Do you make a living selling domains?

[Shawn Haghnazari]

I was wondering if people actually make a living solely on buying and selling domains.

 

[.X.]

Nope, I work a full-time job, Domaining and my websites are supplemental income for my family.

I did give it a try as a full-time domainer/webmaster many years ago, It was overwhelming for me, for those that are able to withstand domaining full time, I SALUTE YOU, mentally, you are extremely strong and relentless.

I only know a few that domain full time and have made it through the ups and downs of the industry, I have A LOT of respect for them, I have walked in their shoes, be it only for a short time as I funded out and was mentally stroked.

Making 1k a mo is a fairly easy task, making a complete living is only for a very - very small percentage of domainers IMO

There is absolutely nothing wrong with giving it a shot, just know and accept when it is not meant for you, that is the important part.

 

[topdom]

1000 usd/month is not easy. If it is easy then repeat what you are doing and make 10k per month. I consider myself as a professional domainer, but I can't guarantee profit. You can handreg domains with 5 figure potential. But among 100 potential buyers, noone buys even if you sell for 1 percent of actual value. I can anticipate other drivers' plans when driving, next move of the opponent when playing chess, but outbound emails are sent to plants and plants don't have any sense or emotion or reaction.
It looks like I made a profit in the second half of this year, but profit is in terms of domains, not in terms of cash, and those domains need renewal. Those domains can sell for a million theoretically, but I can't guarantee they will sell for 1k quickly.

 

[hookbox]

This question is 100% determined by what country you live in. It's easy to say you make a living from domaining when you live in some low cost country. Look at the chart below to see what it costs to live in each country monthly. In some countries you could not survive hourly on what someone takes in monthly.

In some third world country domaining can be your real job but in the United States it's your third job.


