Domaining News Today – August 15, 2025

What’s Happening in the Domain Market and How You Can Profit from It

1. GoDaddy Earnings Reveal Strong Domain Growth

• News: GoDaddy’s core domain business revenue rose 7% YoY to $753.7M. Aftermarket sales hit $119M, with the average transaction value rising from $258 to $312.
• What It Means for Domainers:
  • Higher ATV = buyers are willing to pay more for quality domains.
  • Opportunity to price premium domains slightly higher without losing serious buyers.
  • Indicates confidence in the domain aftermarket even in competitive niches.
• Action Tip: If you’ve been undervaluing your domains, run a portfolio audit and adjust pricing, especially for names with high branding potential.

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2. Tucows Sees Boost from Expired Domain Sales

• News: Tucows reported 10% YoY growth in domains to $98.4M, largely fueled by expired domain sales.
• Why This is Big:
  • Expired domains are a goldmine — they often carry existing backlinks, search authority, and brand history.
  • Investors use drop-catching services to secure these before others do.
• Action Tip:
  • Track expiring domains daily using tools like Expireddomains.net or NameJet.
  • Focus on short, brandable .coms and trending niche keywords (AI, crypto, health).
  • Use archive.org to check past use and avoid spammy history.

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3. AI Domains Continue Their Market Takeover

• News: .AI domain sales doubled in dollar volume (+107% YoY), with fewer total transactions but much higher individual prices.
• Why It Matters:
  • AI is not a passing trend; it’s a foundational tech sector with long-term growth.
  • Even mid-tier .AI names are fetching four and five figures.
• Example Sales:
  • Prompt.ai – $110,000
  • Vision.ai – $100,000+ range
• Action Tip:
  • Don’t just buy any .AI — focus on short, meaningful, category-defining names.
  • Think future uses: robotics, healthcare AI, legal AI, etc.
  • Consider 2-3 letter .AI as digital real estate that will only get rarer.

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4. Brandable .COMs Still Pull Big Numbers

• News: Finanta.com sold for $125,000; Territory.com fetched $125,625.
• What We Learn:
  • Despite new TLDs, .COM is still the universal standard for business credibility.
  • Brandable .COMs are particularly valuable for startups and funded companies.
• Action Tip:
  • If you can’t get exact-match keywords, target short, easy-to-pronounce invented words.
  • Use brand name generators for inspiration, then check domain availability.

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5. The 2025 Domain Buyer Shift: Quality > Quantity

• News: Analysis by it.com Domains shows buyers now prefer quality, clarity, and brevity over keyword-heavy names.
• Why This is Important:
  • Investors holding massive portfolios of long-tail keyword domains may need to rethink strategies.
  • Short, memorable domains (even without exact match keywords) are commanding high prices.
• Action Tip:
  • Review your portfolio: Sell off low-value keyword-heavy names and reinvest in short brandables.
  • Keep most names under 10 characters for maximum resale appeal.

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6. Key Market Trends to Watch in Late 2025

Trend	What’s Happening	Opportunity
Rising Average Sale Prices	Buyers spending more per purchase.	Justify slightly higher pricing.
Expired Domain Gold Rush	Demand for aged domains is high.	Backorder and auction strategies.
AI Domains in Demand	Tech buyers driving .AI boom.	Focus on AI niches and short names.
Brandable .COM Power	Startups still love .COM.	Invest in pronounceable, unique names.
Quality Over Keywords	Branding beats SEO-heavy names.	Shift portfolio toward brevity.

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Final Takeaway for Domainers

The market right now favors smart, selective investing over bulk buying. Whether it’s riding the AI wave, chasing premium expired domains, or holding onto rare brandables, the winning strategy is owning names that people will actually remember and want to pay for.

If you adapt to these shifts — instead of holding onto old habits — you’ll be in the top tier of sellers benefiting from rising sale prices and evolving buyer demand.