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RENTV sale prep (TK-10562, PREP-ONLY): add sublease.com sale/listing packet + individualize outreach drafts
339041d53fd041980a334ff990edf6d004acb5a7 · 2026-08-14 09:11:06 -0700 · Steve Abrams
- New docs/FORSALE-SALE-PACKET.md: consolidated valuation notes, HOLD-gated
marketplace listing copy, and the sublease.com domain-transfer checklist
(escrow-first / domain-second / funds-last), plus a one-page 'what Steve does'.
- Refined docs/FORSALE-OUTREACH.md: de-templated all 8 firm drafts into genuine
1:1 founder-to-exec voice (distinct openings/angles/close-phrasing); removed the
repeated 'adjacent to real sublease deal-flow' line; added companion-doc cross-links.
- No send, no listing, no transfer. All 3 Steve gates remain in pending-approval.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Files touched
M docs/FORSALE-OUTREACH.mdA docs/FORSALE-SALE-PACKET.md
Diff
commit 339041d53fd041980a334ff990edf6d004acb5a7
Author: Steve Abrams <steve@designerwallcoverings.com>
Date: Fri Aug 14 09:11:06 2026 -0700
RENTV sale prep (TK-10562, PREP-ONLY): add sublease.com sale/listing packet + individualize outreach drafts
- New docs/FORSALE-SALE-PACKET.md: consolidated valuation notes, HOLD-gated
marketplace listing copy, and the sublease.com domain-transfer checklist
(escrow-first / domain-second / funds-last), plus a one-page 'what Steve does'.
- Refined docs/FORSALE-OUTREACH.md: de-templated all 8 firm drafts into genuine
1:1 founder-to-exec voice (distinct openings/angles/close-phrasing); removed the
repeated 'adjacent to real sublease deal-flow' line; added companion-doc cross-links.
- No send, no listing, no transfer. All 3 Steve gates remain in pending-approval.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
---
docs/FORSALE-OUTREACH.md | 34 +++++++-------
docs/FORSALE-SALE-PACKET.md | 109 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2 files changed, 127 insertions(+), 16 deletions(-)
diff --git a/docs/FORSALE-OUTREACH.md b/docs/FORSALE-OUTREACH.md
index 5a8ac3a0..d4d8ea3a 100644
--- a/docs/FORSALE-OUTREACH.md
+++ b/docs/FORSALE-OUTREACH.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
**Status:** DRAFT for Steve to send from his own inbox. **Nothing has been sent. No contact has been made.**
**Approach (Scenario C, approved 2026-07-30):** run a quiet, invitation-only competitive process among the strategics below, floor at/above **$200k**, before any open-market listing. Frame every note as *"you're on a short shortlist"* — scarcity + competition is what produces a multiple over a single quote.
+**Drafts are individualized 1:1** — each body is written to that firm in a distinct voice (different opening, different value angle, varied close-window phrasing) so a note that gets forwarded internally reads as a genuine founder-to-exec message, not a mass blast.
+**Companion docs:** named recipients → `FORSALE-OUTREACH-CONTACTS.md`; valuation + listing copy + the domain-transfer checklist → `FORSALE-SALE-PACKET.md`; scenarios/timeline → `FORSALE-SCENARIOS.md`.
## How to use this
1. For each firm, source the **named person** in the listed function (LinkedIn / corporate site — I've named the *role*, not invented an email).
@@ -26,44 +28,44 @@ These are individualized B2B business solicitations (not bulk marketing), so CAN
### CoStar Group · contact: **Corporate Development / M&A**
Angle: category-defining; owns LoopNet; the most acquisitive buyer. sublease.com is a defensive + offensive category asset.
-> **Subject:** sublease.com — CoStar on a short shortlist
-> Hi [Name] — We own **sublease.com** and are running a brief, invitation-only process before it goes to open market. Given CoStar's position in commercial listings, you're on the shortlist. It's the exact-match category name — direct type-in, brandable, and already adjacent to real sublease deal-flow via our RENTV commercial-RE audience (since 1998). Happy to share context under NDA. If it's a fit, reply with a range and we'll fold you in — we expect to close within [6] weeks. — Steven Bloom, Founder & CEO, RENTV
+> **Subject:** sublease.com — a short list before it's public
+> Hi [Name] — I'm the founder of RENTV; we've covered Western-US commercial real estate since 1998, and along the way we ended up owning **sublease.com**. Before I take it to the open market I'm quietly showing it to a handful of firms that would actually build on it — and CoStar is first on that list. You own the category with LoopNet, so the exact-match name is both an offensive channel and a defensive one. I can share the traffic and deal-flow context under NDA. If there's interest, reply with a range and I'll bring you into the process; I'd like to wrap it inside [6] weeks. — Steven Bloom, Founder & CEO, RENTV
### Yardi (CommercialEdge / CommercialCafe) · contact: **CommercialEdge brand lead or Corp Dev**
Angle: building a listings brand to rival LoopNet; sublease.com is a clean vertical front door.
