# 17 Years in the Domain Industry: What I've Learned Canonical: https://saw.com/blog/en/articles/17-years-in-the-domain-industry-lessons-from-jeff-gabriel Author: Jeffrey Gabriel Published: 2026-06-22T06:21:14.000Z Updated: 2026-06-23T13:31:25.684Z Topic: Domain insights Saw.com CEO Jeff Gabriel shares what 17 years in the domain industry has taught him, from trends and follow-ups to reputation, family, and the deals that define a career. # 17 Years in the Domain Industry: What I've Learned I've just celebrated my seventeenth year in the domain industry. It's been a wild ride, full of peaks, valleys, successes, and failures. I have won awards, broken world records, met celebrities, and even moved my life abroad for better opportunities. Like many of my colleagues, I didn't plan on landing here. In fact, how people got into the domain industry could be another great article... Looking back on more than a decade and a half, I've learned a few things. In no particular order: ## Trends and Things Change I hear a lot of sweeping statements about domains: "Domains aren't valuable anymore," ".com isn't what it was," "I'll just hand-register a name and SEO it," "Apps have replaced domains," "AI will make domains obsolete." When I got started, smartphones didn't exist, and the extension .MOBI was all the rage. The thinking was that mobile users would automatically go to a .MOBI site, optimized for their device. Then the smartphone arrived, and .MOBI disappeared. I've watched countless other trends come and go that made the values of domains change dramatically: nutraceutical domains, ringtone domains, online education names, steroid names, 4-, 3-, and 2-letter .coms, then 4-, 3-, and 2-digit .coms, coin and crypto names, fintech names, names ending in -LY, XYZ rising quickly like a weed, .CO and .IO having their moment and fading. Now anything techy or .AI is hot... Geos and keyword domains have faded. I'm always asking: what's next? ## "No" Doesn't Always Mean No In most areas of life, it does. Not in domain sales. I've had companies tell me they aren't interested, only to see them inquire directly with the domain owner a week later. I've had buyers say, "This is our final offer, don't contact us again," only to return with a higher offer and buy the domain. "No" just means no for today. Don't throw away a qualified lead. Every company is at a different point in its journey. The price might make sense, but the timing may not. They don't owe me an explanation. I keep saying hello and keep trying. When a buyer says something like, "You must be desperate because you keep following up," or, "You should accept my offer because I'm clearly your only buyer," I say something to the effect of, "Thanks for the compliment; it's my job to keep in touch." ## Selling Isn't About Selling A guy I once gave a ride to said, "Jeff, I could never do what you do. I can't lie as salespeople do." I told him, "I don't need to lie. I help people solve problems." I've spent hours learning the ins and outs of this industry, learning who the service providers are, who the competitors are, and what the trends are. Because I know my craft, I can provide real solutions. There's no need to twist the truth or make up answers if I know what I'm talking about. ## No Deal Is Worth More Than Your Reputation I don't need to explain this at length: doing the right thing, even when it's inconvenient, even when others ask you not to, matters more than a short-term win. ## There's Always Money in the Follow-Up Connected to "No Doesn't Always Mean No," I believe you should always keep following up with qualified buyers and past buyers. Treat them like the last life preserver on the Titanic. ## Win Today, Lose Tomorrow Some of my best friends are in this industry... Some are domain brokers. Direct competitors! We chat, grab drinks, and tease each other. Today, I might have the upper hand on a deal because I represent a domain exclusively. But it's just one deal. If you're hard to work with, people remember. Tomorrow they'll have the upper hand. Believe me, I remember the folks who are difficult or unethical. When their names come up, I let clients know. Often the client says, "Let's find another domain." And we do. Believe me, it costs them. ## Money List Years ago, I started making a to-do list at the end of each day. It does two things: it clears my head so I don't lie awake thinking about tomorrow's tasks, and it lets me prioritize what will bring in money fastest or what's most important. If you're in sales, don't spend 8:30 AM to 11 AM doing reports and admin work. Save those for 4 PM or when you're tired. Do your follow-ups and calls when you're fresh and energetic. ## No Explanation Needed It's flattering how many people ask us to sell their domains. We see a steady stream of opportunities, but for various reasons, we have to pass on most. One thing I've learned: a great domain doesn't need an explanation. It shouldn't require an AI-generated write-up or a long pitch about the industry, the market, or the future. The right name speaks for itself. It will do the talking once it's attached to the new company, product, or service that adopts it. ## Family, Board of Advisors, and Health I'd be nowhere without my family, my parents, my wife, and my kids. The ability to separate work from family life and be fully present as a husband and father is as important as anything else. The same goes for friends. I'm private; my wife and I don't allow craziness into our lives. If your life is always a hot mess, I'm probably not the friend for you. There's truth in the saying: "Show me your friends, and I'll show you your future." I don't need to surround myself with wealthy people just to brag; I want honest, ethical friends who will listen when I need advice. That's why I have a "board of advisors," not just friends, but a good CPA, a lawyer, business owners, and peers who face similar challenges as I do. Surround yourself with the right people, and it makes all the difference. Take care of yourself! I like to work out, play golf, and go for walks; all of it helps reduce stress. Cheers to the domain industry that has given us (family) so much. I am excited to write the second version of this article seventeen years from now. ## About the author Founder & CEO of Saw.com, is a renowned domain broker with over $500M in sales, including record-breaking deals like Sex.com and Ai.com. In 2019, he left his dream job to start his own company, sharing insights and inspiring others to push their limits through candid conversations with industry leaders.