How to cleverly acquire high-priced domain names? How to negotiate domain name prices when investing in domain names?

Domain name investment has become a hot industry in the Internet. Compared with real estate, the cost of domain name investment is lower, and once you invest in a good domain name, the harvest is tens of thousands of times, but there are many skills and knowledge in domain name investment.

There is no doubt that the cost of top-level domain name .com domain name is high. Cars.com has the highest transaction record so far, with a value of up to $872 million.

No one except investors wants most startups or growing companies to get excited about multi-million dollar domain names, but it is definitely not uncommon to spend tens of thousands of dollars for a good domain name. In Internet terms, the cost is similar to buying a house. It is usually the largest single purchase a brand will make, and it is also where your own brand will live for years or decades to come.

So, how to get the best deal on high-priced domain names at the most reasonable price? After completing this process many times by myself, overseas domain name investors provide the following high-priced domain name negotiation acquisition tips:

1. Do your research

Before you make an offer to a seller, do your research. First, research the domain name itself, understand its history, how much interest it has generated, and the past price. Also research the seller. Negotiating with a private seller is very different than negotiating with a professional domain flipper.

There are many different companies and agencies that will appraise a domain, either algorithmically or organically, and give you a rough estimate of its value. Sedo, Domaining, Estibot all offer such services, as do many domain registrars. However, I recommend using a personal appraiser over an automated tool, as there are often factors that are not easily picked up algorithmically but are very important for a true valuation.

Obviously, a branded domain that matches your company will be more valuable to you than the domain's overall history, age, and previous usage. The sales history of a domain can also indicate when the current owner has tried to get far more than the domain is worth. So use a professional appraisal as ammunition for negotiation, especially when the list price is much higher than the appraisal price.

2. Negotiate often.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a struggling startup with a lackluster user experience or a hot newcomer fresh off the VCs: Always bargain for your domain! Whenever a domain goes up for sale, its owner sets a high price in the hopes of getting an offer; no one expects to sell at list price, so you shouldn’t expect to buy at that price either.

The only time you need to worry about the purchase deadline is when you can verify if other companies are interested in buying. Most of the time, you’ll be the only one negotiating for the domain, so you can take your time at a leisurely pace. The caveat of course is that you need to start this process early to have plenty of wiggle room.

3. Walk away

The key is to be tough! Domain names may be like houses for online brands, but they’re clearly different from real estate in that there may be little demand for the domain you want. A domain like CloudPay.com is in high demand for brands like CloudPay.com and several other brands that have CloudPay.com-related services, but that’s about it. How many of these brands are also looking for a new domain and have the budget to purchase a high-value domain.

What are they? Domain names, business names, trademarks.

In the vast majority of cases, there will be few other bidders for the domain you want to buy. So, you don't have to worry about competition snatching it up while you're considering it. Your negotiations will show the seller that there is some interest out there, but he or she will be fully aware of how many bids have come in.

If the price is too high, walk away. Simply put, the price is too high for your budget and you can't buy it at that price. There's a good chance the seller will reconsider, come up with a lower price, and then make you a better offer over the phone or email.

4. Ask about a payment plan

Depending on who is selling the domain, you can set up a payment plan to make the purchase easier on your budget and get it. Most large domain registrars will offer payment plans, and after receiving final payment, the domain ownership is transferred.

In the meantime, you can also use the domain, just like you can drive a car after you've taken out a loan to buy it; but the terms depend on the contract; for example, Escrow.com offers a service specifically for secure domain transactions.

However, payment plans may be more difficult for private sellers, or there may not be such a contract on hand. In this case, ask a lawyer to draft a simple agreement for both parties to sign, and then start marketing through your new domain name.

Well, let's stop here for the little knowledge about domain name investment for now. If you are interested in domain name investment, you can first learn some relevant domain name knowledge, and then find some domain name registration platforms to test the waters. I hope you can become a big boss in the domain name industry one day.