Survey: domain name sales, marketplaces, and brokers

Will domain values go up? Survey says…

This year’s Domain Name Wire survey asked a number of questions about how people use domain name marketplaces and brokers.

Domain Marketplaces

The majority of survey-takers use only one or two domain name marketplaces. 30% use just one and 32% use two.

However, 58% said they’re considering adding their domains to one or more additional marketplaces in 2014.

The number of options for how to list domains at marketplaces is growing. Domain sellers are split between listing the majority of their portfolios as “make offer” or “buy now” prices. It was basically 37% for each. I was surprised at the number of people listing portfolios primarily at buy now prices.

Another 26% of people are split down the middle with about half listed at fixed prices and half “make offer”. I fall into this camp.

Domain Brokers

Only 34% of respondents used a domain broker to try to sell a domain name last year. Of course, brokers are selective in which inventory they work, so this makes sense.

42% said they plan to try a different domain broker to sell domains in 2014.

Domain Values

What will happen to domain values in the coming year? Here’s a quick snapshot:

42% (top bar) expect prices to go up, 40% expect them to stay the same, and only 18% think they’ll go down.

Yet it’s a bit more nuanced than that. When asked what new TLDs will do to the value of .com domains, the numbers closely mirror these overall numbers. On the other hand, more than half expect the values of .com alternatives to drop in the wake of new TLD launches this year.