Ajackus integrated a scalable Waitlist feature into VTS’s mature commercial real estate platform, implementing Domain-Driven Design architecture to ensure long-term maintainability alongside the client’s architectural transition.
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How VTS Extended its Commercial Real Estate Platform with a Domain-Driven Waitlist Feature
Services
Backend Development
Frontend Development
Software Architecture Design
Technologies
DDD
Architecture Implemented
Seamless
Integration into Mature Codebase
Full-Stack
NodeJS, GraphQL, ReactJS, React Native
Overview
Executive Summary
Client
Challenge
Goals
Journey
Results
Technology
Takeaways
FAQ
Executive Summary
The Problem
VTS needed to introduce a Waitlist feature enabling users to showcase availability and book event slots — but integrating new functionality into a mature, production commercial real estate codebase while simultaneously transitioning to Domain-Driven Design (DDD) architecture created significant technical complexity and risk.
The Solution
The Ajackus team delivered the complete Waitlist feature end-to-end: designing the DDD backend with ports-and-adapters architecture on NodeJS and GraphQL, building a PostgreSQL data model with UTC-based timezone management for time-sensitive event scheduling, and developing reusable, independently testable frontend components in ReactJS and React Native.
The Result
The Waitlist feature was delivered seamlessly into VTS’s live platform, upholding scalability standards, advancing the DDD architectural migration, and producing zero disruption to existing users — an experience the VTS team described as exceptional.
Client
VTS is a leading commercial real estate technology platform serving property owners, operators, brokers, and tenants. The engagement required Ajackus to work within VTS’s existing enterprise-grade codebase — adding new Waitlist functionality while actively contributing to an ongoing architectural transition to Domain-Driven Design, without disrupting the live platform or its users.
| Company | VTS |
| Industry | Commercial Real Estate Technology |
| Platform Type | Enterprise SaaS — leasing, asset management, and tenant experience |
| Engagement Type | Feature development and architecture design |
| Tech Stack | NodeJS, GraphQL, PostgreSQL, ReactJS, React Native |
Challenge
The Bottom Line
Integrating a new Waitlist feature into a mature commercial real estate platform mid-architectural-transition required a partner who could both deliver the feature and actively contribute to the DDD migration — without introducing technical debt or disrupting live users.
VTS operated a mature, enterprise-grade platform used by commercial real estate professionals for leasing, asset management, and tenant experience. Adding a Waitlist capability — allowing users to showcase intentions and book event slots — required more than a simple feature build. The existing codebase had evolved over time, and VTS was in the midst of transitioning toward Domain-Driven Design (DDD) architecture to improve long-term maintainability and scalability.
This transition created a dual challenge: any new feature needed to conform to DDD principles so it did not create a pocket of legacy code, while simultaneously integrating cleanly with the parts of the system not yet migrated. The Waitlist feature itself introduced its own complexity — event slot booking required precise timezone management to prevent scheduling conflicts across geographies, and the frontend needed reusable, independently testable components that could be maintained by the broader VTS engineering team.
Architecture Alignment, Not Just Feature Delivery
The engagement demanded deep architectural alignment — a combination of technical rigour and collaborative working style that had to extend across both backend and frontend tracks simultaneously, ensuring the Waitlist build contributed to the DDD migration rather than working against it.
Goals
The engagement needed to deliver a production-ready Waitlist feature that conformed to DDD principles, handled multi-geography timezone complexity, and extended VTS’s architectural transition rather than creating new technical debt.
| Goal | Success Criterion |
|---|---|
| Deliver a functional Waitlist feature | Users can register, manage, and book event slots end-to-end |
| Implement DDD architecture for the feature backend | Ports-and-adapters pattern with clearly defined domain relationships |
| Refactor adjacent code to align with DDD principles | No legacy anti-patterns introduced during the feature build |
| Manage timezone complexity for event scheduling | UTC-based storage; accurate local time presentation for all users |
| Build reusable, testable frontend components | ReactJS and React Native components independently verifiable |
Journey
The Ajackus team embedded into VTS’s development workflow, aligning on architectural principles before writing a single line of feature code — ensuring the Waitlist build actively contributed to the DDD migration rather than working against it.
Domain Modelling and DDD Architecture
Ajackus engineers began with a domain analysis of the Waitlist feature, identifying the core entities — events, slots, users, and registrations — and defining the relationships between them using DDD principles. The backend was architected using a ports-and-adapters pattern on NodeJS with a GraphQL API layer, creating clear boundaries between domain logic and infrastructure. This approach meant the Waitlist domain could evolve independently of other platform modules.