1 Bermuda 180.5 8,845 USD 100.9
3 Switzerland 145.7 6,713 USD 94.9
7 Norway 128.6 6,333 USD 101.4
11 Luxembourg 109.7 5,855 USD 110.0
32 Macao 80.1 5,428 USD 139.5
4 Iceland 136.9 5,069 USD 76.2
19 United States 100.0 4,856 USD 100.0
16 Ireland 106.5 4,608 USD 89.1
8 Denmark 120.3 4,602 USD 78.8
21 Singapore 98.8 4,544 USD 94.7
12 Sweden 109.7 4,383 USD 82.3
9 Australia 113.4 4,280 USD 77.8
20 Hong Kong 99.7 3,859 USD 79.7
24 Netherlands 98.0 3,848 USD 80.9
26 Austria 95.8 3,787 USD 81.4
17 Finland 105.2 3,715 USD 72.7
29 Germany 90.3 3,624 USD 82.7
22 Canada 98.4 3,573 USD 74.8
23 Belgium 98.3 3,483 USD 73.0
18 United Kingdom 102.2 3,378 USD 68.1
31 United Arab Emirates 85.6 3,261 USD 78.5
14 New Zealand 107.4 3,248 USD 62.3
25 Japan 97.0 3,213 USD 68.2
27 France 95.7 3,164 USD 68.1
15 Israel 107.2 3,106 USD 59.7
28 Italy 93.1 2,585 USD 57.2
5 Bahamas 133.8 2,431 USD 37.4
30 South Korea 89.2 2,365 USD 54.6
33 Spain 79.6 2,265 USD 58.6
40 Slovenia 70.6 1,833 USD 53.5
48 Saudi Arabia 61.2 1,673 USD 56.3
38 Portugal 71.7 1,652 USD 47.5
42 Estonia 64.5 1,516 USD 48.4
55 Czech Republic 57.7 1,513 USD 54.0
35 Greece 74.4 1,508 USD 41.7
57 Slovakia 57.5 1,384 USD 49.6
59 Lithuania 55.0 1,267 USD 47.5
51 Latvia 59.4 1,228 USD 42.6
13 Virgin Islands 109.1 1,161 USD 21.9
44 Chile 62.9 1,134 USD 37.1
37 Argentina 71.7 1,087 USD 31.2
61 Hungary 51.3 1,073 USD 43.1
54 Venezuela 57.9 1,065 USD 37.9
72 Poland 48.0 1,059 USD 45.4
52 Croatia 58.2 1,036 USD 36.6
36 Costa Rica 74.1 920 USD 25.6
73 Turkey 47.9 911 USD 39.1
43 Mauritius 63.0 845 USD 27.6
80 Romania 43.6 831 USD 39.3
69 Malaysia 49.1 804 USD 33.7
63 Russia 50.8 769 USD 31.2
49 China 61.1 724 USD 24.4
70 Mexico 48.9 718 USD 30.2
46 Brazil 61.6 715 USD 23.9
91 Kazakhstan 37.4 658 USD 36.2
84 Bulgaria 42.1 647 USD 31.6
68 Peru 49.5 498 USD 20.7
60 Thailand 54.0 497 USD 19.0
53 Ecuador 57.9 491 USD 17.5
85 Colombia 41.6 486 USD 24.0
65 South Africa 50.2 453 USD 18.6
67 Iran 49.8 450 USD 18.6
77 Belarus 45.4 440 USD 20.0
86 Serbia 40.7 432 USD 21.8
82 Bosnia and Herzegovina 43.0 412 USD 19.7
89 Macedonia 39.4 407 USD 21.3
47 Iraq 61.3 398 USD 13.4
58 Namibia 56.2 383 USD 14.0
87 Albania 40.0 360 USD 18.5
94 Azerbaijan 35.7 340 USD 19.6
79 Armenia 43.8 333 USD 15.7
88 Algeria 39.7 330 USD 17.1
10 Kosovo 110.7 324 USD 6.0
83 Sri Lanka 42.8 320 USD 15.4
95 Georgia 35.4 316 USD 18.4
76 Philippines 45.4 305 USD 13.8
74 Indonesia 47.1 295 USD 12.9
92 Tunisia 37.4 292 USD 16.1
39 Mongolia 70.6 274 USD 8.0
71 Bolivia 48.6 261 USD 11.0
97 Egypt 34.5 251 USD 15.0
78 Morocco 45.1 238 USD 10.9
99 Ukraine 34.3 199 USD 12.0
96 Moldova 34.9 182 USD 10.7
64 Vietnam 50.7 181 USD 7.3
6 Nicaragua 131.8 178 USD 2.8
62 Nigeria 51.2 173 USD 7.0
90 Syria 37.5 153 USD 8.4
100 India 31.7 152 USD 9.9
98 Pakistan 34.3 132 USD 7.9
34 Ghana 78.2 124 USD 3.3
75 Bangladesh 45.7 123 USD 5.5
66 Kenya 49.9 120 USD 5.0
50 Cambodia 59.7 103 USD 3.5
41 Burma 65.5 99 USD 3.1
45 Tanzania 62.1 76 USD 2.5
93 Nepal 37.0 66 USD 3.7
56 Ethiopia 57.5 62 USD 2.2
81 Uganda 43.4 50 USD 2.4
2 Mozambique 165.1 35 USD 0.4

 

[.X.]

1000 usd/month is not easy. If it is easy then repeat what you are doing and make 10k per month. I consider myself as a professional domainer, but I can't guarantee profit. You can handreg domains with 5 figure potential. But among 100 potential buyers, noone buys even if you sell for 1 percent of actual value. I can anticipate other drivers' plans when driving, next move of the opponent when playing chess, but outbound emails are sent to plants and plants don't have any sense or emotion or reaction.
It looks like I made a profit in the second half of this year, but profit is in terms of domains, not in terms of cash, and those domains need renewal. Those domains can sell for a million theoretically, but I can't guarantee they will sell for 1k quickly.

It is pretty easy actually, for me to be able to repeat, I would need to shell out a lot of capital, and revolving capital at that, that would be playing games of craps, been there, done that, no thanks.

Back in the days of domain name parking, $250 a week on autopilot was the norm, $250 wasn’t a great week either.

If you are solely selling domain names to try and achieve 1k a month, then yeah, you better know your shit well.

Like I said above, there are very few full time domainers that make a living selling domain names.

