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How to Sell Domain Names Like a Super Seller on Flippa – With Ali Zandi

Ali Zandi entered the domain name industry as an investor in mid-2014. He started by purchasing 10 domain names and sold every single one within 30 days on Flippa.

He did such a good job, he moved from selling about $2,000 to $12,000 in a period of three months, was upgraded from “New” to “Super Seller” on Flippa, and was offered a newly created senior broker position at Flippa. (His sales are now $402,000 in the first 7 months.)

In this interview, Ali Zandi talks about who buys what types of domain names on Flippa, and walks us through his exact process for listing domain names for sale on Flippa.

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About the Interviewee

Ali Zandi
Ali Zandi
Ali Zandi is the founder and senior broker at Starfire Holdings, a domain name brokerage and consulting firm.

Prior to Starfire Holdings, Ali was the director of sales and acquisitions at Perception.com, a private domain name investment fund.

Based in Hawaii, Zandi boasts a wealth of knowledge and sales experience and has facilitated millions of dollars of successful transactions in the domain industry.

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Domain name investors want to reach end users who will buy a domain name with intent to develop a business — because they’re likely to pay more for the domain name. But selling on domain name-only marketplaces like Sedo and DomainNameSales.com isn’t optimal because it requires an end-user to have an idea, think of the domain name and then go looking for it. Many entrepreneurs look for opportunities differently. They may want to find a business idea and domain name at the same time as it short-circuits the business development timeline. That’s where a relatively new marketplace comes in. Stay tuned.

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Michael Cyger: Hey everyone. My name is Michael Cyger, and I’m the Publisher of DomainSherpa.com – the website where you can learn how to become a successful domain name investor or entrepreneur directly from the experts.

There is a marketplace called Flippa that is the equivalent of eBay, but for websites, where owners who are interested in selling their website for whatever reason, revenue producing or not, can list for sale and find buyers.

Because of this, Flippa attracts a unique type of buyer, and last year they made strides to sell domain names by adding a domain section to their marketplace. I have been following domain sellers on Flippa who have results that outpace the majority of others. I watch what they do, how they do it, and I try to understand how they get their results. Today I am going to interview one of these people.

I would like to welcome back to the show, Ali Zandi, Senior Domains Broker at Flippa.com. Welcome, Ali.

Ali Zandi: Thanks, Michael. Pleasure to be here, man.

Michael: So, you were on the Domain Sherpa Review Show back in September of 2014, where you shared your portfolio of domains with our Sherpa Panel and asked for feedback on your buying strategy.

Ali: Yeah. Yeah, I did not get the feedback I was expecting.

Michael: So, let me ask you. You did not get the feedback. You were hoping that they were going to love your domains, right?

Ali: Yeah.

Michael: Like we all hope that everybody is just going to love our domains, like you have got an eye for domains that we have not seen ever. You had names like BackupMac.com, which I do not think they liked because it had the mac term in there. You had CupcakeFrosting, ExoticCarAuction, NearestRestaurants.com, and Flipped.net. But since you have been on the Domain Sherpa Review, I have noticed that you have had some pretty good sales on Flippa, including those domain names.

Ali: Oh yeah, those sold like hotcakes.

Michael: Let me start by asking you this. How much in revenue have you sold since becoming a seller on Flippa?

Ali: Oh man, I think in July, when I actually first started, I had about – I don’t know – a couple thousand in sales, and then, by September, when we spoke, I was at about 12 thousand in total sales. And now I am at around 350 thousand. So, about five to six months, I had a little less and yeah, so doing about 350 thousand, looking to close January off with a total of about around four hundred thousand.

Michael: Wow. So, in July of 2000, those were just your domains. Right?

Ali: Yeah.

Michael: You bought them. You sold them. You kept all the profit. In September, 12 thousand. Again, those were your domains. You bought them. You sold them. Now I mention you are the Senior Broker of Domains at Flippa. The 350 thousand includes other domain names that you are brokering, right?

Ali: Yeah, it includes a bunch of them from four figures to five figures and six figures.

Michael: Okay, we are going to get into that, but back on to those domain names that you brought on the Review, which people were not enamored by. You ended up selling Flipped.net for 1999 dollars. You sold NearestRestaurants for 15 hundred bucks. CupcakeFrosting.com, which I personally did not like. What are you going to do with CupcakeFrosting? You sold that for 601 dollars.

Ali: Oh yeah.

Michael: (Unclear 3:33.5): 395. BackupMac: 551. FreeInstrumentals.com you sold for four thousand dollars.

Ali: Yeah.

Michael: You cannot argue with sales, right?

Ali: You cannot argue with that. I mean everybody has a different taste and different opinion on what is valuable, and my gut instinct has always been right, so I just go with it and it seemed to be working.

Michael: And I remember that you had a very disciplined approach to domain name investing when you started. You only bought a couple handfuls of domain names and you needed to sell them before you bought more. Am I remembering that correctly?

Ali: Absolutely. I would limit myself to just a few domains. I mean maybe ten to 20, sometimes 30, and those all had to be sold within 30 days.

Michael: Wow.

Ali: I would not buy any more.

Michael: So, win. Lose. Draw. Regardless of whether you made a profit or you took a loss, you are selling them.

Ali: Oh, I made a profit 99.9 percent of the time.

Michael: So, are there any domains from the original 25 that were on that Domain Sherpa Review, and I will have a link to it below this video, that you were unable to sell on Flippa?

Ali: No, I sold them all.

Michael: Wow.

Ali: Yeah, every single one. They are gone.

Michael: How many domain names in total do you think you have sold since you have been in the industry, since mid-last year?

Ali: Three hundred maybe.

Michael: Wow.

Ali: There was a couple auctions that I had. One of them was like a 70 domain bundle. Another one was like 90 domains. So, I guess it is relative how you look at it, but total domains in and out of my account has been about three hundred or so.

Michael: Yeah, and I am going to ask you more about the bundling of domain name, because I noticed you have done that in the past, but let me ask you this before we get into the details. How much profit have you made by selling domain names since you have been in business?

Ali: A lot, yeah.

Michael: Is it more than mid-five figures?

Ali: Oh yeah.

Michael: Is it more than six figures?

Ali: Yeah, we are in six figures now.

Michael: Wow, so you have personally made, by working whatever. You work a lot of hours. I actually Skype with you a lot and I know you work a lot of hours, even though you are based in Hawaii, but you have made over six figures in profit, in put it in your pocket before taxes.

Ali: Yeah.

Michael: Nice.

Ali: Yeah, man.

Michael: All right. So, as a result of your success in selling domain names on Flippa, just being a regular Joe, like a regular person that went and created an account on Flippa and started selling, what has happened to you at Flippa?

Ali: Oh man, a lot. I mean I got hired as a Senior Broker. They reached out and they were impressed with the sales and offered me the position. I hopped all over it. I have had my eye set out at working at Flippa since day one, and here I am. I mean I live in Hawaii. I have a great house. I have the car I want to drive. Beautiful fiancé, and I could afford to buy her a nice ring. I mean financially, mentally, just like this freedom that I have gotten from learning how to buy and sell domain names, and I get to work from home in a nice, little office. I have got a beautiful view and life is good.

Michael: Nice.

Ali: Life has turned out to be really good. Yeah.

Michael: All right, before we dig into how you make the sales you have, I want to better understand the Flippa marketplace, so let me start by asking you. How do you describe Flippa to people not familiar with it? Was my description at the beginning of the show appropriate?

Ali: I do not like the comparison, but I mean, to me, and it has always been this way, it is an entrepreneur’s marketplace. And the tagline is right on point. From SEO gurus to web designers, to investors, I mean it runs the gamut. The whole spectrum is covered. And I tell them it is basically digital real estate. It is where you go to buy and sell digital real estate, and that seems to be the best explanation.

Michael: Yeah, and so all of those descriptions that you mentioned about entrepreneurs, they are pretty much digital entrepreneurs. These are people that understand the web to a great degree.

Ali: Yeah, there are some that do not. There are some people that come on and they are just getting into the web and they see how lucrative it is. And they go on and buy it. Let’s say a website that is generating monthly revenue and they want to get out of the brick and mortar or the nine-to-five they are doing. So, it does run the whole gamut.

Michael: Yeah. So, is that the way you describe the people that come to Flippa? The buyers are typically most likely educated about the Internet. They are entrepreneurs. How else do you summarize the buying community?

Ali: It is huge, man. I mean it is just like any retail store. If somebody comes in to buy a cologne, it could be a doctor. It could be a CEO. It could be someone that works here or there. More often than not, it is investors. I personally sold a (Unclear 8:36.3), through Flippa, of companies, bigger companies, and it does run the whole gamut. Marketers. SEO gurus. I mean just everyone. You really cannot tell who you are going to run into. I mean there is people that just buy domains just to hold on to them for the future.

Michael: But many of the domains that you have personally sold before you became Senior Broker, such as NearestRestaurants.com and CupcakeFrosting.com, are not technology related. Does it matter for domain name sales?

Ali: I do not think so. I mean NearestRestaurants is a highly developable domain name. You can create a website and an app for that in six months to a year, and that is actually who I sold it to, was a developer, and those are the types of names that this person buys and we have transacted before on similar types of names. So, CupcakeFrosting easily developed overnight into a cupcake blog, dessert recipes and stuff like that. So, I like to pick up names that people can develop and turn into. Whether it is a blog, a business, or informative site, those are the types that have worked best for me.

Michael: What is the general range of budget that you see buyers spending on Flippa?

Ali: That is a big question. I mean if I put a domain name up that is valued at three hundred dollars across the board, relative from an (Unclear 10:02.9) investor, then it is going to sell for three hundred and somebody is going to have a three-hundred-dollar budget. But if I put up a six-figure domain, it is priced accordingly and it is valued accordingly, the budgets are out there. I have personally sold domains for one hundred dollars and I have sold them well into six figures on Flippa. And there are some that I cannot talk about. There are some that have sold for 20 to 30 thousand, so the money is always there.

Michael: So, I have had John (Unclear 10:27.2), who bought StockPhoto.com off of Flippa on the show to talk about that buying experience. He paid 250 thousand dollars, which I do not typically think of Flippa as a place where you go and spend six figures to a buy a domain name, but what you are saying is that they are out there. The buyers who have six figures to spend are there, just like they are on other sites.

Ali: Oh, absolutely. I mean Flippa has officially been in the domain business for really only a year, since 2014, so we are bulking up the premium lot. I mean I have a list of two hundred domains right now, these monsters that we are getting ready to launch. So, the domains will be there. And I believe if the names are there, the money will come too. The buyers will come to where the domains are. So, it is not about Flippa. It is about the quality of the names and the pricing.

Michael: Yeah, all right. So, I want to understand how exactly you have accomplished what you have in such a short amount of time. I will do so by asking you some questions about a domain name that I am intimately involved with because I used to own it and I asked you to broker it for me on Flippa. The domain name was SEO.io, and for those in the audience that have watched enough of the shows, they know that I like my SEO and SEM-related domain names. I picked up SEO.io and I think you and I were chatting back and forth and you were like: “That is a great domain name. We should sell it.”

Why did you think .IO would sell well on Flippa?

Ali: .IOs have always sold well. When they first came out, they were doing four figures, some even five figures. And I think being in a technology world, .IO is one of those extensions that is not only going to stay around, but it is also going to grow. And I have always had this gut instinct with pricing, and as soon as you said that name, ten grand just popped up in my head. I was like: “That is a perfect reserve for it.” The audience is there. I mean marketers, SEO people, technology educated folks on Flippa are just waiting for domains like this to come out, and .IO is synonymous is programming – ones and zeros. All life in computers and technology is based off those ones and zeros.

So, the Internet being so massive, search engine optimization, I mean that is what we live for. That is what we put up websites for. That is how we get ranked and that is a monster domain.

Michael: Yeah. Now, just to give the viewers, because I am sure they are going to think, “Well, what did Mike pay for this domain name? Why won’t he tell us?” I bought it back in June 2013. I was actually looking at another SEO domain name, reached out to the owner about it, asked him what other domains he had and he mentioned SEO.io, and I loved it too because it is so short and it was tech related. I paid about four thousand dollars for it back then. I do not think I have received a single offer on SEO.io until I asked you to list it for me.

I said, “What do you think it would go for?” I think you said, “Well, at least ten thousand or right around ten thousand or so,” and I said, “Well, if it is ten thousand, I am not sure I want to sell it yet.” And then you said, “Well, we could put a higher reserve on it,” and if I remember correctly, you came back and said, “Let’s do an 11 thousand or a 12 thousand reserve.”

Ali: Yeah.

Michael: And I was like: “No, still not good enough.” So, we ended up agreeing on a 15-thousand-dollar reserve, right?

Ali: Yeah.

Michael: And so, how often do you have to negotiate with sellers to get a realistic reserve?

Ali: Oh, that is the job of the broker.

Michael: Is that your biggest hurdle to get over, just to bring sellers into realistic pricing zones?

Ali: It is. It is harder than you think. Everybody has this vision of what their domain is valued at. You pay four thousand dollars for a domain. You are going to want to make a lump sum to feel good about it. And I was speaking with another broker, who also does very well on Flippa, and he told me the job of the broker is not to find a buyer with deep enough pockets to pay whatever you want for the name. It is to find the seller who is reasonable enough to sell the domain for a profit. So, I think it is getting the buyers up and getting the sellers down to a price where they are both happy and they both walk away feeling like they could have got a little bit more off the table, but still content.

Michael: Yeah, and so how do you think that the auction went, because you opened it up to a regular auction? And I think it generated interest right from the beginning and had a decent amount of bids.

Ali: Oh yeah, instantly generated interest, as I thought it would on Flippa, and then I did a lot of outbound and I contact a lot of people. I have a pretty big contact list. I have a pretty thorough outbound technique, and by word of mouth or however it got out there, the owner – I do not want to mention his name. I do not know if he wants to be known, but he got a hold of it and he came in and he made a very good offer, and he stuck to it no matter what I tried, and sometimes it is that way. And I am glad we were able to agree to meet there and get it sold.

Michael: Yeah, and it is public information. People can go on Flippa and this was revealed and shared with DN Prices I believe. And it ended up negotiated sale of 11 thousand dollars.

Ali: Yeah. Yeah, right where I thought.

Michael: Right where you thought originally. Sometimes it takes me a little bit of time to come to reality though. And it is interesting that you mention you did outbound, because I think a lot of people expect that if they are going to pay money to list a domain name and promote a domain name on a marketplace, that is the marketplace’s job to bring the buyers and that they will not actually have to do anything more. They are trading money for visibility, but that is not the case.

Ali: Yeah, that is not the case at all. I mean you get the visibility. Do not get me wrong. There has been a few domains that I have sold by just sitting on my hands, and you get the visibility, but the thing is on Flippa you have to be an active seller, and that is why it is such a great marketplace. You comment. You make comments. You reach out. You get inbound offers. You contact corporations. You contact, especially for SEO.io, SEO experts. And you reach out and eventually the buyers will come because one of them is going to hear it, he is going to mention it to his buddy, his buddy is going to mention it to his network and it is going to spread. And before you know it, a new user is going to sign up and there is your exposure right there.

And if it is sitting up top, you have ultra premium on it, sitting up top. It is visible. You get those bids in the beginning, but your real buyer, you have got to be an active seller to get it going.

Michael: Yeah. All right, so we are going to flip the camera and look at your screen right now, Ali, and you are going to walk us through a tutorial of how to list a domain name. Are we going to use SEO.io as an example?

Ali: Sure, we can use SEO.io. We can use just about any domain you want.

Michael: All right, so go ahead and share your screen.

Ali: Okay, so you see it.

Michael: There we go. I see a big me. All right.

Ali: I will change it over. So, basically this is my process.

So, I usually go to Flippa and you hit the big, green, sell button up here and you come to here. What are you selling? So, we are selling a domain. Go to auction. And then we are going to type SEO.io. Now we get started here.

Michael: Okay, so they are going to want the auction, not the classified option.

Ali: Exactly. Yeah, I mean unless you want to put it in a catalog, different story, but we want the auction. It was not generating any revenue. That is fine. So, here we are.

You come to the pitch. Now, I have a different process. Generally I have everything templated out, so I would go SEO.io and then that is a domain. I would come down here. So, let’s just say it is ten years old. Ten years aged. 200 thousand searches per month. I mean this is not accurate. I am just making this up.

Michael: Right. So, basically this is your quick, little summary or your tagline. You want to pick a couple of the qualities that you think most differentiate this domain name from others.

Ali: Yeah, exactly, so these are the bullet points at the top. This is why this domain is great in bullet points. I will write it here. Huge market. You are going down. And then here I write my description. So, you can write SEO.io is a phenomenal name, and let’s go ahead and find exactly what I did.

Michael: Okay. Yeah, let’s take a look.

Ali: So, this is basically my description that I wrote. Five hundred thousand exact match searches per month. One million exact searches. Entire search engine. 11 million broad matches. CPC. And then this is a description that I wrote.

Michael: Wow, that is enormous.

Ali: Yeah.

Michael: And you only got me 11 thousand dollars, Ali?

Ali: Well, I made up for it with PHP.io, didn’t I?

Michael: Yeah, we will get to that. You just sold PHP.io for me. We could talk about that a little bit later too. All right, so that is the description right there.

Ali: Yeah, that is a description.

Michael: Actually the whole thing is the description.

Ali: The whole thing is, yeah. So, I have my search volume section here.

Michael: Okay, I see that.

Ali: So, we have comparable sales, search volume and whatnot there.

Michael: So, what is the difference between the tagline and the summary then?

Ali: So, when you look at the homepage, you will see this is the tagline, so basically this is what is right underneath your domain. So, that is where you really want to draw people in. Just huge opportunity, low reserve, so on and so forth.

Michael: Yeah.

Ali: And a summary is where you are going to want to really give a really brief summary of what the opportunity is. So, I wrote one of the biggest opportunities on the market today. SEO is the single most important thing for any company looking to establish a solid web presence. The opportunity lies here in this domain.

Michael: Okay, and so the tagline is on the summary pages. The description right there is the first thing they read in that first box. The summary.

Ali: Exactly.

Michael: And then the description is like the full kit and caboodle. Everything is included.

Ali: Yeah, description is this whole entire block. This is really where you want to make your sale.

Michael: So, I get the tagline. I get the summary. How do you come up with what to write in the description?

Ali: I am a writer, man. I love to talk. I love to write. I love to get creative, and really I mean I take this domain and, Mike, this is my domain now. How would I want to see it if I was going to go buy it? I want to get excited. I want to present opportunities. I want to give you ideas. What can you do with this domain name? I mean really I want to know. I go to a car dealership and I look at the sticker. I want to know how many horsepower it has, what kind of warranty it has, what all the features are – what can I really do with this car?

And it is the same thing with this description. I tell you everything that I feel that I would want to read when I am going to buy just about anything.

Michael: So, it is basically aspirational. You are looking for opportunities. You are looking for pretty much anything that is going to trigger something in a buyer to say, “Ooh, that would be cool. I could do that.”

Ali: Yeah, like: “Oh, I did not think about that. That is a great idea. Maybe I could really do this.” And you want to inspire something. You want to pull on that one string that gets them truly excited.

Michael: So, that is a key differentiator on Flippa for selling domains versus like a Sedo or one of the other sites that is domain only marketplaces. There you pretty much cannot write anything. Here you can write whatever you want and it is a sales opportunity.

Ali: Yeah, absolutely. I mean this is your golden opportunity. In the beginning, when I started, I looked at every single place I could sell a domain and Flippa was the only one that I found that I could just bam, write out a sales letter and basically any way I wanted to. And this has been enormous in my success, is these sales letters, man.

Michael: Awesome. Okay, so I see how you write the first part of that description there. Where do you go find the exact match searches, the comparable sales, and all the other information that goes into that description?

