area will automatically expand up to 40 km around the city (2 km for small towns) to provide 35 results. The results will be ranked by proximity and relevance.

Clearer “Home Cards”

Finally, you’ll notice that what we call “home cards” — the small previews of homes you see in the search results — have also been improved to give you better visibility and make your search easier:

• Actual availability periods are clearly displayed — no need to click to check the calendar!
• Capacity is shown: number of bedrooms and beds
• If it’s a private room (and not an entire home), this will also be clearly indicated on the home card

Next Steps in Search Improvements

Of course, we’re not stopping here — Benjamin and his team are already working on what’s next. Here’s a sneak peek at what you can expect in the coming months:

• An improved overall search experience
• Access to filters directly on the map
• Full-screen map display on the web

[across]

That’s great! Good work! But… I just did a search with a lot of results and no “alternative” homes were shown at all. I have found many of my exchanges by contacting members who didn’t show availability on their calendar but nonetheless were open to an exchange. Will this be updated to include locations no matter how many homes are shown (my search was in a big city)? And if not, how will you communicate to all members that if they don’t keep their availability up to date they will not be seen at all in searches for particualr dates. Thank you!

[Melissa.HomeExchange]

Thank you for your comments and for checking out the new search function. I have checked with the team and that is correct - if you do a search and there are a large number of results for homes which match your criteria then ‘alternative’ homes will not be shown. The idea is that there will not be a need for ‘alternative’ homes which do not exactly fit your criteria when there are already so many home which do exactly fit your wish list. Yes it is super important to keep your calendar updated We do regularly communicate with members about the importance of keeping their calendars up to date and talk about this on this forum and the Facebook group. It is also mentioned on various FAQ articles such as this one here: https://help.homeexchange.com/hc/en-us/articles/17963589012381-What-makes-a-great-home-listing

[across]

Thanks for the clarification – perhaps you could pass back my feedback that it’s unfortunate I won’t see unavailable homes as again, that’s how I have made a number of my past exchanges. I don’t understand why they can’t also be included, no matter how long the list is? And I assume most members are not on the Forum? I haven’t seen many reminders, but I’m also having issues getting the newsletter…

[Melissa.HomeExchange]

Yes I have sent your comments already to Benjamin and the team who designed these changes to the search function. We have also added the idea of a new educational post focusing on “the importance of keeping your calendar updated” to our agenda - so keep your eyes peeled for more on this on the forum soon. Thank you for highlighting the need for this