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Expired Real Estate Domains

I was doing a lot of web work this week and I have noticed some very interesting patterns that I thought worth sharing. While on doing some routine maintenance for dead links on my websites (checking reciprocal links) for several sights I noticed that many of the big agents with incredible high-ranking sites are no longer in business or at least on the web. They literally have moved and not left a web forwarding address. I either received the following messages from real estate web sites when I clicked on the reciprocal link:

This domain is for sale.
Ad page for Google click throughs.
The IDX component of the site has been disabled for non payment.
Dead links, and missing pictures galore.
Forms and scripts that totally do not work.
If you are the owner of this site, please contact us.
Virus malware.
This account has been suspended for non-payment.
Page not found

Never let this happen. A domain is worth a small fortune especially if it s a prime domain name with a good history of high page rank. Purchase your domain names for 5 years. Create a small one or two page website, and offer it for sale, redirect traffic. Post a note online that you have changed offices and a new website is coming soon, or use the domain as a redirect to another site. Do not let the public know you are out of business. Do not lose your valuable web position!

For other agents still in the business, it is opportunity time. It's a great time to buy really great domain names that have become available again. A few years ago I purchased a prime domain in northern Virginia where the agent let it expire. I purchased www.loudounvirginia.com for $8

RE/MAX Greater Atlanta 770-238-0122 Direct

Or 888-992-5546 Toll Free Office

Atlanta Real Estate & Atlanta Homes for Sale

Posted by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO on 12/05/2008 08:31 AM

Comments (44)

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Originally posted at: Atlanta Real Estate | Atlanta Housing News for Real Estate: Expired Real Estate Domains

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44 Comments on Expired Real Estate Domains

DEC

2008

WoW, that is not good. I would hate for my clients to experience those errors on my website www.stevensellsco.com

Jim :

Very interesting, to keep up a site on a server is very cheap. I guess this industry is really feeling the effects of this debacle.

I own a bunch of good names and redirect most to my site.

Richard

Jim: does redirecting a domain to an active site hurt page rank? I was just wondering about that? thanks

Good reminders!

This is a very good blog and great information. Once a month I look for domain names I can use to see if they have lapsed

I will have to check on some domain names again here soon. It takes so long to get a high ranking site, I'm surprised so many agents would abandon their domains.

Jim these agents have to know better. Are they just giving up??

I noticed that many of the big agents with incredible high-ranking sites are no longer in business or at least on the web.

Hi Jim,

Some of those high-ranked agents could have been bitten by incredibly high overhead. This is a time of big changes, which is creating turmoil in the industry, but the changes are also creating big opportunities. I talked with an aggressive, young agent in GA earlier this week. His goal is to build a powerful, multi-state brokerage based on internet leads. I think he will be very successful

Cordially,

Bruce

P.S. I left a message for you earlier. I have family business for the next several hours. Are you available to talk later today?

Jim-Thanks for the great reminder, I will check on my websites today.

Wow, abandoning a domain name is throwing in the towel, FOREVER! Jim, we are not going to see these many of these folks in Real Estate again!

Steven Wright~Home Real Estate~720-989-5283 (Home Real Estate) It doesn't have to happen.

Richard Stabile Bergen County New Homes Builder Realtor (REMAX real estate associates) I do not redirect to my primary sites. Sometimes it can work against you. I own well over 140 domains names.

Mary Strang ~ Viroqua, WI Real Estate (RE/MAX Hill Country) It can actually hurt page rank if over used.

Kristin Johnston (Remax Realty Center) Glad you enjoyed.

Charlie Ragonesi Big Canoe homes, Jasper ,Ball Ground,Benttree,Dahlonega (All Mountain Realty) There are some great ones out there.

Colorado Springs Realty Patricia Beck (Prudential Professional Realtors, GRI) They could sell them and make great money.

John Walters (7824 Real Estate of Louisiana) They have just given up.

Not Yet Licensed I do all the work myself. I also am licensed in several states. A person cannot buy their way to success on the Internet. It is very complicated, and time consuming.

