Exploring Self-Brokerage – A Deep Dive into Afternic’s New Feature for Domain Sellers

Self-Brokerage launches at Afternic after much anticipation, bringing the ability for sellers to negotiate directly with buyers through the world’s premier domain marketplace, backed by GoDaddy.  

Reserved for members of Discount Domain Club’s highest tier, Self-Brokerage allows you to directly negotiate with buyers originating from Custom Lander leads. Let’s dive in to the features. 

Connecting Discount Domain Club

Self-Brokerage is an Afternic feature reserved for members of GoDaddy’s Discount Domain Club highest tier, the annual membership that provides customers with access to discounted domain registrations, renewals, and leading educational content through Domain Academy, to name just a few benefits.

Approximately 100,000 members have access to Self-Brokerage already, through Discount Domain Club’s top tier.

Reserving Self-Brokerage for Discount Domain Club underscores our commitment to fostering high-quality buyer interactions thanks to the comprehensive educational resources and tools available to sellers through Discount Domain Club.

To access Self-Brokerage, you’ll need to connect Afternic to your GoDaddy account. Here’s how:

1. Head to the Afternic.com, and click “Sign in.” Then, click “Sign in with GoDaddy”
2. You’ll be prompted to sign in to your GoDaddy account. Use your GoDaddy username and password associated with your DDC membership to sign in
3. Next, click “Continue” on the “Connect your account to Afternic” page
4. Select “Link my existing account.” Sign-in with your Afternic credentials. After successful sign-in, your Afternic account will be linked to your GoDaddy account
5. You’ll then be redirected back to Afternic, where the Self-Brokerage platform will now be accessible

Once you’re connected, you have one more step to take to begin receiving leads from the Custom Lander:

• Go to Account Settings, and toggle “Make Offer” leads from our brokerage team, to yourself.

With Self-Brokerage, you receive leads by using “Make Offer” on the Custom Lander.

Setting Up Your Lander

Self-Brokerage is specifically available for Make Offer leads generated from our Custom Lander. To start receiving leads, ensure your domains are pointing to the Custom Lander with the Make Offer function enabled.

This can be done in bulk through Lander Selection, or for larger portfolios, use the bulk upload template for 1,000 or more domains. You can also set your default settings for any new domains you add to your account by heading to Lander Settings.

If you’re using the Request Price lander, these leads, along with leads generated through any other method such as a partner website or via phone, will continue to be assigned to our expert brokerage team.

Getting to know Self-Brokerage

Upon activating Self-Brokerage, you’ll encounter a user-friendly homepage designed for efficiency. The layout mirrors our Lead Center, featuring four key tabs:

• Needs Attention: Displays negotiations with recent activity.
• Favorites: Allows you to mark and closely track priority negotiations.
• Sale Pending: Shows negotiations in the final stages of closing after a price agreement.
• All: Provides access to all open and closed Self-Brokered leads.

Whichever tab you head to, you’ll quickly access your dedicated lead details page. The lead details page is your hub for negotiation, offering a comprehensive view of each interaction.

The lead details page is where the negotiation magic happens. On the right-hand side, you’ll find essential information such as buyer ID, location, time, lead status, and the latest offers from both parties. This data serves as a foundation for making informed negotiating decisions, supported by Afternic’s data-driven domain valuation tools.

Seller Experience

The Self-Brokerage platform offers four engagement options for both buyers and sellers: message, counter-offer, decline and close negotiations, or accept an offer. Accompanied by buyer location and timezone details, along with a full timeline of buyer, seller, and system messages, this comprehensive view will give you the tools you need to negotiate your leads at Afternic.

The Buyer’s View

Buyers have access to their own negotiation portal under the GoDaddy brand, ensuring a safe and efficient negotiation experience. They receive notifications for every message and offer via the portal and email.

Top Tips

While Self-Brokerage empowers you to steer negotiations, here are a few tips to enhance your success:

• Set Data-Driven Valuations: Utilize your Discount Domain Club toolkit to establish data-driven Buy It Now and Floor prices, setting a solid foundation for negotiations.
• Timing is Key: Responding within the first couple of hours of receiving a lead significantly increases the likelihood of a successful negotiation.
• Be Patient and Professional: Negotiations can take time, so it’s important to remain patient. Always communicate professionally, as this can impact the buyer’s perception of you and the domain’s value.
• Stay Informed: Keep up-to-date with trends in the domain market to better understand when to sell or hold onto your domain.

Sharpen Your Negotiation Skills

With Discount Domain Club’s top tier, you’ll receive access to GoDaddy’s Domain Academy, with its extensive educational resources and toolkit.

If you’re looking for extra guidance on how to effectively negotiate a domain name sale, here are some Discount Domain Club-exclusive resources:

• Domain Academy: Domain Academy’s course includes a 25-minute section covering negotiations and how to best approach each one.
• Case Studies: Domain Academy includes a series of case studies focusing on both inbound and outbound negotiations, along with commentary to help you understand each stage of the negotiation.
• Valuation Worksheet: A good negotiation is founded in a strong valuation. Use this worksheet to gain a deeper understanding of your domain name’s value before, or during negotiations.
• Research Snapshot: Domain Academy’s Research Snapshot tool brings with it some powerful insights, including Crunchbase and company name usage. Referencing this tool during negotiations can help you understand the potential popularity of your domain.

For a comprehensive understanding of Self-Brokerage, visit our FAQs section, which addresses common questions and provides further insights.

As we launch this exciting new feature, we’re eager to see how you harness its potential. Share your success stories with us on X @Afternic when you close your first sale. Happy negotiating!