References
NAR Library & Archives has already done the research for you. References (formerly Field Guides) offer links to articles, eBooks, websites, statistics, and more to provide a comprehensive overview of perspectives. EBSCO articles (E) are available only to NAR members and require a password.
ICANN and Top-Level Domains
ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers)
The IANA functions include . . . the administration of certain responsibilities associated with Internet DNS root zone management such as generic (gTLD) and country code (ccTLD) Top-Level Domains.
Root Zone Database (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority)
“The Root Zone Database represents the delegation details of top-level domains, including gTLDs such as .com, and country-code TLDs such as .uk.”
What Is a Top-Level Domain (TLD)?
What Is a TLD? All You Need to Know About Top Level Domains (Hostinger, Apr. 28, 2022)
“A top-level domain (TLD) is a suffix located after the final dot of a domain name. TLDs help people identify the site’s purpose, owner, and geographic location without seeing the content, such as .com for commercial websites and .us for American sites.”
51+ Comprehensive TLD Statistics – New Domains & Trends in 2022 (Web Tribunal, Apr. 6, 2022)
“The top 4 gTLDs are .com, .ru, .org, .net.”
Real Town Blogs Series on Top-level Domains (National Association of REALTORS®)
“This blog post series explores the value of new top-level domains for real estate professionals and brokers, with both simple and advanced advice.”
Top-Level Domain (TLD) (Techopedia, Jan. 15, 2021)
“Currently, some TLDs are more difficult to get compared to easy ones such as .com. Because of this, many organizations register multiple TLDs and redirect them as necessary to the main one used for their principal web resource.”
Why the TLD Structure Is Changing & What It Means for the Internet
Changes in Top Level Domain Names That May Affect Your Business (RWO Law, Apr. 15, 2021)
“The major impact of ICANN’s recent action is that business or other organizations will soon have the opportunity to claim a customized gTLD. Instead of using a second level domain name under a gTLD such as “.com,” a company can use its company name as the gTLD itself, such as “.amazon.””
More and More Companies are Using New TLDs (Domain Name Wire, May 22, 2020)
“Big companies might prefer .com. Most people might choose .com. But there’s another trend I’ve seen over the past year that shouldn’t be overlooked: more and more companies using new top level domains.”
ICANN Rejects Sale of .Org Domain to Private Equity Firm (Associations Now, May 1, 2020)
“The controversial sale of the Public Interest Registry, which oversees more than 10 million .org internet addresses held by nonprofit organizations, to a private equity firm was blocked April 30 by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.”
The .realtor™ and .realestate Domains
Stand Out Online with .realtor™ and .realestate (RISMedia, May 19, 2022)
“For maximum marketing effectiveness, .realtor™ and .realestate web addresses are recommended for your brokerage and for each of your team members. That way, agents own their personal brand online, and your company can carve out a custom space to highlight your specialties and areas of expertise.”
“With a .realtor™ domain and Free Professional Website you can continue to strategically build your brand and boost business through a powerful site that is yours and yours alone!”
5 Tips for Using NAR’s Online Domain in Your Business (RISMedia, May 28, 2019)
“With a top-level domain, you’re always accessible to consumers. You can provide them with important information 24/7, connecting them to a wide array of services, listings and forms, and all built around your area of expertise in an easy-to-understand way.”
Mapping Your .REALTOR Domain to Placester [Classic] (Placester, May 20, 2019)
“Mapping is the process of replacing your existing Placester domain with a custom one you have purchased from a third party provider. Placester always recommends that you map your domain rather than forward it. “
Make Double the Marketing Impact With .realestate (REALTOR® Magazine, Nov. 12, 2018)
“The complementary .realestate domain identifies what you do and can be used to promote your specific expertise, like a property type or geographic area.”
Become the Master of Your .realtor™ Domain (REALTOR® Magazine, Dec. 2014)
“Recommendations are easily shared by clicking on the share box at the bottom (after the recommendation is created). You can share to any of the social networks you connected to in the initial setup. Check your "Account Settings" section to add or edit your social networks.”
Top-Level Domains and Your Business
What Is a Business Domain Name? A Quick Overview (Fit Small Business, Mar. 31, 2022)
“When choosing a domain name for a business website, keep in mind that top-level domains are considered the gold standard. Not only do they appear more professional and credible, but they also tend to get preference from search engines, in turn helping your site rank higher in Google.”
What to Do When the .COM You Want Is Taken (Search Engine Journal, Jun. 2, 2021)
“If there are several words in your domain name, try rearranging their order if you can.”
What Happens When Your Domain Expires? (Forbes, Jul. 7, 2020)
“How do you keep from letting your domain expire? Call your registrar, renew it to the max, which is 10 years, and then leave another 10-year's worth of renewals as a credit in the account.”
eBooks & Other Resources
101 Ways to Promote Your Real Estate Website (eBook)
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Creating a Website ( eBook)
I’ve Got a Domain Name—Now What??? (eBook)
Building Websites All-In-One For Dummies (eBook)
101 Ways to Promote Your Website (eBook)
The Rough Guide to the Internet (eBook)
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