The online auction house is open, and if you’re lucky or just plain smart, you registered some good domain names back in the day. A good domain name can be worth over $10,000 to over $100,0 to the right buyer. Of course, there are also those names that no one will ever be able to afford, like CarInsurance.com, which is currently still on the market for $49.7 million. That’s some prime online real estate.
If you want some extra cash or you’re thinking about starting a domain flipping business, selling your domain names could be the right way to go. Most domain names appreciate over time, and many .COM domains are worth more today than when they were first purchased.
Let’s jump right in and find out some more about the best domain marketplaces on the web.
Best Places to Sell Your Domain Name
Some sites offer better auction tools, pricing, and advertising for sellers, so it’s a better choice to sell with these marketplaces instead. Here is a look at the best places to sell your domain name currently.
Flippa
Flippa has been a popular domain selling marketplace and exchange. It’s probably the most well known in the world because of its marketplace for online businesses as well. You can sell apps, SaaS, websites, and Amazona FBA on Flippa, too. The site boasts over 200 million dollars in sales since it opened many years ago.
There are some caveats to joining this large marketplace. If you want to be a seller, you’ll have to pay a small listing fee of $15 per month no matter what you’re trying to sell on the marketplace. In addition, Flippa charges between 5 and 15 percent commission for every successful sale that you make through the site. The percentage depends on the total sale amount. If you want a big audience, Flippa is the best way to go, but you may not like paying all of these fees.
GoDaddy
GoDaddy became a household name in the Dot Com era because it was so easy to buy domain names through their site. Now they have popularized an easy-to-use auction house that attracts all kinds of buyers, including small business owners and entrepreneurs who have money to throw around. GoDaddy Auctions is one of the best places to advertise and sell your domains simply because of the traffic that it attracts every day.
However, there is a small membership fee of $4.99 per year that’s necessary to sell on the GoDaddy marketplace. You can bid and purchase domain names while also listing your domains if you opt in for membership. There are a few different ways to auction off your domain through GoDaddy, including:
– Setting up a 7-day public auction
– Creating a BIN auction or Buy It Now auction
– Negotiating with buyers directly
GoDaddy does have a considerable commission if you do sell your domain name, too. While it depends on the total sales price, if the domain you sell was priced below $5,000 then you’ll have to pay a 20% commission fee or $15 minimum.
If you have a good domain name that appeals to business owners or just want to auction it off quickly, GoDaddy is a great choice because the site will advertise for you and give your listing more exposure.
Sedo
Perhaps you want a similar marketplace to GoDaddy without such high fees. Sedo is the next best thing. You can buy and sell on the Sedo marketplace. They offer services for sellers and buyers including free transfer services, free parking, and free registration. You can also list your domains for free on the marketplace, but you will pay a commission upon completing the sale.
The type of commission depends on the total sales price of the domain name. For example, parked and BIN domains have a 10%sales commission, while buy now or make an offer domain sales have a higher commission of 15% when you make a sale. A simple domain auction sale also has a 15% commission. The highest you’ll pay is 20% for SedoMLS partners only.
Sedo works for those who want to pay nothing upfront and sell to a wide range of buyers who are looking for domains every day.
NamePros
If you’re a savvy domain shopper, then you likely know about NamePros. This forum was designed to help members buy and sell domain names directly to each other. The forums are open and free to everyone. There are over 1 million members on the forums with over 1 million threads and over 6 million posts. As you can see, it’s a pretty popular place to sell domain names, but it’s also a great place to learn about what’s trending in the Dot Com trade.
You can create listings on NamePros to easily sell your domain name to members. However, the forum limits your sales to two active listings at one time. You’ll need to get a supporter or business account to upgrade and sell more listings at once. Supporter accounts have a $5/month subscription, while business accounts pay $10 per month or $99 per year.
The best part about NamePros is that there isn’t a commission. You simply find a buyer and sell to them directly through the forum.
NameCheap
For those who have registered a lot of domains in their day, you already know about NameCheap’s services. For years, this website was the king of domain registration simply because of how cheap they offered the service. In addition to its registration service, NameCheap also offers the option to list your names for sale. The site doesn’t charge anything to list your domains either. You can sell your domains at a fixed price and find buyers who are looking to purchase on NameCheap. Just like the name says, it’s pretty cheap to buy and sell with this registrar.
