A domain appraisal helps you decide how to price a name and respond to offers. It should explain a range, the evidence behind it and the uncertainty around finding a buyer. It cannot turn a suggested figure into a guaranteed sale.
Before choosing a tool or asking for an opinion, define the decision. Pricing a patient end-user listing, accepting a quick investor offer and reviewing an annual renewal each require different assumptions.
State what you are valuing
Record the exact domain, extension and assets included. For a domain-only appraisal, keep website revenue, content and operating accounts outside the valuation unless they are explicitly part of the sale and supported by evidence.
Assess how the full name reads and sounds. Consider natural wording, spelling, pronunciation, ambiguity and extension fit. Describe plausible uses without assuming that a particular company will buy it. Age and authority scores may prompt research, but neither establishes a monetary premium on its own.
For expired names, the expired-domain valuation guide adds acquisition-stage and historical checks. A normal appraisal still needs a clearly defined asset.
Build a comparable-sales record
Find reported completed transactions with similar extensions, word structure, subject and likely buyer types. Record the date, venue, currency and any uncertainty over whether a website or wider business was included.
NameBio’s documentation describes its recorded-sales data and filtering by fields including date and extension. It is a source of historical evidence rather than an automated guarantee of your domain’s worth. No public dataset establishes that every similar name sold, or reveals all private negotiations.
Group investor sales separately from transactions involving a business buyer where you can establish that distinction. A short holding period and a desire for immediate liquidity may support a different asking range from a patient retail listing.
Use estimates and opinions as cross-checks
An automated tool may provide a useful initial estimate or suggest comparables to examine. GoDaddy’s GoValue guidance states that a domain can sell above or below its estimate and gives no result guarantee. Do not assume a large displayed value means a buyer exists at that price.
A manual appraisal can add judgement about language, use and comparable relevance. Ask what evidence supports the range, who the expected buyer is and what would change the opinion. A professional title without an explained method does not make the estimate verifiable.
Compare disagreements rather than averaging them blindly. A tool may favour common English words, while a human assessor may see a problem in the phrase or extension. The report interpretation guide helps examine those assumptions.
Separate asking price from acceptable proceeds
Choose an asking price you can explain using the evidence. Then calculate what you would receive after the selling route’s fees, relevant payment charges and other costs. Keep that net amount separate from the buyer-facing number.
Sedo’s official price list shows that fees and minimum charges depend on the sale route and domain category. Check the actual service terms before using a percentage in your spreadsheet.
In a hypothetical example, a £1,500 price with an assumed 20% commission leaves £1,200 before additional charges and tax. If acquisition and holding costs were £450, the difference is £750 before those remaining expenses. The calculation does not establish that £1,500 is achievable or that the name will sell.
Write a short appraisal note
| Section | What to record |
|---|---|
| Asset | The exact name and sale contents. |
| Evidence | Relevant completed sales and observed naming strengths. |
| Limits | Weak comparisons, missing data and naming concerns. |
| Decision | Asking range, minimum proceeds and review date. |
Record real enquiries and offers as they arrive, while recognising that an offer can expire or fail to complete. Reassess the appraisal when new evidence or renewal costs change the decision.
The selling workflow turns the note into a listing and negotiation process. A useful appraisal makes your decisions more consistent; it also leaves room for the possibility that the market will not support your preferred price.