The average cost to sell a Iowa home is about 12.51% of the total sale price. Based on the average home value of $216,891, that works out to about $27,133.
However, this is just an average — the cost to sell one home may vary widely depending on the specifics. Expenses for repairs, staging, and taxes are all unique to the condition and location of the home.
Costs of selling a house calculator
How much does it cost to sell a house in Iowa? Our tool can help you estimate your closing costs.
Common expenses for home sellers in Iowa
👉 Jump to: Home repairs, staging, and prep | Realtor fees | Closing costs | Property taxes | Capital gains taxes | Moving expenses | Mortgage payoff | Real estate attorney
The chart below breaks down the average cost for some of the most common expenses for home sellers in Iowa to help you prepare for the most (and least) costly aspects of selling your home.
Keep in mind that your actual expenses may vary, depending on your home price and factors like how much you need to spend on home prep and relocation.
Real estate agent commissions are the biggest expense for most sellers.
Realtor commission fees usually total 5–6% of your home's sale price. About half of that is the listing commission, and the other half is the buyer's agent commission.
💰 Ready to learn how you can save thousands on real estate agent commission? Clever Real Estate can help reduce your commission expenses. We've negotiated a reduced listing commission of 1.5%, saving you thousands in commission!
Home repairs, staging, and prep
| 💰 Estimated cost: | up to $5,255 |
Expect to spend around $5,255, on average, to get your Iowa home market-ready to attract qualified buyers.
This could involve simple tasks like mowing your lawn, deep cleaning your house, and getting rid of clutter. Some homes may require more involved preparation like making repairs or painting.
Listing agents generally recommend making repairs that add curb appeal without costing a ton of money. You may also want to have your home inspected for pests and other damage to avoid expensive surprises after listing the property.
If your home is in poor condition and you can't afford the time or repairs it would take to get it market-ready, selling to a Iowa cash buyer might be the right choice for you. A cash buyer will purchase your home as-is, allowing you to skip the repairs and sell quickly.
Want to learn more about cash buyers? Clever Offers can connect you with vetted, top-rated cash buyers in your area offering up to 100% of your home's value. See offers on your home today.
Realtor fees in Iowa
| Average listing fee | 2.91% of home sale price |
| Average buyer's agent concession | 2.60% of home sale price |
| 💰 Average total cost | 5.51% of home sale price |
One of the biggest fees for selling a house in Iowa is realtor commission. In a standard real estate transaction — one involving two traditional, full-price agents — you should expect to pay the full commission fee for both agents.
As part of the NAR lawsuit settlement of 2024, buyers are required to sign a contract with their agent promising to pay the commission when they buy a home. Even though the buyer is contractually obligated to pay their own agent, the seller usually foots the bill for both agents to help the buyer afford the home.
Of course, a seller can always refuse to pay for the buyer's real estate agent. But most listing agents advise against this because it makes the home less attractive to buyers.
Real estate agent commission is your biggest opportunity for savings when selling a home. Working with a company like Clever that negotiates 1.5% commissions with full-service, local agents on your behalf can mean thousands in savings and a bigger profit on your home sale.
Seller closing costs in Iowa
| 💰 Average cost: | 2.63% of home sale price |
Closing costs are a blanket term for the various fees and expenses (not including realtor commission) both buyers and sellers pay at the close of a real estate transaction. These fees include:
- Buyer incentives are buyer's costs the seller agrees to pay to help negotiate the final terms of the deal. This may include buyer's closing costs or credits toward improving the home. It's smart to set aside about 2.00% of the home's final sale price for buyer's incentives.
- Transfer tax is a fee charged by Iowa to transfer your home to another owner. Expect to pay 0.16% of home sale price in transfer taxes in Iowa.
- Recording fees are charged by the state to record the deed. In Iowa, you'll pay an average of $17.
- Title service fees go to the title company, which makes sure there are no claims or liens on the home. Title service fees cost about $578 in Iowa.
- Owner's title insurance protects the buyer in case the title company missed a claim. In Iowa, it's more common for the seller to pay for the owner's title insurance policy, which costs an average of $625.
- Lender's title insurance is a title insurance policy that protects the bank against title claims. In Iowa, the buyer usually pays for lender's title insurance, so you're off the hook. Still, it's always possible the buyer will try to get you to pay for this in negotiations, so make sure you have a quality real estate agent looking out for your best interests.
Expect to pay roughly 2.63% of your home’s final sale price in closing costs. Here's how that works out for three different price points:
- $4,300 for a $163,000 home
- $8,500 for a $325,000 home
- $14,200 for a $542,000 home
Depending on your circumstances, you might be able to negotiate for the buyer to pay closing costs. However, it's more common for buyers to ask sellers to pay their closing costs to seal the deal. Talk to your realtor to get a sense of how much you should expect to pay in closing costs.
» MORE: How much are seller closing costs in Iowa?
Prorated property taxes
| 💰 Average cost: | 1.33% of home's assessed value |
Prorated property taxes are due for the portion of the year you lived in the home. In Iowa, you'll pay an average of 1.33% of your home's assessed property value. These taxes vary from one location to another.
Capital gains taxes
Most home sellers in Iowa will not make enough profit to owe federal or state capital gains taxes.
Federal capital gains
If you have lived in your house for at least two out of the last five years, you can exclude up to $250,000 in profits, or up to $500,000 if filing federal income taxes jointly with your spouse.[1]
State capital gains
In most states, capital gains are taxed as income at the state level, as well.
Iowa generally follows the same exclusion rules as the IRS, allowing $250,000 of gain on home sales ($500,000 for married joint filers), if they owned and used the home as their principal residence for two out of the five years before the sale.
