7 Rules for Buying Real Estate Domain Names

Ok so I have to confess I am what they call a domain attic. I still own over 100 domain names for different real estate websites that I promised my family I would create or do something with. The real problem isn’t that I own over 100 domain names but I am not using them. Some of them don’t follow my rules and while some would say rules are meant to be broken in the case of spending money on real estate domain names I would have to disagree. So I thought it would be best if I told others my rules so you don’t have to suffer like I do. By the way I still agonize over not renewing certain real estate domain names. They are like family to me. On to the rules!

1. Make sure the domain name is easy to spell – this might seem obvious but it is not. If your city is hard to spell that is one thing but be careful of buying domain names for every street in your city especially the hard to spell ones.
2. Make sure the name is obvious to your visitor – Many agents buy domain names of their own names which is fine but not as their primary marketing source. You want to make sure that you use a domain name that describes the purpose of the website such as www.LovelySantaMonicaHomes.com. This domain clearly states that the website or blog is about lovely homes in the city of Santa Monica.
3. Try and get a .com or .net whenever possible- while there are other choices for the end of a domain name such as .info, .org, .mobi it is still preferred to have .com or .net at the end of your domain name.
4. Avoid “-’ whenever possible – All the good domain names are not taken and it is best to avoid “-” as it may be difficult for a visitor to remember or even type. It makes it more difficult to communicate when speaking to someone as well.
5. Try and keep the domain name to 4 words or less – The shorter the real estate domain name the easier it is to say, spell, display, & remember. This means that sometimes you have to get creative in how you choose your name but it is well worth it to have a great domain name that you can use in your marketing.
6. Use your city or area name whenever possible – it makes it much easier for the user to remember your area if it is in the domain name. If there is a common nick name for your city that is also a great way to integrate it into one of your choices. For example: www.HomesinBigEasy.com would be a choice for a real estate professional in New Orleans. Remember though that the nickname has to be very well known or it might not work for you.
7. Choose one you know you are going to use – This is my new rule because I bought real estate domain names that I was eventually going to use not ones that I needed at the moment. Use your money wisely and buy domain names that you can either use in your paid advertising, current listings, or websites that you have today or the very near future.

In all make sure you choose a domain name or multiple real estate domain names that you know you can use effectively to generate response from your consumers that causes them to request more information. Good luck and happy selection of your next real estate domain name!

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