domain Companions.com

[Furgen]

My post was removed because I said I was not the owner. Oops, didn't realize that and wanted to remain a bit anonymous.

Anyhow, I am the owner of the domain and am trying to get some ideas, input on how I should proceed.

I am not a buyer and selling of domains so really don't know how to go about selling one such as this one but am not new to the whole domain game in that I've had to register a fair number of them for work over the last 20 years.

I registered this domain in 1995 with plans to build a site but never got the chance to.

Around 1999 or so, offers started coming in for the domain and to this day, they come in pretty much every month. A recent one got me talking with my wife about this and with everything going on in our lives, we don't see ourselves using the domain. I simply have too many projects on my plate.

In some cases, I have offered to rent it/lease it via contract to someone who might be very serious and have some good ideas for using it. I would have entertained a deal such as equity in the venture for example but nothing ever came of that.

Now that I am thinking about selling it finally, I have a ton of questions which is what brought me here.

First, how can I value this domain? I've looked online and I've talked with brokers over the years because many have contacted me wanting to broker it for me. Some say sell it for what you feel you are comfortable with and others say it has a specific market value. I don't really buy on the second one because like a house, if someone wants it badly enough because it suits their purposes, they will buy it at what ever they feel they can pay for it.

We have been offered 5 to 6 digits in the past and never kept any contact information because we've always said no thanks.

While we had specific ideas for what we wanted to do with the domain, it seems that countless dating sites have contacted us to see if we would sell. Therefore, we feel our main market might be along the following.

Dating site, Health care, Pets, Animals and countless other areas where this word could fit.

We are in no rush to sell and basically just looking for information on how to best get the word out about this.
If anyone can offer some suggestions, it certainly would be most appreciated.

Hope I'm posting this in the right place.

NOTE: Thank you for your previous posts/thoughts which were deleted and hoping this has not caused too much confusion.

 

[S-B]

When I registered Companions, it was because more than one person makes Companions

Group party!

 

[DU]

When I registered Companions, it was because more than one person makes Companions

I think of it more in terms of someone seeking a "Companion" but I'm a little traditional in that regard... I also was not thinking of the old lady looking for cats

 

[Furgen]

Both have their uses for sure. Companions to me means more than one person, groups etc.
Companion to me means more of a singularity type service/site, like maybe a book or a movie or someone who is blogging about some companion.

No idea. This world is full of ideas

 

[Furgen]

As an update, I've spent a little time looking around, reading, absorbing. The one thing I am not very clear on is if I wanted to hire a broker, my points would be as follows.

1: How do I know the person will be able to reach out to the highest potential bidders?
2: Is there a negotiation point? I cannot imagine paying 10% for help, that simply sounds ridiculously high.

I suppose the first step would be to find somewhere where brokers could contact me, explaining their potentials and stating the fee they would propose.

 

[Alessandro Couteau]

As an update, I've spent a little time looking around, reading, absorbing. The one thing I am not very clear on is if I wanted to hire a broker, my points would be as follows.

1: How do I know the person will be able to reach out to the highest potential bidders?
2: Is there a negotiation point? I cannot imagine paying 10% for help, that simply sounds ridiculously high.

I suppose the first step would be to find somewhere where brokers could contact me, explaining their potentials and stating the fee they would propose.

Ridiculously high for some guy like myself that will stay up countless hours every day and travel to the places your not willing to go to close a deal ... Clearly your a bit modest but you remind me of someone I once knew ... I am not the greatest broker but I represent some of the most expensive names on the market as well as the biggest investors there are ! For the most part - these investors are in China ...
But buying an American name is not common for the Chinese ! It's an exception ... So then what ? Study Chinese and make connections yourself until you reach the top and can talk to the guy who doesn't take phone calls from foreigners ...

Work your way up to a profound enduser, someone who can clearly afford the name ... A marketing plan with a budget in your expectations and then someone at the company who realizes what the hell the value of such a domain is ...

Here's the sad truth ! I had a $3M cash offer for a non chip LL.com before the market went bad in China. And just like you the owner said "no thanks, I can get higher."
... All I could do was laugh ...

After half a year the owner of the LL.com finally gave in after continuous emails and strong hard negotiation in the rain in foreign countries literally ...

"'No exaggerations, the job is not for everyone."

And after the owner finally gave in, it was too late ... The investor grew tired as an enduser who needed a new name and he went and got the "solution" unlike the owner who still contacts me to this day asking if the investor has returned ...

The moral of this story is don't pour gasoline on a burnt out fire ! It does no good ... %10 is high standards and it depends on the name ...

