There are now more venues than ever to purchase aftermarket domains. These include:
These are the largest venues where buyers and sellers meet. Domain owners list their domains for sale in the marketplace and buyers may use advanced search criteria to locate domains with specific keywords or within certain industries. They also offer a measure of privacy and security, where payments and transfers are conducted using an escrow service to guarantee transactions for both parties. Some popular domain marketplaces include:
A boutique domain shop exists where a company has set up its own website to sell their portfolio of domains direct (rather than through a marketplace or auction). Some boutique shops may specialize in a particular industry or niche, such as medical or adult domains. There are perhaps dozens upon dozens of such websites. The best way to locate them is simply to do an internet search for “______ domains” - filling in the blank with the keyword, industry, or niche you are looking for.
There are several domain name forums, and many webmaster forums that allow registered members to buy, sell, and trade domains. Members build trust through regular forum participation and feedback earned through positive transactions. When buying domains through forums it is recommended to take some simple precautions, especially in dealing with high dollar volume purchases. For example:
• Verify the seller in fact owns the domain name they are selling
• Check their reputation by reviewing feedback left from previous buyers
• Establish whether the seller has a history with the forum, or is a new member
• When in doubt, ask to pay through an escrow service such as Escrow.com
From individuals selling on eBay up to the largest domain industry events showcasing collections of category killers, and everything in between, so many domain auctions are taking place on any given day it can be quite difficult to keep up with what domains are selling where.
Most domain marketplaces run their own featured auctions, as well as incorporating auction-style formats as part of their regular sales platform, as do domain forums. Recently, a new service has begun to monitor daily closing auctions across many auction venues at ClosingAuctions.com
When typing a domain name into your web-browser, you may come to a page that includes text such as “this domain is for sale” which links to a contact form or email address where you may submit an offer or request further information directly from the owner.
As with buying on domain forums, a few simple steps may be warranted to ensure the seller's integrity. A contact address and/or telephone number in email correspondence is generally a clear indicator the seller is upfront and has nothing to hide. Again, when in doubt always opt to use an escrow service.
It is also important to address here a misapprehension that remains concerning domain investors, wherein there are those that believe them to be nothing more than a lot of unscrupulous cybersquatters. This is untrue, except for a small unfortunate minority of bad seeds, as exists in any industry. By and large domain resellers value their professional integrity and wish to conduct legitimate business.
In addition to selling, many domain name brokers also offer assistance with acquiring domains on the secondary market, and can be a valuable asset for sourcing quality domains, as well as negotiating prices. Brokers typically have access to the widest net of domain industry aftermarket channels, and are able to leverage their position to the benefit of their clients.
Moreover, working through a domain broker offers the chance to speak with someone first and foremost about what your particular goals are, to obtain valuable feedback on the best way to achieve them before opening your wallet.