flipping, leasing, or holding long-term.

What Are Market Comparables (Comps) in Domaining?

Market comparables, or “comps,” are previously sold domain names that share similar characteristics with the one you’re trying to value. These characteristics may include:

• Keyword relevance
• Domain length and extension
• Market category or industry
• Traffic and SEO history
• Brandability or commercial intent

Studying past sales of similar domains provides insight into what buyers have been willing to pay, reducing the guesswork in pricing your domain assets.

1. The Importance of Data-Driven Valuation

Pricing based on emotion, ego, or unrealistic expectations is one of the biggest mistakes domainers make. Market-based valuation helps:

• Improve your credibility with buyers
• Accelerate negotiations with logical price anchors
• Justify your asking price during outbound or brokerage discussions
• Maximize your ROI by understanding what sells and for how much

2. Where to Find Domain Sale Comparables

Several platforms track and archive domain sales data. The most popular and trusted include:

NameBio

• Massive sales database with filters for keywords, length, extension, price, and date
• Includes retail and investor sales from platforms like GoDaddy, Sedo, BuyDomains, etc.
• Free to use, with a premium version offering daily alerts and advanced filters

DNJournal

• Weekly reports of high-value domain sales
• Focuses on premium, end-user transactions
• Great for pricing elite or category-killer domains

DomainPrice.app

• Newer tool that aggregates sales from NameBio and other sources
• Useful for quick glance and mobile search

Other sources include Sedo’s public sales report, GoDaddy Auctions, and forum-based sales threads on platforms like NamePros.

3. How to Use Comps to Price Your Domains

Once you’ve found comparable sales, evaluate them using the following factors:

Keyword Relevance

Does your domain share the same root word or commercial niche as the comp? Example: If “CryptoPayments.com” sold for $4,000, “CryptoSettlements.com” might land in a similar range.

Domain Extension

.com always commands a premium, but seeing comps in .co, .io, or .org can still guide pricing for non-dot-com assets.

Length & Simplicity

Short, memorable domains tend to sell for more. Compare names that are similarly concise and brandable.

Time of Sale

A comp from 2017 is less useful than one from the past 12 months, especially if the market has shifted.

Marketplace Type

Was the comp sold at a retail marketplace (e.g., Dan, Squadhelp) or investor forum (e.g., NamePros)? Investor-to-investor comps are lower than end-user prices.

4. Build a Personal Pricing Spreadsheet

Use a spreadsheet to organize data and create pricing ranges. For each domain, include:

• Your domain name
• Related comps (include source and sale price)
• Average price of 3–5 comps
• Your acquisition cost
• Target BIN price and minimum offer

Example Entry:

• Domain: HomeFinancingPro.com
• Comps: MortgagePro.com ($3,800), HomeLenders.net ($2,100), LoanExpert.co ($1,500)
• Avg. Comp Price: $2,467
• Acquisition Cost: $9.99
• Pricing Range: $1,499 (BIN), $999 (min offer)

5. Avoid Over-Reliance on Automated Appraisals

While tools like GoDaddy Appraisal or Estibot offer instant valuations, they’re best used as reference points rather than final say. These tools often lack human context, trends, and brand appeal insights.

Tip: Use automated appraisals to filter large domain lists quickly, but use human comps to finalize pricing.

6. Analyze Patterns Across Your Portfolio

Once you’ve done comp analysis for a few domains, you’ll start seeing pricing trends by category:

• “Service + City” domains sell fast in the $199–$999 range
• Two-word brandables average $499–$1,499 depending on industry
• One-word .coms are rarely below $5,000 unless investor-listed

Apply these insights to streamline future pricing and negotiations.

7. Use Comps in Negotiations and Outbound

When negotiating with potential buyers, referencing past sales builds trust:

• “A similar domain, HealthInsuranceExperts.com, recently sold for $2,800. Based on that, I believe $1,999 is fair.”
• “Comparable names in this niche average $500–$800. I’ve priced this one to move quickly.”

These data points give buyers confidence and reduce haggling.

8. Track Domains Sold Below Market Value

Look out for comps that show investor-to-investor sales — these may reflect opportunity rather than value. If “GreenSolarSolutions.com” sold for $299 on NamePros, it may still be worth $1,999 to an end-user.

Use these comps to find undervalued names and profit through retail platforms like Dan, Squadhelp, or Afternic.

9. Stay Updated on Sales Trends

Domain values change with market dynamics. Monitor trends such as:

• Increased demand in AI, Web3, or health tech
• Decreased demand in crypto or non-.com TLDs
• Emerging startup sectors influencing keyword value

Resources: Follow DNJournal, DomainInvesting.com, and NamePros for current market sentiment.

Conclusion

Using market comparables for domain valuation is the most rational, consistent way to price domains in a rapidly shifting digital marketplace. By studying actual sales data, analyzing trends, and comparing relevant factors, you can move away from guesswork and towards informed pricing that builds buyer trust, speeds up negotiations, and boosts your flip rate. Whether you’re flipping geo domains, niche brandables, or high-value .coms, comps are your compass in the domaining world.

Action Tip: Choose 5 of your current listings and find 3 relevant comps for each using NameBio. Reassess your pricing based on these comps and update your listings accordingly. Track results over 30 days for improved sales insights.