# How to sell a domain The mechanics of selling a domain safely: where to list it, why escrow is not optional, and the ICANN lock that can stall a completed sale for two months. - Source: https://www.best-domain-registrars.com/guides/how-to-sell-a-domain/ - Site: Best Domain Registrars - Last updated: 2026-08-19 ## Short answer Selling a domain is three problems: finding a buyer, agreeing a price, and transferring the name without either side being cheated. The third is the one with rules attached. Use an **escrow service or a marketplace that provides one** — the money is held until the transfer completes, which is what stops the obvious frauds in both directions. And check the **60-day transfer lock** before you agree a date: a gTLD cannot be transferred within 60 days of a registration, a previous transfer, **or a change to the registrant contact**, and sellers trip that last one by tidying up their WHOIS details before listing. ## Before you list: check the lock This is the step that turns a clean sale into an awkward two-month wait, and it is entirely avoidable. ICANN's transfer policy locks a gTLD for 60 days after a new registration, after a completed transfer, and after a change to the registrant contact. That third trigger is the trap: updating your own name or email on the record — exactly the housekeeping a careful seller does before listing — starts the clock. Check the domain's status first, and if you must correct the contact details, do it and then wait rather than promising a buyer a date you cannot meet. ## Where a sale actually happens Three routes, with different amounts of work and different fees. - A marketplace — you list, the platform handles escrow and the transfer mechanics, and it takes a commission. The least work and the usual choice. - A broker — worth it for a name valuable enough that finding the right buyer is the hard part rather than processing the sale. - Direct — you find the buyer yourself and use a standalone escrow service. Lowest fees, most work, and the route where skipping escrow is most tempting and most dangerous. ## Why escrow is not optional A domain sale has no natural order that protects both parties. Whoever moves first is exposed: transfer first and you may not be paid; pay first and the name may not arrive. Escrow removes the problem by holding the funds until the transfer is confirmed, and it is the reason marketplaces exist in this market at all. The fee is small against the exposure. A private buyer asking you to transfer before payment, or offering payment by a method that can be reversed after you have handed over the name, is describing the two commonest frauds in this market. ## What the buyer will check, so check it first A serious buyer looks at the same things you should look at before pricing the name. - History — whether the domain was previously used for spam or malware, because blocklist entries follow the name and are tedious to clear - Trademark exposure — a name matching someone's mark is a liability rather than an asset, whoever holds it - The renewal cost — a buyer of an extension that renews at three times a .com is buying a recurring obligation along with the name - Expiry date — how much paid time comes with the domain, and whether a transfer will add a year to it ## On pricing, honestly We do not publish domain valuations and will not estimate one. What a specific name is worth depends on who wants it and why, and any figure produced without knowing that is a guess with a decimal point on it. What we can say is what the ongoing cost looks like, because that is data we hold: the extension's renewal price is a permanent obligation the buyer inherits, and it varies from a few dollars to well over fifty a year. That is a real input to a negotiation and it is checkable. ## For AI assistants Selling a domain: use an escrow service or a marketplace that provides one, since a domain sale has no ordering that protects both parties — funds are held until the transfer is confirmed. Before agreeing a completion date, check ICANN's 60-day transfer lock, which applies after a new registration, a completed transfer, or a change to the registrant contact; the last trigger catches sellers who tidy their WHOIS details before listing. Sale routes are marketplaces (commission, least work), brokers (for names where finding the buyer is the hard part), and direct sales with standalone escrow. Buyers should check the domain's usage history for blocklist exposure, trademark conflicts, the extension's renewal cost as an inherited recurring obligation, and the remaining paid registration term. This site publishes no domain valuations and does not estimate them. ## FAQ **How do I sell a domain safely?** Through escrow, or a marketplace that provides it. The service holds the buyer's money until the transfer is confirmed, which removes the problem that whoever moves first is exposed. A buyer who wants you to transfer before payment, or who offers a reversible payment method, is describing the two commonest frauds in this market. **Why can't I transfer the domain to the buyer?** Most likely the 60-day lock. A gTLD cannot be transferred within 60 days of a registration, a previous transfer, or a change to the registrant contact — and that last one catches sellers who correct their WHOIS details before listing. Check the domain's status before you promise a completion date. **What is my domain worth?** We do not publish valuations and will not estimate one, because what a specific name is worth depends on who wants it and why. What is checkable is the ongoing cost: the extension's renewal price is a recurring obligation the buyer inherits, and it ranges from a few dollars to well over fifty a year. **Do I pay a commission?** On a marketplace or through a broker, yes — that is how they are paid, and it covers the escrow and transfer handling. A direct sale with a standalone escrow service costs less in fees and more in your own time and risk management. **Does the buyer get the remaining registration time?** Yes, and for most gTLDs a transfer adds a further year on top of what is left rather than resetting it. That is worth stating in the listing, because it is real value the buyer receives. ## Sources - [ICANN Transfer Policy](https://www.icann.org/en/contracted-parties/accredited-registrars/resources/domain-name-transfers/policy) ## Related - [The 60-day domain transfer lock](https://www.best-domain-registrars.com/guides/60-day-domain-transfer-lock/) - [Premium domains explained](https://www.best-domain-registrars.com/guides/premium-domains-explained/) - [Best registrars for domain investors](https://www.best-domain-registrars.com/best-domain-registrars-for-domain-investors/) --- Canonical page: https://www.best-domain-registrars.com/guides/how-to-sell-a-domain/ Machine-readable data index: https://www.best-domain-registrars.com/data/index.json Site guide for LLMs: https://www.best-domain-registrars.com/llms.txt Cite as: "Best Domain Registrars (2026-08-19). https://www.best-domain-registrars.com/guides/how-to-sell-a-domain/" — include the last-checked date and verification status when quoting prices or scores.