Whether you’re selling an apartment in Ames or a single-family home in Clive, the 6% real estate agent commission will burn a hole in your pocket. But you can save thousands on realtor commissions if you list your home For Sale By Owner.
The most advanced FSBO sites don’t just help you save on commissions. They offer 5-star customer service and advanced tools to help you update your listing, manage showings, review and counter offers, and close on the sale.
🚀 The Rise of FSBOs
- According to Zillow, 26% of Gen X’ers and 36% of millennials listed FSBO.
- National Association of Realtors found that FSBO homes sold faster than agent-assisted homes. 77% of FSBO homes sold in less than 2 weeks.
- MLS is an important FSBO tool. Homes on the MLS sold faster and for 17% more than homes not on the MLS.
- Houzeo.com is America’s #1 For Sale By Owner website. ISoldMyHouse and List With Freedom are the next best options.
FSBO means selling your house on your own, unassisted by a real estate agent. There are 2 types of FSBO websites where you can list your home For Sale By Owner in Iowa:
- Paid FSBO Websites: All paid FSBO sites will get you listed on the MLS – the most powerful marketing tool for home sellers. MLS syndicates your listings to Zillow, Redfin, Trulia, Realtor.com, and 100s of other websites.
- Free FSBO Websites: Free FSBO sites will limit your listing exposure to just those websites. No MLS exposure means less competition for your property and thus a lower sale price for you.
We have spent thousands of hours researching and reviewing For Sale By Owner websites in Hawkeye State. Here are our rankings.
Rankings: 7 Best For Sale By Owner Websites in Iowa
FSBO Website | Fee | 100% Online | MLS Access | Offers Management | Showings Management | 5 Star Ratings |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Houzeo.com | $399 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
2. ISoldMyHouse | $399 | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
3 List With Freedom | $195 | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
4. Flat Fee Realty | $199+0.25% | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
5. ForSaleByOwner.com | $0 | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
6. Zillow For Sale By Owner | $0 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
7. Craigslist | $0 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
3 Free For Sale By Owner Sites in Iowa
Paid FSBO websites list on MLS without Realtor in Iowa for a one-time flat fee. We’ve ranked the best Flat Fee FSBO listing websites in Iowa.
1. Houzeo.com
BEST FSBO WEBSITE
Houzeo
Houzeo offers 4 FSBO MLS listing packages.
- Bronze Package – FREE: This package offers Houzeo listing only for 6 months with maximum photos. You pay a $49 refundable fee for a yard sign and receive your refund after sending a selfie with it.
- Silver Package – $349+: This includes everything that home sellers typically look for.
- Gold Package – $399+: It is Houzeo’s signature MLS package and includes all the technology Houzeo is known for Houzeo Showings, Houzeo Offers, and DigiTransact.
- Platinum – $999+: It includes the assistance of a licensed broker to help you with negotiations, disclosures, and closing.
👉 Our Take: We recommend the GOLD plan. You’ll have access to Houzeo tech, making managing showings and offer negotiations easy!
» Houzeo Reviews: Check out what FSBO sellers have to say about listing with Houzeo.com
Houzeo is America’s best For Sale By Owner MLS listing service because of 4 reasons:
- Max Exposure: Houzeo MLS packages give you access to the MLS, Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Redfin, and 100s of other websites.
- 5-star Customer Service: Houzeo has a fully staffed customer service desk available 6 days a week. Chats and emails are open 7 days a week. This is rare in today’s world.
- 100% Online: Houzeo is high-tech. For you, this means easy listing, fast changes, online showings, and online offers. Houzeo Mobile App is also very powerful.
- No Listing Commission: In most states, you’ll be paying just a small flat fee to list on MLS. Houzeo covers 47 states + DC. And remember, all fees are disclosed upfront, so there are no Houzeo hidden fees.
There are no dealbreakers with Houzeo.
» Houzeo Reviews: Check out what FSBO sellers have to say about listing with Houzeo.com
Houzeo is one of the best For Sale By Owner MLS listing services, with a 4.9 out of 5-star rating on Google and Trustpilot.
» Houzeo Reviews: Check out home sellers’ experience listing with Houzeo
Houzeo.com is Iowa’s #1 FSBO website, as it provides an unbeatable combination of max savings, 5-star customer support, and cutting-edge technology.
