Front Range Real Estate Market Update, October 2, 2025

My buyer clients want to see a home this weekend, so I took a look at the history of the home and it stopped me in my tracks. It’s a single-family home in Denver and its journey over the past four years tells the story of Denver’s market better than any statistics I could share.

Let me walk you through it.

Summer 2021: When Everything Sold Instantly

• June 23: Listed at $590,000
• June 28: Sellers accepted an offer
• July 16: Closed at $615,000

The sellers got $25,000 over asking in less than a week.

This wasn’t luck.

This was the market in 2021. Inventory was historically low, rates were around 3%, and there were multiple offers on everything. Sellers had all the leverage. You could practically name your price, and buyers would compete for the privilege of paying more.

Market Context: In summer 2021, the median days on market in Denver was under 7 days. Almost every seller received multiple offers for their home. The question wasn’t “will it sell?” but “how much over asking will we get?”

Summer 2023: The Music Stopped

Fast forward two years. The owner decides to sell again, probably thinking: “I bought it for $615K, the market’s been strong, I should be fine.”

• June 2: Listed at $615,000 (the exact price they paid)
• July 6: First price cut to $605,000 (after 35 days)
• July 14: Sellers cut the price again to $599,000
• June 19: Briefly went pending… then the sale fell through
• August 24: Down to $575,000 ($40K in price reductions)
• September 8: Seller withdraws, exhausted (90 days and no sale)
• December 31: Listing expires

The same price that sparked a bidding war in 2021 couldn’t attract a single solid offer in 2023.

Market Context: By mid-2023, rates had hit 7%+, nearly doubling buyer payments. Inventory was climbing as sellers who’d postponed finally listed. But many sellers were still anchored to 2021 prices, creating a standoff: sellers wanted yesterday’s prices, buyers couldn’t afford them. The result? Stagnation. Average days on market climbed to 40-50 days, with less than 40% of listings going under contract within 30 days.

This Week: Still Waiting

New listing agent. Fresh photos. Renewed optimism.

• June 20: Listed at $625,000 (above the 2021 sale price)
• July 14: Cut to $595,000 (24 days, reality sets in)
• September 8: Cut to $569,000 (80 days total)
• This week: Still active (104+ days and counting)

Let that sink in: This home is now priced $46,000 below what it sold for in 2021, and it still hasn’t sold.

Market Context: This is where we are right now. Rates have stabilized in the 6-7% range, but buyer psychology has fundamentally shifted. After two years of “wait and see,” buyers are more cautious, more analytical. They’re not afraid to walk away. They know sitting listings lose leverage. Meanwhile, we’ve got more inventory than we’ve had in years—buyers actually have options now.

The power dynamic has completely flipped.

What This Actually Means for Sellers Right Now

This isn’t about one house being overpriced. This is about understanding which market you’re in.

In 2021, you could test the high end and get it. In October 2025, testing the high end means you’ll spend months watching your listing go stale, then cut the price anyway—except now you’re negotiating from weakness. Buyers see those days on market. They smell desperation.

The homes that are selling right now? They’re priced correctly from day one. They’re going under contract in 15-25 days. Everything else is just… sitting.

If you’re looking to buy before year-end:

You have leverage you haven’t had in years. Don’t let anyone pressure you into 2021 behavior. No need for waived inspections or massive escalation clauses. Look at days on market. Look at price reduction history. If a home has been sitting for 60+ days, the seller is motivated—and your offer has room to negotiate.

That said, “leverage” doesn’t mean lowball everything. Well-priced homes are still moving. The market isn’t dead; it’s just rational again.

The Bottom Line

Same house. Three completely different outcomes:

• 2021: Sold in 5 days for $25K over asking
• 2023: Couldn’t sell despite $40K in price cuts
• This week: Sitting for 104+ days, now $46K below the 2021 price

The market hasn’t just cooled—it’s fundamentally changed. Pricing strategy matters more than ever. Timing matters. Preparation matters.

Whether you’re planning to list this fall or start your search before the holidays, let’s talk about what’s actually happening in your specific neighborhood—not just what happened with this home. These market shifts create both challenges and opportunities, but only if you’re working with current information, not outdated expectations.

Have a great week, and feel free to reach out with questions.