Des Moines capital markets regain traction amid historically strong third quarter, but recovery remains nuanced

Capital markets activity in Des Moines accelerated sharply through the third quarter of 2025. The metro area recorded its strongest third quarter for commercial real estate sales since CoStar began tracking the data in 2007, with nearly $400 million in properties traded across multifamily, office, industrial and retail sectors. This historically strong performance pushed year-to-date transaction volume to about $735 million through the first nine months of 2025 — almost 60% ahead of last year and more than three times higher than the five-year pre-pandemic average.