The top-level domain (TLD) “.property” is classified as a Generic top-level domain (gTLD) in the Domain Name System (DNS) of the Internet. The management of most top-level domains is delegated to specific organizations by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which operates the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), and is responsible for maintaining the DNS root zone (Source: ICANN website).
The “.property” TLD was delegated to Uniregistry, Corp. in 2014. Uniregistry is a Cayman Islands-based domain name registry that administers the generic top-level domains. The TLD “.property” is aimed at businesses, organizations, and individuals who are related to property, real estate, or housing industry, giving them a specific platform to represent their interests online.
As with other gTLDs, anyone can register a domain with a “.property” TLD, assuming it is available and not a reserved or premium name. The registration follows a ‘first come, first served’ principle. It does not require a validation process and there are no special requirements or restrictions about who can register. In terms of functionality, it works just like other widely used gTLDs like “.com” or “.net”. You can use it for websites, email, and other web services.
Technically speaking, a request to resolve a domain name under the “.property” TLD will be directed towards the Uniregistry’s name servers, which respond with the corresponding IP address. These name servers are distributed all over the world to ensure fast and reliable access for global users (Source: IANA Root Zone Database).
The implementation of the “.property” TLD and other new TLDs aim to enhance competition, innovation and broaden user choice on the internet. More specifically, for businesses in the property or real estate industry, the .property TLD serves as an excellent branding tool, allowing these businesses to be more visible and memorable to potential clients. For example, a real estate agency named “Harbor Realty” might use “www.harbor.property” as their web address instead of “www.harborrealty.com,” making the nature of their business clear at first glance.
To summarize, the “.property” TLD is a user-friendly, specialized domain space designed explicitly for industries related to property and real estate. It’s maintained by Uniregistry, Corp and is part of the larger system overseen by ICANN.
