Quarterly Report Q3:2026

Quarterly Report Q3:2026

The Katalyst Team by KW Commercial Iowa Multifamily Quarterly Newsletter, Third Quarter 2026, over a sunset view of the Des Moines skyline.

Lately I’ve been asking this of anyone who has lived through a full real estate cycle. The answers vary, but a surprising number land somewhere between 2008 and 2012. For sellers and real estate professionals, those were hard years. They were also years that created real opportunity for buyers with cash or access to credit.

What I know for certain is that interest rates are at levels we haven’t seen in over 25 years, and the whole market is learning to live with them. What comes next? In my opinion, I think we are in a great reset, and that when this settles, pricing will look more like the late 1990s and 2000s than the last decade. For commercial real estate, that likely means cap rates of 8%–10% becoming common again, with debt holding around 7% or below.

If you own commercial property none of this is fun, and I’m in the same group as you as an owner so I understand the pain. Values are dropping, net worth is dropping, and cash flow may disappear in a refinance, even when you bought right and managed well. If you’re buying, this is the kind of market where the work you do on each deal matters most. Look past the cap rate and the price, and ask what actually makes a property a strong buy, a good value-add, or an operational turnaround.

One thing I do know for certain: cycles pass, and this one will too. In the meantime, the data is worth watching closely, so let’s see what it’s telling us about Iowa multifamily… buckle up, it’s going to be a wild ride!

Logo featuring the name "Jared Husmann" in a large script font above "Jared Husmann, President, The Katalyst Team" in smaller, uppercase letters, all in a maroon color on a white background.
Jared with short light brown hair, wearing a light-colored checked shirt and a dark patterned tie, smiles while sitting against a plain white background.
  • 9 closed sales
  • $27.7M total volume
  • Avg $/Unit: $99, 659 · Median $/Unit: $66,818
  • Avg Cap Rate: 7.44%
  • 11 closed sales + 1 BTR Portfolio
  • $18.9M standard sales · $87.3 M include
  • Avg $/Unit: $84, 387 · Median $/Unit: $80,000
  • Avg Cap Rate: 6.92%

DSM Pricing by Building Class · Q3 and 2026 YTD

Class#Sales Q3 Avg $/UnitMedian %/UnitYTD
Sales
YTD Avg
$/Unit
YTD
Median
YTD Avg
Cap
Note
A1$134,678$134,6783$185,044$178,7886.95%Q3 = one 8-unit, 2024 built sale. Waukee BTR portfolio excluded.
B2$129,216$129,2164$96,062$94,3308.00%Q3 avg driven by Ankeny 53-unit (1998-built) at $149,057/unit.
C7$71,688$78,12515$71,407$78,1257.03%Q3 range: $50,000 (Newton) to $83,333 (Ankeny) per unit.
D1$33,333$33,3331$33,333$33,333–One 12-unit, 1967-built sale — lowest $/unit of the quarter.

Cap Rate Trend · DSM Market · Annual Median

201820192020202120222023202420252026 YTD*
8.85%7.53%7.63%6.65%6.65%7.81%6.23%6.63%7.64%

Three Things to Consider · Q3 2026

BUYING · ACQUIRINGHOLDING · REFINANCINGSELLING · DISPOSING
Underwrite debt at today’s rate at minimum. The 10 year closed September at 5.29%.Re-run your tax line. Iowa’s new multi-residential class phases in higher assessed values over three years.Active listings tracked: 64, double the 32 at our Q2 report. DSM alone went from 11 to 24.
Trades are clearing in older C-class at $50K–$83K per unit. Confirm insurance and financing before you bid.Operations and NOI protection decide who refinances.The three sales with confirmed asking prices closed at 94% 98% of ask. Price to the trades, not to 2021–22.

Questions I Am Asking · Q3 2026

BUYERSSELLERS
With the 10-year above 5%, does this deal still work on in-place NOI — not pro forma?If your price still assumes 2021 22 value, what is your plan if it does not sell in 90 days?
MarketActive
Lists
Active
Units
Avg List
$/Unit
Q3 SalesQ3 VolumeAvg Sold
$/Unit
Avg Cap Rate
DSM241,216$74,45411$18.9M$84,3876.92%
Rural12321$111,709†6$11.8M$73,2558.06%
Quad Cities9303$64,9740–––
Sioux City4169$128,542†2$17.9M$79,512–
Waterloo390$53,385†1$0.8M$62,500–
Cedar Rapids5283$64,479†0–––
Iowa City7117$134,059†0–––
Total642,49920$49.3M$79,4667.14%* (n=5)

MARKET COMMENTARY

DSM recorded 11 priced sales for $18.9M in Q3, plus a two-property Waukee build-to-rent portfolio at $68.4M ($271,429/unit) that lifts the quarter to $87.3M. Strip out that one deal and the quarter is small-asset driven: 7 of the 11 sales were 12 units or fewer, and five were in Ankeny. Median price was $80,000 per unit. The three sales with a confirmed ask closed at 93.8%–98.3% of list. Meanwhile active DSM inventor more than doubled from 11 listings at our Q2 report to 24 (1,216 units), including three unpriced CBRE call-for offers totaling 390 units.

