Paid or not paid appraisals

[Stentt]

Hey,

Question. Ive been looking on the net and I dont get any wiser, so perhaps some ppl here could give their opinion/ information.

I have a few domains. In order how much they were worth I had them appraised. Now at first I did it with sites like estibot or valuate and sites like that. But somehow it doesnt feel like a good estimate in my opinion.

Than I had them appraised by some other legit sites(like sedo, afternic etc) which costs me money, but thats okay to test things out.

Prices really didnt compare to the "free" sites. So I wonder how comes its that different? for example: 100 dollars according to estibot. 1000 dollars according to sedo, afternic etc.

So I read more and basically I found that there are people who say that you shouldnt pay for an appraisal and there are ppl who swear by the free "estimates"

Now Ive been scrolling and searching and comparing my domains with similair domains, so I do have a good estimate how much they are worth.

Still curious about the opinions here and if there are some good and reliable sites out there that you use, let me know

thnx

 

[snowbird]

Sites like estibot are not considered reliable because it is mainly based on an algorithm and the estimate is not done by a human. While estibot may work for some domains, it may not work for other domains such as domains that have good brandability because estibot relies heavily on keywords and search rankings.

You might be better off seeking appraisals from an experienced domainer. We actually have an appraisals forum here at namepros you can use if you'd like. Just remember though, estimates are difficult in the sense that nobody can really tell you exactly how much a domain is worth. The domain's value mainly depends on who your end user is and how badly the name is desired. An appraisal may give you a very very rough estimate on it's value. But the real worth of the domain is what the end user ends up actually paying for it. The only way an appraisal really becomes concrete is if the domain had been sold previously. Only then do you know what someone is willing to pay for the name and you can use the prior purchase price as a basis to know it's true potential worth.

 

[Kate]

Automated appraisals are worthless.

Paid (human or not) appraisals aren't much better, because they have an incentive to tell you what you want to hear. Anyway, it will always be a best-case scenario, it certainly doesn't mean there is a buyer at the door and you can liquidate the domain immediately at the suggested price (that is almost guaranteed to be widely optimistic).

The best is to seek the opinions of experienced domainers, so you've come to the right place. Maybe you won't get a ballpark figure, instead you will be told "reg fee" or "drop it" or "0.000001% chance of finding a buyer". But you should never ever pay for an appraisal.

PS: only the newbies swear by the "free estimates". Domains don't sell because they have nice appraisals, they sell because somebody wants them.
You need to do research before you buy anything ie. why you think you should register this or that, and why you think it's gonna sell if it's still available and nobody would pick it for $10.

Appraisal sites are selling dreams to you I'm afraid. The newcomers that rely on appraisals don't last long in this business unless the quickly learn and discard the nonsense.

 

[Stentt]

Thnx, thats what I like to hear/ read. Honest opinions. I know that those sites sweetmouth you. But as im just beginning you never know.

I wasnt planning to pay for my appraisals(even though I did that, but like you said, discard the BS). Although that can be tough in the beginning as there is so much on the internet.

Also yes the ppl here do have loads of exp, and I will be using those ppl knowledge to further my own

Thnx for the info.

 

[Outlast]

Thanks Snowbird and Sdsinc both your posts provided valuable info.

 

[Outlast]

Actually figured out the question I was going to ask here.

 

[rdurham]

Wow, I'm new here and just posted a thread about where to find a good possibly free appraisal service, but after reading this information, you guys have helped me immensely already. It seems like I have a whole lot to learn to be successful, and it won't be in a week or two.

Thanks,