Legacy Code Refactoring
Where the Waitlist feature intersected with existing code not yet migrated to DDD, the Ajackus team refactored those areas to bring them into alignment. This was done carefully and incrementally to avoid disrupting production functionality, with each refactored area accompanied by unit tests to verify behaviour before and after changes.
Timezone-Safe Event Scheduling with PostgreSQL
Event slot booking required precise time handling across multiple geographies. The Ajackus team implemented UTC-based storage in PostgreSQL, with timezone conversion handled at the application layer to ensure users always saw accurate local times regardless of their location. This design prevented the class of scheduling conflicts that arise from inconsistent timezone handling in distributed systems.
Frontend Component Development
On the frontend, Ajackus engineers built the Waitlist UI in both ReactJS (web) and React Native (mobile), following a component architecture that emphasised reusability and testability. Each component was designed to be independently verifiable, reducing the maintenance burden on VTS’s engineering team and enabling confident future iteration.
Results
The Waitlist feature was delivered seamlessly into VTS’s live commercial real estate platform — DDD architecture implemented, timezone safety established, and zero disruption to existing users. VTS described the engagement as exceptional.
DDD
Architecture Successfully Implemented
Full-Stack
Delivery Across Web and Mobile
Zero
Disruption to Live Platform
What went well:
Platform Delivery
- Complete Waitlist feature delivered end-to-end across NodeJS/GraphQL backend and ReactJS/React Native frontend
- DDD ports-and-adapters architecture implemented with clear boundaries between Waitlist domain and adjacent platform modules
- UTC-based event scheduling prevents timezone conflicts for multi-geography users
- Feature delivered with zero disruption to VTS’s live production platform and its existing user base
Technical Achievements
- Legacy code refactored incrementally alongside new feature development — each change covered by unit tests before shipping
- Reusable, independently testable frontend components built for both web and mobile surfaces
- VTS’s DDD architectural migration actively advanced — not paused — during the feature build
Business Impact
- VTS described the Ajackus engagement as exceptional — reflecting deep architectural alignment and delivery quality
- Waitlist feature maintainable and extensible by VTS’s own engineers from day one
- Platform scalability and long-term maintainability improved through DDD compliance
Why It Worked
Architecture as a Feature
By treating the DDD migration as a first-class concern during feature development, the Ajackus team delivered the Waitlist capability and simultaneously advanced VTS’s architectural transition. The ports-and-adapters structure meant the new feature was maintainable, extensible, and consistent with the direction of the broader platform — not an isolated addition that would need to be refactored later.
Timezone Precision at Scale
UTC-based event scheduling eliminated the timezone ambiguity that frequently causes booking errors in multi-geography platforms. The Ajackus team’s approach — store in UTC, convert at presentation — is a standard that VTS can apply consistently across future scheduling features, reducing the risk of user-facing time discrepancies as the platform scales.
A Partnership That Felt Exceptional
VTS described their experience working with Ajackus as exceptional. This reflected the team’s approach: embedded collaboration, architectural alignment before coding, and a delivery model that respected the maturity of the existing platform. The result was a feature that VTS’s own engineers could own and extend with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Ajackus handle feature development in a mature, production codebase?
Ajackus engineers begin by understanding the existing architecture and any ongoing migrations before writing new code. For VTS, this meant aligning on DDD principles first and refactoring adjacent legacy code incrementally — ensuring the new Waitlist feature enhanced architectural quality rather than adding technical debt. All changes were covered by unit tests before shipping.
What is Domain-Driven Design and why did it matter for this project?
Domain-Driven Design (DDD) is an architectural approach that organises software around the core business domain rather than technical layers. For VTS, applying DDD to the Waitlist feature meant the booking logic, domain entities, and business rules were encapsulated independently — making the feature easier to test, extend, and maintain as the platform evolved.
Can Ajackus deliver both backend and frontend for a commercial real estate platform?
Yes. Ajackus delivered the complete Waitlist feature across both layers: a NodeJS/GraphQL/PostgreSQL backend with DDD architecture, and ReactJS and React Native frontend components. The team structured the work to allow both tracks to progress in parallel, with integration milestones aligned to VTS's release schedule.
How did Ajackus manage timezone complexity in event scheduling?
All event times were stored in UTC in PostgreSQL, with timezone conversion applied at the application layer for presentation. This approach ensures consistent behaviour regardless of where users are located, prevents scheduling conflicts from timezone ambiguity, and creates a reliable foundation for any future multi-geography scheduling features.
What engagement model does Ajackus use for platform feature development?
Ajackus operates as an embedded engineering partner — joining the client's development workflow, aligning on architecture and standards, and delivering features that meet the same quality bar as internally built code. For VTS, this meant DDD compliance, thorough testing, and refactoring legacy code where the new feature intersected it, not just delivering the feature in isolation.
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