Ali: Okay, so this is my process for finding the searches. Go to Google Keyword Planner because, to me, it is the most accurate. I type in SEO. Basically it pops up. SEO, the term itself, has 550 thousand matches. These are the relative matches. Here is one hundred of them. I always grab the first hundred. I never play with average or whatever, and then I highlight everything. Now, I have my little template set up because I do so many. I take this, remove all this, blast it here, and then see how it is like SEO in quotes. Then take the whole thing, remove all the extra spaces, and boom, I have my search volume all there. And that is all of my search volume.

Michael: That is pretty darn quick right there, Ali.

Ali: Yeah. I mean I had to find a way to do it fast. It was these templates and finding the right tools. So, that is search volume. Now I have given you basically 101 different terms.

Michael: And so, now I can quickly look over those and say, “Oh, this could be SEO software or I could use this for SEO consulting or I could use this for SEO link checker.”

Ali: Exactly. Yeah, I mean there is no limit, especially with SEO. I mean it is everything.

Michael: Yeah, so that is why including the search phrases as well as the number of searches and then the cost per click is useful, because then people can connect the domain name directly to that phrase.

Ali: Exactly.

Michael: And with SEO, SEO could be anything. It is not like CupcakeFrosting. You are going to be (Unclear 24:46.5) by the number of searches potentially, where people may want cupcake recipes or cupcake nutritional information. I do not know. Do you feel like a domain name like CupcakeFrosting, two words, might limit it more than a single word?

Ali: Oh, absolutely. I mean let me type it in right here. It is super limited. The more words you have, the more limiting it becomes. I mean look, it is minimal searches and these minor searches count for super ultra niche domains. But with something like SEO, I mean if it was Cupcakes.com, we would be having a different conversation, but it is not.

Michael: Yeah, exactly. Okay, good point.

Ali: Okay, so now we have search volume. I use DN Sale Price. I use DN Prices. And then I will just type in SEO and just get relative. Stuff that was sold. I usually go all the way to the highest one and I just copy these. Same kind of process. Type them in here and then add my periods and whatnot. Come back and remove the spaces. I mean it is an entire process that I go through.

Michael: Yeah.

Ali: And then I do my sold for. Same process. Boom, and now I have my comparable sales already. Go ahead and toss them in my comparable sales section and I have half of my listing done already. And from there, it just comes down to writing the description. So, I usually do everything else first and then I sit down and I write the description. I Google stuff. I look at opportunities out there, ideas.

Michael: Because looking at what has sold as well as the search volume related to that keyword might provide you with other ideas on what to write in the description.

Ali: Absolutely. Yeah. I mean it sparks stuff. When I see search engine optimization (SEO), I see marketing. Even Matt Cutts.

Michael: Yeah, Matt Cutts. Did you reach out to Matt?

Ali: No, he always owns SEONinja. Yeah, but SEOAgency. Techniques. I mean sparks so many different things that this domain could be used for, and if not all of them. So, it was a huge opportunity.

Michael: Yeah, cool. All right, so that is how you put together your description. What is next on the process at Flippa?

Ali: Okay, so once your description is done.

Michael: Before you hit the next key, Ali, a lot of people get really bent out of shape about showing their process. You showed us your entire process. Does that worry you at all?

Ali: Not at all. I mean I can show you how to drive a Lamborghini. It does not mean you are going to become the world’s best racecar driver. But I love seeing other people succeed, man. I mean anybody that has come to me with questions, I have a protégé that I am training right now. I talk to my friends. I help them out. I mean this is an entire industry. This is not just about me and my bank account. This is about establishing our industry as a profitable place and legitimize it.

People look at us like we are squatters. We are not. We are businessmen, and I have no problem showing you my process. If it is going to bring more money to the company that I am working for now, Flippa, then by all means, learn away. Copy and paste. Use my template.

Michael: Very cool.

Ali: Yeah.

Michael: All right, let’s hit next then.

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Ali: Okay, so here is where you are going to basically setup your sale. And you can go auction, private sale. I always do auction.

Michael: What is a private sale? I was not aware of that.

Ali: So, a private sale basically is a make offer sale.

Michael: Oh, okay.

Ali: So, the domain goes up and all you get is offers, and you can set your offer minimum. I like bidding wars. It is exciting, so I go with auction. I almost always do 30 days. I sold a domain on the 29th day from somebody that was up at night, could not sleep and they saw it. So, that was enough for me to set them at 30 days all the time.

Michael: So, you can list it between 3 and 30 days maximum. Oh, you can list one day? No, I think three is the lowest, but 30 days you always list because it gives you the maximum exposure for the domain name.

Ali: Yeah.

Michael: You do not find that people see it and they are like: “Oh, that is going to take too long. I am not going to watch it.”

Ali: Not at all. I mean if you see it and you like it, make an offer, and that is all the inbound offers that come in and it gives you time to do outbound. I mean if you really want to make a sale and maximize your profit, then why not 30 days? I mean that is not that long.

Michael: Yeah.

Ali: So, from here, you pick your days. You put your reserve price. We did that the first time. And select which methods of payment you will accept.

Michael: And if you do not specify a reserve, it will sell to the highest bidder, right?

Ali: Yeah. Well, you have got to do a one dollar minimum. That is basically no reserve.

Michael: What is under that advanced link right there?

Ali: So, this is automatically accept most bidders, and you can setup a starting bid. So, let’s say our reserve was 49 thousand. Our starting bid we could place at 40 thousand. I have never done that and I will never do that. I mean then you are limiting yourself to one bidder. I mean if your reserve is 49 thousand and your starting bid is a dollar, and you get bidding up to 20 thousand with ten bidders, you can talk them up.

Michael: Right.

Ali: Yeah, so it is very limiting. I never do that. And automatically accepting most bidders. I never do that either. I want to know who is bidding. A lot of the time I will do my own research just to make sure they are legitimate, and if they are, I accept their bid.

Michael: I remember seeing SendGlitterToYourEnemies.com. Is that the one?

Ali: Yeah.

Michael: And I looked and it was like 75 thousand dollars was the high bid at one point and then it showed plus three pending offers. So, that is what that accept offers is automatically. You can either accept everybody or you can review them and click the ones you want to accept and reject.

Ali: Yeah, exactly.

Michael: Why would you ever want to reject anyone?

Ali: Well, I mean if you get somebody with a lot of negative feedback, they have complaints about not paying. I have seen maybe one or two in my time doing this and I have declined maybe one or two bidders. And usually I reach out. I am like: “Hey, can you please explain what happened?” A lot of times it is just frustration from the seller, or whatever it was that they get negative feedback. It is usually not that big of an issue.

Michael: Okay.

Ali: Yeah, so from here, payment methods that you will accept. PayPal, Escrow, Flippa Escrow. And then here: require BIN bidders to use PayPal to end the auction instantly. Now, with this one, when you set it and you set a BIN, let’s say a two-thousand-dollar buy it now price, somebody clicks buy it now. They actually have to send the money through PayPal before it gets accepted or for them to close the sale. That way you are not waiting around for the money or the payment. It automatically goes to your account. Success fee is automatically taken out. And then all you have to do is begin the transfer process.

With this one, sometimes I do it one thousand dollars or less valued domains. Sometimes four thousand, depending on the buyer, but more often than not, I have never had a problem doing it.

Michael: But you could only use PayPal for domains up to five thousand dollars.

Ali: Four thousand or five thousand.

Michael: Yeah, something like that. So, if somebody clicks the buy it now for ten thousand, it would not go through PayPal?

Ali: No, it would not go through PayPal.

Michael: Okay. And then I see Flippa Escrow, which you cannot unselect that. Clearly Escrow.com we know. They are a sponsor of the show. I use them all the time. I love them.

Ali: Yeah.

Michael: Flippa Escrow. Why would it be advantageous to use Flippa Escrow versus Escrow.com, and who gets to choose which path is taken?

Ali: Got you. So, both buyer and seller can choose the path. So, the buyer can choose. I want to use Flippa Escrow, and we use a company called Promise Pay. They just came out. It is actually a really good company. We are working out some things with them to be able to use a brokerage option too. So, that is going to come into play real soon. And it is free. If you pay with a credit card, I think it is two percent. Do not quote me. I do not know exactly, but we are in direct contact with them and it is a company that we are working towards using more often.

And Escrow.com I generally use for big sales. I mean all the time I prefer it. I love it. PayPal I love too because it is instant money.

Michael: And so, if I specify Escrow.com, I am listing my domain name for sale, would I write in the description that winning bidder has to pay escrow fees?

Ali: Yeah, at the bottom of my description, these are my option terms. I always right it. That way I can refer to it. Hey, this is what the terms were. You agreed to it when you bought it. Payments over one thousand shall be made via Escrow.com. Fees to be paid by the buyer. That way I always have something to fall back on.

Michael: Yeah, that makes sense. All right, great.

Ali: Yeah, so from there, you click next and then you come up to the promotion page. And you have your ultra premiums, your premiums, and your standards, and then you have all your extras and add-ons and prioritizing the listings.

Michael: Geez Louise, what do I pick here, Ali?

Ali: Well, it depends. When I first started, I mean I have spent I want to say like 15 to 20 grand on ultra premiums, just banging them out because I love the exposure I got. And premiums are great. They are wonderful. The ultra premiums. I mean you get your logo and you get blasted on a newsletter. It bolds the listing title. I mean all the little things that you get from it are so advantageous. I think it was my first auction. AppDesignSchool. It ended up selling for 75 hundred. I listed it with an ultra premium, and it got so much exposure it was ridiculous.

Let me see if I can pull it up here.

Michael: What did you pick AppDesignSchool up for?

Ali: This is what started my career. So, basically I picked up about 90 domains or so for like five hundred dollars, and I went on a hand registration fiasco the night before or something and I hand registered every single domain. AppDesignSchool. AppDesignCollege. AppDesignCourse, Training, so on and so forth down the line. I mean every single one. I used GoDaddy coupons for all of them.

Michael: So, you got like 20 hours in just buying domain names with all those coupons.

Ali: Oh, totally worth it. I mean totally worth it. I will take 75 hundred for 20 hours of my time.

Michael: So, you bought 60 app design domain names, and then you put it up for sale as a package.

Ali: Yeah, I put it up for sale as a package. That was my reserve: 18 hundred.

Michael: How did you pick 18 hundred? Was that the cost of the domains, plus the cost of the ultra premium listing?

Ali: I think it was 1850, and then bidding got up to like 15 hundred or something and I lowered the reserve to 18, or maybe it was at 1850 and I lowered it to 1851. I was happy with that much profit.

Michael: And then it sold for 75 hundred.

Ali: Yeah, I mean then it got nuts. I will not go there because I do not want to expose my bidders, but it just started catching momentum and the ultra premium. The newsletter. Every time a newsletter went out, I got new bidders. And it was so beyond worth it to me, and I will do it over and over and over again because I know the type of exposure it got me.

Michael: Wow, so that is a big nut to crack. I think a lot of people would say 349 bucks. That is a lot of money to try and sell a domain name, and would take the easy way out. You are saying it takes money to make money.

Ali: It takes money to make money. I mean I made 75 hundred bucks. I walked away with six grand in my pocket. Profit. Pure profit.

Michael: Yeah.

Ali: What is 350 bucks? I would have paid one thousand dollars.

Michael: So, 350 bucks, plus your cost to buy the domain names, plus you paid Flippa a success fee, right?

Ali: Yeah.

Michael: How much was the success fee?

Ali: 750 I believe.

Michael: Okay, so ten percent of whatever you sell domain or package for.

Ali: So, I think I walked away with 5901 net profit.

Michael: Nice.

Ali: Yeah, it was great.

Michael: Okay, so let’s flip back to the entry page because I see a couple of screens there. The reserve price we put in, but where do you set the buy it now price?

Ali: The buy it now price you do when you list it.

Michael: Oh, okay.

Ali: Yeah, so basically let’s see if I can go here and set a buy it now price. What do I not have a buy it now price on? Let’s just go right here. So, basically here. You come here and then add a buy it now price. So, you can click on that and just go nuts if you want, and you add the buy it now price.

Michael: Yeah, so you can set it. You can also reduce a buy it now price, right?

Ali: Absolutely, yeah, and then you go back up here. Let’s just add one. Let’s say one hundred grand or whatnot. You set it. Boom. Buy it now: one hundred thousand. You come here. Change buy it now, and then now you can change it. You can go up. You can come down.

Michael: And I see there is a change reserve price as well on the listing page right there.

Ali: Yeah, always.

Michael: Can you bring up the listing settings just so I could take a look at that again? Add a buy it now. Change reserve price. Change the end time, so you can shorten the auction I guess.

Ali: Yeah, so if you click change end time, you can come here and shorten the auction, which I have done. So, you can come down. You can change it and it will actually update and tell you when it is going to end on Australia time. So, they are a day ahead of the US.

Michael: Yeah.

Ali: But yes, so that is that.

Michael: Okay. Now, here is a question that I often wondered, Ali. If the bidding gets up to two thousand dollars, let’s say, and your reverse is at four thousand and the person who made that two-thousand-dollar bid is like: “Oh, I want to make it, but I do not know if I want to pay it. I will make it,” and it is under reserve, so it says reserve not met. Can you actually lower your reserve price and then it will automatically sell, because let’s say if you lower it to two thousand dollars, to the point of the highest bid, or is that not possible to do?

Ali: Oh no, no, that is not possible. The only thing that is possible is you can put it down to one dollar above the last bid, making it (Unclear 40:32.2) someone into buying it.

Michael: You cannot force somebody into buying it if they thought that they did not hit reserve. I have often wondered about that. Okay.

Ali: No, you cannot do that, but if you set it to within one dollar of the last bid, the cool thing is that it emails everyone that is watching the auction and it tells them: “Hey, the reserve has been dropped. Next bid can win.”

Michael: Got you. And I see you can add a non-disclosure agreement. If I am a buyer, can I contact you via private message and say, “Ali, I would buy that domain name for five thousand dollars, but I want a non-disclosure. I do not want that sale getting released publicly”?

Ali: Absolutely. Sure. You got it. Deal. Yeah. I actually just had that happen with a monster sale. And I wish I could rant and rave and boast about it.

Michael: You guys kill me with your private sales.

Ali: I know, right? I tried to get them to agree, but it is okay.

Michael: No worries. So, that is pretty much the entire listing process. Then it goes live, then you do your outbound sales, and then it either runs the full gamut and gets above the reserve or somebody contacts you, you initiate discussion, and you agree on a sale price. And then, if you agree on a sales price, like you did with SEO.io for 11 thousand dollars – they made an offer, you reached out to me, I agreed, we took it -, how do you complete a transaction in that case?

Ali: Got you. So, with SEO.io, the auction basically had ended I believe.

Michael: Oh, that is right. It did.

Ali: Yeah, and we were discussing the offer back and forth. I was emailing the guy, messaging him, and we settled on that. What I did was I re-listed the auction and used the buy it now feature, and then he bought it now.

Michael: So, somebody could have swooped in there and said, “11 thousand. That is a steal,” and bought it before he did.

Ali: Yeah. Yeah, they could have, but it was highly unlikely.

Michael: Yeah.

Ali: Because we negotiated post-auction. Now, there is a post-auction negotiation feature, where, if it ends and it is unsuccessful, you can send out an offer. And I will show you that with this guy right here. And you can view offers here. So, basically I sent out offers and it sent it out to everyone, and they are well aware.

Michael: Everybody that is watching the auction.

Ali: Everybody that is watching it, yeah.

Michael: Okay.

Ali: Yeah, so that is basically the entire process that I go through.

Michael: Awesome. So, tell me about watchers, Ali. If I go to Flippa and I like what I see, I want to watch it to see if it actually sells.

Ali: Yeah, totally.

Michael: How does that watching work and what advantages does it give you as the seller when I watch it as a potential buyer?

Ali: Got you. So, the watching button is right under the bid button. And if you want to watch an auction, you get updates on the price. Let’s say somebody bids it up. It tells you: “Hey, this auction is now at ten thousand or 20 thousand.” If a comment goes down, you get an update saying there was a new comment. Only comments from the seller though, not from other parties.

Michael: Oh, okay.

Ali: If the seller responds to another party’s comment, then you get the email. And then, when the auction is ending, I think it is a 24-hour notification and two-hour notification. So, it is advantageous. Let’s say you were watching an auction and you totally forgot, and then it tells you: “Hey, 24 hours left.” You are like: “Oh man, I was going to bid on this. Now is a great time. Let me go and check on it.” So, it is super advantageous to watch it, at least from my perspective. I watch a lot of auctions. I want to know what is going on. Even if I am not going to bid on it, I want to watch it. I want to know what it sold for.

Michael: Yeah, I want to be reminded when it sells. I will watch a lot of other .IO domains to see what they sell for just so I can track it.

Ali: Yeah, exactly. It is a wonderful feature.

Michael: Yeah. Okay, very cool. And so, only when the seller posts a comment does it go out to everybody. Do you notice that that actually drives more views to the auction page? Are you able to track the number of views of an auction page?

Ali: I do not believe you can track the views of the page, no.

Michael: Okay. All right. And do you notice that when you post more comments, you get more bids because people are coming back to take a look at it, or there is no correlation?

Ali: It can go either way. Some people get annoyed, but it does. It actually does, especially when you are answering questions. When somebody comments, “I want to know about the trademark issue,” this and this and that, or whatever they ask about, reserve, and you reply to them, then it garners interest and they are like: “Hmm, I wonder what he is answering to. I will go check it out.” And more often than not, it has brought in more bids, but you have got to be careful. I mean these are people email addresses that are getting sent out to. If you are sending out 30 or 40 comments a day, you are going to be that guy and nobody is going to want to watch your auctions.

I think I did that once on one auction and I got a complaint. I was like: “Okay, you are right. I will just stop,” but yeah.

Michael: So, on Flippa, you can watch an auction to find out what is going on and be notified before an auction ends, but you can also watch a seller. And so, I watch you because I want to see what is going on. When you watch a seller, what happens? How do people get notified?

Ali: Okay, so that is one of the coolest features because you find sellers on Flippa. I did that when I first started. I found sellers that I liked. I wanted to see what they were doing and how they were doing it, so I watched it. And I believe it is every night, every morning, an email goes out if you are watching that seller. Hey, here are your favorite seller’s newest listings. So, let’s say I list ten domains today or something like that. You will get an email saying, “Casey Group has listed these domains today.”

So, you get to see. You get to always be informed about what I am putting out there, and I think that is really cool. Maybe you want to watch my auctions, bid on them, see what I am up to, yeah.

Michael: Yeah, I like to follow you and see what you are doing on Flippa, Ali. I flipped through a bunch of your closed listings. I can type in PHP.io, for example. It will go to the sale page on Flippa, at least for now, until the buyer takes control of the DNS. And then you can click on Casey Group and look at your sales, the listings that you currently have and they are sort of jumbled in with the ones that you have sold, and I noticed that a lot of them say that the auction ended up in negotiation with the buyer and it sold. How many of your auctions actually end up in negotiation for a sale price versus going to auction completion?

Ali: Not that many end up in post-auction negotiation. A lot of them, I think. I want to say like 70 to 80 percent of them are sold by buy it now.

Michael: Oh, okay.

Ali: Yeah, if I get an inbound offer, let’s say, for 11 thousand on SEO.io, I am going to throw an 11-thousand-dollar BIN price on the auction, and more of than not that is how they have sold.

Michael: And so, when you say you get an offer for 11 thousand dollars, other users on Flippa will click on your profile and send a private message to you and say, “I would buy it if you lowered the buy it now price to 11 thousand.”

Ali: Yeah. Yeah, I mean they call. They email. Somebody I was talking to before, doing outbound. Whoever it is. Inbound offer. They make the offer. We like the price. Sold.

Michael: Yeah, great. And so, what are a couple of the tactics that you use when you reach out to people who are not on Flippa, who may not have ever heard of Flippa to sell a domain name?

