Working with a domain broker starts with a clear brief and a written agreement. For a seller, the relationship should define which names are represented, how offers are approved and what costs apply. For a buyer, it should define the acquisition target and spending authority.
A broker may contribute negotiation and market knowledge, but it does not guarantee a profitable flip. Your role is to provide evidence, understand the mandate and assess whether the service is appropriate for the transaction.
Prepare the portfolio brief
Record exact domains, extensions, registrar accounts, renewal dates and any transfer restrictions. Explain whether each sale includes registration rights alone or other assets. Gather previous offers and relevant transaction comparisons.
Provide only traffic and income evidence you can support, with dates and limitations. Do not present a tool’s estimate as measured activity. Disclose important history and rights concerns rather than waiting until buyer due diligence.
Our resale evaluation guide helps build the buyer case and costs.
Check fit before appointing a broker
Ask about experience with comparable names and transaction sizes. Request verifiable examples where available, while recognising that confidentiality may limit what a broker can share.
Sedo’s brokerage page describes different buyer and seller services and acceptance conditions. A broker declining a name does not establish that it is worthless; it may fall outside the service’s focus or economics.
Ask who will handle the work, what communication to expect and how conflicting relationships are disclosed. Broad claims about a network of buyers should not replace a defined marketing or negotiation scope.
Read the commercial agreement
Review upfront charges, success commissions, minimum fees and the basis on which they are calculated. Establish the agreement period, exclusivity, termination procedure and obligations that may continue afterwards.
Clarify treatment of buyers you already know or enquiries from another listing. If several venues show the domain, determine how offers and prices remain consistent.
A hypothetical £2,000 sale with a separately assumed 15% commission leaves £1,700 before other costs. That is an illustration of net-proceeds arithmetic, not a statement of a broker’s current fee.
Set approval and communication rules
Write down the minimum acceptable net result, whether the broker may counteroffer and when your approval is required. For an acquisition, define the maximum total commitment, including fees.
Agree update intervals appropriate to the work and a route for time-sensitive decisions. Keep a record of material changes rather than allowing a conversation about a possible price to become an unintended commitment.
Our auction brokerage guide covers bidding authority and venue rules where auctions are involved.
Separate negotiation, legal advice and payment
Establish whether the broker coordinates transfer, which service holds funds and what confirms delivery. Negotiation assistance does not automatically mean qualified legal advice or independent escrow.
The WIPO UDRP guide explains rights disputes, while Escrow.com describes domain transaction services. Each addresses a different part of the process; obtain appropriate specialist help when the agreement requires it.
Do not give account secrets to someone merely because they call themselves a broker. Use the platform’s approved access and verification methods.
Review the work and final result
Assess meaningful progress: credible enquiries, explained negotiations and evidence supporting a revised price. A sale deadline should remain an objective, not a promise you build essential finances around.
After completion, record proceeds and all costs, remove other listings and retain the agreement. Our ROI guide helps measure the result. The relationship is useful when it makes representation, decisions and delivery clear enough for both parties to manage responsibly.