A couple of years ago, I made an offer to buy a domain name. My email went unanswered for nearly two years before receiving a reply early this year. The longtime registrant and I exchanged a few emails, and I learned he and his wife lived less than an hour from me. He seemed apprehensive to close a deal, having been burned in the past when a prospective buyer flaked on him.

After agreeing on a price and discussing details about closing a deal, he asked if we could meet in person. I was not inclined to do this, but I quickly concluded that this would be the only way the seller would be comfortable moving forward on a deal. I suggested a coffee shop about 20 minutes from my home and about 10 minutes from his home.

As soon as I arrived for the meeting, I saw the seller and his wife sitting at a table. We exchanged pleasantries and he showed me printed out copies of Whois records and screenshots of the domain name in his registrar account. They asked me a couple of questions about using Escrow.com, and we shook hands to agree to on the deal. Within a couple of days, the deal was closed.

I nearly didn't take the meeting. I told the seller I did not think it was necessary to meet in person. He disagreed, and I almost opted out. I appreciate the fact that I don't have to meet with people in person to close deals. I am glad I met the seller.

In my history as a domain investor, I can only recall two deals that I closed in person with sellers who aren't domain investors.