Ali: So, I learned that short, sweet, professional, straight shooter is the best way to do it. And I get a lot of emails, like ten paragraphs long. Hello sir, I want to sell you this name. That stuff does not work. Have a signature, have a professional domain name, and keep it short and sweet. If you are reaching out to CEOs, C-Level Executives, and VPs, they do not want to read ten paragraphs. They have got a lot of stuff to do. So, I have learned that I say this domain is on the market. Let me know if you are interested. Professional signature. Email sent. Majority of the time they will respond not interested, how much, thank you, but will pass, or they just will not respond.

But that has been a huge player in my success, just being a straight shooter. They ask how much. Sometimes I will not tell them. I will be like: “Well, what is your offer?” Sometimes I will just bang out the price right away. There is a pretty big domain I am working on, where that is being proven to be quite successful, just throwing a first number out. Just throw it out. Why not? See where that goes.

Michael: Yeah, but they could also just follow the auction. Sign up for Flippa and click watch this auction.

Ali: And that is that. Totally, yeah. More often than not, they will get directed to the auction. If they are kind of iffy about price, I am like: “Here is the auction. If you want to partake in it, go for it.”

Michael: Yeah. Now, I noticed a lot in the past you used to bundle additional domain names. Once you get to 20 days in, you may say buy it now for this price and I will throw in these additional domain names. Does bundling work?

Ali: Depends. It all depends. I mean it did with a few of my auctions. Some auctions it just does not. And I guess it all depends on the names. Let’s say you have an auction that is two thousand dollars. You want to sell it for five grand. You throw up 20 names that basically raise the value to five thousand dollars. I do not see why not. It has worked for me when I did that. But if you throw in a bunch of junk, then it is going to reduce the value of your original domain. Be like this guy is desperate. He is throwing in junk. This and that, but if you throw in some really valuable domain names, like: “Oh wow, I have got to jump on this right now.”

And I have done it quite a few times. And buying something, you get incentives. You are like: “These incentives are great. The value just went up and it is more valuable than the price is.”

Michael: So, you cannot just throw junk in.

Ali: Yeah.

Michael: So, how do you decide what to throw in that is not junk? Clearly you are not looking at it as having a lot of value if you are throwing it into this price.

Ali: I would want to see what I would want to see. I throw out there what I would want. Let’s say, like for WeddingCeremony.com or something, I threw in more brandable domain names that could be turned into similar business. AppDesignSchool. I mean there was 60 app design, app this, app that domains. So, if they are relative, like for SEO, if there was another 20 to 30 huge SEO domains, I could have driven the price way up. Like SEO.es or SEO.cn, or whatever. As long as they are relative, they are quality; there is no reason the price cannot be driven up.

Michael: Yeah. Now, I think we threw some domains in there, if I remember correctly. You were like: “Hey Mike, you got any other SEO related?” I was like: “Yeah. What about like SEODirectory.com?” I cannot remember what else we threw, but we picked a handful and it did not really get any interest. Right?

Ali: It did not get it any more interest. Sometimes that happens, and the people looking into it, they were dead set on that one domain. You could not take their focus off of it. That is actually a really good thing.

Michael: Yeah. So, some critics would look at your descriptions with all the exclamation marks and your bundling tactics and say that is too salesy. I do not want to do that. What is your response?

Ali: Go talk to Zig Ziglar.

Michael: That guy does not know what he is doing, right? Just one of the best salespersons in the world.

Ali: Oh man, he could talk a cat off of a fish truck. So, yeah, I mean excitement, man. I go to a dealership. I go to a retail store. I am spending my hard earned money. I want to be excited about it. And whether that is looked at as a snake oil or whatever tactics – sleazy -, it is working and it is honest, it is honorable and I feel good. At the end of the day, I feel good. I do not feel like I snaked anyone.

Michael: You did not force anybody into buying anything. Presented the opportunity and they took it.

Ali: (Unclear 53:00.2) or anything. I made you excited. You clicked the buy button.

Michael: Yeah. So, after we had the success of SEO, which a lot of people in the industry, a lot of people on the Domain Sherpa Review, the Sherpa Panel who I pulled afterwards, like great sale. I was like: “Wow, maybe I should think about selling my other .IO domain names.” So, I had picked up PHP.io less than 30 days ago. I probably should not say how much because the buyer may be watching this. For less. And you listed it for sale. And how did that auction go?

Ali: Very, very fast.

Michael: Yeah, three and a half days.

Ali: Three and a half days, yeah. I talked to a lot of people about that domain name, and there was one in particular who had made a pretty high bid and we started talking, and I told him, “What is your number? I want to know where you are at. The price is ten thousand. I am open to serious offers. If you have one, make it.” And we started talking. I got down to, I think, 75 hundred. He came all the way up from 25 hundred to six thousand, and I was like: “That is the number.” We are probably not going to see anything more than that, and I rather take money off the table than worry about leaving it on the table.

Michael: Yeah, I agree. I am much more about getting sales and looking at velocity, for some of the domain names that are investment that I am looking to sell rather than trying to get every single dollar I can out of a domain name.

Ali: Yeah, because I mean you take the profit. You reinvest it. You do it again. I mean that is what the Sherpas say all the time. They are not kidding. It works.

Michael: Sherpas do say that. So, what are you brokering nowadays on Flippa?

Ali: Oh man, I have a giant list.

Michael: What are some of your favorites?

Ali: Right now some of my favorites, I mean we are brokering Swag.com. We have Hologram.com. I mean I can go down the list. Monster domain names.

Michael: Yeah, those are monster names, and now my little SEO.io does not seem that big. What is the sales range of domains that you are selling at nowadays?

Ali: So, right now between three thousand dollars and one million dollars. I want to be able to cover the entire spectrum of budgets and needs, and I think that is the healthiest way to go about it for any brokerage, is to have domains readily available for just about everyone.

Michael: Yeah, and so Swag.com. That does not strike me as a technology-related domain name, but it could be easily turned into an entrepreneurial type of venture. Is that why you decided to take that one on as brokerage?

Ali: That is a monster ecommerce site waiting to happen.

Michael: Yeah.

Ali: Monster, and the price tag on it is more than fair. That can be turned into, in less than one year, a multimillion-dollar business if gone about it correctly. And Swag has multiple definitions and for me, it is like fashion. Fashion items. Urban fashion, and there are a lot of major companies out there doing that, so that domain is going to sell.

Michael: Yeah. So, are you actively taking interest on domain names from sellers?

Ali: Oh, absolutely.

Michael: That would reach out to you and use your brokerage services.

Ali: Absolutely. So, with Flippa, our brokerage service, we are getting ready to launch something big. And we are working on it right now. I do not know if it will be up by the time the show airs live, but it is a brokerage page. That way we do not flood the auctions anymore. We keep that for everybody else. We have a broker’s page where we list all of our brokerage domains. And when that time comes, we can take on pretty much as many domains as there are out there ready to sell. And right now I have a list of about two hundred that I am actively selling myself, and there is really no limit to how many I can take on, but there is a limit that we have to set as a company to what we list in public auctions.

Michael: Right, because I do not want your thousands of domains that you are brokering to flood my 350-dollar promoted domain that I am listing.

Ali: Yeah, exactly. So, I was brought on the 12th. I was hired on officially on the 12th.

Michael: January 12th.

Ali: January 12th, and we have been working on getting this brokerage page up immediately. We are backed up with domains. We have a list of some goliath names and we are looking to get this page up. That way we can get them all out there and become the next big brokerage.

Michael: Nice. So, the biggest issue, if somebody wants to brokerage with you, is can you and the seller agree on a realistic reserve price, because you do not want to spend your time if it is not going to sell.

Ali: Yeah, I mean I try. I try to talk people down.

Michael: Yeah.

Ali: I am really good at guessing what the domains are going to sell for. I have this sick, uncanny sixth sense for it and it seems to be right almost every time.

Michael: Have you turned people away that have unrealistic reserves?

Ali: Oh, always, yeah. I mean I am putting a lot of company time into it and if we cannot sell it, what are we doing?

Michael: Yeah. Yeah, the company does not make any money and you cannot make any money as an employee.

Ali: Yeah.

Michael: What is the typical commission rate for somebody that sells a domain name through Flippa, through your brokerage services?

Ali: Yeah, so Flippa brokerage. We take 15 percent commission. That includes a 30 to 90-day exclusive, whatever we discuss and settle on. That includes listing fees. That includes success fees. That includes any marketing that I do, any advertising I do on different blogs, different websites, forums, and we try to make sure that every buyer pays the escrow fee. That way, the seller literally can just sit back and collect money and does not have to worry about fees anymore. Does not have to worry about the stress of contacting every single prospect out there.

So, I mean that 15 percent. If you can get a broker to sell your domain that you thought you would get one hundred grand for and he sells it for three hundred thousand dollars, that 15 percent is not that big of a deal, so I think it is a healthy fraction.

Michael: Definitely. So, how can somebody, who is watching the show and wants to submit a few domain names to you to review and discuss reserves, get in contact with you?

Ali: All right, so just send an email to [email protected].

Michael: Okay.

Ali: And in the subject line, put brokerage. Simple as that. Give us a list of what you have. We will take a look at it. I respond to emails all day long. And when they come in, I will make sure to get back to you.

Michael: Awesome, Ali. [email protected]. Hey Ali, before we wrap up, what would you say is the biggest lesson learned from having sold for the past half-year plus on the Flippa marketplace?

Ali: I think the biggest lesson for me, and it is not really a sales one. It is more of a life one. Set a goal. Crush it. Do not ever give up. Believe in yourself. And to me it is all about your attitude. It really is all about your attitude. You have got to stay positive. You have got to believe that you can do it. And for me, when I started in July, I set a goal. I have a little frame. I always put a frame and I set my goal, and I type it out so I see it every day.

I set a one hundred thousand dollars sales goal, and I crushed it. I am at 350 thousand, and it was by January. So, the next one is a much larger number.

Michael: So, you will set a goal. You will set an exact number in total sales, and then you will put a timeline. Not this Friday. You will put it six months out.

Ali: Yeah, exactly. I do. I set goals and I believe that I will make it. I mean it is all about your attitude and your state of mind with anything in life.

Michael: And do you find that actually putting it on your desk and looking at it every day drives you, like: “Oh, what am I going to do to hit that goal today?”

Ali: Yeah, exactly. I mean it is a nice, big kick in the butt. Hey, you have got a goal. Let’s get to selling.

Michael: Yeah, nice. All right, if you have questions, please post them in the comments below this video on Domain Sherpa and I will ask Ali to come back and answer as many as he can. I also encourage you, the person who is watching this interview, to get out from behind your computer, reach out to people in the industry and start making connections. Easiest way to do so is to post a comment below this video. It is easy. All you need to do is write thanks, Ali. I learned a lot from your interview. That is it. I am going to be the first to say thanks to Ali.

Ali Zandi, thanks for coming on the Domain Sherpa Show, sharing your knowledge and tactics for effectively selling on Flippa, and thanks for being a Domain Sherpa for others. You have earned your Domain Sherpa exclusive mug, Ali. It is going in the mail, buddy.

Ali: I have been gunning for that for months.

Michael: And if you want a Domain Sherpa exclusive mug, you cannot buy these. Send me an email. Do the contact us in the upper left-hand corner of Domain Sherpa. Tell me what you want to share, how you can help others by giving back, and you get an exclusive mug as well. Thanks again, Ali.

Ali: Hey, thank you guys so much. Take care.

Michael: Thanks for watching. We’ll see you all next time.

Watch the full video at:
https://www.domainsherpa.com/ali-zandi-flippa-interview/

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380 Responses to “How to Sell Domain Names Like a Super Seller on Flippa – With Ali Zandi”

  1. shivam kumar says:

    Another great episode, I think Ali is my new favourite domainer :-) Love his mindset. He’s spot on – you can show the information or strategy to people but it’s what you do with it that matters and most won’t be able to execute as well as someone like Ali. Cheers.

  2. Robyn says:

    Thank you so very much! by far the most informative and honest interview I have seen so far about REAL Domaining done right. Obviously an intelligent guy and I look forward to getting some feedback from you in the future.

  3. M Poe says:

    Hi guys :) Awesome interview and extremely informative!

    Since this recording is a bit dated now ;) I was wondering if you guys still feel that most of the information presented is pretty much still relevant? Have there been any game changers as far as advice for newbies getting started with a domain flipping site hustle?

  4. Best value by far! I’ve been watching and rewatching this video for 3 days now and have learned so much from you guys. I just launched my first auction thinking that it would attract more buyers but I haven’t gotten much activity yet. Trying to understand how to promote the auction. I don’t know if flippa is going to do much promoting. I’m officially a big fan and have even subscribed to the podcast. Thank you.

  5. Great interview! Thanks for sharing the info!
    Looking forward to more!
    Taking a look at Flippa!! :)

  6. Dan says:

    Thanks for sharing your info! Would love to find a template to use to sell domains on Flippa.

  7. Michael Reale says:

    This was really cool. Im learning by the minute. Just like Ali I went on a little burn out sess with my .com buy run. Who’s not guilty of that ? lol
    But really took away some raw knowledge. Thanks Ali. Inspired. So much to learn. Thanks Sherpa another banger vid.

  8. Ryan says:

    Thanks Ali,
    watching this interview has given me hope for being successful in this industry.

  9. Another great episode, I think Ali is my new favourite domainer :-) Love his mindset. He’s spot on – you can show the information or strategy to people but it’s what you do with it that matters and most won’t be able to execute as well as someone like Ali. Cheers.

  10. ahsan khan says:

    Really very helpful interview for all the newbie’s. thanks Michael & Ali for such a great talk.

  11. Wally says:

    Thanks for your these great tips. This was a very inspiring interview! Thanks for sharing.

  12. Very informative interview, learn’t a lot and will be using this information for my own domains.

    Thanks:-)

  13. Steph says:

    Hi , great interview. That tells me sto stop posting my domain in namepro and ask ppl to tell me if its good and how much i can sale it.
    No one really know if your domain going to sale or not. I post my domain there and ask questions about it and they prettty much told me is shit lol.
    So thanks Ali to make me feel better and motivated about my domains. Take care.

  14. Hopeto says:

    I am just starting out with domain buying and still have not started any selling yet. This has been a good instructive introduction to flippa marketplace for me.
    I am just starting with the classified listings for now.
    Hope to learn more through the videos and articles in this site.
    Thank you.

  15. Daxo says:

    Loved this interview guys. I’m on a steep learning curve in Domaining and really appreciate the open and helpful attitude. I guess it is part of the reason for your success.

    Lots of rubbish content online. Not this interview. Super helpful.

    Thanks again,

    Daxo,
    Sydney

  16. Nahla says:

    Thank you guys for this! And thank you Ali for sharing so much. Quite informative for someone just starting.

  17. Lina Ali says:

    Hi Michael,
    Really awesome interview! I’ve always been interested about domain selling, don’t have much knowledge about it though.

    Well actually, I kind of stumbled on this site yesterday, just after I put up a listing on Flippa. Not an expert, it’s my first time listing there. I was just looking for more info about selling websites/domains.

    But now I’m kind of hooked watching your interviews – You guys make it seem like investing in domains is so much fun and worthwhile!

    I’ll definitely stay tune for more…

    Cheers!
    Lina

  18. Rob says:

    Hello,

    I’m new to all of this and would like to thank all of you including Ali Zandi for the information given in this episode. I realize it was recorded awhile back, but it still helped me. I would like to learn as much as I can about DN Flipping as I can. I have always wanted to do this, but have never really gotten off my ass to do so! I feel compelled know to follow Ali and the entire domain sherpa team. I already have a website domain name that I purchased, but never put anything together with it and would like to use it to start my journey in DN Flipping. alphadestiny.com was going to be used as a blog to help people find the true alpha male in them, but finding out that I lack somethings to continue alone. So I want to learn DN flipping. I have flipped items before on eBay and loved doing that. Know I want to do it with DN.

    Thank you again, guys and I look forward to following you!

    robsm!th
    @Think_Legendary

  19. lukman says:

    This is a great how to interview for me as a newbie in domain name industry. I am now learning how Flippa works and how to get into there with confident. I tried to sell some domain name in the past through Flippa but I made many mistake. This interview shows the correct way to make profit. Thank you, this is really a great guides.

  20. Wyomingrick says:

    Did NicheWebsites.com go out of business? Is there a recommended alternative? Thanks!

    1. Hi Rick,

      Yes, Niche Websites went out of business.

      No, I do not recommend anyone else to develop websites.

      What I do recommend is that you do your due diligence (https://www.domainsherpa.com/due-diligence-domains-websites-services/) on anyone claiming to build you a website that will be a “cash machine”, a “lead generation machine” or a “business in a box.” Building a business is hard work, and most fail. Anyone claiming otherwise is likely lying.

      Best regards,
      Michael

  21. Murtuza says:

    Hi,

    Ali,

    When I am clicking on zandibot its taking me to one of your recent flippa listing. so how to contact you bro ?

    1. You can contact Ali at Raindrop.com, but hurry because it’s at auction at Flippa (https://flippa.com/6802721-raindrop-com).

  22. Wilhelm Eder says:

    Great interview Mike and Ali. Very informative. Highly appreciated. Lots of “Ali-nuggets.” I’m gonna have to take a new fresh look at my 350+ domain portfolio:)

    We’ll be talking…

  23. Olayinka says:

    Wow!
    Isn’t this just hot and awesome?
    Thanks Ali.

  24. Jeff Smith says:

    Thanks Ali and Mike,
    This was a great video.
    Has Google Keyword Search changed recently? I seem to have trouble finding the right tools to run searches on keyword and cpc rates.
    Mike, what can I do to get a coffee mug?

    All the best
    Jeff

    1. Hi Jeff,

      Glad you found benefit from the show.

      Here’s how to use the Google Keyword Search Tool:
      https://www.domainsherpa.com/google-adwords-keyword-planner/

      To earn a mug you need to become a Sherpa by sharing some piece of educational content on an interview or in a Profitable Flip episode: https://www.domainsherpa.com/join-profitable-flips/

      Let me know!

      Best,
      Michael

  25. DP says:

    Hi
    Thank you for arranging this fantastic webinar..!! Learned lots of thing about Flippa..!! Ali you are awesome, Thnx for sharing your knowledge and experience with us.

  26. DELE GIWA says:

    I must say i am truly impressed by your success in the domain industry, i immediately scouted the internet for your digital footprints and i found lots of stuff you’ve done. I have been flipping domain name for quite sometimes yet but i haven’t had that huge breakthrough sale i am looking for yet. The highest i ever sold was was at about 750 usd . I have sold some names i feel like if i got the right buyer i probably would have sold it for megabucks instead of the low ball offers i sometimes succumb to when i get frustrated at finding the right buyer, an example of this is movielicense.com , mortgagefirm.com and a couple of others. I still have some that i know i should sell in the thousands but i need to find the right buyer or a super broker like you. i visited your website and used one of the contact forms but i pretty sure you get swamped with emails so i can only hope you get to read it. I have about 6 particular ones that i picked out from my portfolio that i would be honored if your could help me broker. They are product related, english, two words domain names. An example is DogShirts.net

  27. After watching this I put up my first auction on Flippa. Took me awhile but finally got it going. I am a student of DNAcademy and learning alot. Thank you Ali and Mike for a great learning experience.

  28. olaoye kamaldeen says:

    hello mr Ali, i have 4domains to sell.As a qualified domain broker, can you assist me to sell these domain….Thanks

  29. mak says:

    Thanks to Michael and Ali for such a great intro to newcomers about
    the domaining industry.

    I to have a couple of questions for Ali regarding the brokerage stuff,
    i wanna know what’s the minimum price domains that you take up for brokerage?

    kindly also please do tell your contact info as mails hasn’t been answered for a while now.

    Regards all the way

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Hi Mak,

      You can contact me through the Zandibot website: http://www.Zandibot.com/contact

      For my newsletter, I will list domains I find to have value over $500, and only 20 or so domains total, so I have to pick the best from each budget range.