Rural Iowa posted 6 priced sales for $11.8M (191 units) at a median of $59,244 per unit, against 12 active listings (321 units). Dubuque led with three sales, 94 units and $6.8M. The one confirmed rural cap rate was Marshalltown at 8.06%. The gap between asks and closings is widest in newer construction: four 2023–2025-built Class A listings asking $115K–$240K per unit have not traded. Details on the next page.

Sioux City went from no closings in Q2 to two in Q3: 245 units and $17.9M, the largest non-DSM volume of the quarter ($57,862 and $101,163 per unit). Waterloo had one sale, a 12-unit asset at $62,500 per unit. Both markets still carry few priced listings.

No closings appeared in the tracker for these markets. Cedar Rapids has 5 listings (283 units), led by a 181-unit, 2025-built Class A asset listed in September without a price. Iowa City grew from none at our Q2 report to 7 listings (117 units), including a 2026-built 29-unit asset asking $8.5M ($293,103/unit). Quad Cities has 9 listings (303 units) at an average ask of $64,974 per unit.

Q3 statistics cover closings dated July 1 through October 1, 2026. Q2 was published with 9 DSM sales and $27.7M; the tracker now holds 11 qualifying Q2 DSM sales and $29.3M as later closings were confirmed. Expect Q3 to move the same way. Non-DSM sales added from a CoStar export dated Oct 6, 2026.

Q3 Closings by Market

MarketPriced SalesUnitsVolumeAvg $/UnitMedian
$/Unit
Avg Cap
Rate
Closings
w/o Price
DSM11219$18.9M$84,387$80,0006.92%3 Unpriced
Rural6191$11.8M$73,255$59,2448.06%4 unpriced
Sioux City2245$17.9M$79,512$79,512–none
Waterloo112$0.8M$62,500$62,500–none
Cedar Rapids00––––none
Iowa City00––––none
Quad Cities00––––none
All Markets20667$49.3M$79,466$70,1927.14% (n=5)7 unpriced

Closed vs. Asking · Median $ per Unit

What We Are Seeing Outside DSM

MarketAddressUnitsClassBuiltCap RateSale Price$/UnitNotes
Waterloo1110 Doreen
Ave
12C1969–$750,000$62,500Jul 17 · Tracker ask $745K;
closed about 100.7% of ask
Rural –
Algona
1906 90th
Ave
13C1940–$850,000$65,385Jul 22 · 1940-built; about
71% of $1.2M tracker ask
Sioux City1331 S Maple
St
159C1968–$9,200,000$57,862Jul 23 · Country Estates of
Morningside
Rural –
Keokuk
128 Bank St48C1982–$1,904,500$39,677Jul 29 · River Terrace Apts;
lowest rural $/unit
Rural –
Dubuque
1199 Central
Ave
14C1858–$2,250,000$160,714Jul 31 · Historic rehab
(1858-built)
Sioux City400 Pierce
St
86B1912–$8,700,000$101,163Aug 11 · Martin Tower on
the Mall
Rural –
Dubuque
2535 Central
Ave
19C1920–$1,050,000$55,263Aug 11 · Closed at tracker
ask of $1.05M
Rural –
Marshalltown
611 E South
St
36C1965–$2,200,000$61,111Sep 14 · South Street Apts;
confirmed in-place cap
Rural –
Dubuque
1401
Wingate Dr
61C2011–$3,500,000$57,377Sep 15 · Senior LIHTC
community (restricted
rent)

Closings Identified · Pricing Unconfirmed (Excluded from Statistics)

ClosedPropertyCityUnitsStatus
Jul 1301 W Day Spring LnDecorah151900-built, Class C;
price not confirmed
Aug 14107 Homer St SEShellsburg81977-built, Class C;
price not confirmed
Sep 8414 7th St SEOelwein81977-built, Class C;
price not confirmed
Sep 8400 13th Ave NWOelwein361999-built, Class B;
price not confirmed