In Iowa, any capital gains not subject to exclusions are taxed as ordinary income at 5.70%. Capital gains on real estate used for business purposes for at least 10 years prior to the sale may be deducted.
Moving costs
| 💰 Average cost: | $378 to $4,230 |
If you're selling your own home, you'll have to pay to move your possessions. This could include hiring professional movers and spending thousands of dollars for a long-distance move.
Even moving yourself locally could require renting a truck, moving equipment, and possibly a storage unit if you don't already have a place lined up for your possessions.
In Iowa, the average moving costs are $378 locally and $4,230 for 1,000 miles or more — which accounts for packing supplies, movers, and carrying costs.
Mortgage payoff
| 💰 Average cost: | $135,111 |
The average homeowner in Iowa owes $135,111 on their mortgage. You'll have to pay off the remaining balance before transferring the home to another owner. If the home sale proceeds don't cover the remaining mortgage balance, you'll have to pay out of pocket.
Keep in mind that prepayment penalties and accrued interest could make your payoff amount higher than the mortgage balance listed on your statement.
Do you need a real estate attorney in Iowa?
| 💰 Average cost: | up to $248 per hour |
States differ in their requirements for real estate attorneys. In Iowa, a real estate attorney is optional.
Even if the state laws don't require one, hiring a real estate attorney could be a good idea if the transaction is especially complicated. Short sales, potential property line disputes, and title issues are all good reasons to consider hiring an attorney.
In Iowa, you can expect to pay up to $248 an hour in real estate attorney fees.
How much will I make selling my Iowa house?
In Iowa, the average home seller spends around 2.63% of the final sale price of their home on closing costs, plus an additional 5.51% in realtor fees. You also need to factor in any mortgage balance that you have left to pay.
To estimate how much you'll make selling your home, use our Iowa seller closing costs calculator.
How to maximize your Iowa home sale price
No matter where you're selling in Iowa, these tips will help you maximize your profits from your home sale!
1. List with a discount real estate agent
Realtor commission fees are a huge expense for Iowa home sellers, often making up a large portion of your total selling costs. Thankfully, finding a way to save on commission is one of the best ways to make more money when you sell your home!
You can negotiate commission rates on your own, but the easiest option is to find a discount real estate agent in Iowa through an agent-matching company like Clever.
Clever matches you with local full-service agents from well-known brokerages like RE/MAX, Keller Williams, and Century 21. But, instead of paying the typical 2.91% listing fee, you'll only pay 1.5%!
With Clever, you can also compare multiple Iowa agents to find the one that best fits your needs. Even better, finding an agent through Clever won't cost you a dime, and there's no obligation to move forward until you find the perfect agent.
Work with a full service agent for only 1.5%!
Clever negotiates discounted listing fees with top agents to help you save money when selling your home!
2. Time your sale to get top dollar for your Iowa home
To get the best price, the best month to sell a house in Iowa is June. Last year, the average listing price for Iowa homes in June was $225,354, which is $15,061 more than the annual average.
The best month to sell your house fast in Iowa is May, because that's when homes tend to spend the fewest days on the market. Last year, Iowa homes sold in May were on the market for an average of 55 days, which is 11 days faster than the annual average.
However, sellers can have a successful sale even outside the busiest months!
Your best bet is to work with a great Iowa real estate agent who knows your local area trends. They can create a pricing and marketing strategy to increase competition among buyers so you maximize your profits.
3. Negotiate like a pro
The buyer may ask you to offer incentives or make concessions to ensure the deal goes through. These could include things like covering inspection fees, certain closing costs, repair credits, offering a home warranty, etc.
The right negotiation techniques can help you minimize the costs you’re responsible for and make your home sale as profitable as possible.
If you have a quality home in a competitive market, you'll be in a position to negotiate terms that are favorable to your situation and get you the most money. In a tougher market, you may need to sweeten the deal to attract the highest offers.
Using a top-rated real estate agent can be an invaluable resource when it comes to negotiating, as they'll do most of the back-and-forth for you.
An experienced agent can often pay for themselves by helping you set the right price and negotiating favorable terms to net you more money.
FAQ about costs to sell in Iowa
How much are closing costs for sellers in Iowa?
On average, closing costs tend to be about 2.63% of a home's sale price in Iowa. That said, you should also consider realtor fees, which average another 5.51% of your sale price and account for the majority of your expenses.
How much does it cost to sell a house in Iowa?
The average home seller in Iowa spends about $27,133, or 12.51% of the sale price. This will vary quite a bit depending on the sale price and condition of your house, however. Working with an agent who offers a discounted rate is a great way to keep this number down.
How much money will I make when I sell my house?
The average Iowa home seller makes about $189,758 on their home sale before paying off their existing mortgage, if they have one. For a more specific idea of what you can expect to walk away with, check out our home sale proceeds calculator.
Methodology
Clever's team of industry-leading researchers is committed to making homeownership more accessible by educating buyers through guides like this one. We've spent thousands of hours analyzing publicly available data, surveying consumers, and interviewing industry experts. Our research has been featured in The New York Times, Business Insider, Inman, Housing Wire, and many more.
For this guide, we collected data on property taxes, transfer taxes, and recording fees using public information. We found average costs for attorney fees, title insurance, and other services by requesting quotes from local providers.
We gathered our commission rate data from a survey of 734 of our partner agents. Additionally, we utilized the following data from Zillow and Realtor.com:
- Home values, list prices, and sale prices: Based on Zillow data as of February 2025
- Transfer taxes and mortgage taxes: Based on public data as of February 2024.
