Our recent call for submissions got me thinking about when might be the right time to offer up a domain in a public auction. What would be the single premo moment to put it out, get it promoted, make everyone ‘aware’ of its presence and price and value?

In my experience with public auctions, I think it is pretty clear the single best time is when you have reached that point when you have an offer you are considering taking. Adding it to the public realm at that moment, has proven to be a very profitable strategy.

See, domainers don’t benefit as much from single-buyer scenarios. It’s what you want as a buyer but not as a seller. As buyers, we do all we can to keep the ‘word’ off the street. But as a seller, you want two competing and equally motivated groups fighting over ownership.

I can prove the point with some auction history: we have consistently found that domains with existing offers tend to sell for much more once they are sent to the public arena. Prime example would be last year a seller put up the name Indiatube.com as he had a $2250 offer he was going to accept.  It sold for $10,000.

If anything, you are getting the market as a whole to validate the offer. So if you get no more bidders, then chances are the offer is solid and beyond the aftermarket. It can be an excellent way to gauge value and interest.

In the end, the right time and place to sell is a subjective choice but I would recommend that when you reach that point, when you are about to snag that offer, push it to auction, let the rest of us valuate.

Remember, ‘awareness’ can be a buyer’s worst enemy – I’ve lost many a great deal because word got out. Haven’t you?