-> **Subject:** sublease.com — a vertical front door for CommercialEdge
-> Hi [Name] — We own **sublease.com** and are quietly shortlisting a few strategics before open market. As you scale CommercialEdge, the exact-match sublease category name is a ready-made acquisition/lead channel. Real sublease deal-flow already runs adjacent to it via our RENTV audience. Open to sharing context under NDA? We're aiming to close within [6] weeks. — Steven Bloom, Founder & CEO, RENTV
+> **Subject:** sublease.com — as you scale CommercialEdge
+> Hi [Name] — I run RENTV (Western-US CRE news since 1998) and we own **sublease.com**. I'm running a brief, invitation-only look before it goes public and wanted CommercialEdge in it: as you build a listings brand against LoopNet, owning the exact category name is a ready-made front door and lead channel — cheaper than earning that search position over several years. Happy to walk you through the numbers under NDA. I'm aiming to close within [6] weeks. — Steven Bloom, Founder & CEO, RENTV
### Crexi · contact: **Growth / Marketing lead (or founders)**
Angle: growth marketplace that spends on category SEO; one-word vertical domain is on-brand and cheaper than years of SEO.
-> **Subject:** sublease.com — before it hits the open market
-> Hi [Name] — We own **sublease.com** and are running a short invite-only process. For a growth marketplace like Crexi, the exact category name is instant type-in + SEO equity. Adjacent to live sublease deal-flow via RENTV. Want the context under NDA? Closing target ~[6] weeks. — Steven Bloom, Founder & CEO, RENTV
+> **Subject:** sublease.com — thought of Crexi first
+> Hi [Name] — founder of RENTV here. We own **sublease.com** and I'm floating it quietly to a few growth-stage marketplaces before open market. For Crexi it's straightforward: the one-word category name is instant type-in traffic and search equity you'd otherwise spend years buying. I can show you the audience and deal-flow context under NDA. If it's interesting, send a range and I'll fold you in — I'm targeting a close in about [6] weeks. — Steven Bloom, Founder & CEO, RENTV
## Tier 2 — brokerages (buy the name for their sublease/tenant-rep practice; also ad buyers)
### CBRE · contact: **Digital/Brand marketing, or the Sublease/Tenant-Rep practice lead**
-> **Subject:** sublease.com — CBRE on the shortlist
-> Hi [Name] — We own **sublease.com** and are shortlisting a few firms before open market. For CBRE's sublease/tenant-rep practice it's a marketing + defensive asset — the category name pointing wherever you want. Context under NDA; ~[6]-week close. — Steven Bloom, Founder & CEO, RENTV
+> **Subject:** sublease.com — CBRE on the short list
+> Hi [Name] — I'm the founder of RENTV. We own **sublease.com**, and before it goes to open market I'm showing it to a few firms with a real sublease/tenant-rep practice. For CBRE it's both a marketing asset and a defensive one — the category name pointed wherever your advisory team wants it. I can share the context under NDA. Hoping to close inside [6] weeks. — Steven Bloom, Founder & CEO, RENTV
### JLL · contact: **Digital marketing / Corporate Development**
-> **Subject:** sublease.com — quiet process, JLL invited
-> Hi [Name] — We own **sublease.com**, running a brief invitation-only process. Given JLL's large sublease/tenant-rep book, the exact category name has real marketing + defensive value. Happy to share under NDA. Closing ~[6] weeks. — Steven Bloom, Founder & CEO, RENTV
+> **Subject:** sublease.com — quiet look for JLL
+> Hi [Name] — founder of RENTV. We own **sublease.com** and I'm running a short invitation-only process before open market. Given the size of JLL's sublease and tenant-rep book, the exact category name carries real brand and defensive value. Glad to take you through the details under NDA. I'd like to close within [6] weeks. — Steven Bloom, Founder & CEO, RENTV
### Cushman & Wakefield · contact: **a former colleague — Steven is C&W alumni** ⭐ WARM
Angle: **Steven Bloom came up through Cushman & Wakefield (and Cresa).** This is not a cold email — it's a founder reaching back to his old shop. Route through a real former colleague / current contact, not the brand inbox. Highest-conversion thread in the list.