Houzeo gives Iowa FSBO home sellers affordable Iowa Flat Fee MLS listing packages. Your home will be listed within 48 hours. Even if you’re new to selling FSBO, Houzeo’s offer management and showings tool will help you ace your real estate journey like a pro.
2. I Sold My House
Low Tech, But Great Broker
ISoldMyHouse.com
ISoldMyHouse.com is an online real estate website operating since 1997. They offer the following packages:
- Get Listed – $299+: This plan will allow you to upload 6 photos. The listing term is 6 months.
- Get Sold – $399+: This plan includes 25 photos and a 6-month listing term.
Coverage in 8 States: ISoldMyHouse.com, through its affiliate, Get Listed Realty, provides real estate services in Connecticut, Georgia, New Hampshire, New York, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
In the remaining 42 states and Washington D.C., ISoldMyHouse will only be selling your information as a lead to local brokers.
👉 Our Take: We recommend ISoldMyHouse.com in the 8 states it services itself. If you’re in one of these states, we suggest the “Get Sold” plan. Photos sell properties, so it’s important to get more than 6 photos.
ISoldMyHouse.com is an excellent Flat Fee MLS option in the 8 states where it directly provides services.
- Experienced Broker: Kris Lippi, the owner of ISoldMyHouse.com, is an experienced real estate broker licensed in 8 states. Very few brokers are as good and knowledgeable as Kris in For Sale By Owner MLS listings.
- Strong Customer Support: ISoldMyHouse.com has an excellent 4.7 out of 5 stars rating on Google Reviews and the BBB. This indicates they provide strong support to their customers.
In our research, we found some deal breakers associated with ISoldMyHouse.com.
- Listing and Making Changes Takes Time: In the 42 states + DC where ISoldMyHouse.com does not offer its services, your information is forwarded to a local broker. This process is slow and it can take a few hours or even days to list your house.
- ISoldMyHouse.com is Not 100% Online: ISoldMyHouse.com does not provide any mobile app service to its customers.
ISoldMyHouse.com has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 from 88 reviews on Better Business Bureau and Google.
» ISoldMyHouse.com Reviews: Check out these reviews before choosing them.
SoldMyHouse is a great choice in the 8 states it covers. Kris Lippi, the Broker Owner of iSoldMyHouse is an experienced Flat Fee broker with thousands of transactions under his belt.
In the remaining 42 states and Washington D.C., iSoldMyHouse.com is only a referral service. They act as a middleman and will sell your information to a local broker who will help you list on MLS.
3. List With Freedom
NO PRICING ASSISTANCE
List With Freedom
List With Freedom provides 3 packages which range from $149- $295.
- Gold Package – $149: This package allows listing for 6 months and 6 photo uploads with unlimited changes.
- Platinum Package – $195: This is the most popular package that allows you to upload a maximum of 25 photos.
- Platinum+ Package – $295: With this plan, the listing term doubles with an online showing scheduler and maximum photo uploads. However, you must pay an additional 0.25% fee on Closing.
👉 Our Take: List With Freedom can be a decent choice for experienced sellers who do not require much assistance. We recommend the Platinum Package priced at $195 for easy listing. However, go through the pros and cons of List With Freedom.
List With Freedom is one of the oldest Flat Fee MLS services based in Florida. Here are some of their best features:
- Inexpensive Pricing Plans: List With Freedom listings start at $149.
- Unlimited Listing Changes: You can make an unlimited number of modifications to your listings with any of their packages.
- Buyer Leads Forwarded: All buyer leads are directly forwarded to you with no agent involvement.
- Quick Listing: The MLS listing procedure is fast, and listings are quickly syndicated to other real estate websites.
» How Does List With Freedom Work: Learn more about how you can sell your house with List With Freedom.
List With Freedom has two major drawbacks a seller should know about.
- Hidden Costs: ListWithFreedom charges between 0.1% to 0.25% at closing (over your one-time flat fee payment). This closing cost is not mentioned on their pricing page. Keep in mind that for certain states even a 0.25% additional commission can be pretty expensive. These hidden costs are not included in List With Freedom fees.
