Moniker, one of the five fastest-growing ICANN registrars, as also a leader in domain valuation and sales. Moniker/DomainSystems CEO Monte Cahn started the first internet domain brokerage (NameShop.com) in 1996.  He formed another company, HitDomains, which in 2000 merged with another industry player to become DomainSystems.com.  Despite the dot com's bursting bubble, DomainSystems did well, as company after company was liquidated.  Bankruptcy courts turned to DomainSystems to help them get the most money from their remaining domain assets.  "When many others were stuck, we were hired and that helped fund our business while times overall were tough," Cahn said.

The Big Fish

Moniker/Domain Systems CEO Monte Cahn claims the average retail price realized by sellers who use DomainSystems/Moniker is the highest in the industry by 7X. "Being a one stop shop featuring experience, legal and escrow has allowed us to attract the most valuable domains to sell and that has kept our average sales higher than the others." Cahn added "We also have contacts with the right potential buyers which gives us an edge when marketing high profile domains."

DN Journal has a nice story about how Moniker ushered in the era of live auctions.

Moniker has continued to dominate the "top sale" market this year, with Moniker's auctions (particularly those in conjunction with the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conferences) placing nearly half of items on DN Journal's list of priciest 2007 sales. 

Moniker was scheduled to hold about 10 auctions during 2007, in a number of targeted industries that effectively use domain names (including geo-targeted domains, and the sex and gambling industries), as well as several domains focusing more generally on "premium domains" at top industry conferences.

Cahn runs an informative (and conveniently archived) weekly internet radio show called Domain Masters. 

Agreements:

Seller gives Moniker the exclusive right to sell the domain during a long period continuing even beyond the auction -- Perhaps to give them a chance to possibly sell your domain to interested parties if it doesn't quite sell at auction?.  Seller is apparently released if the name is not selected for one of the auctions. 

Moniker's fee is 15%. 

Drawbacks

Yet, it's expensive to bid in Moniker's auctions.  Attendance at the auction is by invitation only.  And even getting absentee or one of the limited telephone spots costs around $500, and physically travelling to and attending the conference ($800 for a day) would cost considerably more.  There's a lot of good in this -- the auction room is likely to be filled with a known number of serious players -- but also a downside.  I feel like this format leaves the people who aren't domainers (not interested in lots of domains), but who might have a strong interest in a very targeted domain out of the mix.  Moniker claims to reach out to these people, but I'm sure it would be easier were the barriers a little lower.