-> **Subject:** sublease.com — reaching out to my C&W roots
-> Hi [Name] — good to reconnect. I own **sublease.com** and am running a quiet, invitation-only process before it goes to open market. Given my C&W background and the firm's national sublease inventory, I wanted you to have first look. It's the exact-match category name, already adjacent to real sublease deal-flow via RENTV. Happy to walk you through it under NDA. ~[6]-week close. — Steven Bloom, Founder & CEO, RENTV (ex-C&W)
+> **Subject:** sublease.com — reaching back to my C&W roots
+> Hi [Name] — good to reconnect. I came up through Cushman & Wakefield before building RENTV, and we now own **sublease.com**. I'm running a quiet, invitation-only process before it goes public, and I wanted my old shop to have first look — with C&W's national sublease inventory it's a natural home for the category name. Happy to walk you through it under NDA. I'm aiming to wrap in about [6] weeks. — Steven Bloom, Founder & CEO, RENTV (ex-C&W)
### Colliers · contact: **Corporate Development (acquisitive) / Brand**
-> **Subject:** sublease.com — before open market
-> Hi [Name] — We own **sublease.com** and are running a short invite-only process. Colliers buys brands and platforms; the exact category name is a clean bolt-on. Happy to share under NDA. Closing ~[6] weeks. — Steven Bloom, Founder & CEO, RENTV
+> **Subject:** sublease.com — before it's on the open market
+> Hi [Name] — I'm the founder of RENTV; we own **sublease.com**. I'm quietly shortlisting a few acquisitive firms before open market, and Colliers came to mind — you've built the platform by buying good brands, and the exact category name is a clean bolt-on. Happy to share the context under NDA. Targeting a close within [6] weeks. — Steven Bloom, Founder & CEO, RENTV
## Tier 3 — adjacent operator
### IWG / Regus · contact: **Brand / Marketing or M&A**
Angle: flex operators are the natural home for short-term sublease demand.
-> **Subject:** sublease.com — flex + sublease, a natural fit
-> Hi [Name] — We own **sublease.com** and are shortlisting a few strategics before open market. Flex operators are where short-term sublease demand lands, so the exact category name is on-target for IWG. Context under NDA; ~[6]-week close. — Steven Bloom, Founder & CEO, RENTV
+> **Subject:** sublease.com — flex + sublease
+> Hi [Name] — founder of RENTV here. We own **sublease.com** and I'm showing it to a small number of firms before open market. Flex is where a lot of short-term sublease demand actually lands, so the exact category name is squarely on-target for IWG. I can share the audience and deal-flow context under NDA. I'd like to close inside [6] weeks. — Steven Bloom, Founder & CEO, RENTV
---
diff --git a/docs/FORSALE-SALE-PACKET.md b/docs/FORSALE-SALE-PACKET.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fbb56c4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/FORSALE-SALE-PACKET.md
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+# sublease.com — Sale / Listing Prep Packet (PREP-ONLY)
+
+**Status:** PREP-ONLY reference for Steve. **Nothing here has been executed.** No listing has been posted, no broker engaged, no offer accepted, no domain moved. Every action in this packet is Steve-only and gated (see `~/.claude/yolo-queue/pending-approval/TK-10061-rentv-business-domain-sale-GATE.md`).
+**Decision of record:** DTD 2026-07-30 — *time-boxed LATER.* Hold the name, run the **quiet Scenario-C competitive process** first (see `FORSALE-OUTREACH.md`), light monetization in parallel, hard fallback to a bare-name floor sale by **2026-10-28** if no traction. A **public listing is a distinct, more-irreversible step than the quiet feelers** — it forfeits scarcity leverage and is NOT the recommended first move.
+**Asset of record (`data/forsale.json`):** `sublease.com` · floor **$200,000** · ask **$200,000** · close_by **2026-10-28**.
+
+This packet assembles the three things the outreach drafts don't cover: (1) consolidated **valuation notes**, (2) **listing copy** to have ready *if* the process ever escalates to an open-market listing, and (3) the **transfer checklist** — the actual mechanics of moving the domain safely at close.
+
+---
+
+## 1 · Valuation notes (consolidated)
+
+**Floor: $200,000.** This is the number at/above which the competitive process runs; it is an internal estimate, not an appraisal.
+
+**Why the name is worth holding for:**
+- One-word, exact-match `.com` in an *active* CRE category (commercial sublease demand is structurally elevated post-hybrid-work). Direct type-in + generic-keyword SEO equity that a marketplace would otherwise spend years buying.
