The December 2025 snapshot
Across the 11-county Denver Metro footprint:
- Median closed price: $574,000 (down 1 percent year over year)
- Homes closed: 3,100 (down 2 percent year over year, up 12 percent from November)
- Pending listings: 2,198 (down 21 percent month over month, seasonal)
- New listings: 1,774 (down 4 percent year over year, down 32 percent from November)
- Median days in MLS: 47 (up 6 days from December 2024)
- Active inventory: 7,514 (up 9 percent year over year)
- Detached median price: $625,000. Attached median: $400,000.
- Days in MLS by type: 46 days detached, 49 days attached
Source: REcolorado December 2025 Housing Market Report. Counties covered: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Gilpin, Jefferson, and Park.
What I am seeing on the ground
December was the year-end exhale. Sellers backed off. New listings dropped 32 percent month over month. Buyers backed off too. Pending sales dropped 21 percent. Both sides agreed to pause through the holidays.
The closings number is the trick to read. 3,100 closed in December, up 12 percent from November. That looks like a buyer surge. It is not. December closings come from buyers who went under contract in October and November, racing to close before the year-end tax window. That is a different signal than December buyer activity itself.
Around Littleton, Ken Caryl, and 80127, what mattered in December was the homes still sitting. The 47-day median time on market means homes that hit the market in November were still live in early December, then went quiet through the holidays. Sellers who stayed listed through the holiday weeks were either highly motivated or in trouble. The buyers who stayed shopping through Thanksgiving and Christmas knew it.
For buyers
December is for serious buyers only. The selection narrows. Sellers who are still listed are either highly motivated or stubborn. Either way, you have leverage that disappears by mid-January.
Three things to know:
- The home that has been sitting on the market for 60 plus days in December is not going to sell to someone else over the holidays. You can take your time, get inspections done thoroughly, ask for concessions. The seller’s BATNA (best alternative to negotiated agreement) is usually weak in late December.
- Mortgage rates do not respect holidays. Lock in your rate before you start showings. Year-end volatility in rates can cost you 0.25 to 0.5 points if you are not careful.
- If you are buying for tax-year reasons (closing cost deductions, year-end purchases for tax planning), get under contract by mid-December at the latest. Rushing closings in the last 10 days of the year creates errors.
For sellers
December is the worst month to list. The 32 percent month-over-month drop in new listings shows most sellers know it. If your home was already on the market in December, you were either committed to the original timing or working with someone who could not wait.
Three things to know:
- If you must list in December, price aggressively. The buyers shopping in December are bargain hunters. They expect a December discount. Meet them halfway or your home sits into January and becomes a stale listing.
- Take your home off the market for the last two weeks of December if you can. Re-list January 2 with fresh photos and a fresh listing date. Day count resets help in MLS displays.
- Use December to prep. The smart sellers were spending December painting, decluttering, fixing things. The home goes live February 1, hits the spring buyer cohort prepared, sells faster than the early-March listing wave.
Frequently asked questions
Did Denver home prices drop in December 2025?
Slightly. Median closed price was $574,000, down 1 percent year over year. The dip is consistent with the year-end seasonal pattern combined with the broader market normalization that has been in place all of 2025. Not a price collapse, just a flat year ending in a flat month.
Why did closings increase 12 percent month over month in December if pending sales dropped 21 percent?
Different timeframes. Closings reflect contracts signed 30 to 60 days earlier (October and November buyer activity). Pending sales reflect contracts being signed in December itself. The 12 percent closing increase shows October-November had healthier buyer activity. The 21 percent pending decline shows December itself was slow. Both signals are accurate for their windows.
How much inventory was on the Denver Metro market in December 2025?
7,514 active listings, up 9 percent year over year. December usually sees inventory contract as listings expire and sellers withdraw before the new year. The fact that inventory was still up year over year in December tells you the broader market was carrying more supply than usual.
Were attached or detached homes selling slower in December 2025?
Both were similar in December. Detached homes had a 46-day median in MLS, attached homes had 49. The 3-day gap is small compared to other months. December is the least segment-differentiated month because total volume is so low across both categories.
What is the median home price in Denver Metro in December 2025?
$574,000 across the 11-county Denver Metro footprint per REcolorado. That covers Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Gilpin, Jefferson, and Park counties. Detached homes ran higher at $625,000 median. Attached homes ran lower at $400,000.
If you want my read on what these numbers mean for your specific zip code, your specific neighborhood, or your specific situation, call me at 303-210-6156 or reach me at karinjacoby.com.
A Littleton Colorado broker since 1999.