In March, BrandBucket officially cut ties with the Afternic distribution network, and the results appear to validate the decision.
According to the company’s CEO, Margot Bushnaq, since removing its inventory from Afternic in March, BrandBucket has seen transactions rise 15% and revenue climb between 25–30%. Prior to rolling out the policy, the team tested multiple portfolios to confirm whether this effect was consistent. Every time, the results came back the same.
Several factors may explain why removing Afternic listings boosted BrandBucket’s performance:
Price Positioning vs. Alternatives:
Premium names listed above $1,500 tend to highlight the appeal of cheaper alternative TLDs registrars often promote. By focusing on its own marketplace, BrandBucket keeps buyer attention on quality .com and brandable inventory instead of inadvertently steering them toward lower-cost substitutes.Confusion Over Price Discrepancies:
Buyers often balk at seeing the same name sold at two different prices. Because of Afternic’s commission structure, sellers frequently had to raise prices there, creating a trust gap. BrandBucket believes that eliminating those public pricing conflicts reduces buyer hesitation and makes transactions smoother.Strengthening Exclusivity and Trust:
When customers recognize that BrandBucket is the exclusive source for a given name, they are more likely to trust the marketplace. That trust not only drives conversions but also encourages repeat visits and loyalty.
Bushnaq’s statement is clear:
“I understand not everyone has the financial flexibility or courage to experiment for a month or two without Afternic.
If you do, use your domains that are on a marketplace that is built for discovery (since registrars offer no discovery, and do not promote aftermarket names.)”
Ms. Bushnaq further commented that Sedo has a great API hosting Brandbucket domains on its MLS and that on-boarding Spaceship is in the works.
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