How to Sell a Domain Name- 2026 Complete Guide

How to Sell a Domain Name 2026 Complete Guide

The definitive, up-to-date guide for getting the highest price for your domain.

Selling a domain name can be simple or incredibly valuable, depending on the strategy you choose. In 2025, there are three proven ways to sell a domain: listing it on a marketplace, hiring a domain broker, or contacting potential buyers directly. Each method works, but the right one depends on your domain’s value, your timeline, and how involved you want to be.

This guide breaks down each path, how it works, and which method gives you the best chance of maximizing your sale price.

Sell Through a Domain Marketplace

A domain marketplace lets you list your domain publicly and wait for buyers to find it. These platforms attract investors, small businesses, and entrepreneurs who browse available names.

Popular marketplaces (2025)

• GoDaddy / Afternic: massive reach, fast-transfer distribution
• Sedo: large international audience, built-in escrow
• Atom: curated brandable marketplaces with higher commissions

How marketplaces work

– Create a listing
– Set a “Buy Now” price or “Make Offer”
– Buyers browse and submit offers
– Platform handles payment and transfer

Pros

• Easy to list
• Huge built-in buyer pool
• No exclusivity
• Secure escrow included

Cons

• Hard to find who the buyer is
• Buyers must discover your listing
• Heavy competition
• Prices trend lower (investor-driven)
• Commissions typically 10 to 25%

Best for

✔ Names under $10,000 to $25,000 or sellers who want a fast, low-effort option.

I need to discuss the domain I own!

Sell Through a Professional Domain Broker

A domain broker actively markets your domain to end-users, with companies, founders, and brands willing to pay significantly more than investors.

Instead of waiting for interest, brokers go out and find real buyers.

How brokerage works

– You submit the domain for review
– If accepted, you sign a success-fee agreement
– Broker researches ideal buyers
– Broker performs targeted outreach & negotiation
– Broker handles escrow and the transfer process

Pros

• Highest possible sale price
• Zero work for the seller
• Professional negotiation
• Private, anonymous representation
• Access to buyers you cannot reach yourself

Cons

• Only suitable for premium assets
• Commissions typically 15 to 20%
• Premium sales can take weeks or months

Best for

✔ One-word .com domains
✔ Premium brandables
✔ Category-defining names
✔ Domains valued $25,000+

Top premium brokers

• MediaOptions – 7× #1 Escrow.com Master of Domains, $500M+ in completed sales
• Grit Brokerage
• Sedo Brokerage
• Brannans

For high-value domains, MediaOptions is widely regarded as the most effective premium brokerage in the industry.

Sell Through Direct Outreach (DIY)

Direct outreach means identifying potential end-user buyers and contacting them yourself.

How it works

– Identify companies or founders who could benefit from your domain
– Find contacts via LinkedIn or email-lookup tools
– Send a short, benefit-focused message
– Negotiate pricing and terms
– Close safely through Escrow.com

Pros

• No commissions
• End-user pricing possible
• Full control of the process

Cons

• Time consuming
• Easy to undervalue your domain
• Negotiations often stall
• Many companies ignore cold outreach

Best for

✔ Motivated sellers or mid-tier domains where brokers may not be interested.

I need to buy a new domain!

Which Selling Method Should You Choose?

Under $5,000 → Marketplace

$5,000–$25,000 → Marketplace plus optional direct outreach

$25,000–$250,000 → Professional broker (Brokers create meaningful price increases in this range.)

$250K+ or one-word .com → Premium brokerage only. Requires strategic outreach, positioning, and expert negotiation.

How to Price Your Domain in 2025

Key value factors

• .COM extension
• Length and simplicity
• Brandability
• Industry relevance
• Comparable sales
• Commercial intent
• Inbound interest
• Organic traffic or revenue

Typical pricing ranges

Domain Type	Example	Typical Range
Long-tail	BestPlumbingService247.com	$1 to $500
Niche keyword	DenverPlumber.com	$1,000 to $5,000
Short brandable	Plumbr.com	$5,000 to $25,000
Strong brandable .com	Orbitly.com	$25,000 to $75,000
One-word .com	Orchard.com	$250,000 to $3M+

Safe Transfer & Escrow

Always use Escrow.com or a trusted marketplace escrow. Never transfer a domain before payment clears.

Escrow process

• Agree on price
• Buyer submits funds
• Seller transfers the domain
• Escrow verifies the transfer
• Funds are released

7. Simple Step-By-Step Checklist

1. – Determine your domain’s approximate value
2. – Choose the best selling method
3. – Set up a for-sale landing page
4. – List on one or two major marketplaces
5. – If premium, contact a broker
6. – Use Escrow.com to finalize securely

Final Thoughts

Selling a domain is easy. Selling it for what it’s truly worth requires strategy, positioning, and the right buyers.

Marketplaces work for mid-tier names. Direct outreach works if you have time. But for high-value domains, premium .com brands, one-word generics, category-defining assets are the most effective path is working with a professional broker who can maximize price through targeted outreach and expert negotiation.

MediaOptions is the industry’s leading premium domain broker, recognized as the #1 global broker by Escrow.com for seven consecutive years, with $500M+ in completed sales and the strongest network of end-user buyers worldwide.

If you’re considering selling a premium domain, starting with a specialist brokerage is the most reliable way to secure the maximum outcome.