I tend to buy my most valuable domain names in private acquisitions. Oftentimes, the domain names I want to buy are owned by companies that no longer need these domain names. I have found that sometimes the domain names were acquired by the current registrant as a result of a corporate acquisition. If I have this information, I like to mention it in my offer or introductory email.
Company and brand name trends change over time. Sometimes, it seems like first names are popular brand names, sometimes it is made up words that are in vogue, and other times, it is every-day words that are trending for startup businesses and rebrands. As domain investors, it is important that we stay on top of naming trends because almost all of these new brands are going to need a domain name.
I want to share a bit of a domain name buying tip that has been helpful to me over the years. When visiting a developed domain name that is an acquisition target, look at the section with company news to see how recently and regularly updated it is.
I receive many inquiries from people who specify that they want to buy a domain name for personal usage. I am not sure why they feel the need to tell me this, but I assume they think they might get a better price if they are using it in a non-commercial manner rather than if they are going to use it for commercial purposes. Suffice to say, it doesn’t matter how the buyer is going to use the domain name, the price will not change.
Due diligence is an important aspect of buying a domain name. Whether a buyer is acquiring a domain name privately without the assistance of a third party, using a domain broker, buying a domain name via auction, or using an aftermarket platform, due diligence is critical to ensure the domain name acquisition is legitimate.
I don’t think auction platforms do much (or enough) due diligence on domain names that are listed for sale. I believe some confirm that the customer who listed the domain name is the registrant of said domain name, but I am not even sure if that happens for every domain name nor do I know if it happens with every venue. Even if this is true, a thief who stole a domain name and has possession of it could easily prove possession of the domain name, so this is not much help.
As part of doing due diligence, it can be helpful to contact previous domain registrants to track the history of the domain name. DomainTools’ Whois history tool is the primary tool I use to see the historical Whois records for domain names. I believe DomainIQ also has some historical Whois records as well. Google searching for Whois and the domain name may also reveal some (spotty) results.
Charlotte (Charlie) and Brian Gilbert are two of the most fun people I have met through the domain industry. They are hilarious, kind, and pretty much the type of people you want to be around if you want to ensure that you are going to have a fun time.
For quite some time, Charlie has been battling Pulmonary Hypertension, which has been worsening. Brian wrote an extensive article about Charlie and her fight on his blog, BrianGilbert.com. You can have a look at that to see what Charlie and Brian have been going through.
For several months, Charlie has been at Duke University working hard to become eligible for a heart and lung transplant. Charlie qualified for the list and has been awaiting the double transplant. In order for this to work, Charlie needs the heart and lungs to come from the same donor. There have been a couple of false starts where Charlie’s doctors thought she was going to get her double transplant, but those did not work out.
This afternoon, Brian announced “It’s a Go!” Charlie is currently undergoing a double organ transplant. I don’t know how long Charlie will be in surgery, but I know that she and Brian can use all of the positive thoughts and prayers we can muster. Once Charlie’s surgery is successful, she is going to have a long recovery. Charlie is strong and strong willed, and I know she is going to overcome this and thrive.
In addition to positive thoughts and prayers, one thing we can all think about doing is becoming an organ donor to help people like Charlie. Without the organ donor who made the ultimate gift, we wouldn’t have Charlie in our lives. Let’s keep that person and their family in our thoughts, too.
Here’s to a swift and full recovery for Charlie. Please keep her and Brian in your thoughts and prayers now and in the coming days.