      For Flippa auctions, I consider domain names from $5k-$10k+ in value. And I give preferential treatment to no-reserve auctions.

      For outbound brokerage, the domains must be value at over $25k.

      Thanks!
      Ali

      1. Mak says:

        Hey Ali,
        Thanks for the reply,already mailed you on zadibot now

        Thanks again,
        Mak

    2. Sorry, Mak. That was my fault. I neglected to update Ali’s contact information until today. Thanks for posting a comment.

      1. Mak says:

        No problem Michael,you replied and I received my info that’s far more than I was expecting.
        Keep up the great work you guys are doing.

        Regards

  30. Kelvin says:

    This is such a valuable lesson. Thank you Micheal and Ali for this interview.

    Anyway this one is for Ali.

    Ali, I have recently just taken a interest in the domain trading business.

    I have a few .com domains and would you mind taking a look at it and give me some pointers, reviews or comments about it?

    Would greatly appreciate it if you were to lend a helping hand.

    Thank you both once again for this great interview.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Kelvin,

      Shooting first and aiming second are a big no no. When you’re first starting out, you shouldn’t even be buying domain names! You should be putting that money aside (I talk about this heavily on one of my upcoming posts).

      The only thing you should be focused on right now is learning every thing you can about the industry. Soaking up all the information that’s out there. Buying domain names early on(and yes, I did this too, that’s why i’m telling you not to) is almost inevitably the best way to lose money.

      A wise man once told me “If you want to fly, make sure you have wings first, otherwise… splat.”

      :)

      1. Hey Ali,
        This is quite a GOOD advice you gave to Kelvin.
        People, please listen to Ali’s advice: DON’T BUY DOMAINS UNTIL YOU HAVE STUDIED INSIDE OUT THE DOMAIN NAME BUSINESS
        Keep your money until you know what you’re doing so you will loose less.
        Mario Bruneau
        once a Flippa domainer…

  31. LeanNames says:

    Great video guys, thanks and keep up the good work Michael

  32. Scott Szymankiewicz says:

    Thanks so much, Ali! My son and I are creating a domain business and this was most helpful as a starting point.

  33. AD says:

    Thanks Michael and Ali for the run through on Flippr. I haven’t used it yet but will consider it as a serious option in the future. I like the capability to include a detailed sales letter to build interest. Thanks again.

  34. Chanelle says:

    Thanks so much for your time Ali. I’m just starting out and feel like I now have a realistic perspective of whats expected and whats to come. Also like to add I am definitely gonna advertise my next listings with Flippa, hopefully using the Ultra Premium once I make a little cash on my current domains. I also look forward to utilizing your services as a broker in the future.

  35. Raymond says:

    Thanks Ali for your valuable tips. Fantastic!
    You are my role model and inspiration.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Raymond, I appreciate that!

  36. Marni says:

    Thanks for the valuable input. You Rock Ali!!!

  37. Neurismar Lewis says:

    Thanks for great tips!! Your story is fantastic!!

  38. pdxlady says:

    August 4, 2015

    This was an awesome learning experience for me!

    Thank you, Mike for doing this interview and putting it out here so that I could find it and watch it. I really appreciate your efforts. Great video interview!

    Then, I want to say, thank you Ali, for your inspiring enthusiasm in presenting your experience. I’m sold, I want your assistance in helping me sell my domain name, theConciergeDesk.com ! :)

    Great information here, again Thanks!

  39. Ali Zandi is really an inspiration for everybody who thinks that s/he has entered the domaining industry later than everyone. Thank you!

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      It’s never, ever, too late for anyone to do anything. Life is instant, pursue whatever you want!

  40. Andy says:

    Hi great show…

    I am really interested in selling some of my domains whats the best email to get you on Ali?

    Regards

  41. Benjamin says:

    Appreciate both Michael and Ali taking time to put together a very informative interview / podcast.
    Ali, thanks for sharing so many ideas and strategies on how to be more successful in the domain market.

    A lot of great information shared, and helps me build some confidence with getting some domain sales going.
    Big fan of the domainsherpa podcast and I know it takes a lot of time to put together a quality show like this.

    Thanks.

  42. Fahad Saleem says:

    I’ve seen the whole video and I could not stop myself from saying thanks a lot to Michael and Ali. You helped me a lot in increasing my knowledge about Domain Buying / Selling business model. Here I’d a question and I needed your expert opinion. I’ve a domain name ‘needoftime .com’ and I think it’s worth. I can describe it with zeal and zest also. Can you please let me know how much it may worth.

    Thanks in advance.

  43. Sam says:

    A general question, please, for Michael or Ali or anyone: are there any reliable public source of domain sale price history?

    The mentions early in the interview of Ali’s six domain names being sold seems not confirmable at the four domain sales/price history websites which I’m aware of.

    My intent isn’t fact checking the interview (I’ve no doubt all six did sell as said), but I’m trying to learn where reliable price history info can be found when sellers want to research when deciding about asking prices.

    The six domains are: BackupMac.com, CupcakeFrosting.com, ExoticCarAuction.com, NearestRestaurants.com, Flipped.net, and FreeInstrumentals.com

    The four domain sales/price history websites are:
    dnsaleprice.com, namebio.com, http://www.estibot.com/sales.php
    and research.domaintools.com/buy/sales-history/

    namebio.com and estibot.com/sales.php both show only 1 of those 6 domains as having been sold: NearestRestaurants.com (for $125) on 2015-02-25 via Flippa.

    None of those six domains have sales history shown in either dnsaleprice.com nor research.domaintools.com/buy/sales-history

    I’m new to this. Am I incorrectly looking up price info, or are selling prices in marketplaces such as Flippa often not reported publicly to those reference websites? Thank you for any suggestions.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Hi Sam,

      All good and valid questions! I’m not quite certain why the domain name sales where not picked up by the usual suspects (NameBio.com, DNPric.es, DNSalePrice.com, or even EstiBot.com)

      In regards to NearestRestaurants.com, the buyer turned around and sold it via no reserve auction. All of those domains have been removed from my Flippa profile (to be replaced by Perception.com domains only).

      DomainShane.com does a FANTASTIC job making sure those Flippa sales get reported on their site. A lot of the times when other sites have not reported the Flippa sales, DomainShane does!

      After getting a little crafty I have attached the sales so that you may confirm them:

      You’ll find FreeInstrumentals.com, Flipped.net, ReggaeSongs.com, ExoticCarAuction.com, NearestRestaurants.com and CupcakeFrosting.com here: http://domainshane.com/flippa-recap-babes-net-yabai-com-5-figures-clickthis-com-flipped-net-reggaesongs-com/

      BackupMac.com you’ll find here: http://similarsales.com/details/backupmac.com

      You’ll also see that I picked up FreeInstrumentals.com for $946: http://similarsales.com/details/freeinstrumentals.com

      Also, you’ll see that CupcakeFrosting.com was acquired for $12+renewal then sold for $601: http://similarsales.com/details/cupcakefrosting.com

      SimilarSales.com is pretty good for this as well.

      You are not incorrectly looking up pricing, in fact, it sounds like you just need to add a couple more tools to your bag. DomainShane.com & SimilarSales.com should be a great addition.

  44. Ryan Duncan says:

    Great vid…. I learned a lot.

  45. Jeanette says:

    Thanks so much – just catching up on this now – full of great info and advice – can’t wait to get selling!

  46. Sumit Agrawal says:

    Ali, many thanks for your wise and inspirational words.

  47. Laura Torno says:

    Hi Ali … Wow, wow, wow!!! What can I say … this was an amazingly informative episode thanks to you and Michael. I highly commend your practice of sharing and mentoring Ali, and really appreciate your walking viewers through each step in the process of selling on Flippa, especially your template advice. You’ve obviously worked diligently to achieve your goals and it’s refreshing to see your willingness to mentor others who are also determined to reach theirs.

    I know this interview goes back a few months, but I’m hoping you’re still monitoring and responding to comments as they get posted.

    One of the senior consultants at Flippa recently reviewed my domain portfolio (which sits at around 300 names) and feels it’s a solid portfolio. I’d like to submit some of my domain names to you for brokering consideration. You can also go to my recently developed site, lesdomains.com to see some of my names there.

    Thanks in advance Ali. You can reach me at mailto:[email protected]
    I look forward to hearing form you, and wish you all the best with your new position at Flippa! Congrats!!

    Laura

  48. Laura Torno says:

    Hi Michael … I just wanted to reach out and say hi. My name is Laura McCall Torno, and I’m a songwriter/entrepreneur.

    I started buying domains in 2008 after I missed out on an amazing opportunity to market one of my songs that had gone viral after being featured on a TV series. Unfortunately, I knew zero abut the internet at that time, other than the fact that if I was going to pursue my creative dreams, I’d need to gain some understanding of how the internet works. As I became more aware of the value of digital property and the opportunities that go with it, I slowly built up a portfolio.

    I’ve watched several of your DomainSherpa episodes, and I always walk away with more knowledge than I had before. I find your interviews extremely insightful. Your approach is smart, casual, and very entertaining, and I like the way you instill a bit of humor to the serious matter of ‘money’!

    I have to say that this interview with Ali is definitely one of THE best I’ve seen to date. The information that Ali provided along with your exceptional questions during the interview have motivated me to take my domaining to the next level.

    Congratulations on your recent domain sales, and for bringing viewers a truly great show! l
    look forward to tuning in to future episodes!

    Laura

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Laura,

      You are far too kind! Thank you!

      Curious to hear that song that went viral! I spent a while in the music industry myself! Do you own the domain for the song now? :)

      Best,
      Ali

      1. Laura Torno says:

        Hey Ali.. That’s cool. What area of the music industry were you involved in?

        Ha… yes, I wish I’d been able to get that domain! The song is ‘Just Jane’ and was featured on Degrassi, and more recently it was cut by Juno winner Carlos Morgan…. if you’d like me to forward the song just email me with an address I can send it to. I can send you both the original version that aired, as well as the later cut for you to have a listen.

        All the best!
        Laura

      2. Somesh says:

        Thank you Ali for this awesome inspiring interview you’re a true inspiration for I started domain flipping just few months back by watching you on Flippa with a tremendous amount of Smart work and Pure success.
        Sir I need you’re help regarding a domain issue. I don’t know how much it really worth and could you help me out to flip it ?

  49. travis waron says:

    Thank you for the wise words. I love the goals snippet, priceless. Selling domains is a career, having goals is instilled.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Travis!

  50. Ian Ainslie says:

    Another informative interview. I used Ali’s template and walk-through on my first Flippa listing. I do like the interface over the other auction houses, where you get your domain name and nothing else in the listing. I don’t think it will be long before they follow suit (at least I hope so…)

    Interestingly, it seems that Ali is no longer with Flippa, at least according to his LinkedIn profile.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Hi Ian,

      Thank you! Yes, I have left brokerage as a career choice, however, I am still very present on the Flippa platform! Only this time around, I am selling my own companies domain names :)

      Best,
      Ali

  51. Karim Nasser says:

    Hello Ali,

    What is your job function as a domain broker at Flippa? Do you act on behalf of the domain sellers? What are your responsibilities towards Flippa?

    Thank you,

  52. Dear Michael Cyger & Ali Zandi

    Another great interview !!! Love it !!!
    Thanks for Ali Zandi ….. So much good information !! THANK YOU FOR SHARING !!!

    Jean Luc @ ShowsintheUS.com

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you Jean Luc!!

  53. Faisal Najeeb says:

    This is a great interview and i rarely saw peoples telling things openly. i actually list my two of domains on flippa but never auctioned them. I am in web development business and always thought to use them for passive income and them list them on flippa. What a lazy man i am :)

    Your interview again pump me to either sell those domains or market sites.

    What is your most resposive marketing type?
    Social network postings, twitter, fb etc?
    blog postings/comments?
    or paid Ads

    Thanks
    Faisal Najeeb
    Chohanz

  54. Ezequiel says:

    Hi Ali and Michael,

    Excellent interview!

    Ali, I wonder if your sales always involved some kind of outreach other than the premium listing on Flippa.

    I’m giving Flippa a go with my domains and would like to know if you think just using a premium listing and doing nothing else outside of Flippa would work.

    If not, if some type of outreach is necessary, as it would be a lot more time consuming I’d like to know what do you think the advantage of using Flippa is instead of just doing some very targeted outreach to potential end users directly.

    Thank you very much!
    Ezequiel

  55. Alex Wehl says:

    Hi

    First of all, I should like to thank Michael for his great website and for inviting domain sherpas to inform and educate for our benefit.

    Secondly, well WOW! what an interview with Ali.

    I kept shaking my head in disbelief and muttering to myself. My wife walked in the room and asked what the matter was. I told her not to worry. It was all good.

    That was last night. Today, I thought about it and I wanted you to know 3 things.

    Refreshing.
    Sincere.
    Inspiring.

    That’s how you come across. And I have no reason to believe you to be otherwise judging from other peoples comments who have had dealings with you.

    Never mind your expertise, it’s your positive attitude that shines through and your willingness to please. It’s renewed my hope in humanity and more power to you.

    In America I believe you say “Awesome!”. Here, on the other side of the pond, we might say “Golly Gosh!”. Still the sentiment remains the same. Keep it up Ali, your wonderful zest for life is for everyone to see, loud and proud and its infectious.

    Its truly great to see that Innocence vs Cynicism has won the day. Its perhaps apt to quote Oscar Wilde on this occasion, when he defined a cynic as someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

    So, this message is for you Ali. Print this out and place it on your desk together with your ‘Goals’. And remember when times are down, and we all have those, hang in there. You have special attributes that will carry you through. And success is never far away.

    Onwards and upwards
    Alex

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Alex,

      That was possibly the kindest thing anyone has said to me. I am beyond grateful for your words! My wife read it with me and we both got goosebumps…you are a wonderful human being!

      My first big domain sale was closed with the line “It’s not about price, it’s about value.” So it’s really cool to see you quoting Oscar Wilde and I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m a firm believer in “You are what you think” – so staying positive is a must! It looks like you already have that going for you :)

      I have indeed printed it out, your kind words will surely continue to motivate me through the years, equally through the up’s and the down’s. Just know that YOU are the inspiration here.

      I wish you a wonderful day, life & journey.

      All the best,
      Ali

  56. Simply amazing. The best domain name and business broker on internet.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Sorin! I’m far from the best, but I appreciate your kind words!

  57. Gabriel says:

    What an awesome video! I’m a newbie in the field and went on a rampage on godaddy bought 44 domains, now I only have one question, do I have to wait the 2 month no transfer policy? or is there a way around that? Thanks again for the video bro!

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Two months is the policy for transferring out of the registrar…however, you can “push” domains between other GoDaddy accounts.

      Here is a link that shows you how to push domains: https://support.godaddy.com/help/article/822/moving-a-domain-name-out-of-your-account

      1. Gabriel says:

        Well thanks to your info you shared through this amazing interview I was able today to push a domain that I created and made my first sale as a “push” in GoDaddy, I can’t possibly think or arrange words to thank you enough for the time you saved me in learning from here and there in this interview, and I’ll definitely won’t forget it, I’m also planning on listing some domains in Flippa pretty soon. You’re the man Ali!

        1. Gabriel says:

          Oh God! I need to work on my grammar now that I read my previous comment…

          1. Ali Zandi says:

            Haha, no worries!

  58. Hi Ali. Great insight on how to sell a domain name, the out of the box way.
    Honesty, I find your strategy so awesome and handy I might say.
    I mean it is soo simple that even a newbie can do it.
    Regarding Todd A Warshof’s update ( By the way thumb up Todd for the comment), I have posted on Linkedin an update regarding Aged domain names Vs. Newly registered domain names and I would love to see your opinion as well:
    So this is what I was asking on the article:
    “In SEO, domain age matters, at least this is what professionals say.
    However, how much weight does age have when it comes to selling a domain name? They say that a site’s age matters in a website’s search engine rankings. How long does your site have to be up in the web to be ranked higher by our beloved Google?
    I am aware that having an 17 years old domain name could have some impact, however today when there are more opportunities, more niches to cover, new technologies, having an 1 year old domain name (or less than a year) but targeted to new ideas could be a game changer.
    I have recently listed some domain names on Flippa.com, but first I have contacted a guy who is doing domain appraisals and he found some pros and cons, but the biggest of the “cons” was that “your domain names are only 1 or less year old, therefore your domains cannot be listed as premium domain names.
    Without any intention to market my domains, here is my list:
    shuttlecoin.com dovemangiareoggi.com internetbydrone.com ibizacruise.net liveinmilano.com flightoqatar.com
    A quick check with Google’s Keyword Planner can show the potential of those domain names, however the age seems to count a bit.
    So my question remains: In today’s world, what is more important when selling a domain name? The age of a domain name or the brandability, and the freshness of niche/ keywords ?”
    I am aware that you are receiving tons of e-mails and appreciate that you answer to all of them, so no pressure at all, just answer when time is your friend:)
    P.s I think that you have inspired a lot of people with this interview and what can I say, You rock.
    Gabi

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Gabi, thank you for your kind words!

      Domain age.. the almighty question. Personally, I would never hold a domain name for 15+ years if I didn’t believe it had value. If a domain name is 15+ years old, there has to be some reason the investor held it for that long. It has to have value to an extent. Aside from the SEO “advantages”, i’ve personally found that the older the domain name is, generally, the less gimmicky it is. Plus, all the best generic .com’s are highly aged. There is a reason age is important, because all the good names were registered a long time ago. If the domain name Hotels.com was registered in 2015, it would still be incredibly valuable… know what I mean?

  59. Aaron says:

    I have had nothing but a great experience with Ali, Devoir and the rest of the team at Flippa. Ali has taken a TON of his time and answered every single comment on here with a personal response.

    I sent him an email and he responded quickly and even though my domains are far from “ultra premium” he was helpful and genuine. Emails get lost and misplaced and being human we can only handle so much. I am sure it was a simple mistake.

    On a side note, I just sold my first domain on Flippa yesterday. Didn’t make enough to get on the show (one of these days Mike!) but the experience was great. I already have another one going and it already had some bids and quite a few people watching it! w

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Aaron! Appreciate the kind words!

      Btw – congrats on your first sale on Flippa!

  60. HowieCrosby says:

    Hi, bit late on watching this great vid! Thanks Michael, always finding the gems in the industry!

    Super interview Ali, congrats on your new title! I do like Flippa site as a marketplace in that it is very contemporary etc.

    One tip, not sure if it was mentioned? Regarding getting your domain searched on Flippa, If you want to keep the TITLE short and punchy, keywords are searched in the SUMMARY section too ;)

    Most folk probably know this but…

    Thanks again, Howie.

    PS Michael. I think I can come up with some great brandables with the ‘robot reCAPTURE’ LOL

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Howie! Great tip!

      1. HowieCrosby says:

        Hi Ali,

        It appears Flippa have just recently changed their algor for search in the $9 domain listings. The keyword search is now only applicable in the TITLE! So for those reading scrap my ‘old’ tip above.

  61. David says:

    Exceptionally insightful! Thank you for sharing this insight and your techniques.

  62. Doug says:

    Thanks, Ali, what a great interview! I learned a lot.

    I’m a domain newby. I hope someone here can help me on a basic question. Here it is:

    What is the value of a keyword-rich domain for an end user with an established web presence? What if the end user doesn’t want to rebrand?

    I gather that, in the past (before Panda & Penguin updates), end users could set up landing pages on new keyword domains for SEO purposes, to expand market reach.

    My research indicates that nowadays, however, SEO professionals recommend against this strategy. They suggest that website owners focus on building up content on their main website, instead of developing additional properties.

    What is the value proposition for the established end user who doesn’t want to rebrand? If they don’t see value in new domains, then who are the likely alternative sales leads?

    Thanks in advance for any help,

    Doug

  63. sanket says:

    Hey ali I am also new in this kind of market and Flippa as u have described I loved it. Ali you have provided very nice guidance and I hope we all will do great with it.
    I want to ask you can you help me with my list :
    1) ANDRODEVELOPERS.COM
    2) BIKEMODIFICATIONS.COM
    3) FOREXTRENDSONLINE.COM

    these are my picks do you see any potential please help me….

