I would say the two most commonly asked questions I receive about domain name investments are related to the amount of time I hold my domain names and the multiples I get on them.
I think there is a common school of thought that a 10x multiple is what people seek, and I don’t entirely agree. On low cost inventory acquisitions, I might shoot for 20-100x multiples, and on higher valued domain names, I might seek 10x more or less, but I might take 2x depending on how long I’ve held the domain name, how much interest there has been in the domain name, how many prospective buyers I see, and my desire to add cash to the coffers.
I have come across multiple multiple conversations lately, and I thought I would illustrate multiples by sharing my last 10 recent sales made on Afternic along with the price I paid to acquire the domain name.
- Sale price: $27,500 (paid: $14,000) Multiple: 2
- Sale price: $997 (paid: $45) Multiple: 28
- Sale price: $1,497 (paid: $22) Multiple 68
- Sale price: $1,997 (paid: $20) Multiple 100
- Sale price: $1,500 (paid: $11) Multiple 136.5
- Sale price: $2,500 (paid: $38) Multiple 66
- Sale price: $1,999 (paid: $70) Multiple 28.5
- Sale price: $1,997 (paid: $13) Multiple 153.5
- Sale price: $997 (paid: $32) Multiple 31
- Sale price: $999 (paid: $11) Multiple 91
The average multiple from these last 10 sales is about 70. None of the sale prices below take the commission percentage into account, so the multiple is lower, but you can get an idea of what I am seeing recently at Afternic.
Keep in mind that I am investing quite a bit of my business income in new domain names, so even though these returns on individuals names is quite high, it doesn’t show the whole picture since there are many more domain names in my portfolio that are not selling and may never sell.
In short, I look for outsized multiples on lower value inventory but may be content with lower multiples on higher value assets depending on various, individual circumstances that have a lot to do with the domain name and a little to do with my business.
Great breakdown, Elliot. I think your point about context-based multiples is something many new investors miss. A 2x flip on a five-figure buy can sometimes be smarter than waiting years chasing 10x, while a $20 hand-reg turning into a $1,500 sale shows the power of patience and scale on the low end.
It also highlights that multiples alone don’t tell the full story—portfolio size, renewal costs, cash flow needs, and opportunity cost all factor in. For many investors, it’s less about hitting a “magic multiple” and more about maintaining balance between quick liquidity events and long-term, higher-ticket holds.
Your data makes it clear: smart exits depend on strategy, not just percentages.