eBay buys Rent.com for $415M

[nameslave]

Okay, this time the buyer is eBay:

Ebay said on Friday it would buy Rent.com, an Internet housing rental listing service, for $415 million ...

Under the terms of the deal, Ebay would pay about $385 million in stock and $30 million in cash for privately held Rent.com.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=7124357
Of course, when compare to Name Development's grabbing of $155.2 million in cash (plus another $9 million in stock), I would choose the latter without a doubt. ;)

[GordonH]

I took my wife and three kids to Florida on holiday with money I got for a domain name last year.
However, I am not sure about the general health of the domain after market.
If you have a good, relevant, dictionary word in .com then it will be worth money but the others extensions are pretty worthless.

e.g. rent.gs is available for about $50!

Also, most people see a domain is taken and then look for another one, they don't go looking.
Even worse, sometimes a domain IS for sale and the owner never replies to any emails about it (one of my friends is trying to buy one from someone and is getting nowhere).

I don't get good feelings about the domain after market, but maybe I don't know enough about it.

[Chicken]

...but the others extensions are pretty worthless.

e.g. rent.gs is available for about $50!
Well obviously there's more to Rent.com than just the domain (meaning a good part of that $415 million was for content and traffic), but even just regarding domain sales alone, it is amazing that rent.com could sell for $415 million and rent.gs for $50.

I foget how much business.com sold for a few years back, but it is interesting how abusiness.com would have been valued at far less. That little "a" (being absent) is probably worth hundred of thousands of dollars.

[GordonH]

Presumably its type in traffic they are basing the figure on?

Mind you Amazon.com has nothing to do with the Amazon and I never really type domains in like that. Some people might though.

In the UK people sell car registration numbers which have previously belonged to them. Its called "cherished numbers" e.g. http://www.newreg.com
but you can also register new ones straight with the government at lower prices e.g. http://www.dvla-som.co.uk/home/

The idea of selling exisiting domains is very similar, but as there is no huge habit for people to buy them second hand like there is with car numbers it has never really taken off.

[Adam228]

I think somone should buy out paypal----and close them! :P

[Cow]

I can see it now. eBay may be opening a real-estate bidding service seperate from their eBay brand. It should be interesting to watch this develop into something.

By the way, has any one else noticed the weekend stock slumps on ALL the markets?

[Adam228]

Well the anual xmas rush has hit and the US Markets are at there highest since pre 9/11 :D Whoo