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Sanket, thank you! I do not, however, see any major(if any) value in those domain names.

      BikeModifications.com sounds the best but it has almost no search volume, it’s freshly regged and it will compete against names like: BikeMods.com & CycleMods.com.

      So unless you plan on developing a business on it, I just don’t see any real value there.

      1. HowieCrosby says:

        I wouldn’t be put off with fresh regs, in fact Flippa’s recent domains sales of ‘fresh regs’ had 3 in at around $3,000 and another at approx $2,000

        If there good, there clean. Albeit not like a 15 year with no back links etc
        But could be a black hat, and this is a little void often not known about buy the client buyer if they are not in the domain / net business.

      2. HowieCrosby says:

        Ps. I would imagine the prices will be too low for brokerage anyway?

  64. Ericjwied says:

    Thanks Ali. I appreciate your sharing. I hope one day to be able to pay it forward.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you! I appreciate your kind words!

  65. Nerevar says:

    I liked the idea of selling domains quickly rather than holding them forever. Win or lose, learn and move on.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      I believe there are numerous types of names that you can hold on to for that perfect buyer, but I also believe that if I am going to pay the bills and make a living as a domain investor, I will always take a nice profit in hand over a hypothetically higher one in the future… But don’t get me wrong, I have a few domains I may never let go of… only a small few :)

  66. Hi Ali,

    What an awesome interview. Thank you for sharing the little secrets here, like you always do. :) You’re a mentor to me and I really learned alot from you.

    I really love your helping and sharing attitude which is going to take you a long way.

    I hope my 2 LLL domains that you have on exclusivity gets the price it deserves and am looking for some good news from you.
    I still remember the lines you said, “What sells is not a domain, but a concept, and Flippa offers you a liberty to explain your concept behind the domain which helps increasing the value of the domain infront of prospective buyer (the eyeballs).

    Keep up the good work.

    Cheers,
    Aishwin

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you for your kind words my friend! Looking forward to working with you more!

  67. John says:

    Ali:
    Have You used flippa escrow for all of your sales?
    There are no additional fees or buyer/seller paperwork (agreements) that is needed on the sales of domain names?
    The sucess fee will just come out of the payment if one uses flippa escrow?
    Flippa Escrow works in the same fashion as escrow.com or any of the others?
    Thanks,
    John

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Hi John,

      Being that I broker full time now, I use Escrow.com as the PromisePay(the company Flippa uses for Flippa Escrow) platform is still developing the broker feature. Prior to brokering, I used PayPal for smaller sales and Escrow.com for the bigger ones because Flippa Escrow had not been fully developed yet. I generally don’t use agreements for sales unless they are through PayPal in which I write up an agreement term on the invoice.

      I believe that the success fee does indeed come out of the payment through Flippa Escrow, to get a better understanding of it I highly recommend contacting [email protected] to get all of your Escrow questions answered!

      Thank you!
      Ali

  68. I haven’t read something this long and interesting from a long time.

    My Favourite part is:

    “People look at us like we are squatters. We are not. We are businessmen, and I have no problem showing you my process. If it is going to bring more money to the company that I am working for now, Flippa, then by all means, learn away. Copy and paste. Use my template.”

    Thank you Ali.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you Veda! Appreciate you taking the time to watch!

  69. SerryJW says:

    Ali, I knew nothing of Flippa. Thanks so much for a most informative hour.

    SerryJW

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Now you do :) Thank you!

  70. Ray Kirchner says:

    Great show! So much good information. And it’s awesome to hear about Ali’s success. I especially liked the part about Ali wanting to further legitimize our business; it’s just awesome to hear those kinds of remarks from other domainers.

    I think Ali is a one-of-a-kind sort of guy and is going to super successful. Great work Ali!!

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you for your kind words Ray! All the best to you!

  71. Elevator says:

    Ali is very lucky to be a domainer and he is becoming go to for domainers of all levels.

    Congratulation to Mike for this interview. I think this is the best interview as regards to people comments and the population wise; 256 responses on one interview. Congratulation once more.
    Cheers.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you! Those are very kind words! :)

  72. Ty Taylor says:

    Great interview Ali, one question, where do you get your COMPARABLE SALES data for your FLIPPA listings such as your SEO.io listing?

    Also, what’s the best way to contact you?

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Ty. I get my comps from numerous different sites! NameBio.com, DNSaleprice.com, DNPric.es – I find those three to be the quickest for of finding comps! Please send all your inquiries to [email protected]

      Thank you!

  73. Shahzad says:

    Congratulations to Ali Zandi and Domainsherpa for the above full of information interview. I have been buying and selling domains on flippa as a freelancer domain seller but didn’t make such a good profit ever but now will try to use the information and hope i’ll be meeting Ali Zandi there. :)

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Shazad, hope to see you there soon! :)

  74. Filip Netzler says:

    Ali is an incredible asset to Flippa .. It’ll be just a matter of time before I either buy a domain from Ali or let him broker one of my premiums.

    Keep up the good work bro :)

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you Filip – look forward to working with you bro!

  75. Nik says:

    Great interview, plenty of infos on how to prepare an auction more deeply. This will help to upscale the average selection and quality of domainsales on Flippa. I liked Ali referring to drive the Lamborghini… yep :>)

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Nik! It’s very true, just because you learn how to drive one, won’t make you the next big race car driver ;)

  76. Praveen says:

    Thanks DomainSherpa for providing useful information.

    I’m just 24 years old, recently entered into domain investing(4 months back) and hand registered few domains (which are standard/below standard domains) and wanted to make XXXX on those :( and started listing the domains on Flippa and other platforms. When I was looking into Ali’s auctions, I thought he was doing shill bidding to get maximum visibility to listing… while my listing (spent more than $300 for listing) hasn’t received much bids (I do agree its depends on quality/age of the domain) and …but later on followed Domain news every day and realized that I was completely wrong. Sincerely apologizes for the same.

    He has an unique format to list domains ( anyone can do hard work but he can use his own creativity and knowledge to get maximum visibility to listing…)

    New thing, I learned here, contacting the end user when domain is up for sale.

    He always gives response to mails at the earliest and I can undoubtedly say, this video guides/motivates many of the new investors like me.

    Finally, a Big thanks to DomainSherpa and Ali :)

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Praveen! You know, you wouldn’t be the only person to accuse me of shill bidding. But it doesn’t bother me, because I know I don’t :)

      I appreciate your kind words! Wish you well in your ventures!

  77. christine says:

    Awesome interview. I really enjoyed Ali taking the time to explain his approach to the domain selling business, and hearing his excitement for the new brokerage unit at Flippa.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank for taking the time to watch Christine!

    2. Kevin Fink says:

      Congrats, Christine! ~ Please email [email protected] to redeem your free Premium Upgrade for any upcoming domain auction…

  78. Sukhvir Singh says:

    Awesome interview and great tips for selling on Flippa as super seller!!

    The most awesome thing that discussed in interview I like is the @brokerage service @flippa.

    I am a regular seller on flippa for last 8 months and I am feeling happy that they started brokerage service. It gives a great platform for buyers and end users to buy super Quality names and their business become BRAND!!

    Good luck!

  79. Jyoti says:

    Thank you Ali for the interview and sharing your insights.

    I have recently started investing in domain names and your interview has really helped me in understanding certain aspects which I used to overlook.

    I have sold a couple of domain names on Flippa and have made profit as well as loss in the sales. I agree that Flippa is turning out to be a huge marketplace for domain buyers and sellers and your interview has given me the right approach on how to utilize that platform now.

    Thanks a ton once again to Ali and Michael!

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Jyoti, thank you! Hope you sell some more domains this year :)

  80. Christopher Lumley says:

    Thanks to Ali for taking time out of his busy schedule to educate and divulge the tactics which have made him very successful on Flippa. I would also like to thank Mr. Cyger for consistently booking great interviews which are always chock full of great information for all domainers alike. I can’t wait to see the next interview!! Thanks again guys.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks for taking the time to watch! I appreciate your kind words :)

  81. Christopher Lumley says:

    Thanks to Ali for taking time out of his busy schedule to divulge his tactics which has made him successful, and to Mr. Cyger for consistently booking great interviews that are chock full of useful, pertinent, and priceless information so all domainers alike can benefit from it.

  82. Keith DeBoer says:

    Fantastic interview! Informative and inspiring. Thank you Ali and Michael!!

  83. Mohamad says:

    Great program and amazing episode!!!
    A big thanks to Michael who is trying his best to educate people like me about the domain industry.I am a full time business student and have been buying domain names for 2 years.
    I am focusing mainly on geo local, brandable .com ,some one word .club and some .ca domain names.
    Congrats Ali for your success it was a pleasure watching your interview with Michael it was so interesting.You gave me a boost and encouraged me to keep on buying good domain names.
    I have sent you some of my domain names to your email on Feb 16,2015.
    I would really appreciate if you can take a look at my domains and let me know if you would be interested in brokering any of them.Thank you again! :)

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you Mohamad! Being a business student should surely help you in your domain investment pursuits :) I have a pile of hundreds of emails to go through, I will do my best to get back to everyone (while still doing my job as senior broker, haha). Thanks again for your kind words!

  84. Lucian says:

    Congratulation for this interview.
    Favorite part: Ali’s success in such a short time!
    However, i am very new in domain sales. I have now 40 domain names and i try to learn more how i can sell fast and then reinvest.
    This interview gave me courage!
    Thank you Ali for your tips!
    If you can help some how (a review of my list of my domain names it will be great), i will appreciate very much.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Lucian, thank you! The best thing you can do is read. Market research is your best friend. Find out what similar domains have sold for, to who and for how much. Then compare all the statistics to your domains and you should have a good idea of where you stand with value.

      1. Lucian says:

        Thank you again, Ali. I realy appreciate your information. I have sent a list of my domains names at [email protected] for a brokerage considerations.

        Best regards,
        Lucian

      2. Lucian says:

        Can you help some how (a short review of my list of my domain names it will be great) with my domain names. Can you see some potential in one of them? here is the list:
        Advertkon.com
        Augmentaria.com
        Blauvision.com
        Bytekon.com
        Enzycor.com
        Filtreko.com
        Fragrancio.com
        Greentonica.com
        Hostmemory.com
        Imprestone.com
        Isislim.com
        Medguardia.com
        Namescart.com
        Nameserial.com
        Namestree.com
        Netguardia.com
        NextPremiere.com
        NewLifeGate.com
        Nutrirade.com
        Racesol.com
        Riselook.com
        Sportide.com
        Stationdesk.com
        Syoxe.com
        Tubeself.com
        Wikkoo.com
        Wizzkon.com
        Wordmask.com
        Zimeos.com
        1Vat.com
        112Aid.com
        Cart8.com
        Desk6.com
        Dot12.com
        Kit12.com
        Old50.com
        Sea12.com
        Thepresident2016.com
        Uk19.com
        Usa12.com

        Thanks

  85. Mike McBride says:

    What an eye-opening interview! I am very impressed – and quite appreciative – that Ali was willing to go through his entire process during this interview. It was very informative, with all sorts of little tidbits that one can use to pick, price, and successfully sell domain names for a healthy profit.

    Thanks to both Michael and Ali for this quick education in selling domain names for profit.

    1. Daniel says:

      Mike, I agree with you that for Ali to come and share his entire process was remarkable. Most people aren’t as willing to help others in this manner, but Ali is an open book that wants to help the industry grow because he’s a great guy!

      1. Ali Zandi says:

        Oy! You are all full of kinds words man! Thank you :)

    2. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Mike! There will be many more things to come! We are preparing to launch something quite epic – to teach everyone the a-z of how to become a super seller and make a living buying and selling domains. Stay tuned :)

  86. Josip says:

    Great show again Mike. And congrats to Ali on big success in such a short time!
    Thanks to this show I took my first .io domain and I am very happy with it :)
    Keep up the good work, both of you :)

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Josip! Now i’m curious what that .io domain is! Care to share it with us?

      1. Josip says:

        Hey Ali,

        actually now I have two of them :) One is scripting, but I sent you an e-mail with both of them at your kcg e-mail.

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          Thanks Josip! I am taking my first official day off in 7 months today, so we are heading to a beach house! Will reply to everyone including you my friend when we get back tomorrow!

          1. Josip says:

            No problem, just enjoy, you deserved it.

            Have a nice time :)

            1. Ali Zandi says:

              Thank you! Talk soon :)

  87. Rohit Kumar says:

    Thanks Ali and Mike for this. This is really inspirational for me .

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you for watching! :)

  88. Vikash says:

    Great Insights Ali ! Really liked your thoughts on making a definitive pitch for big clients, where random cold calling and generic mails don’t work !

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you! Have you ever tried cold calling to sell a domain name?! It’s like trying to sell a brick to a turtle! :)

      1. Vikash says:

        Yea so true ! :)

  89. An excellent behind-the-scenes and in-depth look at the entire selling process at Flippa.com and from the perspective of a proven successful seller. This interview offers up some extremely valuable information while providing a play-by-play narrative through the entire selling process. Best of all, this is all coming from the mind of a talented and successful seller who’s selling statistics will leave you a bit in awe. Being able to look at the process from another seller’s perspective, especially Ali’s, is an excellent way to be able to improve on one’s own technique.

    From the initial listing process, additional outbound promotions of an auction, to a seller’s individual communications and negotiations with prospective buyers, and all the way through to being able to close the sale, Ali walks us through the process from his perspective and through past example, is able to do so from several different angles. It’s quite informative and invaluable to other domain sellers as he’s able to cover the thought process behind several different selling strategies and does so with real life examples.

    Overall, Ali offers excellent insight into the entire selling process with great commentary on the underlying pyschology relied upon in both the initial listing itself as well as negotiations and ultimately being able to close out a sale. He also gives us some excellent opinions regarding several different selling strategies that one may want to employ, and provides us a good foundation for his reasoning for each.

    You can’t help walking away feeling not only more informed but also more confident in your potential selling ability, and with an eagerness to put some or all of these ideas into your own sales.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Todd,

      Wow! Thank you very much for taking the time to write such a thorough response to the show! I am truly grateful for your kind words! :)

      Thank you,
      Ali

      1. Todd Warshof says:

        No problem. While I’ve got your attention though, and feel free to take your time in answering this should you decide to answer it as I just realized after writing it out that its actually a pretty involved question,(but if you do decide to answer or discuss, certainly don’t answer it on your day off). It relates to the selling of domain names that are primarily brandable names and rely on their brandability rather than on anything else, for the most part. I have several of these in my portfolio, some which i hand registered myself as well as some i purchased aftermarket for what i thought was cheap based on the strength I saw in the name, but I had some questions relating to selling these types of domains.

        I was wondering what approach to selling a domain name do you find to be the most beneficial and ultimately most successful when it comes to selling a brandable domain name as opposed to the more generic and category defining domain names that obviously have a bigger or at least more easily defined target audience.

        In other words, How do you go about finding potential buyers of a brandable name, one which may not even be an actual dictionary word nor have any prior search history, etc. Are there certain domain marketplaces that are better than others for these types of domains? And while we’re on that subject, do you find Flippa to be a good marketplace for brandable names? We know it is for the more generic category defining domains, but I was curious on the statistics as it relates to sales of brandable names.

        When listing or otherwise selling a brandae domain name, how do you go about supporting your claim as to the name’s value and/or its reletive strength as a brandable name since it’s rather difficult if not impossible, to my knowledge anyway, to utilize comparable sales, or at least not to the same degree as you can when selling more generic names and you can’t really utilize keyword search statistics either since more likely than not, the brandable name your selling isn’t a dictionary word at all or otherwise isn’t going to show any search statistics unless it’s an already established name, but let’s say for the sake of the question, this isn’t a known or established name you’re selling. Furthermore, let’s say developing the site into something, at least without incurring increased costs, isn’t an easy option either.

        Since brandable domains are going to appeal to a particular segment of buyers, are there tried and true methods for finding the right audience where you’re more likely to find a high concentration of potential buyers looking for more unique brandable oriented domains? If so, how to do you go about narrowing down a path to a specific portion of that segment that is more likely to be interested in your specific domain name?

        On another note, Is a brandable name something you are best off holding on to for a significant amount of time to await that special end user who’s willing to pay top dollar for your domain? If so, what would you say is a reasonable amount of time and what is the best way, during that waiting period, to promote your domain name such that you can increase the likelihood of that buyer learning about your domain to begin with? Let’s assume, you are like me and have no website development experience, is it worthwhile to pay someone to put up a mini-site under that domain name while you await a buyer to approach you?

        You don’t have to answer these questions of course, but any insight at all would be greatly appreciated. Furthermore, if there are any resources on these specific subjects that you could recommend, that would be greatly appreciated as well.

        Cheers!

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          Todd,

          I really enjoy your comments! I actually had my Fiance read it to me while we were driving to our getaway spot.

          I will do my best to answer your question and get straight to the core of it!

          For one, I am by no means an expert in non-generic brandables. Essentially my thoughts and opinions will be based on my understanding of brandables as made up words that require the right enduser to make a deal with.

          If I hand register a made up word (brandable) then I am only spending roughly $10 (less with coupon) – I will register that domain for 5 years. My total investment is only going to be $50. Then – park the domain name, make sure the parking provide you use has the ability to allow inbound offers (we are currently working on getting Flippa domain parking developed). Then it’s all about waiting till you get that one email, that one day from that one person who is starting a company and wants that name more than he wants to breath. That is essentially my approach to brandables. That is why I don’t buy made-up words, they aren’t liquid and they take “forever” to sell. That being said, there are companies who only specialize in brandables and they do very, very well. That is because they have quantity and a very impressive sales channel for the domains.

          I would never try to auction off a brandable domain myself. You will likely not see anything major for it. Brandables are all about patience – again, this is just my opinion as I don’t specialize in brandable domain names.

          I guess, what i’m getting at in my early morning Sunday ramble is:

          – Get your brandable.
          – Create a cool landing page (something like I did for http://www.swag.com)
          – Wait for that one person.

          The only issue I have with brandables is I have only one person to negotiate with and that gives them a lot of power. I don’t like that. But if you are patient, and you are a bulk holder of brandable domains – you should see a return no problem.

          I hope that answers your questions – let me know if I missed something. Thank you!

          Ali

  90. Dana says:

    Thanks Michael for a very inspiring interview. I am a novice wannabe domainer who enjoyed hearing that you once had some less than “goliath” names! It made you more approachable. You certainly learned a great life lesson which also motivated me to write. Over the years I have collected about 35 names and would like your opinion about selling them if you have time. I am an artist/writer who actually had no clue about keywords or seo’s or the complex elemenopees (would that make a good name?) that go into investment quality. I sure would like to learn though because it’s a fascinating field and I love marketing. My goal would be to sell what I have, buy better, sell fast, and with a mentor like you climb the “crush it” ladder to be a great broker! Where do I start?

    Here is a question for you. I bought two domains that have possible copyright issues. One is Bloggerbuzz.com, and the other AmericanIdolShows.com. What would be the best way to sell them or could they be a website? I would like to get rid of them.

    Thanks so much!
    Dana

    .

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Dana, thank you for watching the show and your kind words!

      “Where do I start”
      Get on the forums, auction sites, study the market. Just like learning any trade you won’t make money till your learn what methods make money. If you want to become a surgeon, you don’t open a cadaver on your first day of college! Read every forum post you can, all the domain news there is, sales charts and dive head first into the industry.

      As far as those copyright/trademark domains – AmericanIdolShows.com is a massive infringement. Delete it, unless you like the inside of courtrooms :) I’m not too certain about the other one but I will always advise against huge trademarks like that!

      Thanks!
      Ali

      1. Dana Parkinson says:

        Thanks for your input. I did send you a list of my other domains at the Flippa address and will follow your advice.

