(Iowa) 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 in the statewide average for the March 2025 to September 2025 time period. This follows 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, along with the RLI Farm and Ranch Multiple Listing Service, is an activity of REALTORS® specializing in agricultural land brokerage on a daily basis.
