Go Daddy applies for .home, .casa, and .godaddy top level domains.
Domain name registrar Go Daddy has applied for the .home and .casa top level domains, CEO Warren Adelman disclosed to Domain Name Wire. These two domains are in addition to .GoDaddy.
Adelman said the domains were chosen in part because they have multiple meanings with big market opportunities: they can be used in both a real estate context and personal context.
From a real estate perspective, Go Daddy has seen strong demand and an increasing importance of domain names in the real estate business, Adelman said.
The company hasn't yet decided how it will go to market with the top level domains. It may choose to use partners for some markets and go direct for other markets. Although he did not specify, it's easy to see how the company could work with real estate channels to market the .home/.casa domains or integrate the offering into a real estate agent product. GoDaddy.com is the perfect vehicle to market .home and .casa from a perspective of creating a home on the web.
Adelman is realistic about the challenges facing new top level domains. Go Daddy has experience working with a number of registries to market domains and has first hand experience with .me.
Go Daddy's applications for just two non .brand domains caught some people — including me — by surprise. Demand Media, a competitor, has announced grand plans and is expected to apply for dozens of top level domains.
Adelman would not disclose who is providing back-end registry services for the domains. Go Daddy has the capabilities to do it in house, but with just three domains it's possible they have selected a registry partner.
The tricky part is getting .home, as it will be disputed by Directi and maybe more applicants.
Our worry about Go Daddy's .home application is the fear that the trade associations representing the real estate brokerage industry might try to partner with Go Daddy in an agreement that might restrict competition. Both the Dept. of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission have sued trade associations representing the real estate brokerage industry numerous time over the last decade for their efforts to restrict competition in the real estate brokerage sector. Both my organization and other nonprofits including the Consumer Federation of America have supported the FTC and DoJ efforts, We hope that Go Daddy will avoid any entangling alliance with associations representing the real estate brokerage industry that might put them in the crosshairs of the nation's federal competition agencies.
The great thing about the new TLD process is that you'll be able to see everyone who applied for .home on June 13. You can start working with these applicants (there are at least three) to influence how they go to market.