A domain name is often a valuable financial asset, and deals for high-value domains can easily go into the millions. In fact, Facebook purchased the fb.com domain from the Farm Bureau for an astonishing $8.5 million. The majority of premium domain sales fall closer to the $25,000-$250,000 range, what you might pay for a new car or home. As such, it shouldn’t surprise anyone to know that there’s a robust domain name financing industry. Players in this industry will accept domains as collateral, offer domain name financing, and much more.

Appraisal For Domain Name Financing

Regardless of your financial goal domain name financing revolves around the value of a domain. This determines the size of the loan that a buyer will need as well as the potential for using the domain as collateral. Since domain name appraisal is so specialized this also limits the scale of the industry to those that have specialized expertise. In general you can assess the value of a domain name financing off the following factors:

• Brevity three and four-letter domains are always valuable
• The presence of existing web traffic
• A one or two-word name with high brandability
• Brand association
• Popular keywords

By considering these features and comparing a domain name to similar offerings you can roughly evaluate its value. However, there is also much more to consider, and the only sure way to get a precise estimate is with an expert.

Domain Name Financing Options

There are a number of ways to pay for a domain name if you’re in the market for one. For some of these outside funding is required. Others exist in the form of a contract between you and the existing proprietor. You should weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each option carefully before making a final decision.

Financing Through A Lender

There are several specialized, domain-oriented lenders that can muster varying amounts of capital for domain name financing. Securing a loan of $100,000 or more isn’t unheard of, and there are several advantages to taking this approach. For one, it’s straightforward and reliable since it doesn’t add a new layer to sale negotiations. On the other hand, you’ll have to deal with interest payments and won’t own the name until you pay off the loan.

Negotiating With The Owner

The value of a domain, your credit, and other considerations may make domain name financing through a lender impractical. In this case there are several ways you can approach the current owner with a domain name financing plan. Depending on the nature of the agreement, you can use a service such as escrow or an attorney to execute it.

Escrow Payment Plans

Using an escrow service to establish a long-term payment plan may be a good idea. It can allow you to start using a domain name instantly while allowing you to pay it off over time. A benefit of hiring a lender is that you can avoid being personally liable for the loan. Yet, if the owner is agreeable to a payment plan, it will provide them leverage to negotiate a higher selling price.

Lease To Own

Similarly to a payment plan, you can often propose a lease-to-own arrangement. In this case, there’s less of a commitment and no standing debt if you default. On the other hand, you aren’t necessarily guaranteed to be able to ever buy the domain and getting domain name financing.

Purchase Option

A purchase option is one of the more complex ways to procure a domain. In short, you’ll agree to buy the domain name financing at a set price at a set date in the future. For you, this carries the benefit of being able to postpone the purchase until a more financially secure date.

The current owner also benefits from confidence in their ability to eventually sell it, which will strengthen their position in negotiations with others.

However, that raises the question of what happens if they successfully negotiate a sale with someone else. You’ll typically have the option to match the higher price and purchase it on the spot. If you decline, then the owner will compensate you. This may be a pre-agreed sum, but it’s typically with a percentage of the difference between the original price and sale price.

Using A Domain Name To Secure A Loan

With domains selling for hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, a valuable domain is good collateral. Of course, the value of your loan hinges on the value of your domain. Nonetheless, if you’re eligible for a domain name financing loan it can be an excellent way to secure an influx of capital.

Benefits Of Domain Name Loans

While a valuable domain name is a real asset it is much less important than say your home. The inherent risk of using a domain name financing loan is therefore much lower. Additionally, lenders who accept domain names typically do not require good credit. If other avenues are not available then this can be an easy backup plan.

Learn More With VPN.com

If you’re not certain what domain name financing options are right for you, get in touch with us. Our premium domain name brokerage services are one of our flagship services. When you need help finding and buying the ideal domain, we’re here to help.