Asking Prices vs. Closings Outside DSM

  • Most listings that traded did so near ask. Of four tracker listings that closed in Q3, three (Marshalltown, Dubuque’s 2535 Central Ave. and Waterloo’s Doreen Ave.) closed within 1% of their tracker asking price. The Algona property closed at about 71% of ask.
  • New construction is where asks and closings diverge. Active rural Class A asks (Chariton, Marshalltown, Monticello, Van Meter) run $115K–$240K per unit. No rural sale in Q3 was newer than 2011, and the median rural Class C ask ($65,278, n=5) sits about 14% above the Class C closings ($57,377).
  • Rural cap rates are running wider. Marshalltown’s 8.06% in-place cap is the only confirmed non-DSM cap this quarter. In Q2 the one rural cap was 9.04% (West Burlington). Against DSM’s Q3 average of 6.92%, that is roughly 115 basis points wider, from very small samples.
  • Visibility is thin. 4 of 13 non-DSM closings in the export had no disclosed price (Oelwein ×2, Shellsburg, Decorah). The tracker reflects KataLYST research and CoStar and may not capture every transaction in smaller markets.

Iowa Economy – Q3 2026

Iowa Leading Indicators Index (ILII) · May – July 2026

MonthILII
Reading
Mo.
Change
Diffusion Index6-Mo. Ann. RateKey Signal
May 2026108.70.30%752.20%6 of 8 components ↑; permits
−10.9% YoY; corn and soybean
profit indexes +10.6% / +14.7% YoY
Jun 2026108.5−0.1%501.40%4 of 8 components ↑; permits 1,411
vs. 1,688 a year ago (−16.4%);
nonfarm jobs down 21 of last 22
months
Jul 20261090.60%93.81.90%All 8 components ↑; permits 1,512
(+55.4% YoY); nonfarm jobs flat in
July, down 22 of last 23 months

What the ILII Is Telling Us · Q3 2026

The index ended the quarter at 109.0 in July, higher than any reading in our last two quarterly reports (107.6 to 108.3). July was also the broadest reading in our reports since February: all eight components rose and the monthly diffusion index jumped from 50.0 in June to 93.8. The six-month annualized rate is +1.9%, far from the −2.0% level that would flag contraction risk. Iowa’s economy is still growing, slowly.

Last quarter we asked whether April’s permit rebound would hold. It did not: permits were down 10.9% year over year in May and 16.4% in June, then jumped 55.4% in July to 1,512 units, 43.3% above the historical monthly average. One strong month does not make a trend, but a supply pipeline that swings this much is worth watching for Q4 and 2027 deliveries.

The tension from Q2 is still there. The leading index is above 100 and rising, yet the Iowa nonfarm employment index has fallen in 22 of the last 23 months. In August, Iowa Workforce Development reported 2,400 jobs added (total nonfarm 1,585,800), led by 1,300 manufacturing jobs. That is encouraging, but one month of gains does not yet change the rent-growth story for multifamily operators.

Iowa Economic Indicators · Q3 2026

IndicatorReadingAs PfSourceImplication
Iowa Unemployment
Rate
3.20%Aug 2026Iowa Workforce Dev.↓ from 3.5% a year ago; unchanged from July
US Unemployment
Rate
4.20%Sep 2026BLSUp from 4.1% in August; only 29,000 jobs added in September
Iowa LFPR67.00%Aug 2026Iowa Workforce DevDown from 67.1% in July and 67.4% in May
Iowa Nonfarm Jobs2400.00%Aug 2026Iowa Workforce DevTotal 1,585,800; manufacturing +1,300
10-Year Treasury5.29%Sep 30, 2026Federal Reserve (H.15)Crossed 5% on Sep 14; was 4.40% in our Q2 report. Our Q3 DSM average cap (6.92%, n=4) sits about 165 bps above it
Iowa ILII109Jul 2026Iowa Dept. of Revenue 6-mo. annualized +1.9%; all 8 components ↑; no contraction signal

Iowa Property Taxes · The Law Is Now Signed

ProvisionWhat the signed law (SF 2472) does
Multi-residential classRe-establishes a separate property class for apartment buildings and increases their assessed value over three years.
Local revenue capCaps city and county general-levy revenue growth at 2% beginning in fiscal 2027–28 (school funding excluded).
TIFLimits tax-increment financing agreements to 23 years, which
affects the structure of financed rehab and development
deals.
Why it mattersTaxable value on apartments steps up while rents are flat. Rebuild the tax line in your pro forma using the new class and phase-in, and confirm the details with your tax advisor.

