market reports

Greater Denver Area Real Estate Market Report from May 2025

 
 

In a world where we are conditioned to expect immediacy and convenience, real estate reminds us that some things still take time., according to the Denver Metro Association of Realtors Market Trend Committee.

The Denver Metro housing market right now is a masterclass in patience. Whether you're a buyer waiting for the right home to hit the market or a seller holding out for the best offer, today's conditions reward those who can pause, plan and stay engaged.

Patience is especially essential as inventory builds. This report tracks inventory in two ways: new listings refer to the number of homes that entered the market during the month, while active listings at month's end reflect the number of listings available on the last day of the month-those that roll over into the next cycle. In May, new listings increased by 3.26 percent for detached homes and 2.80 percent for attached homes compared to April. Year-to-date, 29,881 new properties have entered the market-up 17.55 percent from 2024 and 9.21 percent from 2021-highlighting a notable increase in seller activity.

As more homes come to market, active inventory continues to rise. With new listings outpacing closed sales, more properties remain active into the next month. At the end of May, there were 13,599 active listings-up 13.67 percent from the previous month and 48.48 percent year-over-year. This is the highest level of inventory the Denver Metro area has seen since 2011, underscoring the importance of strategy and staying power for both buyers and sellers.

Still, inventory alone does not tell the whole story. The balance between supply and demand remains the key driver of market direction. Pending sales- a leading indicator of buyer activity— dipped 8.56 percent from March to April, suggesting an early spring slowdown. However, May brought a renewed burst of buyer interest, with pending contracts rising 6.88 percent month-over-month.

Prices remained relatively stable, with the median sale price for detached homes up 0.76 percent and attached homes seeing a stronger 4.52 percent increase. Homes are still selling, and quickly in many cases; closed sales in May spent just 16 days in the MLS for detached properties and 28 days for attached. However, a look at currently active listings tells a different story: average days in the MLS now trend closer to 45. This divergence reflects a growing split in the inventory.Homes in a desirable location, updated and priced appropriately, continue to sell quickly. Meanwhile, properties that miss the mark in condition, location or pricing often linger, requiring price reductions to attract discerning buyers.

As much as the algorithms try, homes are not a commodity. Each home is influenced by location, condition, evolving societal expectations and personal priorities. As this market reminds us, real estate is nuanced, and that nuance is where a skilled Realtor® brings real value. Buying and selling a home is a deeply personal process, and no two clients share the same motivations. The key is aligning personal goals with current market realities-finding that balance between strategy and adaptability, patience and decisive action. In a shifting market like this, staying focused on your "why" while remaining flexible in your "how" is what leads to confident, successful outcomes

Learn more about the market from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors.

Thank you to our partners at the Denver Metro Association of Realtors for compiling this information.

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If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Greater Denver Area Real Estate Market Report from April 2025

 
 

If you've lived in Colorado for a while, you know spring has a hard time making up its mind - sunshine one day, snow the next. This April, the Denver Metro real estate market mirrored that same unpredictability, according to the Denver Metro Association of Realtors Market Trend Committee.

One week felt hot with buyer activity and quick sales, and the next brought a chill with hesitation driven by fluctuating mortgage rates and uncertainty in the broader economy. Consumer sentiment was cautious - buyers and sellers alike were willing to engage, provided the numbers made sense. While economic uncertainty lingered, the market operated with cautious momentum, driven more by life changes than speculation or urgency.
With seller activity so far in 2025, one thing was predictable: increased inventory. New listings were up 10.78 percent month-over-month and up 18.13 percent year-over-year. We typically see inventory increase in the spring months.

However, this month-over-month increase is slightly larger than the average of 8.37 percent.
Buyer activity usually remains strong during the spring months, and a month-over-month decrease in pending units, although just 2.27 percent, may reflect an early peak in the spring market.

This slowdown in buyer activity and an influx of new listings resulted in a 26.58 percent increase in active listings at month's end for detached homes and an increase of 15.50 percent for attached homes. Comparing this to April 2024, this is an increase of 66.22 percent for detached homes and 81.42 percent for attached homes. With the rise in invento-ry, properties are predictably on the market longer; the median days in the MLS were 13, down 23.53 percent month-over-month, but up 62.50 percent year-over-year.

Despite the increase in inventory, the median sale price increased month-over-month. The median sale price for detached homes was $665,000, a 0.76 percent increase, and the median for attached homes was $389,900, a 0.55 percent increase. Comparing year-over-year, attached properties showed a decrease of 6.05 percent in median sale price.

Year-to-date, we see a slight year-over-year slowdown of 1.82 percent in the number of closed properties. Compared to the year-to-date data of a high-activity year such as 2021, the number of closed properties is down 29.20 percent.