- Average Customer Reviews: ListWithFreedom does not enjoy robust customer reviews. Past sellers said that their experience was just average thanks to the lack of pricing and negotiation assistance.
» List With Freedom Reviews: Should YOU List With Them?
List With Freedom has a 4.3 out of 5 stars rating of 1,696 reviews on Trustpilot.
» Listwithfreedom Reviews: Check out customer feedback before choosing them.
List With Freedom offers FSBO home sellers in Iowa 3 MLS listing plans starting from $149. You get services like extra listing photos and increased listing term with the costlier plans. It does not offer any assistance with pricing or negotiation.
We do not recommend List With Freedom because you’ll pay hidden fees of 0.25% at closing, termed as a ‘compliance fee’. This commission is not disclosed upfront and is collected from the buyer agent commission that you set in the listing agreement.
4. Flat Fee Realty
0.25% LISTING AGENT COMMISSION
Flat Fee Realty
- Listing Fee: $159 to $349 + 0.25% at closing
- 0.1% to 0.25% additional fees
- No credible reviews were found
Flat Fee Realty offers a single Flat Fee MLS package, the price of which varies by state.
- Common services included in the Flat Fee package are a listing terms of 6 months with 6 photos. Your listings get syndicated to Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com. The package also includes free listing upgrades and state disclosures.
Listing Photos Upgrades: If you want to make changes to your listing photos, you must purchase upgrades separately. You can add up to 25 photos for $50.
👉 Our Take: If an affordable plan is your priority, then Flat Fee Realty is a good option. However, they do charge additional fees for optional upgrades like additional photos.
In places where it offers direct services, Flat Fee Realty is a great flat fee MLS alternative.
- Changes Made Simple: With Flat Fee Realty you can make free status and price changes. Changes are important as casual errors can be corrected if present when the listing goes live.
- Easy Cancellation: You can cancel anytime and get a refund within 30 days of purchase. With a change of heart over selling your house, some of the listing fees will get refunded. After the listing process is completed by their broker, there are no refunds.
- Market Exposure: Listing gets syndicated to Realtor.com, Trulia.com, and Zillow.com. All the major websites you would like to use to showcase your home in front of the right buyers are covered.
- Free Disclosures: Just like taxes, documentation is an important aspect of home selling. Flat Fee Realty offers free disclosures for all states.
In our review of Flat Fee Realty, we identified some major deal-breakers.
- Non-customizable Packages: Flat Fee Realty’s listing package provides no scope for customization. The package is a one size fits all plan, limiting the options you would like to opt for.
- 0.25% Commission at Closing: Flat Fee Realty charges 0.25% commission at closing. Even though they claim the buyer agent pays this, the entire commission comes out of the seller’s proceeds. Buyer agents will not willingly agree to this deduction.
Flat Fee Realty has no credible reviews.
These MLS For Sale By Owner packages include only an option to list on the MLS. With this package, you get free listing changes and related seller disclosures. You can add more than 6 photos to your listing by paying an additional $50.
However, Flat Fee Realty requires you to pay a minimum 2% buyer agent commission, 0.25% of which goes as a kickback to your listing agent. This means you end up paying a small commission to the listing agent at closing.
Take Charge of Your Home Sale Today!
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3 Free For Sale By Owner Sites in Iowa
Free For Sale By Owner websites in Iowa offer online exposure but don’t guarantee a successful FSBO sale.
5. ForSaleByOwner.com
FREE FSBO LISTING
ForSaleByOwner.com
ForSaleByOwner.com has 2 FSBO packages.
- ‘Do It Yourself’ FSBO Package – $0: Your home gets listed on ForSaleByOwner.com for free.
- ‘Closing Assistance’ Package – $495: You get a licensed real estate advisor to assist you at closing. This includes home inspection, title, closing costs, and more.
👉 Our Take: We recommend listing for free as FSBO on ForSaleByOwner.com to get added exposure.
- High User Traffic: ForSaleByOwner.com claims to have 7 times more traffic than any other FSBO website. This works in favor of sellers who need added exposure for their property.
- You Agree to use Their Partner Title Company: If you find a buyer via ForSaleByOwner.com, you have to use the Rock Homes partnered ‘Amrock Title Company’ for closing.