What I’m Watching · What I’m Hearing · What I’m Seeing

WATCHINGHEARINGSEEING
The 10-year Treasury. It crossed 5% on Sep 14 and closed the quarter at 5.29%.While it appears there is less pain in the market with strong cap rates and strong ask prices; the number of listings continue to push it into a buyer’s market and a forecast of reduced prices going forward.Active listings in our tracker: 64, up from 32 at our Q2 report.
Iowa property tax implementation of the new law.Large institutions are underwriting new debt at 10%Unpriced, call-for-offers marketing on larger DSM assets.
Whether July’s permit surge repeats.Quality tenant applications continue to deteriorateRural new-construction asks still waiting for a buyer.

National Economy · Multifamily Market

National Multifamily

National Multifamily Narrative

The national multifamily market spent the summer inching out of its slump. Yardi Matrix reported that average asking rents reached $1,773 in August, up $2 from July and 0.4% above a year ago, the strongest annual growth in nearly a year and the sixth straight monthly increase. Yardi describes a “firming rent environment.” Occupancy was 94.2% in July, still 0.5% below a year earlier.

Supply is the reason for the improvement. Starts and deliveries are down about one-third from their 2023–24 peak, and the lease-up pipeline has fallen from 1.4 million units to about 1.2 million. High supply Sun Belt markets are stabilizing: Austin’s annual rent decline has narrowed from −5.8% in our Q2 report to −2.8%, while Midwest and gateway markets such as Kansas City (+3.0%), Chicago (+2.6%) and the Twin Cities (+2.4%) keep leading the country.

The capital-markets story changed more than the rent story. The 10-year Treasury crossed 5% on September 14 and ended the quarter at 5.29%, its highest level in nearly two decades and nearly a full point above where it stood at our Q2 report. Higher rates, not weaker demand, are now the main pressure on pricing and refinancing. Stabilizing rents do not offset an exit cap rate that has to compete with a 5%+ risk-free yield.

Metro Rent Growth Leaders

How Do You Profit? · National Context

BUYING · ACQUIRINGHOLDING · REFINANCINGSELLING · DISPOSING
Supply is rolling over. Starts and deliveries are down about a third from the 2023–24 peak.The 10-year at 5.29% resets refinance math for anyone who bought in 2021–22.Rent growth is positive again nationally, but exit pricing must clear a higher rate.
Long term the US is still short of housing. If you can look past the next 3–5 years, you can find value.Lenders are lending, but DSCR matters more than ever.Stabilized Midwest assets still draw the most buyer interest.
Iowa’s B-class middle market offers risk-adjusted value, but price it off a 5%+ Treasury.NOI protection through strong operations is the most controllable variable you have.Distressed sellers must price for today’s underwriting. The bidask gap is the main brake on volume.

Q3 2026 Closed Sale Comps

Central Iowa Closed Transactions

MarketAddressUnitsClassCap RateSale Price$/UnitBrokerNotes
DSM – Perry2103 Willis Ave.8A–$1,077,425$134,678UnknownJul 13 · 2024-built
DSM – Des Moines1011 Park Ave.12D–$400,000$33,333UnknownJul 15 · 1967-built; lowest $/unit of the quarter
DSM – Ankeny217 NW College Ave.8C–$625,000$78,125UnknownJul 22 · 1966-built
DSM – Ankeny309 NW 18th St.53B–$7,900,000$149,057UnknownJul 31 · 1998-built; largest standard sale by dollars
DSM – Des Moines4004 University Ave.8C6.09%$600,000$75,000NAI Iowa / Stanbrough RealtyJul 31 · 93.8% of $640K ask; listed at 5.71% cap
DSM – WDM1120 5th St.8B8.00%$875,000$109,375UnknownAug 17 · 1998-built
DSM – Slater701 Linn St.28C–$1,550,000$55,357UnknownAug 19 · Story County; within DSM 35-mile radius
DSM – Ankeny1011 SE 3rd St.18C5.83%$1,500,000$83,333NAI Iowa
(both)
Sep 4 · 96.8% of $1.55M ask; listed at 5.64% cap
DSM – Ankeny1114 SE Belmont Dr.12C–$960,000$80,000UnknownSep 16 · Two-property sale, 20 units at $80K/unit
DSM – Ankeny1102 SE Belmont Dr.8C–$640,000$80,000CBRESep 16 · Two-property sale, 20 units at $80K/unit
DSM – Newton315 1st St. S56C7.74%$2,800,000$50,000UnknownSep 16 · 98.3% of $2.85M ask; confirmed cap
DSM – Waukee865 NW Sproul Dr. & 1325 SE Centennial Pkwy. (2-property portfolio)252A–$68,400,000$271,429
(excluded)
UnknownAug 12 · Build-to-rent duplex/quadplex/townhome portfolio; excluded from $/unit and cap benchmarks

