Domain Brokers: Make Me an Offer

Elliot Silver
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16

I received an email from a domain broker I do not know (and have never even heard of before) asking me if a domain name I own is for sale, and if so, what the price is. The broker indicated she was inquiring on behalf of a client who wanted to buy my domain name. My message to her was make an offer and she said she would need to get back to me.

I would imagine a  domain broker working on behalf of a legitimate buyer knows what the buyer’s budget is. Additionally, an experienced broker should know the approximate value of a particular domain name. That information combined should be enough to at least provide a reasonable opening offer. If the budget isn’t commensurate with the domain name’s value, it seems unbelievable that a professional domain broker would take on the project, especially given the fact that the domain name they inquired about is owned by someone that is knowledgeable about the domain space.

If a domain broker isn’t

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What Companies Own Other Domain Names?

Elliot Silver
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1

When I am evaluating a domain name to buy, I spend some time looking at other domain names that are in the same field. I look at longer versions of the domain name, alternative versions of the domain name, and the best keyword domain names in the space. The two things I look for are ownership and usage.

It is important for me to see that companies in that particular vertical own keyword domain names. This shows me that the companies who operate in the space either understand and appreciate keyword domain names or they don’t. If I see all similar / related domain names are owned by domain portfolio owners, it shows me that that there could be a lack of interest in the names, or certainly a lack of interest in spending money to acquire these domain names.

Usage of similar or

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Give an End User a “Deal”

Elliot Silver
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7

There are a lot of domain investors who are afraid to leave money on the table. I am one of those people. However, I am also a realist, and I would generally rather do a deal at 70-80% of what I think I could potentially achieve than hold out for every last penny, which may never come. Worse, it could cost me a reasonable deal that is on the table because a buyer could choose another domain name instead of mine.

There’s a funny thing about leaving money on the table. When we agree to sell a domain name for an end user’s best and final offer, we

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Inquiries Can Help You Find More Leads

Elliot Silver
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1

I recently fielded an inquiry on a domain name, and I set out to do a bit of due diligence on the prospective buyer. I looked at his company’s website, and I was easily able to see why the company wants to buy my domain name. I also realized that if I had done outbound marketing for this domain name, I would never have found them.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably won some domain names at auction that look like they’re great names but you may not know all that much about the topic. For instance, you might have bought a domain name related to school loans, but you don’t know much about how the lending process works or technical terms related to that field. This could make it more challenging to do outbound marketing for the domain name.

When you receive an

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Why Domain Name Theft Matters to You

Elliot Silver
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0

On occasion, I blog about security issues and phishing attempts that I spot or that are reported by domain name registrars. For instance, yesterday I wrote about Namecheap’s urgent warning, a week ago I wrote about a Register.com phishing email, and a while back I wrote about a GoDaddy phishing email. Security is important for all, and I think it is especially important for those whose valuable assets are online.

I think that most domain name owners believe their accounts are secure and are probably immune from theft. Most domain investors wisely take extra precautions with their domain names, securing their email accounts and domain registrar accounts with 2 factor authentication  and other security functionality. I also think this may be a false sense of security, and being overcautious is wise.

Even if you don’t

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Reach Out to a Registry

Elliot Silver
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0

I think fairness has always been an issue in the domain space. People and companies are often able to cut private deals with registries, registrars, parking companies, and other industry companies, and the results of their deals may be looked upon by others with some jealousy and perhaps disillusionment. Whether you agree with private deals or you don’t, they happen in the domain space as much or more than any other business.

One thing I like to remind people is that anyone can try and cut these private deals with other registries, and as long as they aren’t breaking ICANN rules or laws, it could be beneficial. I keep a relatively small portfolio of domain names, so I am not a big dealmaker with service providers, but I don’t see anything wrong with making deals as long as they are ethical and legal.

On DomainInvesting.com, you can see

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