Iowa Housing Market Settles Into Fall with Growing Inventory and Steady Home Values

Iowa’s housing market settled into the fall season with more homes available for buyers, as active inventory continued to grow year-over-year. While sales activity followed typical seasonal patterns, the expanded selection of homes across the state is creating more opportunities for buyers heading into the winter months.

“October’s numbers reflect the seasonal shift we typically see as the market moves from fall into winter, but there are encouraging signs for Iowa buyers and sellers,” said Erik Melloy, Iowa REALTORS® President. “Inventory continues to run well ahead of last year, giving buyers more options, while home prices remain steady. Even as the pace of sales changes with the season, Iowa’s housing market continues to offer opportunities across the state.”

New listings followed true fall fashion with 4,114 listings, an 8.6% dip from the 4,501 new listings recorded at the same time last year. Month-over-month, new listings remained stable increasing 0.3% from September’s 4,103 new listings. 

Active listings illustrate that there remain ample options for buyers looking to make a move. The 10,737 active listings of October represent a 13.9% increase from the 9,427 new listings of October 2025. Monthly, active inventory increased 5.5% from the 10,173 new listings of one month ago. 

Contrary to new and active listings, closed sales experienced more traditional seasonal shifts in October. The 2,927 closed sales of the month represented a 10.2% decrease from last year’s 3,278 closed sales, and a 6.7% decrease from last month’s 3,139 closed sales. 

Pending sales followed suit, signaling the beginning of the traditionally slower fall and winter months. With 2,534 pending sales in October, the metric dropped 18.4% from the 3,106 sales of October 2025 and 4.8% from the 2,663 sales of one month ago. 

Median sales price remained unchanged from one year ago at $250,000, and dipped 3.1% from last month’s $258,052 median sales price. 

Days on market came to 22, unchanged from one year ago, and a 2 day increase from September. 

“The continued growth in active inventory is one of the most notable trends in October’s data,” said Les Sulgrove, Iowa REALTORS® statewide housing analyst. “Buyers have a larger selection of homes than they did a year ago, while prices across the state have remained stable. We’re also seeing some differences between single-family homes and the condo and townhouse market, particularly in pending sales. Those trends will be worth watching as we move through the final months of the year.”

Condo & Townhomes 

The condo and townhouse market saw similar seasonal trends in October, with fewer new listings and closed sales, while active inventory remained virtually unchanged from both last year and September.

The condo and townhouse market saw 537 new listings in October, a 12.7% decrease from the 615 new listings of one year ago, and a 11.5% decrease from September’s 607 new listings. 

Active inventory remained steady in October with 1,942 condos and townhomes on the market, a 0.1% decrease from the 1,994 active listings of one year ago. Likewise, the metric remained nearly unchanged - a 0.1% increase - from September’s 1,941 active listings. 

Closed sales followed the temperatures in October, dipping slightly from previous recordings. The 426 closed sales of the month represent a 5.3% decrease from the 450 closed sales of October 2025, and a 6.8% decrease from the 457 closed sales of last month. 

Pending sales proved a mixed bag in October with 355 pending transactions, a 4.7% increase from the 339 pending sales of one year ago, and a 13% decrease from the 408 pending sales of September.

Median days on market came to 29, a two day jump from last year’s 27 days on market, and a one day increase from last month’s 28 days. Median sales price came to $240,000, a 2% drop from the $245,000 median sales price of one year ago, and unchanged from September’s metric.