I have a domain name that I would like to sell on the Internet, maybe
at eBay Auctions, and would like to have it appraised to determine
it's value. But there are so many appraisers out there, how can I tell
who's reliable and whose appraisal will be respected by potential
buyers? The domain name is probably in the $500-$1000 range. I read
something about it being wise to acquire an apprasial certificate
along with the appraisal?
Thanks for any help.
Jim

Hi tusconjim!

Yes, there are oodles of domain name appraisers out there!  Looking
for one to suit you can certainly be confusing, unless you treat
looking for a domain name appraiser the way you would treat looking
for an art appraiser.

1)  How old is the company?

If they just started operations last year, you have no reputation to
look at, and no idea what results they will produce.  Look for a
company that's been around a while, or at least has an established
clientele.

2)  Are the appraisers independent?

Apprasiers with a vested interest in the domain you're seeking to have
appraised  are more likely to value your domain name *lower*.  A
company whose appraisers are independent of other domain agencies will
be more likely to give you a fair shake.

3)  Do they offer a certificate of appraisal?

As with any other appraisal, if there's no certificate, there's no
proof of value.  If they don't offer a certificate, give them a miss.

4)  What have other clients said about them?

Do people feel they've gotten "ripped off"?  Or can the company point
you to several clients who were happy with the service?  Customer
testimonials, while not foolproof, are certainly helpful.  Check the
company out with the Better Business Bureau and with Complaints.com,
an online complaint datbase:

The Better Business Bureau
[ http://www.bbb.org/ ]

Complaints.com
[ http://www.complaints.com ]

Here are a few domain appraisers to get you started:

DomainMart 
[ http://www.domainmart.com/DomainNames/agent/appraisal/appraisal_enter.html
]

CertificateOfAppraisal.com
[ http://www.certificateofappraisal.com/ ]

Accurate Domains
[ http://accuratedomains.com/index.php?display=9 ]

Domain Appraisals LL
[ http://www.dbappraisals.com/ ]

Back of the Envelope
[ http://www.backoftheenvelope.com/ ]

Domainworth.com
[ http://www.domainworth.com/appraise.cfm ]


...and for an idea of how appraisers determine a domain name's value,
have a look at the appraisal models published by members of Afternic,
some of which detail the appraisal process step by step:

Afternic
[ http://www.afternic.com/index.cfm?a=research ]

Good luck!

missy-ga

---

Request for Answer Clarification by tucsonjim-ga on 22 May 2002 20:04 PDT

Hi Missy,
Thanks for the answers that you gave me but...
It doesn't really answer the question as to who is considered by those
in the know as the best? Like in my son's business, as well as many
other businesses, he can tell me in 2 seconds who the best 5 are and
who to avoid like the plague. That's what I want. I'm not necessarily
asking you to tell me who, but I'm asking if you can tell me how to
find out who.
Thanks
Jim (tucsonjim)

---

Clarification of Answer by missy-ga on 23 May 2002 00:01 PDT

Hello again, Jim!

Opinions about who is "the best in the biz" vary widely, and there
doesn't seem to be any real knowledge out there about which domain
appraiser truly is the best.  Seemingly everyone claims to know, but
this is not a regulated "industry", and there are no definitive
rankings.

DomainSecretsRevealed claims to have three options for choosing the
"best" domain appraiser, based on affordability, quality and "proven
best":

[ http://www.domainsecretsrevealed.net/domain-name-appraisals.html ]

Domain IQ offers a guide for choosing a domain appraiser here:

[ http://www.domainiq.com/appraisaltips.htm ]

...and based on their stringent criteria, they only recommend
DomainSystems.com:

[ http://domainsystems.com/appraisal.htm ]

ADN Appraisals offers a comparison chart, but only ranked by price:

[ http://www.adnappraisals.com/ ]

Marketer David Carter seems to think that most domain appraisers are
charlatans, and says that you needn't pay for a domain appraisal (He
offers links to plenty of appraisers, but claims not to recommend any
of them):

[ http://www.david-carter.com/domain-name-valuations.htm ]

As you can see, there are conflicting opinions about who is "the
best".  Ultimately, the only way to *truly* know who is best *for you*
is to check out the companies you're thinking about using for
yourself.  Ask them a few questions, check out their reputation, and
use the one you feel most comfortable with. I'd highly recommend
following Domain IQ's guidelines for choosing.

I wish you much luck.  I hope your name sells high!

missy-ga

Hi Missy,
Thanks so much for the clarification, it really helped. I believe
you're right about there being no difinitive rankings of domain
appraisers. Your link to David Carter,
http://www.david-carter.com/domain-name-valuations.htm, was very
insightful. I pretty much agree with his argument that it's about
impossible to appraise a domain name. Thank you for the fine job you
did in ferreting out the facts for me. I wanted to give you 6 stars
but the cutoff was 5, so I gave you the well deserved 5 big ones!
Best to You.
Jim (tucsonjim)