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Welsh Motorhub started from a practical problem: buyers want specific cars quickly, but dealers and sellers need qualified intent, not random chats.

So I built a buyer-request funnel that keeps the platform in the middle of the transaction path while still being simple for users.

What I Built

1) Buyer Request Intake

  • Buyers submit required car details (make, model, budget, county, timeline).
  • Requests receive a public code (example: REQ-ABC12).
  • Requests expire automatically after 7 days.
  • Buyer phone numbers are stored privately and never exposed on the public board.

2) Public Request Board for Sellers

  • Sellers browse live requests by county and specification.
  • Seller action is explicit: Send offer on WhatsApp.
  • Offers route to platform support WhatsApp first, not directly to buyer.

3) Admin Operations Layer

  • Admin dashboard shows full buyer details and request status.
  • New requests notify admin users.
  • Admin can remove requests from public listing (status = CLOSED) while preserving records.

4) Early Monetization Guardrails

  • Dealer sign-in is required to send offers.
  • Free tier: one offer per dealer per Nairobi calendar day.
  • Upgrade path to unlimited offers (subscription or monthly request pass).

This creates a clear value ladder without destroying liquidity in the early stage.

Architecture Snapshot

Buyer -> /request-car -> BuyerRequest (DB) -> /requests board
Seller -> Send offer -> offer-click API -> platform WhatsApp
Admin -> /admin/buyer-requests -> buyer follow-up and matching

Product Thinking

The goal is not just “collecting leads.”
The goal is controlled matching:

  1. Protect buyer privacy.
  2. Capture seller intent.
  3. Route communication through platform operations.
  4. Add monetization where value is obvious.

Stack

  • Next.js (App Router)
  • Prisma + PostgreSQL
  • Tailwind CSS
  • Vercel
  • WhatsApp deep-link flow for offer routing

Distribution Plan

I am using this case study as a public build log and sharing it on Reddit, X, and Facebook with channel-specific UTM links so I can measure which audience sends the most qualified traffic.

If you run marketplaces in East Africa and want to compare notes on lead quality, routing, and conversion ops, reach out:

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