The negotiation is over. You've agreed a price for the domain name that is acceptable to the seller. Now all that remains is to complete the deal, and ensure that you get the domain name and that the seller receives their money.

The following checklist will help ensure that the deal passes off smoothly.

1. Clarify the terms of the deal

If the negotiations have been prolonged and have involved a lot of emails back and forth, it's possible that the specific terms of the deal have become scattered across a number of emails. As soon as you reach an agreement with the seller, it is good practice to send a fresh email summarising the terms of the deal, and ask them to confirm it:

To make sure we're both on the same wavelength, I've summarised our discussion below. Please confirm this email so that we can proceed quickly with the transaction.

I agree to purchase the domain name DOMAIN.com (for which you are the current registered owner) for a total amount of US$XXX.

I further agree to transfer 50% of the money ($YYY) in advance of the transaction, as a deposit.

Upon receipt of this deposit, you agree to begin the process that will transfer the registration of DOMAIN.com under my control.

Once DOMAIN.com is under my control, I will transfer the balance of the money within 7 business days.

By replying to this email, you confirm that you accept the above conditions.

2. Determine how to pay for the domain

You need to decide as early in the closing phase of the transaction as possible (if it was not already clarified during the negotiation process) exactly how you will pay for the domain name.

Sometimes, circumstances will dictate what form payment will take. For example, if you are based outside the US, you may not be able to write a check in US$. Similarly, a buyer may not be willing to accept a personal check, but may insist on a corporate check or banker's draft.

If you are in a hurry to secure the domain name, try to use an instant payment system such as Paypal. That way, you can send funds to the buyer within hours of closing a deal, rather than having to wait several days for a check to arrive (and many days more for it to clear - many sellers are, unsurprisingly enough, very cautious when it comes to money...)

3. Transfer control of the domain name

The exact transfer process will depend on which registrar the domain name is currently registered with (each registrar has a slightly different process for handling domain transfers). Nevertheless, the transfer process will usually take one of 3 forms:

• If the domain name is registered with a registrar that allows for a free "instant transfer" process (e.g. NamesDirect.com, Dotster.com, RegisterFly.com) then all you need to do is open an account at that registrar, and get the seller to "push" the domain into that account.
   
  
• If the domain name is registered with a registrar that makes intra-registrar transfers difficult (or impossible), you can instigate a transfer from your favorite registrar, and ask the seller to confirm the transfer when the email confirmation arrives (this is generally sent to the Admin Contact of record for the domain name as a security precaution to ensure that the domain name transfer is valid). You will need to take into account any idiosyncracies or incompatibilities between registrars (for instance, at the time of writing, BulkRegister.com is automatically rejecting all attempts to transfer domains to eNom-affiliated registrars.
   
  
• The "paper trail" approach: occasionally, you may have to resort to additional paperwork (such as a notarized letter authorising the transfer, or a completed and signed Transfer Form). While the vast majority of .com/.net/.org registrars have done away with such archaic transfer practices, there are a few "old school" registrars that still require physical (faxed or snail-mailed) documentation before a transaction can take place.

4. Confirm the transfer

Once the transfer has completed, be sure to confirm the status of the transaction with the seller. Remember to change the password on your account (or transfer the domain to a different account) if you had to give the seller access to your registrar account as part of the transfer process (e.g. RegisterFly.com requires both a username and password to effect a transfer).

5. Finish the transaction in style

Make sure that you hold up your end of the deal by effecting payment on time, and in full. Once the transaction is over, be sure to send a final email thanking the seller for making the transaction a smooth one (even if you're secretly gritting your teeth because of all the troubles and delays you incurred) - after all, you never know what the future may bring, and you might yet find yourself across the negotiating table with the same seller again at some point!