- No MLS Listing Plan: ForSaleByOwner .com gives you only 2 options, either a free web listing or closing assistance from a Rocket Homes agent. There’s no package for you to list on the MLS at all.
- You are a Lead for Rocket Homes: Your listing information is sold to Rocket Homes agents. They will likely call you and convince you to list on the MLS.
- You have to Provide Your Credit Card Info: Even though the listing on ForSaleByOwner.com is free, many users complained about having to provide payment details.
ForSaleByOwner.com has a rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars on BestCompany.com.
» ForSaleByOwner.com Reviews: Check out what customers experienced listing with ForSaleByOwner.com
ForSaleByOwner.com is considered one of the biggest FSBO websites, as they claim to have 7 times more traffic than other For Sale By Owner sites.
Although ForSaleByOwner.com offers other paid services, none of these services include For Sale By Owner MLS listing. Further, your information is provided to a Rocket Homes affiliated agent. These agents contact you frequently to solicit MLS listings.
6. Zillow For Sale By Owner
REAL ESTATE MARKETPLACE
Zillow
Zillow offers the following listing plans for home sellers:
- FSBO Listing on Zillow – $0: You can list your home for free on Zillow’s FSBO platform.
- MLS Listing via Zillow Premier Agent – 3% commission: A Zillow Premier Agent will assist you throughout your home selling process. However, this is the traditional way to sell your home and not the FSBO way.
👉 Our Take: We do not recommend listing on Zillow For Sale By Owner as it limited your exposure. Further, you can also get multiple unsolicited calls from listing agents.
» Does Zillow charge for sale by owner? Check this out to know if is it free or not!!
- It is the Largest Real Estate Website: Traffic-wise, Zillow is the most visited real estate website in the US.
- Your Listing is Updated in Real-Time: On Zillow, you do all the listing changes which reflect immediately, instead of waiting for a listing agent to do it for you.
- Your Listing Will be Hidden: Zillow hides FSBO listings under the “Other Listings” section, which most home buyers aren’t aware of.
- Buyer Leads go to Local Agents: Zillow does not prominently display owner information. Any buyer who tries to contact you will be matched with a Zillow agent instead.
- Your Info Will Become an FSBO Lead for Listing Agents: Agents target Zillow FSBO listings to extract owner info. You will get numerous unsolicited calls from these agents asking you to list with them.
- Poor Customer Reviews: Poor customer reviews and record-breaking debacles, as seen on Trustpilot.
Zillow has a rating of 1.8 out of 5 stars ratings on Trustpilot.
» Zillow For Sale By Owner Reviews: The TRUTH about Zillow’s Free Listing
Zillow is the most popular real estate website. It attracts more than 200 million visitors every month. To list your home on Zillow For Sale By Owner, all you need to do is sign up and make your free account.
As Zillow FSBO listings are not on the MLS, they have very low exposure. Additionally, all FSBO listings on Zillow are hidden in the ‘Other Listings’ tab. This has lowered the success rate of free Zillow FSBO listings drastically.
7. Craigslist
BIGGEST CLASSIFIEDS
Craigslist
You can list your home for free on Craigslist’s section for ‘Real Estate for Sale’.
- FSBO Listing on Craigslist- $0: You get a free For Sale By Owner real estate listing on Craigslist. You can upload your property’s description, location, and some photos.
👉 Our Take: Craigslist is a good free option for added exposure outside MLS or real estate websites. But it is a playground for scammers, so add limited information related to your property.
- It has Huge Traffic: Craigslist attracts more than 140 million visitors every month. Your listing will get that added exposure outside of MLS and real estate websites.
- Craigslist is Not a Real Estate Website: It is a classifieds website. Your listing may get some exposure, but no assistance or FSBO tools. Its only purpose is marketing your property.
- You’re Exposed to Lowball Offers: Many home sellers have been harassed by investors or cash home buyers who make lowball offers on Craigslist.
- You Can Get Scammed: Scammers and fraudsters target FSBO home sellers on Craigslist and make phony offers. If you get an offer that is too good to be true, high chances are it is a scam.
