I just got off the phone with another realtor and we were talking about where we think the Fall Denver Real Estate Market is going in 2026. Yep, us realtors talk about really exciting things. In all honesty though, I do learn so much from these types of conversations.
The stats just came out for the beginning of August for the Denver Metro real estate market and it wasn’t sunshine and roses. Now we do usually have a slowdown as school goes back but this year has halted more than usual. For example closed units were down by 24%, Our months of supply shot up to nearly 4 months. That means it would take 4 months to sell all the homes on the market currently. The amount of units that went under contract was 20% less than in 2025. The beginning of August saw the second slowest amount of homes going under contract since the first week of January!
Price reductions are also increasing week over week and higher then this time last year.
Ok so Where are we Headed?
Looking at those numbers and we are just at the end of Summer… Eeeek. However, the light is that we do often slowdown in August and can then bump up again September and October before another slowdown over the Holidays. However, seeing those numbers does make me think any bump up in sales might not be quite as big this year.
So what is going on. There is a lot going on.
Election Year to Start With. Even though it is only midterms this year could see quite a large flip bringing changes or things could remain the same or decline. Election years nearly always bring a dip in sales as people wait to see what is going to happen.
Interest Rates. People were hoping interest rates would be lower by now but that is not happening, they are fluctuating but with no recent larger cuts they still remain in the 6.5 – 7.25% depending on the week. These interest rates make quite a difference in payments and those sitting on 2-3% covid interest rates would nearly double their monthly payments if they move. Keeping people in their current homes.
The Economy. For most people the economy, rising gas prices, rising grocery prices are stopping these monthly payments for a home in the Denver Metro area from being attainable.
Changes in Condo/Townhomes – I wrote a whole article on this last week and you can find it here. Basically the changes in condos which were traditionally starter homes might raise HOA prices and some places have already raised there’s making it harder to get into these.
So, no crystal ball here but these are some of the main things that will be effecting our Fall/Winter market.
What Does this mean for Selling Your Denver Home?
It might be harder, it might take longer. What I know for sure is if you are going to sell in the Fall or Winter months you need to make sure your home is spot on. It is freshly painted, new flooring as needed, sparkly clean, updates light lighting, fans, painted cabinets, granite etc. go a long way. Your home needs to be a PEACH in buyers eyes and it needs to be priced SPOT ON!! You can’t overprice in a market like this in hopes you will get the price you want if it doesn’t match up with the market. You are better underpricing and getting bid up. Every, Single, Time. You will need to put in the work to sell within a decent time and for the most your home is actually worth.
What does this mean for Home Buyers in Denver?
Home buyers this is likely going to lead to negotiating power. 4 months of inventory is ALMOST tipping into a buyers market. This gives you negotiating power on price, getting credits for closing costs or interest rate buy downs and negotiating on those big items on inspection. Now, if a home is well prepared and underpriced you may still find competition. However, if you are open to possibilities, some paint and maybe flooring and looking at homes that have been on the market a little longer you might be in for a deal.
Home Prices
We have already seen home prices in a lot of areas dipping this year, if Fall/Winter doesn’t pick up this may continue. Now this is not every area and real estate is so area specific. If you are wanting to know a home price or are thinking of selling feel free to reach out at info@haleybartlett.com and we can take a look at your specific property and neighborhood. Interesting enough the latest stats for August showed homes in the $800,000 to 1 million dollar range are actually fairing better when it comes to price stability!
Let’s hope something changes and the real estate market becomes a balanced market for both buyers and sellers, this helps with sellers moving on, buyers being able to afford to purchase and a healthy real estate market.