+- Non-perishable, blue-chip asset — carrying cost is only ~$10–40/yr renewal, so there is negligible downside to *not* selling yet. That asymmetry is exactly why DTD said LATER.
+
+**How the price is actually set (two regimes):**
+| Regime | What's being priced | Rough basis | Buyer pool |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| **Bare name** | Brandability + one-word `.com` + category comps | Low-to-mid hundreds-of-K (the ~$200k floor sits here) | 3–5 CRE strategics, defensive/brand value |
+| **Name + working funnel** | Domain that *demonstrably routes real demand* (traffic + leads + captive advertiser list) | Reprices to "domain + funnel"; enables a **multiple** via a competitive bid | Wider — operators + financial buyers, not just the strategics |
+
+**The half-built trap (the dissent's strongest point — respect it):** a *lightly* monetized micro-marketplace can be valued at 3–5× near-zero revenue — i.e. **below** the bare-name strategic premium. So: either demonstrate *real* demand (then price as a funnel) **or** sell the bare name at the floor. **Never sell the in-between.**
+
+**Comparable-sale sanity check (do before naming a number publicly):** pull recent one-word/category `.com` comps from NameBio (filter category `.com`, keyword sales) and any public CRE-domain sales; a one-word category `.com` with genuine commercial intent generally clears mid-five to low-six figures depending on demand proof. Use comps to *defend* the floor in negotiation, not to reset it downward.
+
+**Leverage rules:**
+- A competitive process (several parties aware there's a short list) is the mechanism that produces a multiple over a single quote. Do **not** accept an unsolicited single offer without first running the shortlist against it.
+- Sequence Tier 1 first — they set the ceiling. Once one bites, "there's active interest" is honestly sayable to the rest.
+
+---
+
+## 2 · Advertiser / sponsorship rate card (the on-ramp, not the sale)
+
+Standing up demonstrated demand feeds the domain valuation. Rate card of record (`data/forsale.json`, admin `/forsale`), all suggested midpoints — tune to real traffic/list size before quoting:
+- **Homepage takeover / masthead** — ~**$2,250/mo** (brokerage brand or CRE lender).
+- **Newsletter sponsorship** — ~**$1,100/send** (sole sponsor to the opted-in list).
+- **Sublease Desk presenting sponsor** — ~**$3,750/mo**, category-exclusive. *Strategic tie-in:* a sponsor who values this audience is a **warm sublease.com buyer** — sponsorship is the on-ramp to the domain sale.
+
+Advertiser targets: Marcus & Millichap, Kidder Mathews (Western-US bullseye) + the brokerages in the outreach pack (double-duty: they buy ads *and* could buy the domain).
+
+---
+
+## 3 · Marketplace listing copy — HOLD (only if the quiet process fails)
+
+⚠️ **Do NOT post any of this yet.** A public listing is the *fallback*, reached only if the quiet Scenario-C process produces no traction/bids by the 2026-10-28 gate. Drafted now so it's ready and Steve isn't writing copy under time pressure at the gate. If listed, the natural venues are **Afternic** and **Sedo** (widest distribution) and/or **Escrow.com** for the transaction itself.
+
+**Listing title:**
+> sublease.com — the exact-match commercial-sublease category domain
+
+**One-liner / short description:**
+> One-word, exact-match `.com` for the commercial sublease category. Direct type-in, generic-keyword SEO equity, and an obvious brand for any marketplace, brokerage, or flex operator in the space.
+
+**Long description:**
+> **sublease.com** is the category-defining one-word domain for commercial subleasing — a market that has only grown as hybrid work reshaped office demand. It is short, unambiguous, exact-match, and instantly understood: the kind of name that becomes a brand on day one and compounds in type-in and search value over time.
+>
+> Ideal for a CRE listings marketplace building a vertical front door, a national brokerage's sublease/tenant-rep practice, or a flex-space operator where short-term sublease demand naturally lands. Serious inquiries only; transaction via Escrow.com. Price on the competitive process — qualified buyers invited to submit.
+
+**Keywords/tags:** sublease, commercial real estate, CRE, office space, tenant rep, coworking, flex space, listings marketplace, one-word domain, exact match.
+
+**Pricing on a listing:** do **not** post a public Buy-It-Now below the intended clearing price — a low BIN caps the auction. Prefer "make offer" with the $200k floor held privately, or a BIN set at a genuine premium. Keep the competitive-process framing ("qualified buyers invited") even on a public listing.
