R
eal estate markets in Western Colorado mountain towns are experiencing an influx of homes on the market, giving buyers more options for discounted prices. According to Realtor Dana Cottrell, president of the Colorado Association of Realtors, the number of listings is "way up" compared to recent years.
This surge in listings is not unique to Summit County, but rather a trend across Western Colorado. In some areas, homes are sitting on the market for longer as buyers take their time to weigh options. While most Realtors agree that the region has not yet reached a buyer's market, some areas are getting close.
A "for sale" sign is posted outside a real estate office in Frisco on March 25, 2020. Properties are being listed on the market longer, prompting price drops and more seller concessions in Summit County, Summit Resort Group Realtor Dana Cottrell said. Liz Copan/Summit Daily News archive
The increase in listings could signal a return to pre-COVID market levels. In May, there were 1,119 active residential listings across Summit County, roughly 68% more than the 763 listings in May of last year.
Not every part of the Western Slope has reached pre-COVID listings, however. Mark Lewis, a real estate broker at Aspen Snowmass Sotheby's International Realty, said there were 70 new single-family home listings from January to the end of May 2025, compared to 47 for the same period in 2024.
The number of sold listings has not improved at the same pace as new listings. Year-to-date, Altitude MLS recorded fewer sales in both condos and single-family homes across Summit and Lake counties than last year. For Summit County as a whole, homes that used to sit on the market for an average of 66 days before a sale last year are now sitting still for more than 88.
Realtors are seeing at least half of new listings with price reductions, which is not exciting when you see something like that. It tells you there's not many buyers out there," Cottrell said.
A four- to six-month inventory is considered a balanced market, and Summit is right at the six-month mark — the closest the region has gotten to a buyer's market since before 2017. Although the number indicates a leaning toward a buyer's market, Cottrell said it's too early to make the call.
For other parts of the Western Slope, it's not even close to a buyer's market. With Aspen's higher prices, Lewis said buyers are showing some hesitation, which has resulted in some healthy price reductions for some properties.
The luxury market is bucking the trend, however. According to Realtor Jon Wade, the luxury market remains firmly as a seller's market. Routt County's market has had two record sales: a $17.1 million home in March and $19.6 million home in April.
In Summit County, while residential listings continue to fall behind in sales, the region's luxury market is overperforming last year's sales. Rolling 12-month sales for single-family homes in the $5 million to $10 million range are exceeding growth in any other price bracket with an increase of 76% from May 2024 (25 sold listings) to May 2025 (44 sold listings), according to Cottrell.
Year-round, roughly 50% of sales in both Summit and Routt counties are cash purchases, which Wade said have grown steadily in the last 10 years. With July and August historically the busiest months, even a modest uptick in summer buyers could swing the market back into sellers' territory — something to watch as mountain-town traffic picks up.
"As we get past the Fourth of July, if those buyers don't show up it'll be totally a buyer's market," Cottrell said.