With inventory rising and buyers becoming increasingly selective, it is important for sellers to understand they are in a competitive environment. Every listing now needs to earn buyer attention. Set realistic expectations and help your clients understand how condition, staging, and strategic pricing impact a buyer's perspective.
Buyers in this market are experiencing a lot with interest rates, talks of a recession and uneasy consumer confidence. We can ease these concerns by helping our clients stay grounded in their personal goals and focus on local realities - and financial positions. Focusing on longer-term needs can help ease the uncertainty of the day-to-day.

Learn more about the market from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors.

Thank you to our partners at the Denver Metro Association of Realtors for compiling this information.

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If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Greater Denver Area Real Estate Market Report from March 2025

 
 

March 2025 is notable, marking five years from the beginning impacts of COVID-19 in Colorado. It's a historical experience in which we know the "before", the "during" and the "after." according to the Denver Metro Association of Realtors Market Trend Committee.

A jumble of lessons in resilience, priorities and what is considered essential. Buried in all of this was a trigger activating a sudden need for change, whether it was a need for home offices and a place to school children or a yard for the kids and dogs who could no longer access school and park playgrounds, a place with a home gym or a detached home without public access points and elevators - this sudden urge was almost primal, a need to access a space that felt safe. This trigger, the combination of sudden demand and historically low interest rates, began a surge in the real estate industry that would last 24 months, culminating in a peak median sale price in the Denver Metro of $616,500 in April of 2022, a 38.5 percent increase from March 2020.

Five years later, we see the "after" - a market balancing out as normalcy returns, tempered by high interest rates. This March's median sale price in the Denver Metro was $599,000, down 3.9 percent from the peak. The balancing of the market has occurred with lower buyer demand, higher levels of inventory and stagnation in pricing. Primary residential homes are a longer-term investment; looking at the overall five-year performance of the market yields a 6.92 percent annual appreciation, which is in line with long-term averages.

Higher interest rates and affordability challenges have had the most significant impact on the market shift. In 2020, the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage was around 3 percent and remained in that range until the spring of 2022, when rates surged to about seven percent by year-end —where they have largely remained. This sharp increase in borrowing costs has slowed buyer activity, even as inventory has grown.

The first quarter of 2020 is our pre-pandemic benchmark, reflecting market conditions before COVID - driven demand accelerated activity. In the first quarter of this year, 15,529 new listings have entered the market, compared to just 6,666 in the first quarter of 2020. The 2020 surge in buyer demand began amid already-low supply. As inventory has increased, prices have stagnated. In the first quarter of 2020, 12,065 properties were sold; in the first quarter of this year, only 8,697 properties were sold - a 27.9 percent decline -highlighting that the market remains less active than it was before the pandemic.

The good news for buyers in this current market is that the pricing rebalance has allowed the drastic value jump to even out. Mortgage rates remain impactful on affordability; however, the increase in supply has provided more options to choose from and increased negotiating options with sellers.

Sellers are in a different position than in 2020-2022; buyers are pickier and looking for homes that have been well-maintained, require minimal updating and, of course, are priced competitively for the current market conditions. Buyers don't have the same level of urgency as during the pandemic years; sellers need to create that urgency by presenting a beautiful home at an attractive price.

Learn more about the market from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors.

Thank you to our partners at the Denver Metro Association of Realtors for compiling this information.

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If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Greater Denver Area Real Estate Market Report from February 2025

 
 

February brings a fresh start, a sense of clarity and focus heading into the spring market - buyers and sellers both gained momentum in February as the weather warmed and the sun appeared between weekend snowstorms; multiple offers have even returned for some listings, according to the Denver Metro Association of Realtors Market Trend Committee.

Seller activity jumped in February, increasing new listings month-over-month by 11.17 percent and up 13.81 percent year-over-year. An increase in inventory is typical this time of year as sellers enter the market after pulling back during the winter months.

New listings entering the market have been low over the past couple of years; homeowners are locked into 30-year fixed-rate mortgages in the three percent range or lower and have difficulty justifying a purchase that increases costs. As time has gone on, the conversation has evolved from when rates will decline to navigating a market with high interest rates for the foreseeable future. As time passes, our lives evolve and the low interest rate carries less weight when considering staying in a home that no longer meets our needs.

This early seller activity added inventory that outpaced buyer demand for both attached and detached properties. We had 4,828 new listings enter the market in February, and 3,516 listings went pending. The attached and detached markets both saw a month-over-month increase in the number of pending homes in February, 19.92 percent and 23.27 percent, respectively.

Pending homes also increased year-over-year, 2.48 percent for attached and 23.27 percent for detached homes. The increased activity for attached homes is a good sign after the market segment lagged in 2024 due to higher costs, such as increased HOA dues and insurance.

