How to Sell a House By Owner in Iowa: A Hawkeye State FSBO Guide
Learn how to sell a house by owner in Iowa. To help with your for sale by owner (FSBO) sale, we provide expert tips from top Iowa agents.
When the time comes to move, some tenacious homeowners are eager to take over the reins of their home sale and figure out how to sell a house by owner in Iowa.
With millions of homes sold each year, a modest portion of sellers — about 7% in 2023 and 6% in 2024 — choose to list “For Sale By Owner” (or FSBO — pronounced fizz-bow). Of those, 38% decided to sell FSBO because they sold to a relative, friend, or neighbor, according to data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
In this guide to selling FSBO in Iowa, we’ll cover what can be the most difficult aspects of selling by owner in the Hawkeye state, including the steps that might be harder than you think. We’ll also provide a comprehensive overview of the full process to prep, market, and close on your home without the assistance of a real estate agent.
Feeling Overwhelmed by the Process of Listing Your Home FSBO in Iowa?
If you don’t have the time or the expertise to list your home FSBO, working with a top agent in Iowa could be your best bet. HomeLight analyzes over 27 million transactions and thousands of reviews to find you the best agent for your unique situation.
Note: Once you’ve seen what’s required, you can roll up your sleeves and get started with your FSBO sale. Or — in the event you’d prefer to work with a real estate agent — HomeLight would be happy to introduce you to highly-rated professionals in your Iowa market who can help you command top dollar and provide a low-stress selling experience.
How does selling by owner (FSBO) work in Iowa?
Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for educational purposes only. HomeLight recommends that you look into the real estate regulations for your area and consult a trusted advisor.
FSBO is a method of selling your home without the involvement of a listing agent. In a FSBO scenario, the seller assumes the responsibilities that would normally fall to their agent such as pricing the home, arranging showings, and negotiating the deal.
In an agent-assisted sale, the seller typically pays a commission amounting to 3%-5.8% of the sale price, depending on who pays for the buyer’s agent commission. That amount is deducted from the seller’s proceeds at closing. By selling FSBO, a seller can eliminate the cost of the listing agent commission (around 3%), though they may still need to offer a buyer’s agent commission.
Even with new commission rules in place, buyers’ agents will expect compensation for the work they do to bring a buyer to the negotiating table, such as arranging showings and helping to place qualified buyers on deck. In addition, when a seller isn’t partnering with an agent, the buyer’s agent may end up lifting more of the weight to get the sale to the finish line.
Next: Consult our guide on who pays closing costs when selling a house by owner for more details.
Finally, a FSBO sale does not mean that a seller won’t need any professional assistance. In Iowa, a real estate attorney is required at the closing table for FSBO and agent-assisted properties, and FSBO sales typically warrant legal and professional oversight of some kind to avoid an abundance of legal risk.
Most people who sell by owner will need to hire an attorney to review and prepare key documents and make sure paperwork is filled out properly, such as the seller’s disclosures. Let’s take a look at what disclosures are required when selling a house in Iowa.
