As traditional commercial real estate declines, digital assets are emerging as a new frontier for investment. The shift away from physical properties, driven by rising insurance costs, increasing property taxes, and stagnating demand, has set the stage for digital spaces and domains to become the foundation where brands establish their presence.
“These are changing times, and the prime real estate now is online,” explains Rosener during an interview. “The digital economy is a new frontier in business and still remains a largely untapped market. The domain space is becoming the new economic engine, and it has so much potential. I am super thrilled to be a leader and changemaker in this space and our company is poised for even more amazing growth.”
Rosener is recognized as the top domain broker in the world, credited with orchestrating the most significant digital real estate transactions in history. He has facilitated the acquisition of high-profile domains such as X.com for Elon Musk, Zoom.com for Zoom, and Prime.com and Podcast.com for Amazon. With over $800 million in domain sales, he has helped brands in different stages including Fortune 500 companies, startups, and investors secure the assets that shape their digital identities and business strategies.
From a modest upbringing to running a seafood business, earning the moniker “Scallop King,” Rosener traced an unconventional path to becoming the Godfather of the domain industry, where he formed the market by bringing liquidity to an illiquid asset class. As the leader of MediaOptions, he continues to bridge the gap between buyers and sellers of premium domain names, offering unparalleled access to unique digital assets across the globe.
“I remember when I closed the deal for pizza.net in 2008,” recalls Rosener. “Ordering pizza online – or food, or anything for that matter – was unheard of back in the 1990s and 2000s, but in the movie, The Net (1995), Sandra Bullock made her order through pizza.net. I got a call from a guy in Canada 13 years after the movie came out and brokered the deal for pizza.net and it changed everything for my business. Pizza.net was a game-changer and since then there’s been no looking back.”
That pizza.net deal closed at $120,000 (USD) and gave Rosener enough fuel, so-to-speak, to get his business off the ground. However, what’s fascinating is his approach to scaling his venture; or not scaling for that matter.
“I am a no ‘bullshit kind-of-guy,” laughs Rosner. “I hate micromanaging people, and my team is very small. Our company grew with the right people who are leaders and innovators. Our biggest competitor in the domain space has a large number of employees and contractors, but I knew to never scale big with staff; we scaled strategically while growing our bottom line. Too many people can mean too many headaches and hinder growth in the long-term. We work with the right people who know how the get shit done – it’s as simple as that.”
Among his many innovations, Rosener developed the popular Rosener Equation, an objective methodology for domain valuation that has become an industry standard. His ability to quantify a domain’s worth based on key market factors has empowered businesses and investors to make data-driven decisions to remain forerunners of an evolving landscape. In addition to domain brokerage, he is a sought-after consultant, speaker, and thought leader in digital transformation, regularly providing insights into domain investing, branding strategies, and the broader digital economy.
As commercial real estate becomes an increasingly volatile market under economic pressure, Rosener sees digital assets as the future of wealth. Baby boomer capital, previously in traditional investment strategies, is continually shifting toward domains and cryptocurrencies among other digital assets and revolutionizing the traditional portfolio. This transition toward a digital-first economy means that premium domain names hold the same significance as prime physical locations once did.
Rosener’s philosophy revolves around the ever-present pursuit of novelty including pushing boundaries and taking risks where others may hesitate. This mindset has cemented his reputation as a pioneer in domain brokerage and digital asset investment and the top broker in the world.
While making hay while the sun shines is always top of mind, the domain guru knows one thing: reinventing will be a must.
“There will come a time where I will have to reinvent again; nothing good ever lasts, so looking ahead with an open mind is something I am very cognizant of. What’s next for me and my venture? Closing deals and growing. I work hard and know that everything will always fall into place.”
In addition to MediaOptions, Rosener owns and operates DomainSherpa.com which serves as the leading podcast and educational platform for domain investors. His insights and guidance routinely appear in top-tier media outlets and industry publications, providing actionable strategies for leveraging domain names as high-value business assets. Rosener’s insights and philosophies have shaped the way investors and entrepreneurs appreciate and capitalize on digital real estate.
Under Rosener’s leadership, MediaOptions has dominated the domain brokerage industry for over two decades, earning recognition as the #1 domain brokerage firm globally. With an 82%+ success rate and over $800 million in domain sales as of 2023, the company is unmatched in its ability to connect buyers and sellers of premium domains. Since 2017, MediaOptions has been ranked the world’s top domain brokerage by Escrow.com, reinforcing its place as the go-to firm for high-stakes digital asset transactions.
