Sedo’s Domain Marketplace got off to a good start in 2012, with our strongest quarter since Q2 2011. A total of 10,133 domain transactions took place, at a sales value of $19.6m. The .com extension remained the most frequently sold, accounting for 44% of all sales, with .de in second place at 16%.

One major change this quarter was in the number of Buy Now sales, which surpassed offer-counter offer sales for the first time ever. A huge 39% of all sales in Q1 2012 were the result of Buy Now domain listings, indicating that more sellers are opting to set prices on their domains, and more buyers are choosing the simple and fast purchase process that Buy Now provides.

Another positive sign in Q1 came from IDNX, the domain name price index, which reached record highs in March after five months of consecutive growth. Q1 prices increased by +4.2%, paralleling other economic indices and proving that domain prices are at an all-time high without being inflated.

To see more facts and figures about the Q1 2012 Domain Market Study, including average sales prices and top sales for Q1, click here.