If you receive a domain name purchase inquiry or offer from the DomainBrokers@godaddy.com email or an individual broker, you should understand the broker is working on behalf of a buyer. These emails are from the GoDaddy Domain Broker Service (DBS) team. The broker’s goal is to get the best price for a client who paid to make an anonymous purchase inquiry.
GoDaddy DBS brokers do not represent domain name sellers. In fact, if a domain name is listed for sale via GoDaddy (Afternic), any inquiries and offers will be made by a different team. Those brokers work on behalf of the domain name sellers who listed the domain name. DBS brokers work to acquire domain names that aren’t listed for sale via GoDaddy.
Like domain investors looking to buy domain names, DBS brokers may use different tactics to devalue the domain name they are looking to buy for a client. If the GoDaddy automated appraisal is low for a domain name, the GoDaddy DBS broker may cite that appraisal. They also may cite comparable sales that may lower the perceived value of a domain name. They may discuss how infrequently domain names receive offers.
I have found that some DBS brokers prefer to use more scripted responses from their tool set, and others use their own tone. I’ve worked with friends of friends outside of the domain space who asked for advice when they received an inbound offer, and I would imagine some brokers use a different approach when dealing with a more savvy domain investor.
At the end of the day, domain investors can get upset with DBS brokers for various tactics or pitches aimed at closing a deal in favor of their client, but that’s pissing in the wind. GoDaddy DBS brokers generally have a budget set by their buyer client, and their goal is to get a domain name owner to sell a domain name for the best possible price.
Many of us are GoDaddy customers and do business with various teams at GoDaddy. However, I know the GoDaddy Domain Broker Service team is not working on my behalf when negotiating a deal. They may come across as being friendly and cordial, but they’re trying to get a deal for their client.
Whoa! Nice Post! I was wondering when someone was going to talk about this. It hurts but these games are the reason I deleted my entire portfolio off Go Daddy/Afternic. My opinion only it was the most dishonest, nothing but games and manipultion I have ever seen. One day, I said I might lose sales but I am out and moved my portfolio to Atom and went with standard so I could negoiate on my own. I would rather lose sales than do business with in my opinion dishonest people. They would list their names for 10K or 20K and then offer you 1K for you name which is better than theirs in my opinion. So I simply deleted, it might take years from now but I think one day everyone will see what they’re doing and domainers will start walking away.
Inquiries / offers for names already listed on GoDaddy/Afternic are handled by a different team, and those brokers represent the sellers.
DBS brokers represent buyers for domain names not listed for sale on the platform.
There may be exceptions but I am pretty sure that’s the standard.