Selling a House in Colorado? Expert Tips to Sell Sooner

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If you’re selling a house in Colorado this year, you may be feeling the pressure. With high interest rates and elevated home prices, buyers are taking their time. Properties are spending an average of 64 days on the market before getting a signed purchase contract, according to the Colorado Association of Realtors.

To help you compete and sell more quickly, we spoke with Monica Graves, a top-performing agent in the Denver market with more than 32 years of experience. She shares key strategies on pricing, preparation, and seller concessions that can help attract serious buyers and reduce days on market in today’s competitive landscape.

What is Your Colorado Home Worth?

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Understanding the Colorado housing market

Colorado has seen an influx of new listings. With a nearly 24% increase from a year prior, the state is marching toward a more balanced market, where the supply of homes for sale and the demand from buyers are roughly equal.

“We have more listings than we’ve had in the last three years,” says Graves. “Sellers have a little more competition now.”

The statewide average days on market (DOM) for a single-family home is 64 days, up 12.3% from the 49-day average a year ago. The median price of a single-family home is around $585,000, up 1.4% from last year’s median of $576,945.

For homeowners planning to list, the increased inventory and longer DOMs signal a need for sharper pricing, standout presentation, and added value.

Learn more: The Fastest Way to Sell a House

Pricing your Colorado home to compete

With more homes on the market, pricing strategy is more important than ever. Graves, who works with nearly 80% more single-family homes than the average Denver-area agent, advises sellers to aim slightly below market value to stand out among similar listings.

“Because you have more competition, the best pricing strategy would be to look at a range of value and then go with the lower range versus the higher range,” she says.

Before listing, Graves often takes her seller clients to tour competing properties in their neighborhood. Seeing those homes firsthand helps them compare finishes, features, and condition, and return with clearer eyes on how their home stacks up.

“That way, the sellers can visually compare the homes and then can come back to their property and see where they need to be listed in order to compete,” Graves explains.

For example, after reviewing nearby comparable properties (comps) and receiving a comparative market analysis (CMA) from your agent, let’s say your home falls in a value range of $545,000 to $560,000. In the current market, Graves would recommend pricing at $545,000. This will help move your sale along and possibly attract multiple offers, so you have options.

Learn more: When Pricing Your Home to Sell, Let Market Trends Guide You

Avoid the temptation to overprice your home

Another common pricing mistake? Letting emotions drive your perception of value. “Sellers sometimes get too emotional over things they love about the home, and think the house has more value than it really does,” Graves says. “You have to be cautious about overpricing in the current market.”

By overpricing your property, Graves says you are essentially ignoring the message the market is sending. Instead of receiving qualified offers, potential buyers will skip over your listing. If this happens, and your home sits on the market too long, the listing can develop a negative reputation, a perception that there must be something wrong with the house.

“In a selling situation, instead of being emotional about the property, look at it more as an investment,” Graves suggests. “Try to look at your home through the eyes of the buyer. It really comes down to market statistics versus the emotional concerns of selling the property.”

Learn more: What Is My Home Worth? A Guide to Home Valuation

Home prep that pays off in Colorado

What it takes to prepare your home for sale in Colorado can vary depending on where you live. “The difference between urban, suburban, and mountain town markets is going to be pretty extreme,” says Graves.

In Colorado’s resort towns, where many homes are sold furnished and maintained through HOA services, sellers may not need to make as many upgrades. But in urban and suburban markets, Graves strongly recommends taking a more hands-on approach to maintenance and preparation.

Her top two priorities before listing? The roof and the sewer line. “I always tell the sellers the best thing we can do is get a roofer to look at the roof first… and it’s very important to do a sewer scope,” she says. “Addressing these two big items before you list can prevent deals from falling apart later.”

Other worthwhile improvements or pre-list preparations include:

Fresh paint and new carpet: “Fresh paint can always make a property look so much fresher,” Graves says, while replacing worn carpet is more effective than offering an allowance or seller credit.
Professional cleaning: Because this is so important, Graves provides her clients with a free deep clean to ensure the home is spotless before listing photos are taken.
Pre-listing inspection: With a pre-listing inspection, Graves says, “They’ll tell you all the little things you need to take care of. If there are big things, you can address those either by lowering the price or getting it repaired before you put it on the market.”

