At Brannans, we are experts in negotiating the best price for ultra-premium, one-word .com domain names – and ICE.com was no exception.
This domain, brokered by us, was sold in a private, confidential transaction for $3.5 million, making it the highest valued single-domain transaction of 2018.
The Value of Single-Word Domains
As domain experts, we strongly understand the value that single-word domains hold. In fact, this is perfectly illustrated by the story of ICE.com – before the sale, this domain served as the URL for a successful eCommerce jewelry business. Yet the value of the domain alone grew to exceed the value of the business itself!
This is a strong testament to how lucrative ultra-premium domain names can be (if you want to see what makes a domain ultra-premium check out this post). These domains are not just a strong investment in their own right, but also serve as a powerful branding asset for any business, whether a start-up or Fortune 500.
The Perfect Sale? Everyone Wins
Our buyer recognized the value of ICE.com but relied on us as the domain experts to negotiate the best possible price for its purchase. When we are working on the buy-side to help a business acquire an ultra-premium domain name like this, we know that we are helping them succeed. This kind of purchase is more than just buying office furniture or sourcing commodities. It’s an investment in their future, and a surefire way to secure the right branding and marketing platform for their business.
As a result, for less than the cost of a single, 30-second Super Bowl ad, we were able to help our client acquire this valuable, single-word domain name with significant long-term potential.
And that is exactly what the perfect sale is – one where everyone wins:
→ Buyers are able to secure an asset at the best price, while recognizing its value.
→ Sellers are able to reap a return on their investment and sell at a profit.
The ICE.com transaction really was a perfect example of this because everyone maximized their potential benefit and improved their positions. Our client – who has asked to remain anonymous for now – obtained a .com domain name that is short, one-word, memorable and uniquely generic and brandable. On the sell-side, a business that thrives on serial entrepreneurship fully capitalized a digital asset valuation under current market conditions with plans to reinvest those funds in new businesses and growth.
We also had the pleasure to work with fellow domain name expert Brian Harbin of Grit Brokerage and Jackson Elsegood of Escrow.com on this transaction – two long-term industry professionals who are trustworthy and great to do business with. We look forward to working with both again.
See… everyone wins!
Further reporting on this story:
- The story has been picked up by MarketWatch
- You can read all the details in the official press release here.
- We always love to read the solid Domain Name industry reporting at DNJournal, who also covered the story.
- And a special tip-of-the-hat to Konstantinos Zournas, who covered it as well, along with many others in the domain name industry media.
