By Prerna Kapoor, CLHMS | REAL Brokerage | May 24, 2026
Memorial Day weekend always feels like a turning point for the Colorado market. The spring rush is winding down, summer is right around the corner, and both buyers and sellers tend to take stock of where things actually stand. So here’s what I’m seeing as we head into the long weekend.
Rates Have Stayed in the Mid-6s
30-year fixed mortgage rates have been hovering in the mid-6% range for most of May, and that’s where they sit going into the holiday. It’s not the sub-6% territory we briefly touched earlier this spring, but it’s also not the 7% number that scared buyers off last year. Most of my clients have come around to treating this range as the new normal, which is honestly healthier than waiting for a rate that may never arrive.
If you’ve been holding off, the math has shifted. A buyer who can comfortably afford the payment at 6.4% has more inventory to choose from now than they did at 6.4% in March, because the pool of homes has grown. Rate alone isn’t the story anymore. Inventory is.
Inventory Is the Highest It’s Been in Years
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Active listings across the Denver metro have climbed steadily through the spring, and we’re now at levels we haven’t seen since before the pandemic. For buyers, that means choice. For sellers, it means competition.
I’m regularly walking buyers through homes where the seller is now open to concessions that would have been unthinkable two years ago. Rate buydowns, closing cost help, repair credits, even price reductions in the first two weeks. Sellers who price right and present well are still moving fast. The ones who anchor to last year’s comps are sitting.
Days on Market Have Stretched
The median home in our metro is taking about three to four weeks longer to sell than it was at this time last year. That’s not a crash signal. It’s a return to a more normal timeline, the kind we had in 2018 and 2019. Sellers who haven’t lived through a balanced market in a while are sometimes shocked by how patient they need to be.
The flip side is that buyers finally have time to think. I’ve had clients tour a home Saturday, sleep on it, and still write a competitive offer on Monday. That was unheard of two years ago. If you’re a buyer who needs space to make a thoughtful decision, this is your moment.
Where Prices Are Holding (and Where They’re Not)
Single-family homes in the $500K to $800K range in places like Parker, Aurora, and Highlands Ranch are still moving at a steady pace. That’s the heart of the market, and demand there has been remarkably durable.
The higher end above $1.2 million has thinned out, with longer days on market and more price adjustments. Luxury buyers are pickier and slower, but the right home in the right neighborhood still attracts attention.
Condos and townhomes are the segment I’m watching most closely. Insurance premiums and HOA assessments are weighing on those properties, and buyer hesitation is real. If you own a condo and you’re thinking about selling, the next six months matter.
What to Watch After the Holiday
Three things I’ll be tracking as June rolls in. First, whether the Fed signals any move on rates at the June meeting. Even a hint of a cut could pull more buyers off the sidelines. Second, whether the inventory growth keeps pace or finally levels off. Third, how the property tax statements landing in mailboxes affect seller sentiment, because some homeowners who were on the fence about selling are getting nudged into action by another year of increases.
If you’re a buyer, my honest take is that you have more negotiating room right now than you’ve had in five years. If you’re a seller, pricing strategy matters more than it has in a decade. Both sides need a real plan, not a hope.
If You’re Trying to Make a Decision
Memorial Day weekend is a good time to step back and think about what you actually want. Not what the market is doing in general, but what you want for your own life and finances. Some of my best conversations with clients happen over a coffee where we talk through whether now is the right time for them specifically, not for the market as a whole.
If you’d like to have that conversation, I’m always happy to chat. No pressure, no pitch. Just an honest look at the numbers and your situation.
Prerna Kapoor | REALTOR® | Luxury Home Specialist
REAL Brokerage | 720-949-5450 | info@prernakapoor.com
CLHMS • RENE • PSA • ABR | International Sterling Society Award Winner
Prerna specializes in residential real estate across Parker, Aurora, Lone Tree, Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Cherry Creek, Greenwood Village, and Centennial. She speaks English, Japanese, and Hindi.
