Virtual Real Estate Parallels

Firstly, I’d like to thank Francois for including my feed at Domaining.com; this site was a ‘must-see’ when I first read about it and now it’s a daily read with so many excellent contributors.

My own domaining journey started about a year ago, so I’m still learning and looking forward to learning more.

One of the parallels that is drawn in domaining is between domains and real estate.  It’s an old comparison to many established domainers, but it certainly helps when needing to keep focused.  It’s also a great way to explain to those who don’t quite ‘get it’ yet.

My relations own a farm, it’s a small farm with a few sheep and it’s a struggle to make ends meet at times.  They’re a very ‘traditional’ family, still harboring a romantic notion about keeping the farm in the family, no matter what, while the rest of the world leaves them alone.  Sadly my Uncle who ran the farm died nearly a year ago and the rest of the family had some major readjustments to make.

The farm is in a great location, most of the land is flat, and there’s enough of it to make a go of any venture finances and the law will allow.  In fact the location is so ideal that my Uncle was offered one million pounds, (roughly 2 million dollars) for a relatively small plot with an old barn.  He turned it down.  He had his reasons, but since his passing his two sons have been looking at making a real go of the farm in some way.

The parallels I draw with this case and domains, is that if the farm were a domain it would probably be high 6 maybe 7 figure value.  The farm has road traffic passing in huge numbers every single day, which could be tapped into easily, the land could be used for events, paintball, par 3 golf, bio-fuel crops, you name it. The potential for development and monetization is huge.

As domainers these are the types of virtual real estate we are after, and viewing the process of domaining using the parallels above, makes it all the more appealing and shows how many opportunities there are.

Now I’m off to find a domain equivalent of a farm with land and lots of free passing traffic.

’til next time.

Marcus