Strong Start: Iowa Housing Market Builds Momentum in January​

Iowa’s housing market kicked off the new year with renewed momentum, as January brought gains in new listings and steady buyer activity across much of the state. 

“January’s increase in new listings is an encouraging sign for both buyers and sellers,” said Erik Melloy, Iowa REALTORS® president. “More inventory creates opportunity and competition, and while we’re seeing the typical winter slowdown in closed sales, buyer interest remains steady. That positions the market well as we move toward spring.”

New year, new listings in the Iowa housing market. New listings jumped to 3,072 properties, a 2.7% increase over last January’s 2,991 new listings, and 47.3% from December’s 2,085 recorded new listings. 

The new year brought renewed interest in the market overall, with 8,308 active listings, a 12.1% increase from January 2025. The metric remained stable month-over-month, decreasing just 1.6% from December’s 8,446 active listings. 

Following a rather mild December, closed sales appear to now be showing signs of the traditionally cooling winter market. The 1,827 closed sales of January represented a 7.4% decrease from the 2,001 closed sales of a year ago. Compared to December, closed sales faltered 38.9% from the 3,022 homes sold in early winter. 

Pending sales remained stable in year-over-year measurements, declining 1% to 2,366 pending sales from the 2,390 pending transactions of January 2025. The measurement is a 21% increase from the 1,955 pending sales of December. 

Median sales price increased 7.7% to $231,500 in January from the $215,000 of a year ago. The single-family median sales price dipped 2.5% monthly from December’s $237,500. 

Days on market increased 5.4% to 39 days in both yearly and monthly measurements.  

“The market is showing a healthy balance to start the year,” said Les Sulgrove, Iowa REALTORS® statewide housing analyst. “Prices continue to appreciate year-over-year, pending sales are holding firm, and inventory is improving. That combination tells us consumers are still confident, they’re just navigating the seasonality we expect this time of year.”

Condo & Townhomes
The condo and townhome market continued a more seasonably responsive market in December. 

New listings increased 10.6% in January with 660 properties entering the market, compared to the 597 new listings of one year ago. Monthly, condo and townhome new listings jumped 134% from the 282 new listings of December 2025. 

The jump in new listings propelled active inventory in January. The 1,828 active listings for the month represented a 6.4% increase from the 1,718 active listings of one year ago. The increase was similar month-over-month, increasing 5.8% from the 1,727 listings of December. 

Closed sales jumped to 239, a 7.2% increase from the 223 sales of January 2025. Monthly, the metric dropped 27.1% from the 329 closed sales recorded in December. 

Similar to single-family homes, the pending sales recorded in January for condos and townhomes show promise of an early spring market, increasing both yearly and monthly. With 349 pending sales in January, the figure was a 3.6% increase from the 337 pending transactions of a year ago. The jump was greater monthly, increasing 49.8% from the 233 pending sales of December. 

Median days landed at 51 days in January from the 35 days of January 2025 and from the 52 days on market in December. Median sales price came to $232,500 in January, a 1.5% increase from the $229,000 of one year ago, and a 3.8% increase from the $224,000 median sales price of December.