Buy from a Marketplace

If the domain you want is listed for sale on a marketplace, you’re in luck — it’s usually the most straightforward way to acquire a registered domain.

Check if it’s listed

Start by visiting the domain in your browser. If it’s for sale, you’ll often see a landing page with a price and a buy button. If not, search for it on marketplaces like Sedo.com, Afternic.com, or Atom.com. Some registrars like Namecheap also list premium domains for sale directly in their search results.

One thing worth knowing: the same domain can be listed on multiple marketplaces at different prices. Each marketplace charges different commission rates, and sellers sometimes adjust their asking price to account for that. So it pays to check more than one.

Be wary of listings that don’t show a price and instead ask you to “make an offer” or “contact the seller.” Sometimes this means the seller is trying to gauge your budget before naming their number. But other times the domain isn’t actually listed for sale at all — some registrars offer a brokerage service by default, making it look like every domain is up for grabs. Either way, before you reach out, check other marketplaces first — you might find the same domain listed with a fixed price that’s lower than what they’d quote you directly.

I once advised a founder who wanted to buy linkscout.com. Visiting the domain directly showed a “make an offer” page with no price. But when we searched for the same domain on Afternic, it showed a Buy Now price of $2,950 and a minimum offer of $1,917. Knowing what the seller is willing to accept upfront lets you move much quicker and avoid negotiating in the dark.

How to buy

Most marketplaces offer several ways to purchase:

Buy it now — A fixed price, instant purchase. If it’s within your budget, this is the simplest option. No negotiation, no waiting. If the price seems fair, consider just buying it. I’ve made the mistake of trying to negotiate a domain that already had a reasonable Buy Now price — and the seller responded by increasing it. Whoops!

Make an offer — Even when a buy-it-now price is listed, there’s usually an option to make an offer. Listed prices are often set higher than what the seller will actually accept — that’s just how negotiation works. A reasonable opening offer might be around 50% of the asking price. Don’t go too low though. Lowball offers tend to get ignored, and the listed price is usually rooted in some market reality.