On its recently launched blog, Uniregistry announced a new initiative called “Domain Liquidity.” I like the concept of this, and I think it has a great deal of potential for domain investors who hold valuable domain name assets that they would like to liquidate in an easy and secure manner.
Here’s what the company announced in a blog post over the (US) holiday weekend:
“Uniregistry now facilitates the wholesale purchase of high quality domain names. Our process is a quick and well priced alternative for domain name sellers looking to easily cash out their existing portfolio. Interested parties are encouraged to send us their list of names via the application below.”
I reached out to Uniregistry’s VP of Sales Jeff Gabriel to ask a few questions about the new initiative, and Uniregistry founder Frank Schilling replied with some comments about it. From what I understand, Uniregistry aims to connect wholesale buyers with wholesale sellers to facilitate domain name sales. It is not solely for Uniregistry (or its principals) to pick off good domain names on the cheap. I don’t even know if Uniregistry – or Frank Schilling for that matter – will be buying via this initiative.
If a domain registrant is looking to cash in on some of their domain name assets for whatever reason, there are few options. As far as I can tell, the options are as follows:
- Reach out to known buyers to try and sell assets privately.
- List names for sale at auction venues like Sedo, GoDaddy, NameJet…etc.
- List names for sale on forums or social media sites.
- Put low BIN prices on names at marketplaces.
There are problems with each of these options. With the first option, it can be tough for people to reach out to other investors without looking desperate. It can also be tough to find these buyers when they are buying and to induce an offer across a variety of domain names. With auctions, there is a certain amount of lead time required to gain traction, and it can take quite some time to get paid. Finally, with marketplaces, forums, and social media outlets, getting visibility on BIN priced domain names is not easy, and that can take time to sell even when prices are very good.
My understanding is that the initiative aims to connect people who have very good, desirable domain names with buyers of such domain names. There are few details about how this will be done, so I can’t say I recommend it yet, but I do think it is a positive development for investors.
I hope Uniregistry follows up with more information about how Uni’s Domain Liquidity program will work. I also hope they follow up by sharing information about how buyer’s can opt in to get a look at the domain names that are being offered. I presume they are dealing with a dearth of submissions and a plethora of questions right now, so it might take some time to get a better understanding of how this will work.
One thing which would be pretty cool is to have an automated system where investors input their names and an immediate offer to buy the group of domain names is made. I don’t think there is an algorithm available that has enough confidence to allow a company to make bulk purchases like this yet, but that would also be interesting and helpful.
As I learn more about Domain Liquidity, I will share more.
> it can be tough for people to reach out to other investors without looking desperate
How is it different in this case? Even if that is a ‘private club’, resorting to this one still looks desperate to a group of people. Though probably there would be no group, just Uni. What could really be positive for people with financial issues – an ability to get a loan secured by their domain name(s). So that, people would lose the name should they fail to pay in time, but still capable to try to make sale of their name while it lasts.
I don’t know every great portfolio holder, and I am sure they don’t know me. Even if people do know me, they do not know if I am in buy mode or not. Having a platform to connect buyers and sellers at wholesale pricing when those parties are ready makes for another good option.
Thankfully, I have never been in a position where I needed cash or needed to liquidate domain names, but I know people who have and it does not seem like it was an easy process. I am also sure it was quite embarrassing hitting the same people up trying to sell names in a time crunch. Hopefully you nor I are never in that position.
I think this type of platform/service could help solve the problem of selling domain names quickly.
“I don’t even know if Uniregistry – or Frank Schilling for that matter – will be buying via this initiative.”
LOL Seriously? His boys are going to weed out all the junk first and then give him the revised list before anyone else sees it. He will then cherry pick those names for pennies on the dollar. Basically will be a domain pawn shop.
Literally, I don’t know. I asked if Uniregistry will be buying the names from sellers or connecting buyers and sellers and Frank said it will be connecting buyers and sellers. I assume they will participate but I do not know.
Great idea for certain individuals and certain portfolios at specific times. The more options we have, all the better. If you dont like the price, you can always say “No Thanks” and move on.
Good/Great domain names kinda remind me of the TV show, AMERICAN PICKERS. There is one fellow who won’t sell old motorcycle parts because 1) They dont make them anymore and 2) If he sold it, how can he replace it for the same price.
I hope this is a sucess and other companies follow.
Good luck Uni!
More domain liquidity, the better. Time will tell how this works out.
Liquidity is the wrong word, this is purely cherry picking category killers against people who are desperate for cash.
They have unlimited gtlds, why would they want to buy into the AM dial, I thought the future was g’s, they can make an infinite amount.
Even if that were the case, what’s wrong with that?
People can still list elsewhere and/or pass on any offer that may be received.
If they need money and like the offer they take it.
If you don’t need liquidity and this isn’t for you, why do you even care?
This seems like a good initiative, but not sure how they will connect buyers and sellers? Algorithmic matching, I assume, For example: Sign up and submit a request (seeking a 2 word casino domain. .COM preferred. Up to 20 K) Would it work something like that? If so, this would be better than NamePros requests, such as seeking maximum 5 letter key word .coms domain in travel, such as Trip.com, Roam.com, Trek.com (Pay up to 5 K). I have no idea if such requests are even legitimate, but you’ll find similar requests on NP. “Buying 2 word crypto-related .com domains, Up to 10 USD”, or “Key word .com domains less than 7 letters (must be a real English word) and registered before 1995 – will pay up to 100 USD” LOL — yes, Uniregistry would put the NP domain fishing charter members out of biz.
Isn’t this Uniregistry doing private buys for their own inventory, probably because NameJet is a cemetery now.
Very good move by Uniregistry. I don’t care who the buyer is as long as they pay a good amount. Not expecting to get end-user prices but anything which makes financial sense is most welcome. Already submitted 100 names and hoping to get better results.
it would be nice if domainers that submitted domains list them and what uni offered them,this can also be used as an intrinsic value,if frank would pay X for a portfolio then maybe others would pay 1.5 times X
It is interesting what Uniregistry proposes I particularly have 338 premium domains, gTLDs with extensions Donuts Inc., have a Broker of this company for sale, Ultra-Premium domains (.com) are in domain parking are not sold until the broker receive a purchase proposal of 8 figure. Another Ultra-Premium domain (.com) in Spanish will be received tomorrow by the Broker that will sell Chocolate.com. and the premium domain portfolio “Bohemian Rapsody” is being negotiated by another UK broker.
Those of premium domains Adults, they give me a very good money every month.
The remaining premium domains long record not sell, other domain premium be for Rent, others for Marketplace, Ecommerce, Casinos online etc. some are my projects and others of Startup that I have their projects to study and analyze “Learn a lot from Rick Schwartz and apply his system, with the system that I can with Startups in Spain (EU) country where to live, at the moment a Startup in Madrid”
Possibly they will be 100 to 150 for sale premium domains (.com)
Happy Day. Jose.