Closings Identified · Pricing Unconfirmed (Excluded from Statistics)

ClosedPropertyCityUnitsStatus
Aug 4701 SE 26th Ct.Des Moines121969-built, Class B; price not confirmed
Aug 271872 NW 82nd St.Clive1231971-built, Class C; price not confirmed
Oct 1325 SW 7th St.Des Moines–Closing recorded; price not confirmed

Active Listings Snapshot

MarketPropertyUnitsClassList CapList PriceList $/UnitListing Firm
DSM100-112 5th Ave. NW (Altoona)144C6.99%$14,800,000$102,778Daymark Real Estate
DSM920 Meadow Ln102C7.58%$5,900,000$57,843CBRE
DSM3909 Hubbell Ave.54C6.21%$4,625,000$85,648Marcus & Millichap
DSM1420 Pennsylvania Ave.78C8.29%$4,300,000$55,128CBRE
DSM3830 6th Ave.47C8.28%$2,650,000$56,383CBRE
DSM3274 E. Euclid Ave.8B7.15%$769,000$96,125The KataLYST Team
DSM615 Parker St.158B–Call for Offers–CBRE
DSM6300 Merle Hay Rd. (Johnston)195A–Call for Offers–CBRE
DSM1201 Center St.37A–Call for Offers–CBRE
Rural1833 Curtis Ave. (Chariton)52A6.74%$6,000,000$115,385Stanbrough Realty
Rural602 Creekside Ln (Marshalltown)24A6.80%$5,600,000$233,333Stanbrough Realty
Rural1115 4th St. (Mason City)48C7.17%$3,300,000$68,750CBRE
Iowa City4428 Deer Creek Rd.29A–$8,500,000$293,103Navigate
Cedar Rapids3998-4025 Westdale Pkwy181A–Unpriced–Stanbrough Realty
Cedar Rapids16-26-76-86 Aossey Ln SW32B8.27%$2,100,000$65,625Unknown
Quad Cities7118 Hillandale Rd.100C7.74%$8,500,000$85,000Bang Realty
Quad Cities4406 N Division St.33C8.53%$2,350,000$71,212CBRE
Sioux City1720 Morningside Ave.24A–$4,250,000$177,083NAI United
Waterloo765-791 Russell Rd.48C8.51%$2,725,000$56,771CBRE

What have WE been Selling and LYSTing JUST in 2026?

Two-story beige house with a wrap-around wooden deck and multiple entrances, viewed from the street.
Two-story gray house with a front porch, stone retaining wall, and concrete steps leading to the entrance.
A two-story house with brown siding and a large wooden deck, featuring a gravel driveway and a grassy front yard.
A two-story, U-shaped apartment building with gray siding and numerous windows sits behind a well-maintained, grassy lawn. A concrete pathway and steps lead from the sidewalk to the building's entrances. Trees and a partly cloudy sky are in the background.
Two commercial industrial buildings labeled B and C with multiple roll-up garage doors, situated on a large concrete lot under a clear blue sky.
Single-story commercial building with an address of 2701 marked on the brick facade, situated next to a street.

Provider is a licensed real estate agent and has the rights to sell real estate in the state of Iowa.

All information was obtained via 3rd parties including but not limited to Yardi Matrix, Iowa-Leading Economic Indicators, CoStar, and more. All effort was made to ensure the accuracy, timeliness, and completeness of information provided for publication. KW Commercial does not guarantee, warrant, or represent that all information is accurate or complete and is not liable for any loss, claim, or demand arising from the direct or indirect use or reliance upon information provided.

Behind the Desk

Jared is a 3rd generation real estate entrepreneur growing up with a grandfather who was a homebuilder and investor; a father who was an electrician, developer, and investor; and a mother who was a residential investor, manager, and bookkeeper. With this extensive knowledge as well as being an owner himself for over 15+ years and involved in over 200+ individual transactions he has extensive experience in; financing, operations, management, development, construction, bookkeeping, brokerage, and entrepreneurial activities.

Having helped clients purchase and sell over $100+ Million of real estate personally as an agent-advisor Jared has helped his average client earn over 26.95% rate of return on their real estate investments.

In his spare time has has many hobbies which include but are not limited to: traveling, mountain climbing, hiking, piano, ballroom dancing, Latin dancing, pilot, Spanish lessons, and is always looking for a new adventure.

Logo featuring the name "Jared Husmann" in a large script font above "Jared Husmann, President, The Katalyst Team" in smaller, uppercase letters, all in a maroon color on a white background.
Jared with short light brown hair, wearing a light-colored checked shirt and a dark patterned tie, smiles while sitting against a plain white background.