It took me a few years to be able to make a steady income between domains and my websites, but today, to make a thousand a month really isn’t very hard.

So you are another professional domainer as you say, if so, 1k is beer money to you.

You see, through the 18 years I have been doing this and been on this forum, I have seen countless SO CALLED professional domainers, then they just disappear, I guess they just got so wealthy they didn’t need to domain anymore

I am far from being a professional in the domain name industry, I consider myself a decent webmaster, an ok domainer, I don’t do the ego thing, it doesn’t make me any money, and I would be lying if I said I was a professional in the domaining industry

 

[Fancy.domains]

My domain business is building my house.

 

[.X.]

My domain business is building my house.

Very Cool! Congrats!

 

[ndeekay121]

Its best to have another job even if domaining is your main job. Its just as a form of insurance.

 

[sadiq3051]

in my opinion I think one can make a living on domaining, only as your secondary job

 

[imadoer]

I dont want to brag. But I can say I can afford to buy coffee from Dunkin Donuts Every day!

 

[wwwweb]

My domain business is building my house.

Vague statement a hut in Thailand, does not cost as much as a home in Switzerland.

 

[Fancy.domains]

Vague statement a hut in Thailand, does not cost as much as a home in Switzerland.

On this island there are huts as well ad multi million dollar villas. For example, The Beckham family have a house here. And this single property costs more than 5 million USD (there are even more expensive ones here):

https://www.fazwaz.com/property-sales/6-bed-villa-for-sale-in-choengmon-kohsamui-seaview-ks037-001

So, what is the price of my house? I will not tell, but it has an indoor pool.

 

[Fancy.domains]

But ok, to be fair, compared to the estate in the link above, our house might be considered a ”hut”

 

[Jurgen Wolf]

At least a few the same threads exist... so I have nothing to add.
And Yes - I live from domaining...

 

[.X.]

At least a few the same threads exist... so I have nothing to add.
And Yes - I live from domaining...

We have shit loads of these types of threads, but sifting through them is a fucking tedious process.

Congrats on your success, keep it rolling!!

 

[Josytal]

No. I don't make a living by selling domains, only professional domain investors do.

 

[Josytal]

If you live in 3rd world countries it is more easy than for european or american because we need at least 800 euros monthly for just live.

Nope! It's not easier. Most of the countries (3rd world countries) you're referring to don't even have round-the-clock electricity, basic amenities, access to internet expensive or limited.
Most things you take for granted in Europe and USA they still have to struggle for in order to survive.

Let's take each country as a Brand. All things being equal, which brand will you, as a buyer, prefer to do business with: European, USA or 3rd world?

Lastly, I don't think you'll ever agree to change places with a domainer in any of the so-called 3rd world countries

 

[maya-zir]

Nope! It's not easier. Most of the countries (3rd world countries) you're referring to don't even have round-the-clock electricity, basic amenities, access to internet expensive or limited.
Most things you take for granted in Europe and USA they still have to struggle for in order to survive.

Let's take each country as a Brand. All things being equal, which brand will you, as a buyer, prefer to do business with: European, USA or 3rd world?

Lastly I don't think you'll ever agree to change places with a domainer in any of the so-called 3rd world countries

I dont know where you live, but in Spain I need at least 1000 euro to just pay where to live, food and pay electricity.
Dont compare it with countries where you live in luxuary with just 500$ monthly.

 

[MapleDots]

I was wondering if people actually make a living solely on buying and selling domains.

Depends on what you call "making a living"

100k to some is making a living but to others is the cost of a vacation.

 

[Fancy.domains]

The common conception that it's so cheap to live in a so-called "3rd world country" is rather funny in my opinion. Just because you move to a country with a larger percentage of "poor" people, doesn't mean that you need to live from the cheapest local food, drink rice beer and live in a dirty shed.

 

[Hugo_Strange]

Domaining cannot give me enough income to survive in Vancouver with a family. Canada is a hungry country...

It’s a side hobby. If I sell a name then happy days if not then no problem.

I have my salary to look after my wife and son. Domaining is for fun.