Fall 2025 Land Trends and Values Survey
By Chuck Schwager

I and fellow members attended the Realtor Land Institute Land Conference on September 11th in West Des Moines. The results of the Realtors Land Institute September 2025 Land Trends and Values Survey are in. The survey shows a decrease in values in all 9 districts across the state of Iowa. The results of the survey shows a statewide decrease in values of -1.2% from March 2025 to September 2025. East Central Iowa had a -1.1 % decrease for the 6 month period. This decrease comes after a period of 12 months prior that prices were relatively flat with an decrease of just 2.6%. The highest decrease in values was at -2.8% in the Central district and the lowest decrease was -0.2 % in the South West district.

Lower commodity prices continue to pressure land values along with interest rates to finance land purchases. There continues to be a lower supply of land offered on the market, and good yields helping to hold values despite lower net farm income compared to recent years. Local farmers continue to be active in the market when land is available for purchase in their neighborhood. Investors aren't as competitive in the land market with the higher rates of return on other alternative investments.

Non-crop acres have shown similar trends although there have been some strong sales of pastureland and timberland. Livestock producers and recreational buyers are still aggressive when the right parcel comes up for sale. Non-cropland, especially timber ground is in demand with smaller parcels bringing a premium. Farmers continue to be the majority of buyers for farmland.
Realtor Land Institute members who specialize in agricultural land brokerage on a daily basis have conducted the survey every March and September since 1978. For more information on this survey and land values contact Chuck Schwager at East Iowa Real Estate, 125 South 2nd St., Maquoketa, IA 563-599-4277.

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The REALTORS® Land Institute - Iowa Chapter is pleased to announce the results of our September 2025 Land Trends and Values Survey. REALTORS® Land Institute is an affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS® and is organized for REALTORS® who specialize in farm and land sales, management, development and appraisal. Participants in the survey are specialists in farmland and are asked for their opinions about the current status of the Iowa farmland market.

 

Participants were asked to estimate the average value of farmland as of September 1, 2025. These estimates are for bare, unimproved land with a sale price on a cash basis. Pasture and timberland values were also requested as supplemental information.

 

The results of the September survey show a 1.2% decrease on a statewide average for the March 2025 to September 2025 time period. This is following the September 2024 to March 2025 time period that showed a 1.0% decrease, giving us a 12-month decrease of 2.2% for the State of Iowa on tillable acres. After rapid increases in values in 2021 and 2022, the land market has continued its sideways trend through much of 2025. Timberland (down 0.8%) followed the trend of tillable acres, while Pastureland acres have been able to post gains of 3.3% the last six months.

 

Survey respondents described the market as stable, despite downward movements in corn and soybean prices in recent months. Lack of inventory is helping hold land values firm, along with the expectation for an above average crop for most of Iowa this fall and strong cattle prices. Respondents are curious to see how the farmland market will respond to the seasonal increase in farms for sale through the fall and winter months.

 

REALTORS® Land Institute - Iowa Chapter’s farmland value survey has been conducted in March and September since 1978. This survey plus the RLI Farm and Ranch Multiple Listing Service are activities of REALTORS® specializing in agricultural land brokerage daily.