The number of homes sold in the Greater Des Moines area in March increased more than one-third compared with the number sold in February, data from the Des Moines Area Association of Realtors shows.

In addition, 16% more homes were sold in March than a year ago.

“There are still people who need to move,” said Lance Hanson, association president, in a prepared statement. He said housing activity slowed during the last two weeks of March, with fewer open houses and traditional showings.

Still, he added, “Many buyers are taking advantage of virtual tours and videos online to narrow down their list of properties to just a couple of favorites.”

In March, 1,051 residences were sold compared with the 907 sold in the previous year, according to the association. In February, 771 homes were sold.

In addition, the median sale price of a home in March was $215,000, up nearly 11% from February’s median sale price of $193,900. The median sale price in March 2019 was $209,900, according to the association.

While real estate experts expect a slowdown in the market because of the novel coronavirus outbreak, low interest rates on mortgages are helping to keep buyers in the market, Hanson said in the news release.

On Tuesday, for instance, the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 3.44%, according to NerdWallet.

“With interest rates so low, some folks who were already planning to buy are continuing to search for their next home and lock in on those low interest rates,” Hanson said in the release.

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