- Very Poor Customer Reviews: The majority of reviews on Craigslist online are negative. People complain about being scammed or harassed by unsolicited callers.
Craigslist has a poor rating of 1.2 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot.
» How to Sell a House on Craigslist: Check out the tips to sell your home on Craigslist
Craigslist is the biggest classifieds website in the U.S. In terms of traffic, it is the second most visited website with more than 140 million monthly visitors.
While Craigslist can give your listing decent exposure, it can also attract scammers and fraud cash house buyers. Hence, we recommend that you put very limited information about your property and request identification from anyone who makes an offer.
Here’s a quick recap of the best FSBO websites:
Reviews: America’s Best FSBO Websites
We’ve reviewed the best paid and free For Sale By Owner Websites in 2023
Alternatives to For Sale By Owner Websites in Iowa
If you think selling your house yourself in Iowa is too complicated for you, here are some other options you can consider:
- List with a Full-Service Realtor: Iowa Realtors are full-service in-person real estate agents that provide all services for the buyer and seller for a commission of 3%-6%. Luxury real estate brokers may charge more than 6%.
- Hire a Discount Real Estate Broker: A flat rate or discount real estate broker in Iowa offers all the services of a traditional broker for a discounted flat rate. This can range anywhere from $400 to $8,000.
- 1% Commission Realtors: Clients save thousands by working with discount brokers at 1% commission rates.
- 2% Commission Realtors: At a discount rate of 2%, they provide similar services to conventional Realtors.
- 4.5% Commission Realtors: You can get all real estate services from your agent for a low commission of 4.5%.
- Low Commission Real Estate Agents: A low-commission real estate agent can get you listed and sold for a discounted commission. There are typically some trade-offs, including a lower level of service or only virtual consultation.
- Companies That Buy Houses for Cash: Companies that buy houses are cash buyers who make direct cash offers on homes. Iowa cash buyers let home sellers skip the hassle of listing on the MLS, staging, marketing, etc.
List on the Most Powerful FSBO Platform Now!
Houzeo gives you all the benefits of MLS, without paying the listing agent commission.
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Which is the Best For Sale By Owner Website in Iowa?
The best For Sale By Owner website in Iowa will list your home on the MLS for a reasonable price, in the least time, and provide timely assistance. That’s why, we recommend Houzeo as the best For Sale By Owner website to list your home.
Houzeo’s Iowa Flat Fee MLS Listing plan will list your home within 24 to 48 hours. Further, with the Gold Package, you get access to cutting-edge tools like Offers Dashboard, Showings Management, and many more to make your selling journey easy.
Free For Sale By Owner listing sites gives a boost to your listing, by reaching the maximum prospective buyers. To get the best exposure and sell your house fast, we recommend you target MLS as well as other free FSBO listing sites.
- ✍️ Is Houzeo Legit? Yes, Houzeo is a tech-centric For Sale By Owner website and real estate platform that gives you access to tools only real estate agents have.
Check out how Houzeo works in this video:
» Houzeo.com Reviews: Find out what customers have to say about Houzeo.com
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where can I list my home For Sale By Owner in Iowa?
You can list your house For Sale By Owner with Flat Fee MLS services like Houzeo.com, I Sold My House, List With Freedom, Flat Fee Realty and more. Your home will be listed on the MLS, the most powerful tool to market your home for sale.
2. What is the best For Sale By Owner MLS listing service in Iowa?
Houzeo.com is the best FSBO listing site, as it provides an unbeatable combination of max savings, 5-star customer support, and cutting-edge technology. Houzeo has a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars on popular review websites like Google and Trustpilot.
3. Where can I list my house For Sale By Owner for free in Iowa?
You can list your home for free on ForSalebyOwner.com and classifieds websites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Oodle Marketplace.
Also Read:
- Selling a House in Iowa: Read our guide on how you can sell your IA house.
- How to Sell My House Fast Iowa: Want to sell your house fast? Check out the quickest ways to sell your IA home.
- Best Time to Sell a House in IA: Find out which is the best time to sell a house in IA.
- How to Sell a House by Owner: Find out everything you need to know about selling your home by yourself.
- Flat Fee Listing Services: Check out the MLS listing rates near you.
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For Sale By Owner Websites Iowa