My Favorite Domain Sale

Elliot Silver
-
33

I received an offer for one of my domain names a few weeks ago, and although we started out quite far apart, we were able to bridge the gap to within a few thousand dollars after several emails. I was debating whether or not to sell the domain name because I had plans for it, but I decided if the right deal was struck, I would sell it.

After some discussion, I learned that the potential buyer is located in California – Napa Valley to be precise. I have an affinity for Napa Valley reds, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon.

Because we couldn’t come to terms on the dollar amount I wanted to move on the name, but we were fairly close, I decided to pose an offer to the buyer. I told him I would agree to his final offer price if he

Read More

Domain For Sale Landing Page Test

Elliot Silver
-
37

One thing I’ve found interesting when sending emails to end user buyers is that they often visit the domain name that is being sold and contact me through the contact form on the landing page. I don’t know if they are doing this to verify the legitimacy of my email or if they simply want to see what’s happening on the landing page.

With that in mind, I am going to try something a bit new as I try to sell StartupConsulting.com.

This afternoon, I am going to begin the process of contacting end user buyers for  StartupConsulting.com. I plan to test out the Estibot Lead Generation tool as well as do my own research to find potential buyers for this domain name. As usual, I do not plan to

Read More

Don’t Miss Out on a Good Deal Hoping for a Perfect Deal

Elliot Silver
-
2

For many people I know in the domain business, negotiating a deal is almost as exciting as completing a deal. It can be exhilarating to get a buyer or seller to agree to a favorable deal, and when a negotiation takes weeks or months, the thrill of the actual deal may be lost by the time it comes to its conclusion.

Because of the enjoyment many people get from negotiating, it is very possible to lose out on a fair deal trying to get the best terms possible.

In a negotiation, I think it is human nature for the buyer or seller to want to get the absolute best deal possible. Even if a deal is fair for both parties, some people want to “win” the negotiation rather than reach a fair deal that is still good for both parties. In an effort to “win,” they might actually lose out on a deal.

While most negotiations

Read More

HomeAway CEO: VacationRentals.com Domain Name Bought for $35 Million

Elliot Silver
-
28

I read a report on The Next Web this morining, and it listed the sale of VacationRentals.com as the most expensive domain name sale of all time. I don’t recall hearing about the sale anywhere, but the embedded video confirms the sale price.

In the video, HomeAway Founder and CEO Brian Sharples mentions that the company primarily bought VacationRentals.com to keep it away from a competitor. From the looks of it, VacationRentals.com had been a very active website before the acquisition, although Mr. Sharples sounds like the purchase was a defensive measure primarily for the domain name: “The only reason we bought it was so Expedia couldn’t have that url.” (Start the video at about the 15 minute mark to hear it).

I am sure most people won’t update their list of the most expensive domain sales / purchases of all time, but it certainly is a big sale that should be noted.

Interestingly, TNW did not include the $35.6 million sale of Insurance.com or the $16 million sale of Insure.com. From my perspective, both of these domain sales are similar in nature to the sale of VacationRentals.com since they were active websites and weren’t exclusively domain sales.

A Counter Offer Nullifies The Offer

Elliot Silver
-
8

A few years ago, someone made an offer on one of my domain names, and I counter offered trying to get a better price. I don’t recall if the person replied to my counter offer or not, but I followed up within a day or two to let them know I reconsidered and would accept their offer. The person told me their offer was no longer valid.

I was pretty upset, and at the time, I thought they had done something wrong. After speaking with a couple of colleagues, I then understood that what they did was completely legitimate, and in making my counter offer, I effectively rejected their offer.

With domain names or anything else, if you make a counter offer, you are

Read More

Report: DJI.com Sold via Sedo $300,000

Elliot Silver
-
25

 

In a tweet this morning, Sedo domain broker Dave Evanson announced that the company has brokered the sale of DJI.com for $300,000. The former owner appears to be an individual from Miami Beach who had parked the domain name at Sedo. I don’t know if Sedo made an outreach to try and sell the domain name on behalf of the owner or if they negotiated via the Sedo landing page. I looked through my Gmail history, and I don’t see any mention of this domain name being brokered publicly before.

The new registrant appears to be a Chinese company called Dajiang Innovation Technology, Inc. They currently use DJI-Innovations.com for its website, and throughout the website, the company refers to itself as simply DJI. This domain name is certainly a nice upgrade.

The sale price of $300,000 is pretty remarkable for this domain name. On the face of it, I don’t see that much value, but of course a domain owner can only get that much money if he or she asks for it. From my experience, a very high asking price is usually a deal killer, but clearly the buyer wanted (or perhaps needed) this domain name enough to justify the purchase price.

Congratulations to all parties on this deal.

1...171172173...254Page 172 of 254