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          Thanks Dana! We are doing our best to get back to everyone so I appreciate your patience!

  91. fatih says:

    Waow great progress in a very short time

    “Oh man, I think in July, when I actually first started, I had about – I don’t know – a couple thousand in sales, and then, by September, when we spoke, I was at about 12 thousand in total sales. And now I am at around 350 thousand. So, about five to six months, I had a little less and yeah, so doing about 350 thousand, looking to close January off with a total of about around four hundred thousand.”

  92. My favorite part of this interview was hearing about Ali’s success in such a short time. I have been into domaining for many years now but haven`t actually seen much success in sales and it`s great to hear a success and motivational story like Ali`s.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Franklin! Let me know if you have any questions :)

    2. Does flippa have auto detect code for for redirecting domains to their respective landing sales page

      1. Kevin Fink says:

        This is an excellent and timely question. While the short answer is no, we are working behind the scenes to enable this feature in the coming months. Please connect with [email protected] to discuss what you’d like to see in a sales lander; we’re keen on building it…

      2. Ali Zandi says:

        Fanklin,

        Great question. As Kevin mentioned, we are definitely in the works on something in the coming months! Feel free to share your thoughts on the types of features you’d like to see!

        Thanks!
        Ali

        1. Can you please advice on some best sources of traffic to reach end users … example mailers etc…

          1. Ali Zandi says:

            I use Zoominfo.com to acquire all my endusers information. I never do bulk mailing. Always personal emails.

    3. Kevin Fink says:

      Congrats, Franklin! ~ Please email [email protected] to redeem your free Premium Upgrade for any upcoming domain auction…

  93. That was a very inspiring video all around. Learned so much about buying domains, and lots of good business and life motivation!

    I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get into a market like this.

    Ali – would you say one of the best ways to start my research in the domain market is to follow sales on flippa? See what is selling, and then go out and find expired domains and/or trying registering new domains?

    One other question where were you finding the business owners or investors you would reach out to about your domains?

    Thanks for the info! I am working on setting a goal for my new domain selling business :)

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Alex, thank you for your kind words!

      I would say that is a great way to research how domains do on Flippa! I wouldn’t recommend hand registering anything if you are just starting out! Focus on finding deals at auctions and forums then flipping them!

      I use a platform called Zoominfo.com to find all my endusers :)

  94. Nuno says:

    Regarding .io, it always pains me when I read or hear about them :( In 2007 my domain video.io (you read correctly) sold at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. for just the reserve price that Moniker had advised ($400) but in their words it surely would sell for much more.
    Such low reserve was mandatory for the name to be auctioned but never again will I do such mistake. Months later the buyer even let it expire, I had to warn them but didn’t even receive a thank you… I wish I could have the domain now.
    I know the domain world as the palm of my hands, I’ve bought and sold thousands of domains, and I can tell you that Flippa’s domain market share will raise a lot.
    I deal with people in all areas and Flippa is always the place they remember and trust about buying and selling. This interview is a great way for them to get more traction with the domain expert audience here, their success will only grow.
    I’m sorry for the long post but I hope I provided value and insight.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Nuno, thank you for your kind words!

      Ah! It hurts me to hear video.io sold for near $400! Ugh! Thats a mid $x,xxx name! I hate to make you feel worse about it… =/

      Flippa is indeed primed to increase market share in the domains world exponentially! We are only into our second official year of selling domain names and I know by the end of 2015 we will be a much bigger force to reckon with especially with our launch of Deal Flow Domains Brokerage and a whole slew of other amazing things we are going to bring to the table! Thanks for watching the show! I hope you have much better luck with your tech related .io’s!

      1. Nuno says:

        A story like yours will definitely increase Flippa’s inventory. As soon as I received the email regarding the new brokerage service I replied immediately.
        Congratulations on your achievements, I will follow you from now on.

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          Thank you very much!

          1. Nuno says:

            You are welcome. I directed the current owner to this page, perhaps you’ll work together something.

            1. Ali Zandi says:

              Wow, that is kind of you! Have you seen their website? Looks like they have more .io’s for sale on it too!

  95. Ge says:

    Thanks Michael for another informative interview.

    My favorite part :
    “…but the thing is on Flippa you have to be an active seller, and that is why it is such a great marketplace. You comment. You make comments. You reach out. You get inbound offers. You contact corporations…

    And if it is sitting up top, you have ultra premium on it, sitting up top. It is visible. You get those bids in the beginning, but your real buyer, you have got to be an active seller to get it going.”

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks! It’s definitely the key to success, you will surely get visibility and bidding up by upgrading to premiums and ultra premiums – but you must also bring in competition from outside to increase the bidding wars! Maximize value by inviting everyone from endsusers to investors!

  96. John says:

    Ali:
    Do You know of a way to sort the the Sold section of names for ones that were a group of names similar to your App package? I have 16 names on there now and am curious for comparison purposes even though i put a BuyItNow on it. Thanks

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      John, I generally use NameBio.com (especially since their new update) to search for relative sales across all platforms! Thats the best approach to finding comps, in my opinion!

      What’t the auction you have up?

      1. John says:

        For straight platform data comparison purposes was curious if one could see all the Solds that were more than one name – That would be good data to see
        https://flippa.com/3853812-16-country-dentist-doctor-com-names-in-total-1-reserve
        My first one on the site and just trying to get used to the site
        I think you guys are going to do extremely well overtime

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          Ah, I see now. That isn’t currently a feature set on the site, but believe I am pushing to get it in line for development! We are working very hard on getting our android app out (along with a slew of other things currently in the pipeline), once thats cleared – we will have room to start implementing a ton of cool new features!

          Any other thoughts or suggestions on features you’d like to see?

          1. John says:

            I’m sure some more will come to mind as I spend more time on site, but overall looks good
            I’ll email You when things slow down a bit for You from this interview in a few weeks
            Thanks

            1. Ali Zandi says:

              Ha! I appreciate it ;) Thanks John!

          2. John says:

            One suggestion is post sale communication could be better. A phone number similar to other escrow companies would be great in saving time and allowing one to understand all fees that may occur since flippa is out of Australia. It would save a lot of time as well for both buyer and seller to complete the transaction.

  97. Meer says:

    Awesome!

    This is one show that I’ve learnt the most from since I have started learning about domain name industry and domain investing etc.

    Thanks a lot Michael and Ali for this super-awesome show.

    I would really want some help with this:
    I’ve invested some money in domain names and I’ve almost reached the maximum amount I can spare in investing in domains.

    I agree I bought some “pigeon shit” but I believe that some domains are valuable that can return my investment. (so that hopefully I can reinvest).

    I would really be very thankful to an expert who can guide me as to which domains I should keep and which I should let expire because the renewals would otherwise kill me.(I’m not sure about permissions to post domain names here)

    Secondly I have been able to buy two domain names that are hyphenated one word dot coms that are exact product names. (at some reasonable pricing).

    Their non-hyphenated versions would definitely be premiums, may be ultras.
    They say the hyphenated ones are very popular in Germany.

    Hey Ali, can you help me selling these buddy or any of my domain names?

    Once again, thanx a lot for this super show…
    Keep up the good work guys!

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Meer, thank you for your kind words!

      I personally don’t think hyphen domains are terrible, albeit, there are some awful ones.. depending on the terms themselves.

      Mind sharing your list here? I can guide you into which ones to keep and which ones to dump.

      Thanks!

      1. Meer says:

        Thank you very much for replying.
        Here’s the list:

        TRI-PODS.COM
        BI-CYCLES.COM
        FREELANCEBASKET.COM
        FREELANCESTATE.COM
        POISONINGFIRSTAID.COM
        POISONINGTREATMENT.COM
        DRUGINFORMATIONPORTAL.COM
        DRUGINFORMATIONWEBSITE.COM
        ROYALTYFREEJPG.COM (royalty free stock photos)
        STATISTICSTUTORONLINE.COM
        ONLINESCIENCECLASSES.NET
        HOWTOMIXANDMASTER.COM (music industry)
        ENTRANCEEXAMCOACH.COM
        ENTRANCEEXAMCOACHING.COM
        100DINARS.COM
        199DOLLARS.COM
        199EUROS.COM
        199POUNDS.COM
        399EUROS.COM
        499EUROS.COM
        500PESO.COM
        50FRANCS.COM
        DELAYREVERB.COM
        REVERBDELAY.COM
        FREEFLP.COM (flp are fl-studio projects: digital audio workstation)
        ROYALTYFREEFLP.COM
        MP3STATE.COM
        NIGHTGALS.COM

        It would be my pleasure if you can help me with selling any of these.
        (Some are listed BIN Godaddy at present)

        Thanx a lot again for your quick reply. (following you on flippa!)

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          Meer, thanks for the list. Those don’t meet the criteria for brokerage, however, I do like Tri-Pods.com! That could do well if you listed it. I’ll put you in touch with our domain specialist and see if they can’t subsidize a couple premium upgrades for you so you can list those domains!

          Email here: [email protected]

          Thanks!

          1. Meer says:

            Thank you so much Ali. So kind of you.
            I’ll get in touch very soon.

            Any suggestions on which ones to keep and which to dump?

            Thanks yet again.

            1. Ali Zandi says:

              My opinion? Keep Tri-Pods.com and fire-sale the rest of them before renewal fees come around and if you don’t sell the rest by the time renewal comes… dump! When you are ready to buy another name, reach out – I can guide you in the right way to pick up a name that you can flip :)

              1. Meer says:

                Thank you very much for your help.
                Appreciate it a lot.
                I’ll try selling the ones I’ve got offers on first.
                Sure I’ll seek your help when buying..
                Thanks.

                1. Ali Zandi says:

                  You got it my friend! Remember, with certain names, if you are profitable enough – just sell them! Reinvest and repeat! Good luck!

  98. Meer says:

    One word: Awesome!

    This is one show that I’ve learnt the most from since I have started learning about domain name industry and domain investing etc.

    Thanks a lot Michael and Ali for this super-awesome show.

    I would really want some help with this:
    I’ve invested some money in domain names and I’ve almost reached the maximum amount I can spare in investing in domains.

    I agree I bought some “pigeon shit” but I believe that some domains are valuable that can return my investment. (so that hopefully I can reinvest).

    I would really be very thankful to an expert who can guide me as to which domains I should keep and which I should let expire because the renewals would otherwise kill me.(I’m not sure about permissions to post domain names here)

    Secondly I have been able to buy two domain names that are hyphenated one word dot coms that are exact product names. (at some reasonable pricing).

    Their non-hyphenated versions would definitely be premiums, may be ultras.
    They say the hyphenated ones are very popular in Germany.

    Hey Ali, can you help me selling these buddy or any of my domain names?

    Once again, thanx a lot for this super show…
    Keep up the good work guys!

  99. Mark Chandley says:

    My favorite part of this interview was definitely just hearing about Ali’s success in such a short time. Having sold 400K worth of domains in 6 months is truly inspiring. I have been domaining for about the same amount of time and haven’t had nearly the amount of success that he has and there has often been times when I wanted to give up, but hearing stories such as this makes me want to keep going. I’m just a college student doing this on the side and initially got into it thinking I would “get rich quick” but I quickly found out it’s work just like anything else, but I love it and I love the industry!

    So thank you Ali and DomainSherpa for this great interview!

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Mark! I believe I just cleared $500k the other day :) So I hope that gives you a little more inspiration to keep pushing forward. I made the choice to drop everything else and made this my only option. So I was able to truly give it my entire focus and left myself no other way to pay bills – so success was a MUST. Now, don’t be as crazy as me and drop out of college or anything ;)

      What are you studying?

      1. Mark says:

        Yeah, not an option for me, Im studying Security and Risk Analysis at Penn State to work in conter-terrorism and intelligence!

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          Wow! You know, those skills will help you in domain name sales! :) Risk Analysis and counter-terrorism! Almost like buying and negotiating the flip! Ha!

          Good for you!

          How much time do you have left before graduating?

          1. Mark says:

            I’m a sophomore, expected 2017

              1. Mark says:

                Thank you! The idea of getting into domaining was to make a little money to help me get through college, not too much success yet as I’ve said but i’ll keep pushing on!

                1. Ali Zandi says:

                  Well, here is a link to my sales on my Flippa account. I started you out on one of the older pages so you can work your way through them from page 4 back to 1 and see exactly what kinds of names I sold and how I pitched them. If you have questions about how much I bought them for… ask away in an email :)

                  https://flippa.com/buy/search?page=4&seller=760406&sort_col=timestart&sort_dir=desc&status=all

  100. Pravindra pal singh says:

    Great person ..He made successful sales on flippa ..
    I have seen many .io sales made by you ..I am just curious to know ..which points do i consider while selling .io domains …I have listed Dessert.io ..but still not getting any response from any buyer ..

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Pravindra,

      It’s not so much the points you make when selling .io’s as it is the points you consider when buying them to flip.

      .io’s are mainly lucrative with technology keywords. A name like Dessert.io may not do as well as, say, Hologram.io or something of that nature. Focus on more tech keywords if you are to register .io’s.

      Do you have any tech related ones?

      -Ali

      1. Pravindra pal singh says:

        I have not any tech related .io ….But Thankyou very much for advice ..
        I will keep in mind while investing in .io domains …:)

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          No problem! Good luck to you!

  101. Jeaney says:

    Many thanks for the interview
    In less than one year, you can be successful and now has become a senior broker at Flippa. Very remarkable and inspiring!

  102. Chris C says:

    Great show!

    Loved your tips for listing on Flippa Ali. Particularly your point about not just relying on the marketplace itself to bring the bids and that doing some outbound marketing is always going to be required if you want to get top results.

    I think getting brokers on board is a great step forward for Flippa and will no doubt produce some exciting results over the next few months.

    Might have to email you myself and see if I have a few domains you’d be willing to broker…

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Chris!

      The marketplace has a ton of action as is – bringing more bidders by way of outbound is how you maximize exposure. Get last minute bidding wars happening! It’s quite exiting to see an enduser create an account and get involved bidding against investors!

      Got any cool names you’d like to share?

      1. Chris C says:

        Not sure if I have many to the caliber that you’d expect given that I’m Australian I’ve built my portfolio around .com.au domains…

        How do you think domains like the following would do via the Flippa premium brokering service?

        appdevelopers.com.au
        beachweddings.com.au
        canvasprinting.com.au
        fourwheeldrives.com.au
        healthandfitness.com.au

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          Chris,

          Australian domains actually do very well down under. The ultimate obstacle you would have is that your only client is a company in Australia.

          That being said, AppDevelopers.com.au is actually a great domain in my opinion. Finding a team of developers out there shouldn’t be a problem. That being said, the criteria for Flippa brokerage is mostly one word, premium .com’s with a sprinkle of .net/.org/.io

          More universal names. Don’t get me wrong, you can sell AppDevelopers.com.au – and I don’t believe it would be that hard to do. Take a look at a tool like Zoominfo.com – you’ll find it quite resourceful for finding a company out there that may need that name :)

          Do you have any .com’s?

          -Ali

          1. Chris C says:

            Thanks for the reply Ali.

            I’d be very interested to hear what sort of price range is likely for a domain like appdevelopers.com.au?

            Unfortunately I didn’t start buying domains until 2008 and by then most of the better quality .com domains had been registered so l primarily focused on registering .com.au domains.

            That was also because I was a web developer and prefered developing sites on.com.au domains because i found the competition to be less competitive and it was far easier to rank in google with australian based sites.

            1. Ali Zandi says:

              Well, MobileApp.com.au sold for $322 roughly 5 years ago – that is sadly the comparable sale. I think its AppDevelopers.com.au is worth much more – I’m not very up to date with .com.au values but those keywords are strong ones and personally this one would be a “what someone is willing to pay for it” kind of domain. When a company in Aus pays $132k investmentproperty.com.au the chances of you breaking into xx,xxx on AppDevelopers.com.au goes way up. So – i’d say sit on, design a cool landing page and wait for the right company to come rolling in and make you an offer!

  103. David Babins says:

    Michael,

    Another truly [Amazing] DomainSherpa Interview!

    Record breaking comments, full of more excellent content & domaining knowledge…

    Ali, I can’t believe all the Golden nugget’s of Domaining details and info you Freely shared…

    Your story telling Marketing of domain names on Flippa is absolutely Perfect! Works great in all kinds of ways and situations, no different like in the real world of Real Estate and many, many other Specialized marketplaces and industries…

    Just goes to show, some originally don’t think much of certain domain names, as per previous Sherpa evaluations about past domains, But lots of different opinions!

    Again, Love how you explained everything so Freely and your words, ”Set a goal. Crush it. Do not ever give up. Believe in yourself. And to me it is all about your attitude. It really is all about your attitude. You have got to stay positive. You have got to believe that you can do it.”

    Hoping to communicate further with you about your brokering services through Flippa, if you have any time left into the future after this show and all he responses.

    As I have an interesting mix of some good quality keyword domain names, many short, 2 words, all (dot).com’s with reasonable search numbers and PPC within Google etc…

    Like we all hope that everybody is just going to love our domains… :)

    I’ll include a small mix when I contact you. Also, have some interesting Seattle related domains, etc., but in general, your thoughts, comments and opinions will be Greatly appreciated…

    Congrats and all the best,

    Thanks!
    Dave

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Dave,

      Thank you very much for your kind words and taking the time to not only listen to me blab for an hour, but write such a thorough response!

      I have no problem sharing my knowledge – time permitting – because I know that we have to grow as an INDUSTRY not just individually. WE are in charge of raising the value of our industry. No you, not me, US. We have to unite, keeping secrets and tricks up our sleeves will only slow down the growth of this industry. We are still in our infancy… think about it, we have grown exponentially since the inception of the http://www….but the future will ALL be based on the net. Brick and mortar shops will mostly all close down and all commerce will have an “e” in front of it. The web is our world, it will only become bigger and more lucrative.

      So, that being said, i’m happy to drop my entire bag of golden nuggets in hopes that everyone else will do the same.

      It’s been a very busy few days responding to everyone and unfortunately I cannot broker everyones name – only 24 hours in the day and certain metrics and criteria need to be met in order to do so, but I can help – point in the direction of others that can help too.

      I’d be happy to hear your thoughts and see what domains you had in mind, if I cant broker them, i’ll refer you to someone else, if they cant – we will subsidize some premium upgrades for you and get you help listing the names.

      In the meanwhile, check out our latest releases:
      https://dealflow.flippa.com/domain-broker

      Thanks!
      Ali

  104. Ali Zandi says:

    If you guys have any specific questions, lets start a thread under this comment!

    That way the answer are all here for everyone to see!

    Ask away!

  105. daren says:

    Thank you both, mike you’re an asset to the Domain industry, another great show.

    Ali congrats on the new job, and thanks for sharing.

    I would love to hear about the buying side of your process, where do mainly buy? What markets /forums/platforms do you find good domains with bargain prices that are good to flip on flippa? And any other informative tips you can share on the buying process.

    thanks again,
    daren

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Daren!

      Wow the buying side, now you want all my secrets? :)

      I have a lot of scouts! But when i’m out on the prowl to find a domain name, my go to has been….. everywhere! I got to all the auction houses, expired domains drop lists, friends, family, all my contacts and every forum on the face of the earth…heck…I even check craigslist and ebay! I personally do not buy on Flippa – I used to when I was not an employee, but now it would be a conflict of interest, so I don’t. But I’ve seen some fantastic deals happen on there!

      My favorite tool is ExpiredDomains.net, it helps centralize my search to one place!

      What tools are you using now?

      -Ali

  106. Dan says:

    Hi guys great show with lots of helpful hints and tips. I own several domain names myself which I believe have large amounts of value. Domainsherpa has been a very helpful tool for me as I have learned a lot within such a short space of time. If anyone wants to connect please feel free to email me

    [email protected]

    Thanks again guys

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Hi Dan, thank you for watching the show! What are some of those domain names that you have?

