NameBio Workflow: Finding Comparable Domain Sales
July 21, 2026
Comparable sales are the closest thing domain investing has to a pricing floor. If similar domains have sold for $X, your domain is worth roughly $X – not $10X because “it’s a great name.”
I maintain a database of 19,000+ domain sales records aggregated from NameBio, DNJournal, NamePros, and other sources. Here’s how I use it.
The Database
The data lives in a SQLite file (~/dev/domain_sales_full.db) with a single unified schema:
- Domain name
- Sale price
- Sale date
- Venue (NameBio, DNJournal, NamePros, etc.)
- TLD
19,111 unique domains spanning 1997-2026. The MCP server at ~/dev/domain-sales-mcp exposes it as searchable tools that any agent can query.
How I Search
When evaluating a domain, I run three queries:
1. Exact category match. Find domains with the same keyword sold in the last 12 months. If I’m pricing OilHeal.com, I search for “oil,” “heal,” “wellness,” “health” keyword domains.
2. Pattern match. Same prefix or suffix structure. “Feed” + noun, “go” + verb, “get” + noun. These patterns have consistent price ranges regardless of the specific word.
3. Length and structure. 5-7 letter .com domains with English words vs made-up brandables. The market prices them differently.
What the Data Shows
After analyzing 19,000 records, a few patterns stand out:
Short domains (4-5 letters) command a premium. Average sale price is 2-3x longer domains, but volume is lower because fewer exist.
Category matters more than the word. A 6-letter .com in the AI space sells for more than a 5-letter .com in a dead category. Recent sales of AI-related domains show consistent $500-$2,000 pricing regardless of length.
The “refresh effect” is real. Domains in trendy categories (crypto 2021, AI 2024-2026) see a price bump that lasts 12-18 months before settling. Catching a category early matters more than the name quality.
My Confidence Framework
| Signal | Confidence | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 3+ comps in 12 months, same keyword | Strong | Price confidently, list at BIN |
| 1-2 comps in 12 months | Moderate | Price cautiously, test market |
| Similar keyword comps only | Weak | Add margin for uncertainty |
| No comps at all | None | Skip or auction |
How I Pull Data
I have an MCP tool call for this, but the manual method is just as good:
- Go to NameBio.com
- Search for your keyword
- Filter by TLD (.com)
- Filter by date (last 12 months)
- Sort by relevance, scan the prices
The key is not to cherry-pick. If the top result is $5,000 but the next 10 are $200-$400, the $5,000 is an outlier. Average the cluster, not the spike.
Why This Matters
Without comparable sales, domain pricing is guessing. With a database, it’s research. The confidence level is transparent – “3 strong comps at $400-$600” is a statement you can defend. “I think it’s worth $2,000” is a feeling.
I update the database monthly with new sales. Patterns shift, categories cool down, new ones heat up. The data keeps my pricing grounded.
Related: How I Analyze Domain Sales Data, Domain Investing Workflow: From Finding Domains to Getting Paid, The Most Underrated Domain Investing Skill Is Knowing When to Walk Away, What I’ve Learned From 12 Months of Domain Flipping
FAQs
Q: Is NameBio worth the subscription?
A: For active domain investors, yes. The ability to search comparable sales by keyword pattern, TLD, and price range pays for itself in better buying decisions.
Q: How recent should comparable sales be?
A: Within 12 months ideally. Domain market values shift, and a sale from 2018 may not reflect current demand.
Q: Can I find comparable sales for completely new keyword combinations?
A: Look for sales of similar prefixes, suffixes, or semantic equivalents. “Cloud” data helps value “Sky” domains. “Pay” data helps value “Send” domains.
Related: Domain Daily Pipeline