As published in DMAR Market Trends, April 2026

We’re seeing a clear pattern where homes that don’t go under contract the first weekend often align more closely with the area’s average days on market before securing a buyer. A slower start in showings isn’t necessarily a red flag. Many buyers are intentionally taking a wait-and-see approach to avoid competing in multiple-offer situations. Patience and strategic positioning remain key in this market.

As service industries consolidate, profit incentives intensify, and regulatory requirements increase, repair recommendations are increasingly shifting toward full replacements—driving up costs, accelerating capital expenditures and compounding already severe affordability pressures in the housing market. This trend appears especially pronounced in HVAC, sewer and roofing work in the Denver Metro area right now.

Denver Metro continues to face a significant oversupply of office space, particularly downtown, where vacancy rates are nearing 40% and building values have dropped sharply. Despite this, nearly 600,000 square feet of new office space is still under development, reflecting a broader trend of limited but targeted construction. Most new projects are concentrated in high-demand areas, with three of the five developments located in Cherry Creek, which has remained resilient post-pandemic.

Former Denver Mayor Michael Hancock is making a post-City Hall pivot into real estate investing. The mayor’s first investment is a historic Five Points property. Earlier this month, Hancock and partners purchased the 7,600-square-foot Triangle Building at 2413 N. Washington St. for just over $1.4 million. He shared, “Real estate is still one of the more sure investments you can make.” Hancock added that they plan to continue seeking opportunities with partners and hope to expand over time.

Denver Water is raising prices, particularly for heavy outdoor use, to encourage conservation during a severe drought. This will likely result in higher bills for high-usage households, with minimal impact for those who reduce usage.

The Douglas County School Board unanimously supported an affordable housing project prioritizing public school employees. The board declared a county-owned parcel in Meridian Village as surplus and approved a letter backing its rezoning. Originally reserved for a future elementary school, the site is no longer needed as the area is now fully built out.

Trumark Homes purchased 229 lots in the new Dawson Trails development of Castle Rock and plans to build 229 homes by 2030. Taylor Morrison also purchased 256 lots in the same development.

Colorado lawmakers are proposing a bill to lower homeowners’ insurance premiums by charging insurers a small fee. The funds would support hail-resistant roofs and other mitigation efforts, aiming to reduce costly weather damage that drives up rates.

A new front-door color can meaningfully boost curb appeal and resale price. Homes with a black front door tend to sell for about $6,400 more than comparable properties, while other buyer-friendly shades like slate blue, forest green, navy, gray and white can also increase perceived value.

Real has struck a definitive agreement to acquire RE/MAX Holdings in a deal valuing the franchisor at about $880 million. The transaction will create Real RE/MAX Group, a new holding company combining Real’s Al-enabled brokerage platform with RE/MAX’s global franchise network of roughly 8,500 offices and 145,000 agents. The combined company would have generated about $2.3 billion in 2025 revenue and $157 million in adjusted EBITDA before synergies, with management projecting $30 million in annual cost savings by 2027.

Even as more Americans earn middle-class incomes, the cost of buying a home has surged—rising roughly 40 to 50% in just a few years due to the combined impact of higher prices, interest rates and insurance. As a result, homeownership is increasingly shifting into upper-middle-class territory and out of reach for many.

Online real estate fraud surged to $275 million in 2025 across more than 12,000 cases, as increasingly sophisticated, Al-powered scams make buyers, sellers and agents easier and most profitable targets.

Denver apartment vacancies tightened slightly, while lower rents are unlikely to significantly help those in need.

Denver rents have fallen 3.4% year-over-year to $1,758, roughly in line with 2022 levels. This shift is driven by a record $180 per month in concessions, along with a wave of tens of thousands of new apartments pushing vacancy rates higher.

MORTGAGE NEWS

Rising above $2,000, the average mortgage payment reached an all-time high of $2,005 in the fourth quarter of 2025, marking a 44% increase since 2021.