You've heard the outrageous prices being paid for desirable domain names. Drugs.com was purchased for $823,456.00 in September. Question.com sold for $175,000 in August. Real estate-related domain names are doing well, too. One name, eopenhouses.com, reportedly went for $260,000. Great Domains, a domain name brokerage site, has already received an offer of $1.1 million for Loans.com.

Is there Internet gold waiting for you? There may be. If you are the registrant for domain name gems such as BestAgent.com, SeattleHomes.com, IHelpSellers.com, or BuyerAgent.com, you could be sitting on a gold mine.

"There's a new rush to register domain names now that prices have dropped and some registrars have begun accepting extended domain names up to 63 characters, thus opening up new possibilities for creative marketing/branding and search engine recognition," says Saul Klein, president of the Internet Crusade, an Internet technology solutions firm specializing in real estate. "We think this is pretty exciting news for those who grasp the importance of domain names."

Klein, whose company claims to offer the lowest prices and longest characters for domain name registration, says that he is receiving 100 or more requests for domain names per day. One Florida Realtor was inspired to register LocationLocationLocation.com recently.

"A hidden benefit will be the positive effect that a targeted message in a domain name will have on search engine placement," explains John Reilly, VP of publishing for the Crusade. "When a consumer types in the keywords "real estate agent in Honolulu," I have to believe that the following site will come up high on most search engines "RealEstateAgentsHonolulu.com." There is no need for the agent to create an additional web site --- any calls for www.realestateagentshonolulu.com can easily be pointed to the agent's existing site -- that's what we call a "pointer domain."

A 26-character domain name may seem a little wordy, but it gets the point across. You know immediately that the site is all about real estate before you click through. And that's what it's all about. But, because you can register longer names, doesn't mean you have infinite choices. Domain names have to be easy to market and easy for customers to remember. They are further limited by the fact that Realtors aren't allowed to use the word Realtor in their domain names unless it refers to a member or a member's firm according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

Limitations are what some domain name registrants hope to use to their advantage. Getting there first is another. Real estate consultant Karen Stefani, would like to sell InternetRelocation.com or InternetRealEstate.com for any price that will fund her son's college tuition. Trainer Martha Woodbury has a couple of names for sale, too - if you have a business that serves Realtors. How do RealEstateProspecting.com and AgentBusinessBuilder.com strike you?

Realtor Al Napier hopes to sell a domain name he has had registered for several years, Realty101.com. Great Domains has suggested that he can open bids on the name and get anywhere from $50,000 to $1,000,000, due to the name's simplicity.

For Realtors who are used to the sovereignty of comparables a $95,000 differential is hard to understand. Domain names are a new market where prices fluctuate wildly depending on who wants them and why.

Stefani, Woodbury and Napier have each expressed willingness to hold out for higher bids.

Says Napier, "Realty101.com "must" be worth something to someone out there. If not, then I'll keep it for a later project, when I have the time."

Napier believes that the shorter names will still have an advantage. They are punchy and easy to remember.

"Personally, I think Realty101 would have much more consumer recognition than a long domain like the eopenhouse name, being short, simple and to the point. I sound like a typical seller now, don't I," laughs Napier.

Napier also thinks that state-based names could also have an advantage in the open domain name market, since that is a perimeter that many buyers use to look for homes when they use search engines.

"My other domains are Connecticut-based and would probably prove somewhat less desirable on the open market, but if I'm successful selling Realty101 then I may put my CTHomesOnline.com domain on the block next."

Napier also owns other real estate related names, including a FSBO-oriented site.

"I would never sell my name, alnapier.com," vows Napier with a wink, "unless I could retire on the proceeds."

Published: October 13, 1999

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