Historic real estate brokerage in Des Moines

Amid the work to improve Des Moines neighborhoods, White Oak Realty uses strategic real estate brokerage to catalyze historic preservation. We’re focused on saving historically significant buildings, transforming them into assets that deliver value to sellers, investors, and others building a better Des Moines.

The retail strip at 3619 Ingersoll hosts a bar, a barber shop, and two unique boutiques

A blueprint for conservation and preservation

Connor Delaney’s first land purchase set the model for the work. In 2014, he bought 11 acres adjacent to Yeader Creek, donating a significant portion of the ground to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and selling a section of the floodplain to the City. The divestments supported watershed work, preventing silt infiltration at Easter Lake. The remaining lots increased in value because they backed up to the undeveloped prairie and water features held by the public for the common good. Proceeds became the foundation for commercial brokerage, focusing on moving dilapidated, historic properties into the right hands.

Commercial brokerage for eager sellers

White Oak Realty helps property owners find swift relief from deferred maintenance or management burdens. Historic preservation projects rely on leveraging state and federal historic tax credits, and securing these credits requires patience, as it typically takes at least six months to know if a project will qualify and be able to close. We are comfortable and remain patient in finding clients interested in historic preservation to secure the tax credits and undertake comprehensive renovation. This mechanism ensures the historic property lands in the hands of a preservationist who can properly utilize the tax credits.

Value for real estate investors 

For our preservationist clients, White Oak Realty opens doors to high-value deals that utilize state and federal tax credits for renovations. Successful preservation projects command excellent returns and keep significant architecture in service as housing, retail and more.

Value for Des Moines neighbors

A preservation-focused approach drives urban revitalization and improved quality of life, as 

historic buildings that might otherwise collapse are rescued and fully renovated. Successful preservation fuels value appreciation, and increased density drives infrastructure conversations – adding crosswalks and spurring shared parking lots.

Some examples: the Temple Block Building (601 Forest) would not have survived had the Neighborhood Development Corporation (NDC) not renovated it in the 2000s. Similarly, the Weary Block building (1610 6th Avenue) was renovated, filled with tenants following the necessary improvements. And property values along the Ingersoll corridor have seen a 400% increase in seven years.

White Oak Realty’s brokerage proves that swift transactional execution coupled with strategic financing is a powerful engine for positive change in Des Moines' real estate market.

Contact us today to learn more.