1. Agree on price & terms
Confirm the exact string, included renewals (if any), and who pays escrow fees. Document intended use and close date in email before funding.
2. Open Escrow.com (or equivalent)
Buyer funds escrow. Seller initiates a registrar push or provides an auth/EPP code after verification. Escrow releases funds only after the buyer confirms control in their account.
3. Transfer & DNS cutover
After you control the domain, update nameservers (Cloudflare recommended on the free plan), enable HTTPS, and submit an updated XML sitemap in Google Search Console.
4. Post-purchase SEO
Keep canonical tags, Organization/Product schema, and internal links to supporting guides. Avoid duplicate www/non-www content with a 301 to the apex host.