  107. Jack says:

    Wow, awesome!
    I’ve worked with Ali in the past and it comes as no surprise that he is this knowledgeable.
    Thanks for all the information, especially telling us exactly how to construct a sales pitch.
    Cheers!

  108. Sean King says:

    I’ve worked with Ali on several domains and he is BY FAR the best broker I’ve encountered. He out-hustles every other broker (and I mean EVERY other broker) I’ve dealt with and he is seemingly available 24/7. Dude deserves every bit of success and I think he represents the next generation of broker…keep an eye on this man, he’s going to do big things in this industry for sure.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Sean,

      You are far too kind my friend! It was a pleasure working with you and I look forward to many more opportunities to do so again!

      Best,
      Ali

  109. John says:

    Michael:
    Have you done a tutorial on the new AdWords platform?
    Looking at the exact match/broadmatch vs the old way they had it?
    If so, where is the link to the broadcast?
    Thanks
    John

    1. Hi John,

      I haven’t updated the Google Adwords tutorial in a while. Thanks for the suggestion — I’ve added it to our editorial calendar to do and will let you know when we do.

      Best,
      Michael

      1. John says:

        Thanks
        Look forward to watching it
        John

  110. Mike says:

    Great show, as always. Thanks Ali for sharing such a brilliant insight into your world!
    Best regards,
    Mike

  111. Arseny says:

    One of the most informative interviews on DomainSherpa! Ali definitely knows his game and shares so much stuff. Vast of information and ideas.

    I would appreciate your advice on my question:

    I own DomainingReviews.com which is a Domaining industry related services review/feedback site. Should I sell the domain or the whole website?

    Thank you!

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Arseny, thank you for your kind words!

      I wasn’t able to view the website, is your host down?

      Unfortunately, most domains+website deals tend to have buyers too focused on website revenue and sometimes the actual value of the domain goes unseen. I say if you have decent revenue list as a website – other wise I would list it as a domain + bonus website included. Seems to do well that way.

      What kind of traffic does it get? How long have you had the website? Is it generating any revenue?

      1. Arseny says:

        Ali, thank you so much for your reply and feedback! This is very close to what I’ve thought of.

        The site seems to be up and running – at least here in Europe :)

        Will contact you on LinkedIn. Thank you again!

  112. Daniel says:

    This interview was superb! Thanks Michael and Ali for putting together what I thought was the best Domain Sherpa show to date!!

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks for your kind words my friend!

  113. Josh Sexton says:

    Great interview guys. It should be very helpful for folks new to Flippa.

    As a Flippa “Super Seller” myself, I will share my experience for those thinking of selling on the platform:

    First, remember that the greatest position to be in in a negotiation is when a buyer comes to you. With Flippa, you are going to the buyers, which means that you probably shouldn’t expect top dollar.

    That said, Flippa is a great place to find liquidity through brokerage or listing your own names if you can be realistic with your pricing expectations (to the low side) and if you have decent names to start with (this is the biggest factor in your success). If you list a lot, you will have some over-perform and others under-perform. Stick with names that an Internet marketer would want, and you will have better luck.

    No-reserve auctions are more my style, and they can be painful if they happen to stall, which a good % do. But, the ones that do well usually make up for the laggers.

    Auctions with reserves seem to bring larger sales, but many end in no sale, which is painful when you have spent $250-$350 on listing fees.

    Regarding Ali specifically, I’ve worked with him on both the buy and sell sides, and he knows how to get a deal done.

    Twice I’ve had him list names that I ran initially but the buyer failed to pay. Listings like these seem to get stale and lag, but on the first, he got me 95% of the price it “sold” for the first time, and on the second, he got me 130%. That was a great job on his part IMO.

    I’ve also bought two brokered names from him, and those were two of the easiest transactions I’ve done.

    1. Bobby says:

      Really helpful stuff. What’s your account on there (just so i can follow + learn)?

      1. Josh Sexton says:

        Hi Bobby,

        If you click on my name, it will take you to my Flippa profile. Let me know if you have any questions.

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          Probably one of the best no reserve auction holders on Flippa :)

      2. Ali Zandi says:

        Bobby, you would be wise to watch Josh’s Flippa account! The guys style is something that anyone could learn from and become profitable replicating!

      3. Kevin Fink says:

        Hey Bobby, were we chatting on the Flippa blog? Just making sure you’re the same guy :)

        1. Bobby says:

          That’s me!

          I also just created this thread on namepros referencing this video:

          https://www.namepros.com/threads/optimizing-flippa-auctions.849816/

          I’m really doing my best to learn your platform but I’m about to jump in.

    2. Ali Zandi says:

      Josh,

      First of all, thank you for your kind words. You too have been reason for some of the smoothes transactions i’ve done.

      I’d be happy to list more of your great names :)

      I have watched your style succeed and I have to admire the brave no reserve approach! It is one of the wisest moves as it attracts the most attention. It is more dangerous, but when you provide quality names you can attract more bidders allowing you to work your way up the most active list! Which is where a lot of action derives from on the platform!

      I agree to some extent about liquidity, I think any auction house provides a liquidity factor! I use Flippa as well for enduser deals – mostly inviting endusers to auctions or even negotiating off platform and closing the deal on platform. There are so many different experiences on the platform. I think it would be great to have a Super Seller roundup on the show to discuss the different styles and success stories!

      Thanks again Josh, real happy to see your success on the platform!

      Best,
      Ali

      1. Josh Sexton says:

        Thanks for the response Ali. I’ve learned a lot from watching your auctions and appreciate what you share. You have an abundance mentality that’s inspiring.

        I will take a moment and riff on the topics we are talking about (this is addressed to anyone interested in Flippa and not just Ali):

        About no reserve auctions, I’m not sure they are the wisest, but you really can get no better appraisal of a name than you get from an NR auction on Flippa. After 50 auctions, I’ve had names I paid A LOT for end under $100 and names I’ve paid $50 for end above $5K, and then other names I paid a lot for end at almost the exact amount I paid for them. It’s not a crap shoot, though. Every price has a reason. And, if a buyer doesn’t follow through and pay, that has a reason too. Test, learn, and adjust. That’s the path to success.

        About liquidity, I think Flippa is one of the best places to find liquidity for domains online, and it’s been the best for my own names. The only point is: stay within the bounds of reality. If someone just bought a new gTLD for $50 or spent $100 on Snapnames and expects to turn that into $50K, they are kidding themselves. If it was a smart buy and it’s a truly desirable name, $500 is more realistic. If it was just decent, or the buyer got caught up in the moment, breaking even is even more realistic.

        Continuing, if a seller has a name they had six figure offers on in ’08 but not much since, Flippa MAY be a good place to test the market. Set a realistic reserve, and see what comes. You might not get a sale, but you learn with each attempt. If you don’t get a sale, try again with the knowledge you picked up from the first try.

        About brokerage on Flippa, it’s a very good deal if you have good names worth $5K – $150K (names that you have received solid offers on in the past). Many brokerages take 15% and do little but email your names in a daily email. Flippa brokerage actually brings your names to real buyers and gives a great sales pitch.

        Also, I will add that there are some excellent deals available on Flippa right now for buyers. I’ve been online full time for almost 4 years, and some of the best deals I have seen have been on Flippa within the past couple of months. That’s due to sellers slacking and others not knowing what’s what + there being a flood of sales. Some of my own names have sold for pennies on the dollar, and I have a lot of watchers. With the amount of names on Flippa right now, I think a buyer could buy and sell for 10X (both on Flippa) with wise moves.

  114. Jason King says:

    I really want to comment on not just this interview… But Ali in general.

    First off… the interview was GREAT. I really want to thank both of you for making sure it was as informational, as detailed and as educated as you guys made it. Couldn’t have been more spot on for us viewers.

    I kind of want to give a brief, so that way everyone understands where I am coming from and hopefully I get some questions answered for others as well.
    Basically, I have been working online for about 8 years now. Very Successful. Mainly flipping websites. But the hassle and headache in that niche catches up to you quick. I have been active at flippa for quite some time now, have had many successful sales on there, have 100% positive feedback and take my Online work very seriously.
    I have always been interested in Domaining and becoming a professional in it like Ali.
    I figured… I’m successful at Flipping Websites… and Flipping Domains is similar…
    Walaha! Peanut Butter and Jelly.
    I could not have been more wrong.
    Completely different sandwich.
    This is where Ali came into play. I couldn’t understand what I was doing wrong. I noticed his profile on Flippa and started watching him very very close.
    Immediately I saw a Domain Expert.
    Following him close, paying attention to detail and studying his auctions, I have gotten better a better idea and had some good success.
    But nowhere even close to Ali.
    I’ve been wanting to reach out to you for a while.
    This video really explained a lot and answered questions that have been lingering for a while. So once again, thank you both for that.

    Here are some questions I have for you, if you have the time to answer that is.
    It would be more than appreciative.

    1: You say you “follow your gut” and pick good domains. And I understand that “flipping websites” in the creative aspect. But when it comes to domains… where should by gut stop lol? My gut has led me in both directions. What type of domains should I stay clear of? I think that would be a great start and guide the ol’ gut better.

    2: Do you think the new domain extensions are a hit or miss? I’ve sold 1. Have seen MANY sell. And have seen a lot of domains “my gut” would have purchased, not sell and are sitting there. What is your opinion on the new domain extensions?

    3: I have some good domains up for auction right now, that I know some are no brainer good domains and are worth value. Such as GuitarPrice . com , BigEventCompany .com, DietPrograms . net , DietProducts. net, YouthGaming. com , VectorProduct . com, Quickest. net , PlayMusic . net, Blasphemy . net , IndustryRates. com and more. What is your opinion on those domains? What would you value them at? Or are you able to give me a brief on them? I’d like to get your input as a domain expert if that is ok. Considering some people may be curious as well about them.

    I guess I am going to leave it at that for now… apologize for the long comment. But loved the interview and am looking forward to more of your auctions.
    Hope you have time to answer and if so/if not, I appreciate your time either way.
    Thank you,
    Jason
    FirstRated

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Jason,

      You had me at Sandwich! First of all my friend, thank you for your kind words! Its nice to see fellow successful Flippa users who are extremely passionate about the industry like you!

      To answer your questions:

      1. Here is the tricky part about following your gut – my instincts have always been uncanny, however, you must train your gut to understand value. The way I went about training my gut is by researching every single domain sale that I could possible view to see – what they sold for, what they resold for and if they ever sold at all. I did this by reading all the sale reporting websites, forums – literally every post I could get my hands on. I wanted to see who was selling what and for how much. Questions like, did anyone reply to the post? Make an offer? How much? Did it sell? How much? Did it not sell? Why not? Was it value? Spelling? Too many words? Not enough words? Pronounceable? Tld? Search volume? Competition? Brand-ability? I mean WHY did it sell or not sell and for how much. THAT is how you train your gut. This is something i’ve spend 20+ hours a day doing since I got into the industry. It is truly something you have to dedicate your life to in order to develop.

      2. I think you may have a different definition of “gut feeling” – there are two that I know, one is the gamblers gut and one is the hearts gut. I think you have been feeling with your gambler, the rush gut. What if gut. Not your logical hearts gut – domains are not dreams or hopes, they are numerical data backed by factual statistics. They are a commodity – they are digital real estate. You cannot base your purchases on what you hope or dream it will sell for to that one perfect enduser who just magically will appear, because they wont.

      The new domain extensions have some promise, SOME and only some. There are a few two word phrases with a “.” between them that I see to have any value. Things like Real.Estate, Coffee.Club, Wine.Club, App.Store and so on, but that doesnt mean they are all valuable. Some are and that is a very small percentage in my opinion. .COM will ALWAYS be the ruler of the internet no matter how much marketing ANY registrar does. If you want to expand your portfolio and get crafty, focus on ccTLD’s instead of gTLD’s – ccTLD’s have value and if you hack them right, you can see some nice profits – but they will never be .com’s or net’s or .orgs.

      3. Okay, I usually don’t do valuations as it gets my inbox flooded with valuation requests :) But, for the sake of the show and the viewers:

      – GuitarPrice.com – easily $1k to a reseller, $2k to an investor/developer and $5k+ to a enduser

      – BigEventCompany.com – maybe $200 unless you land a company enduser with that specific name

      – DietPrograms.net/DietProducts.net – Big affiliate potential, $500 to reseller, $1500 to investor/developer, $3k+ to enduser.

      – YouthGaming.com – not bad, $300+ could be a cool blog to promote youth gaming as a positive and negative thing.

      – VectorProduct.com – Meh… I don’t like it at all.

      – Quickest.net – cool domain, $500+ easy, one word with the fact that its a positive label – good review site.

      – PlayMusic.net, well, I have a piano in my office now so you know i’m a fan. Easily turn into a teaching music website of sorts. $500+ reseller, $1k developer/investor $3k to enduser.

      – Blasphemy.net – well, this could go one of two ways, you might get some picket signers outside of your house selling this one, I think I saw it on Flippa already, your “joke site” idea is a good one. $500+

      – IndustryRates.com – this is probably my favorite (aside from GuitarPrice.com), so many different ways to develop. I’d say $1k+ is more than fair.

      No apologies for the long comment needed, I know everyone has questions and I am doing my best to reply to them all – I have had over 300 emails so far and all the comments while trying to run the brokerage arm so please be patient :) I am merely a human (just kidding i’m a machine)!

      Thank you Jason! Look forward to seeing your success on Flippa!

      Best,
      Ali

  115. Bennie says:

    Thanks Ali & Micheal

    Great show with tons of positive hands on information that is relative to todays challenge’s.

    Thanks Bennie

  116. Muttus says:

    Thanks Ali and Micheal

    Probably one of the best shows so far. Ali is great guy with amazing sniffer for domaining. I would love to get some feedback on my names :), but I afraid they are out of Alis league. All shared techniques are super valuable and I will used them right now on my first flippa listing. Fingers crossed :)

    Hope to see more videos with Ali in the future.

    P.S.Congratulation on new amazing job in Flippa.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Muttus,

      Thank you for your kind words! If you need any help setting up your listing, contact our Domain Specialist, his name is Devoir! You can email him at [email protected]

      He can help you get a great listing up!

      Thanks again!
      Ali

  117. This is an incredible source of value interview. Very inspiring, plus gives a blueprint of what Ali does !
    I can’t thank you enough for this !

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you for taking the time to watch!!

  118. Jason Laird says:

    Great interview Guys,

    Another great interview Michael with Ali and also following up from Ali’s previous Domain Sherpa review. Ali good on you for following your dreams and accomplishing your goals with sales in such a short time. It’s awesome to see you succeeding in domaining and this is what fuels those new to the domaining community.

    This goes to show with hard work, research and the right people it can be a very profitable business. I’ve been domaining for 13months now and sold $5k worth of domains and Ali you are very inspiring mate . Ali I would love to connect with you and gain more insights.

    I always believe that helping is the best way of selling and Micheal DomainSherpa is the best show in town.

    Thanks,
    Jason
    New Zealand

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Jason,

      Thank you my friend! I have indeed accomplished the goals I set out to accomplish — Now I have even more goals to reach for!

      I look forward to seeing your success over the next 13 months of your career :)

      Thanks again!
      Ali

  119. ujjwal says:

    i was great interview Mr. Ali explained lot of things to us.Thanks to Ali and a special thanks to Michael Cyger who is doing too much for domain inverstores.

    I am Fan you Cyger!!!

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you for watching!!

  120. Great video Mike. Thank you as always!

    Ali, awesome information. Love the video and the tips. Thanks for being on the show and sharing. I have my first domain listing on flippa right now and it just met reserve so we will see what happens!

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Aaron! Email me the domain thats at auction, i’d love to see it in action! [email protected]

  121. Dean says:

    Hi Ali,

    Great interview. I have a quick question about cupcakefrostings.com

    Most domainers don’t have mega premium names, and I would say cupcakefrostings.com is not a “premium” name. Nevertheless, did you use / would you recommend the $350 worth of upgrades on a domain of this standard?

    Also, how much outreach did you do on that name? Roughly how many business did you contact to make them aware of the auction?

    Stay classy.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Dean,

      CupcakeFrosting.com is not a mega premium by any means, but I saw value in it and my gut was right. I bought that domain name for $25, regardless of which upgrade I used, I would make a profit. So long as I am selling in quality-based-quantities at 2x-5x my investment including upgrades and success fees I cannot go wrong. Short term, long term I will remain profitable and if I do it frequently enough then I cannot lose.

      The trick isn’t to upgrade all your auctions, it is to study the market so closely that you can pick out the domains that you know will break the $500 sale mark without having to spend much on acquiring them.

      When I first started, I specialized in finding domains for $25-$200 and selling them for $500-$4000. So the $249 or $349 listing upgrades were applied accordingly. Also, I had a couple that were approved and marked as Flippa exclusives by Flippa so it waived my upgrade fee.
      It’s not always about selling mega premium domains – if you are selling your own domains, they don’t need to be $20k+ names for you to make a living domain investing.

      I would contact everyone that I could possibly reach out to and let them know about the auction, from endusers to other investors and even some friends who may be interested in a start up domain.

      :)

      Thanks!
      Ali

  122. Steve says:

    Great interview, lots of great selling tips for Flippa and general outreach sales.

    I checked out the Tulips listing. Amazing name but don’t you think it sold for way too little? I thought that name would easily grab $50k on a bad day and I am surprised you let it go for under $75k.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Steve, thank you! Yes, Tulip.com was undersold but my client wanted a quick profit and did not want to wait around! He was well aware we could have gotten more! The buyer got an amazing deal and will definitely reap the rewards of having me broker it for him in the future, haha ;)

      That domain is a long term hold and will fetch $150k+ one day. Thats the most amazing part about the industry – some sellers want quick profit and some will hold on until that one perfect buyer comes along!

      1. Steve says:

        Thanks for the quick reply. I will spend some time watching and learning the Flippa platform to see what sells. You were very generous with your advice to sellers, kudos!
        Best.

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          Flippa is a fantastic platform. I have been saying that since day one of me using it :) I am a die hard fan and will continue to be one!

          Good luck with your ventures my friend!

  123. Stijn says:

    Great show. Mike, thanks for all your work in putting these together. Love your line of questioning, you always know how to tease out the detail we all want to know about. Ali, thanks for sharing your knowlege, lots of great practical advice here. Congrats on new role, well deserved.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Stijn, thank you very much! Michael does indeed know how to pull out the good stuff! It’s an honor to be on the show again!

  124. Steven says:

    Hey Michael!
    Question: if I buy an expired domain name can i use the previous content that was on it? I bought an expired domain, but all the previous articles are still in archives.org and the copyright is on the site itself not the author. I get a lot of traffic to these articles, but have been putting 301’s to the home page. I’m building a similar site with my own content as well, but am not sure if I can use the previous articles as well? Help please!!

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Hmm, have you thought about using DomainTools.com or some other form of finding out who the previous owner was and getting their permission? I for one don’t do that. But who knows, the previous owner could be more than willing, but at least ask them?

      1. Steven says:

        That’s a good idea Ali. I did find the previous owner through whois before the auction ended

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          Nice! Yea, you’ll find that when you reach out, most people are actually really giving with that stuff! Especially if they have no need for it!

  125. albert says:

    Wow Mike.
    I guess making money in the Domain Name Selling and Ecommerce is a hot topic for Sherpa Listeners.

    Keep up with the great work.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      There is plenty of money to be made in our industry! :)

  126. Mike says:

    Awesome interview, and congratulations on your success, Ali!

    A couple of questions:

    1) do you mind if we use your template in our Flippa listings?

    2) what is your BIN strategy? When do you think is the best time to add a BIN to the listing? Do you ever remove it or adjust it? Is it set differently for a no-reserve auction?

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Mike, thank you!

      1) Okay, YES you may use my template, but please don’t copy the my hard work word for word. I’ve had numerous people do that.

