Late Summer Brings Housing Inventory Growth to Des Moines Metro Market

September 11, 2026

The Des Moines metro housing market saw more homes come onto the market in August, giving buyers additional options. While closed and pending sales cooled during the hottest month of the year, home prices remained strong, providing evidence that the housing market remains robust. 

“August brought a welcome increase in inventory for buyers across the Des Moines metro,” said Scott Steelman, Des Moines Area Association of REALTORS® president. “While sales activity was somewhat softer than we saw earlier in the summer, more homes available and stable prices mean buyers may have more opportunity to find the right home while sellers continue to benefit from solid prices.”

Active listings received a late-summer boost in August. With 4,702 active listings, the metro area market realized an 11.8% increase from the 4,206 active listings of August 2026. Month-over-month the market experienced a smaller, but equally beneficial, increase of 4.8% from the 4,486 active listings of July. 

Despite more options on the market for buyers in August, closed sales faltered slightly. The 1,263 closed transactions of August represented a 2.1% decrease from the 1,290 sales of one year prior, and a 7.5% decrease from July’s 1,366 closed transactions. 

Year-to-date, closed sales remain a bright spot with 9,856 total units sold through the Des Moines metro area. 

Pending sales mirrored that of closed sales, dipping in all measured metrics. The 1,143 pending sales of August resulted in a 3.8% decrease from the 1,188 pending transactions of August 2025. Likewise, month-over-month comparisons showed a 9.2% dip from July’s 1,259 pending sales. 

Median sales price came to $319,725, a 5.5% increase from the $302,925 median sales price of August 2025, while monthly median sales price comparisons were stable, shifting down 0.1% from the $320,000 of last month. 

The 50 days on market in August represented a 5.7% decrease from last year’s 53 days on market. Conversely, month-over-month days on market jumped 2% from the 49 days recorded in July. 

Conventional financing accounted for 878 transactions, or 70% of all sales in August. Homebuyers paid cash for 216 transactions, or 17% of sales, while FHA loans were used in 86 transactions, or 6.9% of sales.