Learn more: 11 Things to Do Before Listing Your Home

What Colorado buyers want right now

Colorado buyers are feeling the weight of today’s high housing costs — and they’re looking for move-in-ready (turnkey) homes that won’t stretch their budgets any further. “Because they’re spending a lot of money to purchase a home, they don’t want to come in and buy a property that needs a lot of work,” Graves explains. “They don’t want to have to put in new carpet or new tile.”

That means listings that require repairs, updates, or major cleaning can quickly fall down the shortlist. Buyers often don’t have leftover cash to address deferred maintenance right after closing.

To attract stronger offers, Graves recommends prioritizing:

Low-maintenance condition: Tackle repairs before listing so buyers don’t feel overwhelmed by projects.
Neutral finishes and updates: Even small upgrades, like new carpet or refreshed tile, can help the home feel newer.
Clean presentation: A tidy, uncluttered, and depersonalized space makes it easier for buyers to picture themselves living there.

“Buyers are pretty much spending all the money they have saved, and they don’t have any extra money leftover to repair or remodel a property,” says Graves. “That’s what buyers are looking for, a house with fewer things they have to fix right upfront.”

In today’s Colorado market, buyers expect more, and sellers who meet those expectations are more likely to sell faster and closer to asking price.

Learn more: The top Must-Haves Buyers Want in a Home

Avoiding disclosure and square footage confusion

Colorado sellers are required to fill out a seller’s property disclosure form, but many don’t realize how important it is to be thorough. “Sometimes sellers don’t really understand the form either, so they leave it blank,” says Graves. But those blanks can raise red flags for buyers or lead to misunderstandings later in the transaction.

Graves advises her clients to disclose everything they know about the home since they’ve owned it and provide any invoices or documentation for repairs and upgrades. These supporting materials give buyers more confidence in the home’s condition.

Square footage is another common source of confusion. “The MLS might say it’s a certain square footage, public records show something different, and then the appraiser comes in with another number,” Graves explains.

Discrepancies often stem from unpermitted additions, finished basements that weren’t officially recorded, or human error when documents are typed up. To avoid headaches, sellers should verify square footage and ensure all permitted improvements are properly documented. When in doubt, discuss with your agent how to present the home’s size accurately and transparently.

Learn more: How to Measure Your Home’s Square Footage and Estimate Value

Consult With a Top-Performing Colorado Agent

It takes just two minutes to match you with the top-performing real estate agents in your Colorado market. Our data shows that the top 5% of agents in the U.S. sell homes quicker and for as much as 10% more than the average agent.

Concessions are a smart strategy for today’s market

In Colorado’s current housing market, many sellers are offering financial incentives to help their homes stand out. “We’ve seen that 44% of the sellers had to give some type of concession,” says Graves. “What I mean by concessions is something like offering to help the buyer buy down the interest rate so that their monthly payment will be lower.”

She adds that those who offer concessions upfront often gain an edge. These might include:

Rate buydowns: Offering to help the buyer reduce their interest rate.
Closing cost assistance: Providing a fixed credit toward the buyer’s costs.
Bundled incentives: Rolling concessions into the list price to offset buyer expenses without impacting net proceeds.

Graves suggests building these offers into the listing strategy from day one, rather than waiting until after buyer feedback or inspection issues. “It’s better to just offer them upfront,” she says, noting that clear incentives can lead to more showings and stronger offers from motivated buyers.

Especially in a high-rate environment, these financial perks can make a big difference in helping buyers commit — and helping sellers close faster.

Learn more: When Should a Seller Buy Down the Interest Rate for a Buyer?

How to buy a house before you sell in Colorado

Top agents like Graves also have modern tools that can help homeowners buy before they sell, so you can sell your Colorado house vacant and potentially staged for higher proceeds.

HomeLight’s innovative Buy Before You Sell program unlocks your existing equity to streamline the buy-sell process. You can make a strong, non-contingent offer on your next house and only move once. Watch the short video below to learn more:

Selling a house in Colorado? Partner with an expert

If you’re preparing to sell your Colorado home, the smartest first move is finding the right real estate agent. An experienced local agent can help you avoid costly missteps, identify the best pricing strategy, and make your home shine in a competitive market.

HomeLight’s free Agent Match platform analyzes millions of transactions and thousands of reviews to connect you with top-performing agents in your city who have a strong record of fast, high-quality sales, like Monica Graves.

With the right expert in your corner and a thoughtful approach to selling, you’ll be in a much better position to attract serious buyers and reach your goals with confidence.

Learn more: Find more helpful guides in HomeLight’s Colorado Seller Resource Center

Here are search links to some of the top agents in 10 popular Colorado markets: