`docs/FORSALE-SALE-PACKET.md`

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# 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 — INTERNAL ESTIMATE, NOT YET COMP-VALIDATED.** This is the number at/above which the competitive process runs; it is an internal estimate, not an appraisal.

> ⚠️ **PREREQUISITE before the floor is used in ANY live conversation or listing:** run the NameBio comp check below. A one-word category `.com` can clear anywhere from mid-five to low-six figures depending on demand proof — a range that straddles $200k. If comps come back materially below $200k, **adjust the floor before the first call**, don't walk in anchored to an unvalidated number. The $200k in `data/forsale.json` / the `/forsale` board is a placeholder decision-of-record from 2026-07-30, not a comp-backed figure — treat it as provisional until the check is done.

**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).

### Rate-card rationale + how to finalize (⚠️ STEVE PRE-FLIGHT #2 — set the real numbers before quoting)

The three numbers above are **placeholder midpoints**, not quotable rates. Setting the real rate card is a Steve decision flagged by the sale gate (item 4) and is a prerequisite before the Sublease-Desk sponsorship outreach (draft 4b) goes out. The reasoning, and the three inputs Steve needs to lock each number:

- **The honest basis is CPM, not a made-up flat fee.** A defensible rate = (monthly impressions or sends ÷ 1000) × a CRE-niche CPM. Trade/CRE B2B display + newsletter CPMs typically run well above consumer inventory because the audience is narrow and high-value. So the three numbers stand or fall on **real traffic + list size**, which is why they're TBD.
- **Homepage masthead (~$2,250/mo placeholder):** finalize from (1) real monthly homepage impressions (GA), (2) a chosen CRE-display CPM, (3) exclusivity premium if sole-brand. If impressions are modest, this is honestly lower; if the CRE audience is strong, it supports the premium.
- **Newsletter sponsorship (~$1,100/send placeholder):** finalize from (1) the **actual opted-in list size + open rate**, (2) a per-send sole-sponsor CPM. A sole-sponsor slot commands more than a shared placement. This is the number most sensitive to real list data — do not quote it until the list size is confirmed.
- **Sublease-Desk presenting sponsor (~$3,750/mo placeholder):** the category-exclusive premium slot; price it as a **package** (masthead-adjacent placement + newsletter mention + /desk + /deals presence), not a bare CPM, because its real value is the strategic tie-in — the sponsor who values this audience is a warm sublease.com buyer. This is the on-ramp, so it can be priced to *land the relationship*, not to maximize the single line.
- **Discipline:** quote a rate card, not a negotiated one-off; hold the sole-sponsor exclusivity as the lever; and confirm the traffic/list inputs (GA + ESP) before any number leaves the building. Until then these stay internal placeholders.

---

## 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**
- [ ] **⚠️ STEVE PRE-FLIGHT #1 — confirm the registrar of record + clean ownership.** This is the load-bearing unknown at the foundation of this whole checklist and it is NOT confirmed here: automated WHOIS is policy-blocked in this environment, so **Steve must confirm it himself** by logging into his registrar (or running WHOIS locally): which account/registrar holds sublease.com, that it's under his control, current on renewal, and free of any lock/dispute/lien. Everything below assumes this is done. **Do not state a registrar to any buyer until Steve verifies it.**
- [ ] 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.