+
+**Do NOT include on a public listing:** raw traffic/lead numbers, the advertiser/subscriber list, or any PII — those are shared only under NDA, in aggregate, and never before an offer is real.
+
+---
+
+## 4 · sublease.com transfer checklist (mechanics of a safe close)
+
+⚠️ **Nothing below is done until Steve has a signed agreement + funds in escrow.** This is the runbook, not an authorization to move the domain.
+
+**A. Before any buyer conversation gets concrete**
+- [ ] **Confirm the registrar of record + that ownership is clean.** Run WHOIS on sublease.com and confirm which account/registrar holds it and that it's under Steve's control with no lock/dispute/lien. *(Do not state a registrar in outreach until this is verified — I have not confirmed it here.)*
+- [ ] Confirm the domain is **not** within 60 days of a prior registrar transfer or a recent registrant change (either can impose a 60-day transfer lock at some registrars — plan the close date around it).
+- [ ] Confirm renewal is current so nothing lapses mid-negotiation (carrying cost ~$10–40/yr).
+- [ ] Decide the entity/name that will appear as seller on the agreement (Steven Bloom / RENTV entity) and that it matches the WHOIS registrant.
+
+**B. Deal terms (before signing)**
+- [ ] Price + currency + who pays escrow fee (commonly split or buyer-pays — state it).
+- [ ] **Escrow via Escrow.com** (or the marketplace's built-in escrow). Never transfer the domain before funds are confirmed in escrow; never release before the domain lands in the buyer's account.
+- [ ] Transfer method: **registrar "push"** (fastest — if buyer holds an account at the same registrar, an internal account-to-account push) **vs. full inter-registrar transfer** (requires unlock + auth/EPP code + up to ~5–7 days). Pick based on the buyer's registrar.
+- [ ] One-page purchase agreement: asset = the domain name only (NOT the RENTV business, the `/desk` build, the advertiser list, or any PII, unless separately negotiated and separately papered). Reps: seller owns it free of encumbrance. Aggregate-only demand context, under the existing NDA.
+
+**C. At close (only after funds in escrow)**
+- [ ] **Unlock** the domain at the registrar; disable any registrar-lock / transfer-prohibited status.
+- [ ] Generate + provide the **auth/EPP code** to escrow/buyer (for an inter-registrar transfer), OR execute the **account push** (for same-registrar).
+- [ ] Turn off WHOIS privacy only as/if the transfer flow requires; re-confirm registrant contact email is one Steve controls so approval emails arrive.
+- [ ] Buyer initiates transfer / accepts push; Steve **approves** the transfer request.
+- [ ] Confirm the domain shows in the buyer's account; **then** authorize escrow to release funds.
+
+**D. Post-close**
+- [ ] Escrow releases funds → confirm receipt.
+- [ ] Remove sublease.com from Steve's registrar account / stop auto-renew so he's not billed for an asset he no longer owns.
+- [ ] Update `data/forsale.json` (`dom-sublease` → `status: sold`, record buyer + price + date) and log the close on `/forsale` — **but only after the real close; do not mark sold in anticipation.**
+- [ ] Keep the signed agreement + escrow receipt + transfer confirmation together as the record of sale.
+- [ ] Tax: a domain sale is a reportable asset disposition — flag to Steve's accountant.
+
+**Hard rails (unchanged):** the outreach that starts this process is gated (`TK-10061-rentv-outreach-send-GATE.md`); the listing + sale + transfer are gated (`TK-10061-rentv-business-domain-sale-GATE.md`); **BLOCK** a premature single-buyer accept or an early public listing that forfeits the auction. No listing action is due until the 2026-10-28 gate.
+
+---
+
+## 5 · One-page "what Steve does" summary
+
+1. **To start the process (gated):** approve outreach → source named recipients (`FORSALE-OUTREACH-CONTACTS.md`) → append the required footer → send 1:1 from your inbox, Tier 1 first → log each touch on `/forsale`.
+2. **As interest forms:** hold NDA before sharing any traffic/demand context; share only in aggregate; never hand over the list or PII.
+3. **To convert (gated):** run the shortlist against any offer (don't accept a single lowball); set/hold the $200k floor; weeks 6–12 convert strongest interest to offers.
+4. **At the 2026-10-28 gate:** if no traction/bids → decide the fallback (bare-name floor sale via §3 listing copy) — do not hold open-ended.
+5. **At close (gated):** run §4 transfer checklist — escrow first, domain-moves-second, funds-release-last.
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