DomainAgents review: buying a taken domain, fees included

What buying through DomainAgents costs

The buyer pays $19.95 to submit an offer, then DomainAgents’ commission and the Escrow.com fee on a negotiated sale. Commission is 10% up to $25,000, then $2,500 plus 7.5% above that. Escrow.com charges 2.6% to 2.4% with a $50 minimum up to $25,000, then 2.4% to 0.7%. On a $5,000 adult domain, that is $19.95, $500 and about $130, so roughly $650 on top of the price.

Fixed-price sales on the marketplace, which claims more than a million domains, follow rules that DomainAgents states two ways: 0% for the seller in one place, a seller-paid commission and split Escrow.com fees in another. Get it in writing before buying or listing at a fixed price.

How a DomainAgents offer works

Once you buy a credit, an agent tracks down the owner of the domain, even if it was never for sale. If the owner cannot be reached, you get the credit back for another domain. Once the offer has been presented, the credit is used up, deal or no deal. Counteroffers then flow through the platform at no extra cost. You can propose a payment plan of up to three years, which the owner may refuse. When a deal is struck, DomainAgents opens the Escrow.com transaction and manages the transfer.

Is a DomainAgents offer legit?

Yes. An email or call from DomainAgents carries an offer from a buyer who paid to have it presented, and you can accept, decline or counter. Accepting or countering earns $10 by PayPal, a free offer credit or the same amount as a charity donation, even without a sale. An agreed deal is binding: a seller who reneges owes DomainAgents a penalty of 10% of the price, plus any damages to the buyer. For deals agreed elsewhere, DomainAgents Assist handles escrow and transfer from $79 plus a per-domain cost, and a 30-minute call with an expert costs $199.

DomainAgents strengths and limitations