Joseph D. Federico Westwood, MA Real Estate 781-389-8700 (RE/MAX Landmark) We should all check our sites and remove dead links. They will definitley pull down your page rank.

Get Us A Home Realty - Frank & Jodi Real Estate Brokers Live in hope die in dispair.

Jim, keeping a domain name updated doesn't take much. I think a lot of people must be in pretty bad shape.

DEC

2008

Patricia Kennedy (Evers & Company) I totally agree. My cost for 130 domains X $10 = $1300 a year. My hosting per site is about $50 X 30 sites = $1500 $2800 A year for 30 websites.

Jim - Interesting post. I was surprised to read that "high ranking" sites were being abandoned. We all work hard to increase our ranking and once we get to high levels it would only seem logical that we would be gaining from that exposure. Even though a web site may be abandoned it doesn't mean the domain name has to be. I purchased mine for 10 years and hope to renew it before it expires.

I'd better go check my links. Maybe there's something out there worth buying.

It may be a sign of the times. Advice for agents now might be to keep an eye out for good ones and snap them up! Make small pages with re-directs and links to your main site for more exposure.

Jon Wnoroski, Summit County Realtor (Geneva Chervenic Realty, Inc.) I really feel that most agents do not really understand the Internet and the nature of real estate. There is a history that follows a domain name especially if it a really established one. That is why I was schocked. You were smart to buy for 10 years.

Kay Van Kampen, Broker, Springfield Missouri Real Estate (RE/MAX Solutions) We never know what will occur. Many agents change emails and miss the notification their domain name has expired.

Paul Viau , Guaranty GMAC ,Halifax, N.S. (Guaranty GMAC Halifax) Thanks Paul!

DEC

2008

Thanks Jim, I was just about to do just that, let one of my domains expire because I haven't really utilized it. You just helped me change my mind about that and I will put it back to use.

Silvia Dukes, PA --- Ich spreche Deutsch! (Tropic Shores Realty) Glad I could help.

DEC

2008

is there a place you can check to see which domains are expired?

DEC

2008

I am surprised that agents have let domain names expire. I am sure some agents will take advantage of this and buy some popular names.

Hi Jim - Here's another thought....what's your take? Last year I bought up a bunch of domain names with keywords for my location. This year I kept the best ones and let the others go. Is it possible other agents have done the same, which might account for some of the domains becoming available. With hyphens, it's pretty easy to put good names together.

BTW - I like the idea of setting up a site and offering it for sale, especially with a domain that's been around for a few years....might look into that in 2009, thanks and Happy Holidays :-)

DEC

2008

I agree with Gail. Many times when we were first starting out, we were instructed by "those in the know" that we should buy up anything remotely related to our area or community or niche "while we still could". Many did and many may have found what works best for them and discarded most of the rest. KISS!

Frank Bailey (Prudential Classic Realty I use Godaddy.com

GITA BANTWAL, REALTOR BUCKS COUNTY, PA HOMES (ReMax Centre Realtors) It surprises me, but I am a buyer right now.

Gail MacMillan Titusville-Brevard County FL Real Estate (Home Sweet Home Florida Realty, Inc.) That could be part of the mix, I am not buying any with hyphens any longer. Selling the whole works? I like that idea. I own 2 major domains in Atlanta I would sell with business, but it would be well over a million I would want for the sale. I get over 900 unique visitors a day just on one of them.

Pat Argo, CRS (Keller Williams Realty of Brevard You haven't attended my seminars. LOL I don't advocate that.

Pat Argo, CRS (Keller Williams Realty of Brevard You haven't attended my seminars. LOL I don't advocate that. I

Pat Argo, CRS (Keller Williams Realty of Brevard You haven't attended my seminars. LOL I don't advocate that.

Pat Argo, CRS (Keller Williams Realty of Brevard You haven't attended my seminars. LOL I don't advocate that. I have

Pat Argo, CRS (Keller Williams Realty of Brevard You haven't attended my seminars. LOL I don't advocate that. I have better

Pat Argo, CRS (Keller Williams Realty of Brevard You haven't attended my seminars. LOL I don't advocate that. I have better strategies.

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