Market Matters – September, 2026 – Sellers Showed Up, Buyers Didn't

Denver Metro Housing Market Summary — August 2026 Data

Denver metro home sales slowed sharply in August 2026. According to REcolorado data for the Denver Metro Association of REALTORS® area, closed listings fell 13.0% year over year to 3,495, while new listings rose 5.5% to 5,407. Active inventory of 14,498 homes was 3.4% below August 2025, a much smaller gap than July's 7.3%.

The metro median closed price was $599,000, essentially flat (-0.2%) from a year earlier and up 0.7% year to date at $604,000. Homes averaged 46 days in the MLS and sold for 98.5% of list price, unchanged from last year. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 6.71% (Freddie Mac PMMS, September 3, 2026).

Submarket results diverged widely: Parker's median rose 5.3% while Littleton's fell 3.7%, and closings ranged from +11.1% in Littleton to -26.4% in Centennial. For appraisers, lenders, and attorneys, pricing and comparable selection need to be evaluated submarket by submarket rather than from a metro-wide average.

Submarket Highlights

• Arvada: median $601,857 (+1.2%); closings -2.2% for the month, +5.1% year to date; 38 days in MLS.

• Aurora: median $470,000 (-1.1%); closings -13.6% (-9.6% YTD); 52 days in MLS, the longest of the six submarkets.

• Centennial: median $655,000 (-1.0%); closings -26.4% for the month but -0.2% YTD; active listings down 30.0% to 233.

• Denver: median $548,282 (-2.4%, +1.7% YTD); new listings +25.6%; active inventory +6.2% to 3,840; closings -7.2%.

• Littleton: median $626,000 (-3.7%, flat YTD at $650,000); closings +11.1%; days in MLS down to 36; 99.0% close-to-list.

• Parker: median $700,000 (+5.3%, -1.4% YTD); closings -20.9% (-9.3% YTD); active inventory +17.5% to 570.

Michael Manley Appraisals, LLC provides residential appraisals in the Denver metro area for divorce, estate and trust, relocation, and mortgage purposes. Figures are REcolorado® Local Market Update statistics, not appraised values; this is general market commentary, not an appraisal of any specific property. Request an appraisal.