If I was working for you, I'd charge you the same as any fair broker ...
%3 - %5

Personally I prefer stacked commissions !

Now as far as the value goes, I am saying high five figures to low six figures is a good estimate ...

Endusers pay more then investors in most cases but when the time comes and you have the offer on the table and it's serious, don't take half a year to make a decision or you'll cost yourself the opportunity and the man who put his time aside to work for you ! Focusing his efforts on you.

That's the Internet domain broker life ! Pulling on an anchor but the anchor at the very end is solid gold ... All the broker has to do is muscle up the strength to pull the iron chain closer and closer and closer ! It's not an easy job ...

- Alessandro

 

[lock]

Companions.com.au is an active Australian dating site I would go with a turnkey whitelabel dating site or team up.

 

[Furgen]

@Alessandro Couteau, I'm not saying it isn't hard work but I've also sold/negotiated for plenty of things in my life so have a fair idea of what's involved. It is not easy for some while others have built up an established base so know how to get the word out strongly.

The commission should be directly related to how well connected the broker is, someone that could create a bidding interest between multiple interested parties. That would be worth the cost. A person simply spending time trying to sell to one buyer would not have the same value as the item would end up being sold for less.

However, again, I'm just asking questions. I'm sharing my thoughts at the same time to give a perspective from the sellers point of view also. I could simply not say anything about how I feel at this end.

@lock, that site isn't a very large player so would not offer much. That has come up before.

As I see it, this has be put in front of multiple potential buyers at the same time. The main buyers for this would be either someone who wants to start something new and wants a great name or someone who is already established and doesn't want to give someone else the opportunity to gain such a name or could use it to expand their current offerings.

 

[chris101972]

Could make a great dating site.
I would ask for ATLEAST mid $XX,XXX
Possibly more to the right buyer

 

[DU]

Ridiculously high for some guy like myself that will stay up countless hours every day and travel to the places your not willing to go to close a deal ...

If I read the sarcasm correctly you are saying it's not ridiculously high?

If I was working for you, I'd charge you the same as any fair broker ...
%3 - %5

Oh, but wait, it is ridiculously high. Or you're underpaid.

Now as far as the value goes, I am saying high five figures to low six figures is a good estimate ...

So roughly 100,000. That's 3-5,000 commission. You'd be willing to travel places others wouldn't for that commission? Also not a lot of room for marketing or incentivizing any contacts.

I think you exaggerate the lengths to which you are willing to go. Does posting an LL.com on Namepros for sale count as commission worthy?

*This is not a dig on you.. but the broker model... it's inconsistent and poorly defined and the names most people carry don't warrant much work and they won't deliver much work for it. I don't see value in a broker on this name.

 

[Furgen]

In the end, I know that most would not be traveling, they would be using email and the phone. There really is no reason to travel in this kid of sale. There is nothing to demonstrate or sell, they either want it or they don't . Paperwork is done by the lawyers, sent to each other, the buyer and seller sign, the deal is done.

10% for that seems like one hell of a deal to me.

 

[Alessandro Couteau]

If I read the sarcasm correctly you are saying it's not ridiculously high?



Oh, but wait, it is ridiculously high. What portion of that can you use to



So roughly 100,000. That's 3-5,000 commission. You'd be willing to travel places others wouldn't for that commission? Also not a lot of room for marketing or incentivizing any contacts.

I think you exaggerate the lengths to which you are willing to go. Does posting an LL.com on Namepros for sale count as commission worthy?

*This is not a dig on you.. but the broker model... it's inconsistent and poorly defined and the names most people carry don't warrant much work and they won't deliver much work for it. I don't see value in a broker on this name.

That's funny ! Let me know how advertising here at Namepros goes ! I would say ads here that are for high value domains like 32.com are merely for the efforts of publicity ... However at the same time $1.85M offer on NP is not bad either

It's what you don't see behind the curtain that stands out ...

You do not know me ! I contacted Mr Furgen directly with my exact thoughts and even told him I would not be willing to accept %3 - %5 and that I prefer stacked commissions !

On $150,000 that's $7500 cash ... No it wouldn't be worth my time ! But hey that's the competition of domain brokers ... If you're willing to work for that, then congrats to you ! Speaking on a clearly confidential level ; if you want to know the owners expectations message him yourself but let me tell you , it's a chase for the perfect enduser !

You're a professional so then you know what that means ... And yes I agree with you this is not worth the time of a broker nor is it for the owner ... Best bet would be NameJet or Sedo ... Take your chances !

But I've already spoken with the owner whom is a good person and a smart investor ... Just not too familiar with the market which is okay ... Most people are not ! And he has admitted to this fact ...

Respectfully,
Alessandro