      Feel free to use http://text-symbols.com/ to pick up some cool symbols to break up your auction with, you are more than welcome to use my methods for getting search volume! It will help all auctions around Flippa! Adjust the terms at the bottom to your own desired ones! Shouldn’t be a problem at all :)

      2) Hmm, BIN strategy is something that everyone should develop on their own. In reality, the idea of the BIN, in my opinion, is to offer a way to get out of a bidding war, you might pay a small percentage more but you will own the domain.

  127. Niz says:

    Great show.. Mike n Ali..

    Thanks very much you both..

  128. Mike Baker says:

    Hi Mike

    Top rated show. Ali it’s a pleasure to see someone who obviously has a great passion for what he does and knows how to get results.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you very much Mike! I appreciate your kind words!

  129. Alan Dodd says:

    Well, it’s showtime at flippa! Thanks for the interview and congrats to Ali on his success.I loved the bit about “we’re not squatters, we’re in business”.

    Nice! Also liked the tip about “crushing” your goals at the end. Definitely going to have to get ajob.com up there!

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you Alan! I appreciate that! Indeed, we are NOT squatters (most of us at least, haha) We are business men that buy, sell and trade commodities! Digital Real Estate!

      CRUSH your goals. Only way to live life my friend!

      If you need help getting aJob.com up, email me, I will have my CS of Domains get you set up!

  130. Zac Zarev says:

    Fantastic Interview! Thanks to both Ali and Michael!

  131. John Harrison says:

    Been waiting for this show ever since you let us know it was recorded Mike! It didn’t disappoint. Amazing to see someone come into the industry in 2014 and do so well. Nice work Ali- keep it up. Mike, as ever, thanks for providing this resource!

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      John, thank you my friend! Its been a wild ride for sure! 2015 should be even better!

  132. Bobby says:

    Hmmm..ok… second post.

    I was planning out my strategy and I kind of have a bit of problem with the pricing on flippa vs the brokerage.

    For example,

    If i was selling a domain worth $3490.

    It would cost me $349 for the premium listing, and I would have to give flippa 10% of the final price. So I’m giving flippa 20%! I’d lose $700 in this scenario.

    If I used one of the brokers, I’d only be giving up 15%, get the same full listings, get your guys to promote it and find buyers, and only be giving up $530-ish.

    So I have to pay more money to do more work!

    If a domain sells for $7000, it ends up being the same 15% either way. But why would ANYONE list a domain themselves and give up more money?

    Thoughts?

    (hoping this comment gets approved).

    1. Shaun says:

      Hi Bobby, as in the forum, Actually it does not work this way at all. In fact, unless you have a super premium domain that everyone wants, it is actually quite the opposite.

      Flippa and other recognized domain market place, etc have built a nice little system where you can list your domains, list your own price while they provide you with the traffic. Keep in mind Flippa and other domain market place alike provides quality traffic and platform. These are not cheap and they too have a business to run.

      Most Domain brokers on the other hand helps to sell premium domains and not any other “standard” domains.

      This saying, it means that since majority of the people in the domain industry have “standard” domains, most brokers would not undertake the task of selling for you. The next best options are domain market place like Flippa, SEDO, Namerific, Brandbucket, AfterNic, etc. It is only fair that these places charge a price to keep their business running.

      If you have a premium domain name that majority will like, then this would not be an issue in the first place. Whether you use a broker or a market place, people will want your domain.

      Hope this clarifies a little from a third-party point of view.

      Cheers

      1. Ali Zandi says:

        Thank you for your point of view! You touch on some very key and valid points!

    2. Ali Zandi says:

      Bobby,

      You have a great question. Typically I answer this question (because I get it a lot) with an analogy – so take it with a grain of salt :)

      You wouldn’t hire a real estate agent to sell your camping tent, would you? Sure you would get to sit back, and let the agent maximize profits on the tent for you, but what about the agent and their company?

      A lot of time and effort is put forth brokering domain names. Countless hours and irreversible time goes into selling domain names. So for you to say you pay more money to do more work, well sure but you have to realize for a broker to make it worthwhile to take on a name, it has to bring in a certain number into the company!

      So essentially, when you pay a broker 15% you are covering the immense amount of time and hard work that goes into selling the name, hence the benefit’s you receive by hiring a broker, but the domain needs to be valuable enough to make it worth the brokers time and effort.

      Make sense?

      Thanks!
      Ali

      1. Bobby says:

        Ali,

        Thanks for the response. I think I worded my post poorly.

        I tried to illustrate what a GREAT deal using you as a broker is.

        And how listing yourself is a much worse deal. you have to pay more money to do more work.

        After doing the math, I don’t see how I can list with flippa unless it’s with you. I wish they’d adjust the pricing down maybe another $100 on the premium listing to at least even that out, but the math shows how much of a better deal it is to go with the broker deal.

        Does that make sense?

        So if i’m selling a $3000 domain and you broker it, I will make more money on the sale then if I sell it on flippa myself. That pricing is kind of broken. I looked through your listings and there are plenty that sell in that price range ( and you mentioned in the video doing anyone from a $3000 domain to $300,00, that’s why I picked this number).

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          Totally makes sense. I have a massive list of domains to sell, so if I am to take on any more they have to makes sense financially. I wish I had more time to take on all the names that come my way! =/

          If you are interested in getting a deal on your premium upgrades, maybe Kevin (Director of domains) can work out a package deal for you! Say you have 5 auctions you want to list with Ultra Premium upgrades – maybe you could buy 4 and get a 5th one free? We can work stuff out to make it a more affordable for you. Reach out to him using the same [email protected] email!

          Another thing I wrote on a blog post a while back is that I would never buy a domain I wouldn’t spend at least $500 on marketing for. Albeit I didn’t need to do that on most of them, but that was my rule. It really helped me get comfortable with spending money on upgrades. Because every single thing in sales is about marketing your product properly, and that always takes money.

          1. Bobby says:

            Thanks again.

            Great job on all of your sales and good luck on your future ones!

            I’ll hit you up when I get my first five figure sale on flippa.

            1. Ali Zandi says:

              Sounds good and thank you! Looking forward to seeing you bang out 5 figure sales regularly!

          2. Angel says:

            Great Advice: “I would never buy a domain I wouldn’t spend at least $500 on marketing for”

            1. Ali Zandi says:

              Thanks! Its true!

          3. Kevin Fink says:

            Yes, I’m here to help — as is our outstanding and extraordinarily efficient Customer Success Team.

            [email protected]
            [email protected]

            We do subsidize upgrade costs, albeit are unable to do so for Ultra Premiums — just to clarify.

            We treat these on a case-by-case basis and look forward to working with you. Thanks to Mike, as well, for helping to walk through the Flippa Domains platform!

  133. Bobby says:

    So much gold in this interview.

    I have about 20-30 domains that I want to sell in the very near future and I realize that flippa has to be a bigger part of my plan.

    Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you! Yes, Flippa should be a bigger part of everyones plan! It really is an under-utilized platform! I found 99.99% of my success on Flippa. I think out of the 300+ names i’ve sold I only sold 2 of them off platform!

  134. Thanks Ali for sharing and helping all understand the better way to sell domains. Michael Cyger is always best in presenting. He is great

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you Mohammed!

  135. Ali Zandi says:

    We have just soft launched Deal Flow for domains! You are the first ones to know about it :)

    Sign up for the weekly newsletter that features all of our most premium brokered domains!

    Sign up here!

  136. nab says:

    great person and a great achiever

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you my friend!

  137. nab says:

    wonderful persons and wonderful accomplishments

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you very much!

  138. BoostNames says:

    Thanks Michael and Ali, very helpful. Ali I would like to connect with you at some point for more information. Thanks again

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you! Feel free to email me anytime :)

  139. George says:

    Great stuff once again. Thanks Michael and Ali!

  140. Web Domainer says:

    Michael, Ali

    Thank you both for your very informative interview today.

    Michael, keep bringing panelists like Ali onto DomainSherpa. . .

    A candid, clearly industry benefit promoting professional who is sincere, no BS, no ego just desirous of helping domainers advance their goals; while also promoting their services.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Wow, thank you very much for your kind words! It was an honor being on the show once again!

  141. Bradley NYC says:

    Hi Mike and Ali:

    Mike, you know what I am going to say, another great and informative show!

    It’s always appreciated the additional insight you provide, especially on a very important concern in the domain industry — sales.

    And, Ali, thank you for elaborating your behind the scenes process in setting up your sales approach of domain listings.

    I have a number of names that I want to liquidate which I will send to you. Maybe we can do business.

    Thank you guys!

    Bradley NYC

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you! Look forward to hearing about your names!

  142. Angel says:

    Thank you for sharing your listing strategies! Very helpful.

    Is it better to put a landing page or build out a website for a visual of the possibilities for the domain, or does it not add value? How many views do domains get vs websites listed through on Flippa marketplace? I’m trying to determine if would it be better to list as a domain or throw something up on it and list it as a starter website.

    1. Hi Angel,

      You can always put it up first as a domain sale and IF it doesn’t sell, build a website wait one or two months and sell it as such.

      That’s what I do anyway.

      1. Ali Zandi says:

        Thats a great plan too! If it doesn’t sell as a domain, develop it – monetize it and boom, value generated!

    2. Ali Zandi says:

      Angel,

      Great question. If you are going to build out a landing page, by all means still sell it as a domain name. A landing page merely makes it more visually appealing vs. something like a domain parking page.

      Websites should be sold as websites – when you try to sell a domain name as a website just because it has a landing page you are dramatically decreasing it’s value.

      Now, on the flip side, if you develop the domain name and generate revenue with it – then you have the potential to increase its value. But it has to be substantial revenue to do so, especially if it is a premium name.

      I generally point all my domain names to the auction so there isn’t a need for a landing page.

      best,
      Ali

      1. Web Domainer says:

        Ali said: I generally point all my domain names to the auction so there isn’t a need for a landing page.

        Can u share the link template for pointing a domain to an auction?

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          When you launch a listing, the URL for the listing is where you want to redirect your domain for.

          For instance, I have had Tulip.com be redirected to the auction page URL for it: https://flippa.com/3865992-331-000-estibot-110-000-exact-match-searches-mo-incredible-brand

  143. Barry says:

    GOOD WiveORK.Very informative

  144. Good day from the UK
    Many thanks Ali for the video. I am really interested on your views of the new GTLD,s and when they will reach an optimum time to sell, maybe next year or the year after. Or are they ready to sell know and can they reach their full potential already ?

    Would it be a good idea for selling platforms to list them in a different category to the dot coms?

    Best wishes
    David

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      David,

      In my opinion gTLD’s are very tricky. I don’t believe that time will increase their value as much as someones need will. For instance, if you own something like Real.Estate, it is valuable from day one of registration. Time wont change that. But other gTLD’s could vary in value as time passes, heck they could drop to $0 in a blink of an eye with one Google SEO update – or vice versa.

      Again, just my opinion.. if you own a mega premium gTLD like Real.Estate or some other form of 2 word hack with a . between words, you may be sitting on a nice sale – whether now or in the future.

      Best,
      Ali

  145. Mitchell says:

    Great, great show!

    Ali, I was going to contact you last week about listing a name or two. I wish I would have… I’m sure you’re going to be flooded with names now.

    Anyways, a tip o’ the hat to both Mike and Ali for just a great show. You earned that mug, Ali.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Mitchell,

      Definitely flooded, but hey, when it rains it pours! Send your names, I will take a look!

      Thanks for your kind words my friend!

      Best,
      Ali

  146. Martin says:

    Just: Flat Out Impressive! I’ll be one of the hundreds in your mailbox

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you!! Look forward to your email!

  147. Hey Ali,
    Congrats! It’s an inspiration to see the exact process behind the sales. No rocket science here, and yet it’s just a matter of getting the names out to the people that can use them / develop them. I respect the discipline you had starting out (wish I had had that…) In any case, I’m not buying anymore (for business or pleasure) until I sell at least 10 of the ~50 or so I’ve accumulated…

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Chris! Sales is not rocket science, you are right. It’s all about matching the product to the customer and getting them beyond excited to buy it! Easy as pie!

      I’ve found that discipline can be the ultimate decider between successful people and unsuccessful people – hunker down and really focus on what you want. You’ll have it in no time :)

  148. Your guest, Ali Zandi, a class act!
    I did get a much better handle on how to sell my domains
    Thanks
    charles

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you for your kind words Charles!

  149. Ali Zandi says:

    I said that you weren’t able to see auction views but I was wrong! (Really hard for me to admit that, haha.)

    You have a big “Views” tracker right in the auction toolbar next to watchers and reserve :)

    Thanks again for having me on the show Michael! Now I get to drink my morning brew out of a Sherpa Mug! #livingthedream

  150. Noor Manji says:

    Great show Mike and Ali, sent you an email already.

    Thank you both…..super learning lesson.

    Noor

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Noor! I have a few hundred emails in the inbox already today so bare with me as I get back to everyone :)

      1. Noor Manji says:

        Take your time, look forward to hearing back.

        Thanks for sharing so much info.

        Best.

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          Noor,

          I checked out your list! WebRetrieval.com was your best domain! I really hope you reach out to the right endusers and make them pay for such a great domain!

          Thanks,
          Ali

  151. Rae says:

    Thanks for sharing, Ali. Great stuff!

  152. John says:

    Ali:
    Great interview
    Thanks for Sharing
    I was wondering who KCGroup was just last week ….
    Congrats
    John

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Well now you know! :)

      Thanks John!

  153. Viqar says:

    Thanks Michael and Ali for a very informative and eye opening interview. This interview is just in time for my .io domain on Flippa :)

    I will most likely use Ali’s brokerage expertise if it does not sell.

    Before this interview I did not know the faces/people behind Flippa’s brokerage. This gives me confidence that there are hard working, sincere people working at Flippa domains that are going to get it done!

    Also some very good pointers for DIY domain listings.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      That may be the nicest thing i’ve ever heard! The entire Flippa team is amazing! Thanks for your kind words! Good luck with your .io sales on Flippa!

  154. Albert says:

    Congratulations on your new position Ali.

    Buying for $2,000 and selling for $11,000

    That’s awesome Mike-Congrats. on that

    Swag.com-Pretty Awesome

    Question for Ali-

    Flippa seems to be great for Tech Names.

    Do you see this changing especially with the current killer of Swag.com?

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Albert! Flippa is a great place for many types of names. Tech names get great exposure because there are a lot of tech investors, however, if the name is a big one, it doesn’t matter which niche it is in. I’ve personally sold many non-tech domains on Flippa. As long as the name has relative value from the community and investors alike, it should sell!

      1. Albert says:

        Thanks for the reply Ali.

        Another broker listed a name for me on his platform but received a low ball offer. (List price was $125,000).

        I am willing to go down, but I don’t just want to give it away also.

        I just thought that Flippa was for tech.

        Now I know better.

        Thanks

        1. Albert says:

          Sorry.
          It was listed for $115,000

          1. Ali Zandi says:

            I guess that all depends on the domain name. Send me an email: [email protected]

            I’d be curious to see what the name is :)

            1. Albert says:

              I just sent you the email Ali.

              Thanks

  155. Nick says:

    As always, great video to learn from.

  156. Nina Meiers says:

    Really enjoyed listening to how a successful person has grown into this business. I’m setting some goals regarding my humble suite of domain names and got great value in this video/podcast. Thanks guys!

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you Nina! Print out those goals and put them in a frame right next to your computer screen! Look at it every day all day!

      1. Nina Meiers says:

        Ali – love the responses and your enthusiasm details you’ve shared – much appreciated. And YET i have my list of goals right next to me now, hard to miss.. also in the bathroom on the mirror – can’t miss that one when brushing my teeth!

        One more question – everyone seems to use WP. I don’t use it because I’m more in the .NET space and hate the hackability of WordPress.

        Is there a disadvantage if I have some site that I would like to put to Auction if I don’t use WordPress. It’s still open source software but much more sophisticated in reference to security and really really easy to manage.

        Will this deter people? – Thanks again.

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          Hi Nina!

          Glad to hear you got your goals up! Brush those teeth and stare at those goals! :)

          WordPress is a lot easier for buyers who aren’t too web savvy, however, if you are willing to provide full training on the usage of the site, I don’t think it shout deter people! As long as the site is quality, your buyers wont mind!

  157. Eric Jenkins says:

    Michael……Great interview, thanks for having Ali back!!

    Ali…….You have done a great job in such a short period of time, thanks for coming back and sharing. Good luck with your new position at Flippa!!

    Thanks Guys……

    Eric Jenkins
    http://www.SpringCreekMedia.Com

  158. Doron says:

    Great interview Michael. Ali seems like a great salesman but very straight forward and no BS. My question for you Ali is; what would be the best time of the day to let a Flippa auction end? Being based out of Hong Kong myself makes it difficult to be available to approve or decline last minutes bids.

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thank you! Well, your situation may call for starting your auctions with the auto approve bidders feature! That way you don’t have to worry about approving last minute bids. The best times to end an auction, in my opinion and from experience, is around 6-8pm EST on Friday’s in the USA.

      1. Wow Ali,

        Just this last sentence of yours is PURE GOLD!

        Did you get this guys?

        Great interview Mike. Thanks Ali for sharing so generously.

        Mario

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          Mario,

          Absolutely happy to share! The better we all do as a community of domain investors, the better our industry will do!

          Thanks again for watching and commenting! Much appreciated!

          Best,
          Ali

  159. DC says:

    Thanks guy, another great show.

  160. Shaun says:

    Cupcakefrostings….seems very familiar. Anyway thanks for the upload. Thanks Michael and Ali.

    Cheers

    1. Ali Zandi says:

      Thanks Shaun! CupcakeFrosting.com seems familiar? Did you buy it from me? :)

      1. nab says:

        hi ali
        good job
        ur an inspiration and a teacher…
        good luck

        1. Ali Zandi says:

          Thank you my friend! I appreciate your kind words! And good luck to you in all your ventures as well!

      2. Shaun says:

        Is either your domain portfolio or under your KCGroup. I remembered wondering why this group could fetch “total sales: $xx,xxx” when it was only active for a few months last year. You had quite a few domains on auction I believe.

        Anyway, I just shot you an email yesterday, hope it could make Flippa brokerage cut

        Cheers, thanks to you and Michael once again for sharing

        1. Cameron W. says:

          Great show guys, thank you. Even my girlfriend liked it and she hates domaining. Any value in the domain name when you hover the mouse over my username? Also any value/action in .ca domain names right now?

          1. Ali Zandi says:

            Thanks Cameron! Glad you guys could both enjoy the show!

        2. Ali Zandi says:

          Shaun, thank you! I will do my best to get back to your email as well as everyone else’s in a timely manner! :)

          1. Nancy says:

            The interview was interesting and left me with high hopes as I submitted a domain for review and possible brokering with Ali, but so far no response in almost two and half weeks. I have been disappointed again with experts who promote themselves but then don’t respond.

            1. Ali Zandi says:

              Hi Nancy,

              As you can see from the comments above, I have responded to just about every one I can here. We have also been inundated with brokerage request and we are doing our best to respond to everyone in a timely manner.

              Please keep in mind that not every domain name can be brokered, the domain names must meet a certain criteria. Mostly one word premium .com’s along with the exception of premium one word .net’s/org’s and the occasional ultra premium ccTLD.

              Also, please make sure you have emailed the correct email address as well, [email protected].

              Thank you for your patience and understanding.

              Best,
              Ali

            2. Kevin Fink says:

              Nancy, I can’t seem to find your inquiry by name. Please resubmit. Thanks

              1. Nancy says:

                Ali,

                I’m sure I’m wasn’t the only one that you gave the impression that you will receive our emails for possible consideration, whether it was a premium or not. I know I sent at least two my emails to the correct email addresses which was clearly provided on the Domain’s Sherpa’s blog.

                You were simply promoting yourself and Flippa,and only interested in highly premium domains, and not considering responding back to our emails at least out of courtesy.

                1. Kevin Fink says:

                  Hi Nancy,

                  Actually *I’m* the guy handling inbound inquiries.

                  Please send again or reference something in your email here that I can lookup so I can route you a proper response.

                  Thanks

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