You've looked elsewhere on this site at how you can register available domains names, or scoop up expiring domain names, but what happens if the domain name you want is already owned by a 3rd party, and is not going to expire any time soon?

In this case, unless you believe you have a fundamental legal right to the domain name and are prepared to undertake a UDRP dispute or similar action against the domain name's current owner, there's only one thing left for you to do: open your wallet and make an offer to buy the domain name!

While nothing can guarantee the success of any particular transaction (much will depend on the current use being made of the domain name, and how much the current owner values it), the right approach can increase your chance of completing a successful transaction, while at the same time reducing the amount you'll have to pay to secure the domain name.

If you're looking to purchase a domain name specifically as an investment, you'll want to also read through the Domain Name Investment Guide, as well as this Buyer's Guide.

If you already know exactly which domain name you want to buy, you can move on to the initial approach to the "seller". If you're not yet certain which domain name you're interested in, or you want to explore the options available to you, then review the Locating domain names to buy material first.

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