Selling your home in the Des Moines metro
The market responds to signals, not intent.
Every home has a story. We take good care of yours.
Selling well is not about waiting it out or working harder. It is about sending the right signals early, when your negotiating power is strongest, and staying calm once offers arrive.
An algorithm reads the data. I walk the house. Let me price it in person.
Want to see your number first? Try our seller net proceeds calculator.
Facing a deadline or a crisis? See an honest cash offer.
01 / The timeline
From first walkthrough to closing, about ten weeks.
Days 1 to 14
Prepare
Walkthrough, deep clean, declutter, small repairs, pricing plan.
Days 15 to 21
Launch
Full exposure in week one, easy showings, fast feedback.
Days 22 to 35
Offers
Compare price and terms, counter with strategy.
Days 36 to 56
Under contract
Inspection, appraisal and financing, on deadline.
Day 57 on
Closing
Utilities on, repairs done, a clean handoff.
02 / What sets your price
Four decisions, made before the first showing.
Price vs. leverage
Price is not protection. It is positioning.
Overpricing reduces showings and leverage. Correct pricing attracts stronger early buyers.
Timing vs. testing
The best buyers usually act first.
Early momentum leads to cleaner offers. Time on market invites negotiation.
Preparation vs. perfection
Remove friction before trying to impress.
Cleaning and decluttering matter more than upgrades. Partial projects create doubt.
Access vs. inconvenience
Convenience creates competition.
Easy-to-show homes get prioritized. Limited access reduces traffic quietly.
03 / Know your number
What will you walk away with?
Your payoff, commissions, the Iowa transfer tax, the property tax credit and closing costs in one place, with what changes if the price moves. Print your net sheet, or send us your address and we’ll build your exact numbers with your real tax bill.
Example
$141,988 to you
$350,000 sale, $180,000 mortgage, both agents at 3%, closing in December
$28,012
in selling costs, about 8% of the price
$16,422 more
to you if it sells for 5% more
9 to 15 months
of property tax you credit the buyer, depending on your closing date
04 / How I sell your home
Four promises, in writing.
Every promise I make to sellers is written down, with the conditions in plain words, so you can hold me to it.
87 Point Marketing Plan
87 ways to market a home. Your house gets the ones it needs.
Most agents have a three point plan: a sign, the MLS, and hope. I wrote down 87 things I can do to sell a home. Not every house needs all of them. A move-in-ready ranch in Ankeny and an estate that needs work in Des Moines call for different plans. We pick the right ones for your home together, and you can hold me to every one.
Every listing, no exceptions
- Professional photography
- Floor plan or 3D walkthrough
- A YouTube property tour
- A property website with traffic reporting
- Yard sign with a QR code
Open houses are planned when they will draw real traffic: a home that shows beautifully, or a home with a story worth telling.
Communication Guarantee
A weekly touch point, on the day we agree to.
The most common seller complaint is an agent who goes quiet. We lock in your touch point day at signing, and a written Listing Performance Report reaches you first: portal views and saves, website visitors, showings, feedback and agent activity.
Our seller guides
Seller Checklist
Seller Quick Reference
Seller Encyclopedia
Read ahead, at your own pace.
39 Day Guarantee
Under contract in 39 days, or my listing commission is waived.
Speed is not free. Pricing to sell in 39 days will probably leave something on the table against pricing to sell in ninety. This is built for sellers who need to be out by a date. If you want the highest number and have time, I’ll build you a different plan.
You put in, up front: $1,700 to $2,400 for an appraisal, a pre-listing inspection, and staging only if needed.
I put on the line: my listing side commission, $9,000 on a $300,000 home. If I miss the date, I waive it and keep working.
Conditions and fees are in writing, and I walk you through every one before you sign. For homes priced $100,000 to $1,000,000.
Never waived: the $695 RE/MAX Revolution transaction fee and any buyer’s agent compensation.
Smart Seller Program
Already selling it yourself? Keep going. If I bring the buyer, it’s 3%.
Built for sellers who started out for sale by owner. Keep your open houses, your posts and your network. I market alongside you and I’m paid only if I bring the buyer. If you find them, you owe no commission and no brokerage fee, and I step out of that sale completely.
It works for a regular listing too. Most sellers already have someone interested: a neighbor, a relative, a coworker. Put them on your list in writing, and if one of them buys, the same terms apply.
| Sale price | You found the buyer | I brought the buyer |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $0 | $7,500 |
| $350,000 | $0 | $10,500 |
| $450,000 | $0 | $13,500 |
The one change: your for sale by owner sign comes out and mine goes in, because homes that look unrepresented get skipped by buyers’ agents. Anyone you are already talking to goes on your list, in writing.
05 / What sellers say
More than a transaction.
“He understood the significance of selling a family home and handled every aspect with professionalism, compassion, and respect.”
Tanya S., sold her mom’s house
“As their son, what mattered most to me was that I never once had to worry.”
Colin Z., his parents’ move across the state
“He got our house sold in less than a month on the market.”
Lucas H., seller
“The overall experience from listing to closing was the best we have ever experienced with a realtor.”
Patience S., sold an acreage
5.0 stars on Google. See what clients are saying.
On YouTube
What’s happening near your home.
New development, roads and schools across the metro, and how they move home values, buyer demand and the timing to sell. Starting in Ankeny, then Johnston, Grimes and Bondurant.
New series
Launching November 18
Four episodes to start, then a new one every week.
06 / Common questions
Straight answers for sellers.
How should I price my home to sell in the Des Moines metro?
Price to the market, not above it hoping to negotiate down. The first weeks on market draw the strongest buyers. Price reductions later do not reset how buyers see the home; they change it.
Should I renovate before listing?
Usually not. Cleaning, decluttering, small repairs and a neutral look matter more than upgrades. Buyers pay for a home that feels low-risk, and partial projects create doubt.
How long does it take to sell a home?
Plan on about ten weeks from the first walkthrough to closing. Your timeline and the market can shift that.
Can I sell my house myself and still list it with an agent?
Yes. Under my Smart Seller Program you keep marketing it yourself. If you find the buyer you pay no commission; if I bring the buyer, it’s 3%.
Is the 39 Day Guarantee a discount?
No. If your home is under contract within 39 days, my commission is earned as normal. It is waived only if I miss the date.
Should I take a cash offer instead of listing?
Only if time, repairs or finances leave no room. A listing almost always nets more. Here is how an honest cash offer works.
Thinking about selling?
Start with a number.
Get a no-pressure home value and a plain read on your timing. Call or text 515-606-1227 anytime.
The best is yet to come.