01
Confirm the object you are buying
Normalize the exact domain, including its top-level domain and any internationalized representation. Pull current RDAP, record registrar and status, inspect nameservers and DNSSEC, and verify whether the public web and mail endpoints are related to the apparent owner.
Then separate evidence from inference. A privacy service is not the owner. A website operator may not control the registration. A registrar is not a broker. The seller must be able to demonstrate control without exposing account credentials.
02
Check transfer conditions
Review status codes for transfer locks, disputes, redemption, or server holds. Confirm that the name is eligible to move, which registrar will receive it, whether an authorization code is required, and who will pay renewal or transfer fees.
ICANN’s Transfer Policy establishes baseline rules for covered generic top-level domains, but registry policies, country-code rules, registrar terms, and recent registration changes can alter the practical path. Write the closing plan for the exact TLD and registrar pair.
03
Investigate rights and history
Search trademark records, dispute decisions, archived uses, search results, sanctions requirements where relevant, and any evidence of abuse or impersonation. Similarity is not a legal conclusion; the surrounding rights, use, jurisdiction, and intent matter.
For meaningful purchases, domain counsel should assess trademark and dispute exposure. A high technical score or memorable string cannot neutralize a rights problem.
04
Set value before negotiation
Define the institutional use, credible alternatives, switching cost, time horizon, walk-away price, and total cost of ownership before the first offer. Comparable sales can provide context, but they rarely match the same buyer, use, timing, rights, and alternatives.
Price is the number in a transaction. Value is the benefit and risk to a particular buyer. Confusing the two is how a domain becomes “worth” whatever the last person asked.
05
Close with verifiable steps
Use a reputable escrow structure for material purchases. Make payment, registrar movement, registrant updates, DNS change, account security, and acceptance conditions explicit. Verify control after transfer from the registrar account and the public record.
Preserve the agreement, invoices, authorization trail, and a final configuration snapshot. The acquisition is complete only when the buyer controls the registration, renewal path, recovery channels, DNS, and organizational recordkeeping.
SOURCES