Efty
You can set up your own domain marketplace in just a few minutes using Efty’s tools. This is an amazing option if you have many domain names to sell or know a lot of clients who also want to get rid of their domain names. You can manage your entire domain portfolio using Efty’s tools.
With the marketplace website option, you’ll set up your own minisite with a theme, logo, and text so it looks like a professional domain auction house. Efty doesn’t offer this service for free, however. You’ll pay a $4 minimum fee per month to use this service, and the cost depends on how many domains you want to sell on your marketplace. There aren’t any other fees, however, so it’s perfect if you have the time and over 10 decent domain names that you want to auction off.
eBay
Everyone knows eBay as the online auction website. You can buy and sell just about anything on this site. The domain auction house on eBay is a little bit of a small pond, but it’s easy to list your domain for auction or sell for a fixed price. Buyers don’t pay any fee to purchase a domain, and sellers can list their first 50 listings for free with a free account. If you decide to sell more domain names, such as 50 or more, then you’ll want to sign up for a business account which costs $19.95 per month.
In addition, eBay charges a 10% commision on the final price. The amount is removed automatically. You should also read up on selling domains through eBay as it’s not always risk-free. You may find some unscrupulous buyers who don’t adhere to the rules of the sale. That’s why it’s important to check their profile, read reviews, and direct message with buyers before finishing the sale.
Afternic
Afternic is a popular site and marketplace for buying and selling domain names. You can register an account for free and list your domain for sale in a few minutes. The great part about Afternic is that you’re selling across all over their networks. You’ll receive free advertising on over 50 networks or more, depending on whether you sign up for premium listing services.
The site does have a pretty hefty commission for anything you sell, however. You’ll be charged 20% in commission for site selling between $0 and $5000. You’ll pay $1,000 plus 15% of your sale price over $5,000 if you sell between $5,001 and $25,000. The commission price goes up to $4,000 for any sell price over $25,000, and you’ll pay a 10% commission over any sales price above $25,000.
You may want to use Afternic if you have a premium domain name and don’t mind the commission rates because you’ll get more exposure through advertising networks.
BrandBucket
Some auction houses have a different approach to selling domain names. BrandBucket has a made a name for itself by being very particular about the domains that they list and advertise on their auction house. In fact, if you’re a seller, your domain name will have to be approved for sale first. This is because the website only focuses on domain names that are unique and have “premium domain name” status. These often sell for more, and that’s what BrandBucket is looking for.
If you have a high-quality domain name that does get selected, BrandBucket will list your domain and advertise for you. However, you’ll have to get through the manual approval process first, and if you do sell, there’s also the 30% commission fee charged by BB to conduct the sale. This is a little bit higher than other domain auction houses that you’ll find. You should only use this option if you have a premium domain name and limited time to advertise it yourself.
SnapNames
The SnapNames marketplace has been around for a few years. It’s another domain name registration service that has risen to popularity as a newer auction house. The company has over 30 million domain names listed, and most of the site visitors are sellers. You’ll find all kinds of names for sale on this website, which is why it is so popular within the Dot Com buyer crowd.
There are a few different options to sell on this marketplace, including
– The Domain Brokerage
– Showcase Auctions
– Live Auction Events
It’s free to create an account, and you can set up an auction on your own. However, “domain experts” at SnapNames will decide which option is best for your domain name from the above listings.
Above.com
Above.com calls itself a domain investor platform. The company is a great example of using technology to help domain sellers and investors optimize their revenue streams. You can list any of your domain names on the site, and if sold, you’ll pay a 10% commission on the sale price. The site works as a registrar, marketplace, and brokerage service. If you use their straightforward tools, you’ll find a few buyers, but you’ll likely need to share your listing on social media to get any action.
Cax
Cax is a very straightforward marketplace that’s not trying to take away from anyone’s bottom line. You can head to the website and see all of the listings right on the homepage. You can select any listing to start directly negotiating with the seller. The best part about this website is that it’s simple to use, and they don’t charge hefty listing fees or commissions.
In fact, Cax has partnered up with Domaining.com to offer listings at just 5% sales commission. While you won’t get a whole lot of exposure, you can set up your domain on Cax.com and then share it on social media or advertise it yourself.