VacationRentals.com
VacationRentals.com: A $35 Million Bet to Deny a Competitor
$35,000,000
Reported sale · 2007
In 2007, HomeAway co-founder Brian Sharples publicly reported acquiring VacationRentals.com for $35,000,000. The eye-watering price was famously as much about strategy as traffic — keeping a defining category name out of competitors' hands. It became one of the most cited stories about the strategic value of premium domains.
Why It Mattered
- • Category-defining exact-match keyword
- • Strategic, competitor-blocking value
- • Publicly reported eight-figure price
Sometimes a premium domain's value is strategic — controlling the category name your rivals wish they owned.
Sources
Domain Name Wire