History of the TLD .mortgage

.mortgage is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) introduced in 2014 as part of ICANN’s New gTLD Program. It was applied for by Donuts Inc and later managed by United TLD Holdco, Ltd. The TLD was created to serve the online identity needs of organisations and individuals in the mortgage and home finance sector.

Main Use and Industry Position

.mortgage is designed for businesses, professionals, and consumers in the mortgage industry. This includes mortgage brokers, lenders, loan officers, financial advisors, and related service providers. The TLD allows these entities to clearly communicate their industry focus through their domain names.

Comparison to Other TLDs

Compared to traditional TLDs like .com or .net, .mortgage offers a specialized namespace that signals industry relevance. While .com is widely recognized and versatile, it does not convey a specific sector. Other niche financial TLDs such as .finance or .loan cover broader financial topics, whereas .mortgage specifically targets the mortgage sector, providing clear branding for related businesses.

Pros and Cons of the TLD

Pros

• Clearly signals mortgage industry focus
  

• Open registration without restrictive criteria
  

• Supports standard DNS features and IDNs
  

• Strong branding opportunity for mortgage-related businesses
  
  

Cons

• Less familiar to general audiences than .com
  

• Registration cost may be higher than some other gTLDs
  

• Certain two-character or reserved names may be restricted
  
  

Registration Criteria

Open to individuals and organisations worldwide with no specific eligibility requirements. Domain names must comply with standard syntax rules regarding character length and permitted characters.

Summary

.mortgage is a niche gTLD for the mortgage and home finance sector, offering businesses and professionals a clear, industry-specific namespace. It supports open registration, standard DNS features, and branding opportunities within the mortgage market.