April Brought Inventory, Spring Bloom to Iowa Housing Market

The Iowa housing market warmed up much like the spring weather in April. The increases in inventory and active listings, paired with steady sales and median price set the stage for a productive and flourishing summer market to come. 

“Iowa’s housing market looks like it might be making its post-pandemic comeback when it comes to available inventory. With a 10.7% year-over-year jump in newly-active single-family listings and a 24.5% rise in total active inventory available compared to last April, buyers are finally having some options when it comes to what’s on the market,” said Travis Bushaw, Iowa REALTORS® 2025 President. “What’s intriguing is even with the additional inventory, the median sales price is still climbing up, and surprisingly, the median days on the market is actually down from last month. Across Iowa, we’re still seeing less than two weeks from when a property goes active to when it’s under contract. We’re pretty confident that Iowa is poised for a strong and competitive summer across the state.”

Single-Family Home Market 
New listings in April jumped 10.7% to 4,667, up from the 4,214 new listings of one year ago, proving that homeowners continue to seek to capitalize on warming temperatures to prepare their homes for sale. The warm-up continued monthly with new listings increasing 20.7% from the 3,868 new listings realized in March. 

Active listings saw a 24.5% increase, jumping to 7,969 from the 6,403 active listings of April 2024. Active listings also saw an increase from March, gaining 11.1% from the 7,168 active listings a month earlier. 

Closed sales dropped 2.6% compared to one year ago when 2,851 sold. However, the 2,769 homes sold in April came to a 13% increase, a thawing out of sorts from the 2,453 closed sales recorded in March. 

Median sales price increased 4% year-over-year to $239,500. Monthly, median price remained steady only increasing $500. 

While median days on the market increased 16.7% from the 9 days of year ago to 11 days, the metric continued a downward trend this spring falling from the median 12 days on the market in March. 

“While the beginning of the spring market may look negative in a lot of measurements, it’s playing catch-up and we’re expecting to see more positives in the May and June markets,” said Les Sulgrove, Iowa REALTORS® statewide housing analyst. 

Condo-Townhomes 
The condo-townhome market slowed in most metrics tracked by Iowa REALTORS® in April, with the exception of inventory; a sign that spring may prove a trove of opportunity for those looking to buy the condo or townhome of their dreams this summer. 

Closed sales decreased 13.5% in April to 358 sales compared to the 414 closed sales of a year ago. Despite the decrease, closed sales were steady month-over-month, showing just a 0.3% decrease from March’s 359 sales. 

Inventory continued to increase for condo-townhomes. New listings climbed to 672 properties, up 11.3% from the 604 new listings a year ago, and up 13.1% from the 592 listings that joined the market in March. 

Active inventory increased 26.5% from a year ago, and 4.8% from last month to 1,756 properties. Median days on market increased 5 days to 20 compared to last year, but continued the monthly decline from the median 27 days on market in March. 

A Local Look
Iowa REALTORS® new statewide housing statistics program provides a closer look at housing markets around the state. Analysis of smaller markets in the state show that while some areas are seeing a fast-paced buying and selling atmosphere, others are just starting to ramp up. 

The East Central Iowa Association of REALTORS® mimicked the statewide stats, finding closed sales lagged behind those of 2024, a result of the harsher winter months. Despite slower sales, the area is seeing just a median days on market of 5, meaning that when new homes hit the market, they aren’t staying long. 

The Greater Mason City Board of REALTORS® service area recorded a lower median sales price than last year, but remains affordable and accessible for buyers. The area has many lakefront properties that will no-doubt come at a higher median price, but those properties are more likely to see ‘for sale’ signs in the late spring months, Sulgrove said. 

Northwest Iowa REALTORS® service area saw 306 homes enter the market in April, a welcome boost for the upcoming busy summer buying months. 

Southeast Iowa and West Central Iowa local board areas saw the median days on market a bit higher than the state average, at 24 and 14 days, respectively. Sulgrove notes that markets with more rural areas tend to have a longer sales time frame. However, increases in inventory for both boards shows signs that summer will heat up the market.