Fewer properties sold in February than last year, a decrease of 17.29 percent combined attached and detached, and total sales volume was also down 14.04 percent. The number of total homes sold is down year-to-date by 7.05 percent, and sales volume is down 3.27 percent. Home values are holding steady despite the balance of inventory and buyer demand. The median sale price for detached homes was up 2.63 percent and attached up 2.54 percent year-to-date.

Homes are selling in a shorter amount of time in the first part of the year compared to the 4th quarter of 2024. Median days in the MLS were 27 days for detached homes, down 37.21 percent month-over-month compared to 24 days in February 2024.

The median days in the MLS for attached homes were down 12.50 percent month-over-month; however, they were up from 21 days in February 2024 to 42 days.

The market as a whole for detached homes still represents a seller's market with 2.86 months of inventory, and the attached market is in the range of a balanced market with 4.76 MOl.

Inventory and mortgage interest rates are the two variables we continue to watch closely. Rates have fluctuated since the first of the year, but a general downward trend has been noticed. Still, rates above 6.5 percent mean it is a significant part of the calculation for buyers. Sellers will continue to participate in the market, adding options for buyers. With higher inventory, the basics always work; homes that are priced well, updated and well-maintained will appeal the most to buyers and sell quickly.

Homes in less desirable condition or priced too high will take longer to sell and require price reductions to hit their target mar-ket. The balance of seller participation and buyer demand will hinge on the economic environment and consumer confidence.

Learn more about the market from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors.

Keep reading for an analysis of properties over $1m by West + Main Homes Agent, Michelle Schwinghammer.

Thank you to our partners at the Denver Metro Association of Realtors for compiling this information.

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If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Greater Denver Area Real Estate Market Report from January 2025

 
 

Each January brings optimism and a renewed sense of purpose. We reflect on the previous year's accomplishments and set new goals for the year ahead. At the beginning of the month, many buyers found themselves in the same place as they were this time last year-seeking to purchase a new home and hopeful for friendlier market conditions, according to the Denver Metro Association of Realtors’ Market Trends Committee.

While market conditions have not changed much, sentiment has. This is our market environment, and it's likely here for the foreseeable future. In some ways, that brings stability-decisions become more complex when too many unknowns exist. We expect mortgage rates to remain steady, while price growth has stabilized. Inventory remains a key factor we are monitoring, as the balance between supply and demand is the most significant variable influencing the market right now.

The main highlight for January was the influx of new inventory. Both the attached and detached markets saw an increase of more than 100 percent from December and were up 38.50 and 29.11 percent, respectively, from January 2024. We typically see an increase in new listings from December to January as sellers reenter the market after a slower time during the holiday season. Active inventory at month's end was up 57.83 percent year-over-year, giving buyers more options as we enter the spring buying season. The median days in the MLS were up 28.57 percent year-over-year to 45 days-the highest median days in the MLS since 2015, a market unfamiliar to many in the Denver Metro area.

The most significant portion of this inventory is in the $500,000 to $749,999 price point for detached homes and under $500,000 for attached homes. These price ranges tend to attract buyers who rely more on mortgage purchases than cash, making them sensitive to interest rate fluctuations. Detached homes over $2 million have seven months of inventory, and attached homes priced at $1.5 to $1.99 million are seeing 19 months of inventory.

Market conditions are similar to those in January 2024. The higher mortgage rate environment lingers, and the optimism felt in January 2024 for multiple Federal Funds Rate reductions and lower mortgage rates did not materialize, presenting buyers with a rinse-and-repeat scenario. As a result, buyer activity was similar to January 2024, with 3,061 properties pending in January 2025, a slight decrease of 0.07 percent year-over-year, and 2,259 properties closed, an increase of 2.31 percent. The median sold price for attached properties increased 0.76 percent, and detached homes increased 2.08 percent. Total sales volume in January was up 7.43 percent, and the close-price-to-list-price ratio was up just 0.04 percent to 98.50 percent year-over-year.

The Denver Metro market's median sale price has increased from $317,000 in January 2016 to $575,000 in January 2025—an increase of 81.38 percent, averaging 9.04 percent per year. This serves as a reminder that real estate is a long-term investment.

Sellers in this market need to be serious and realistic about pricing. "Testing the market" by over-pricing is a risky proposition that leads to price reductions and a longer time on the market. Making your property stand out in a higher inventory environment takes preparation, flexibility and a willingness to work towards a common goal.

With increased inventory, less buyer competition and slow price growth, this is the moment buyers have been waiting for. Now is the time for buyers to start thinking about how to make homeownership work instead of looking for reasons it won't.

Learn more about the market from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors.

Thank you to our partners at the Denver Metro Association of Realtors for compiling this information.

Related Links

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

Search Homes in Colorado

Search Homes in North Carolina

Search Homes in Oklahoma

 
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