3 Things Brokers Look for Before Taking On a Domain for Outbound

A member of NamePros asked if I'd take on his two domains, COGRL.com and RobotWRLD.com, and actively market them to companies. In the video, I walk through the three questions I ask before taking on that commitment.

1. Is the name any good? If I get a CEO on the phone, can I tell them with conviction why this domain would help their business?
2. Who are the buyers? Can I name a few companies that have a clear reason to buy it?
3. Is it priced right? Can I make a case for the asking price based on what the domain would do for those buyers?

Here's how I answered each question for the two domains.

COGRL.com

1. Is the name any good? It's a short .com, and it could work for a team that already uses COGRL as an acronym. I found an academic reference from 2018, but very little apparent search demand. I had a hard time seeing what the name would do for a business.
2. Who are the buyers? I looked for companies, labs, conferences, and groups using the term. The academic reference gave me somewhere to start, but I couldn't find a specific organization I'd feel confident calling with a pitch.
3. Is it priced right? I couldn't make that call from what I found. I'd first want to identify a buyer and understand what the domain would do for them. That's what gives me a basis for discussing price.

RobotWRLD.com

1. Is the name any good? You can tell it's meant to say "Robot World," but dropping the O changes the pitch. If someone already uses RobotWorld.com, the best case I can make for owning RobotWRLD.com is brand protection. I'd look at it differently if the full spelling were included in the package.
2. Who are the buyers? I found a few prospects, including a robotics event in South Korea that already uses RobotWorld.com. That gave me someone I could call. The harder part was explaining why they'd want the shortened spelling and why they'd buy it now.
3. Is it priced right? I found a $200,000 asking price while researching the domain. I couldn't see the buyers I found justifying that price for brand protection. Based on the use case I saw, I'd expect that conversation to start much closer to a few hundred dollars or around $1,000.

I passed on both for outbound brokerage. If you're buying a domain to flip, write down a few companies you'd call, what you'd say to each one, and what you think they'd pay. Try doing that before you spend the money.

FAQs

What is outbound domain brokerage?

Outbound domain brokerage is when a broker researches potential buyers and contacts them directly. The pitch explains what owning the domain would do for that particular business.

Does low search volume mean a domain can't sell?

A brandable domain can sell with little search volume if the right buyer has a use for it. I treat search volume as one of many metrics. I also look for active businesses using the term and ask what they'd gain from owning the domain.

What makes a spelling variant valuable for brand protection?

I'd look at how likely customers are to type the alternative spelling and how much that matters to the business. The stronger the evidence that customers use that spelling, the easier it is to explain the value to a buyer. This applies to both words and domain extensions.

Can I still sell a domain if a broker passes?

Yes. You can list it on a marketplace or contact prospects yourself. When I pass, I'm deciding whether I can build an outbound campaign around the name and its asking price. For outbound, we typically focus on domains worth over $100,000.