April 2, 2025

Wells: It’s not that simple: What headlines get wrong about today’s market

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The biggest takeaway from the first two months of the year? Don’t let headlines do your thinking for you. National trends and big market soundbites rarely apply equally across our local communities. The truth? It depends entirely on where you’re standing.

Real estate in Northern Colorado is — and always has been — hyperlocal. That’s why it’s risky to apply broad national or even regional narratives to what’s happening on the ground in places like Fort Collins, Loveland or Greeley. When you take a closer look at the first two months of 2025, what emerges is a market with steady buyer activity, paired with some meaningful shifts in inventory.

Buyer demand remains relatively stable

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One of the best ways to measure demand is through pending contracts—homes that are under contract but not yet closed. Through February, Fort Collins had 264 pending sales, up from 253 a year ago. That’s an 11-home increase, but it reflects steady buyer interest and demand.

Loveland posted 160 pending sales year-to-date, down slightly from 164 at this time in 2024. Meanwhile, Greeley saw a more noticeable drop — from 187 to 167 pending sales — a decrease of 20 homes under contract.

Despite some variation, the broader trend is that buyer demand has held up well in early 2025. These are not the kinds of shifts that suggest a cooling market—they suggest a stable start to the year.

Closings are consistent with last year

Closed sales are also mostly on par with early 2024. Fort Collins had 215 closings year-to-date through the end of February, up from 192 last year. Greeley posted 127 closings, just one more than the 126 recorded a year ago. Loveland came in with 135 closings, a slight dip from 141 in 2024.

What this tells us is that while not every home is selling instantly, buyers who are active are still closing deals — and sellers are still finding success when pricing and preparation align.

Inventory is building — but not across the board

The biggest change we’re seeing isn’t on the demand side—it’s in inventory.

In Loveland, the number of homes actively for sale at the end of February jumped from 116 in 2024 to 187 in 2025, an increase of 71 homes. Fort Collins rose from 204 to 263 homes, and Greeley saw available inventory grow from 157 to 189.

But what’s important here is understanding why inventory is growing. In Fort Collins and Loveland, it’s largely due to a rise in new listings:

• Fort Collins: 349 new listings YTD, up from 303.

• Loveland: 218 new listings YTD, up from 183.

• Greeley, however, is the exception. While inventory grew by 32 homes, new listings actually declined slightly — from 219 last year to 214 this year. This suggests that homes are spending more time on the market rather than new supply flooding in.

Final thought: Zoom In, Not Out

Whether you’re thinking of buying, selling, or just curious about what’s possible, it’s important to look at the specific numbers in your neighborhood and rely on up-to-date, local insight. Real estate is — and always has been — a local game. Make sure you’re playing it with real-time data and experienced guidance. 

Brandon Wells is president of The Group Inc. He can be reached at bwells@thegroupinc.com or 970-420-6550.

The biggest takeaway from the first two months of the year? Don’t let headlines do your thinking for you. National trends and big market soundbites rarely apply equally across our local communities. The truth? It depends entirely on where you’re standing.

Real estate in Northern Colorado is — and always has been — hyperlocal. That’s why it’s risky to apply broad national or even regional narratives to what’s happening on the ground in places like Fort Collins, Loveland or Greeley. When you take a closer look at the first two months of 2025, what emerges is a market with steady buyer…

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Brandon Wells
Categories: Columns Residential Real Estate
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