October 21, 2026. Is the Seller Desperate? Five things I check before we write an offer, and how hard I push.

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The Denver market has slowed down this fall, and that's good news if you're buying. But it also means the asking price tells you less than it used to. Some sellers are ready to deal. Some just aren't, no matter how long the house sits.

So this week's video is all about how to tell the difference before you write an offer. Here are a few of the things I look at.

The private remarks

Every listing has a section buyers can't see. It's called the private remarks, and it's where the good stuff is. Things like “motivated seller,” “must close quickly,” or “bring all offers.” Honestly, a lot of it probably shouldn't even be in there. When I see it, that's my first clue on how hard we should push. Make sure your agent is showing you those remarks.

Price drops plus days on market

A lot of people think the longer a house sits, the more desperate the seller is. Not always. A big price drop early on tells me a lot more than a house that's been sitting four or five months with one small drop.

And when I see a string of little drops, a few thousand at a time, I take that as a sign to go in lower. Not so low they ignore you. Low enough that they think, “If we sit another four weeks, we're just going to drop another 20 grand anyways.”

The listing agent's track record

Here's what every agent knows. We only get paid when a house closes. Until then, we're working for free. And get this, so far in 2026, 84% of real estate agents haven't closed a single deal. That's absolutely crazy.

So I'll look up the listing agent's track record. Do they take a lot of overpriced listings and keep dropping the price to get the deal done? Most listing agreements run about six months, and by month five, that listing agent might sound a little different than they did in month one.

When a deal falls apart

If a house went under contract and came back on the market, I want to know why, and when. In the first 7 to 10 days, it's almost always the inspection. Around weeks three or four, it's usually the appraisal, even when you're told it was the financing. Before we make an offer, I'll ask the listing agent to share the inspection report. How they answer tells you a lot.

There's also a move I call playing the bridesmaid, for when the right house is already under contract. I walk through it in the video.

The one that ties it all together

The last one is a real situation with a couple moving here from California, and it shows how all of this plays out in a real negotiation. I won't spoil how it ended. It's at the end of the video.

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Bottom line: The goal isn't to lowball anybody. It's to negotiate hard but fair, and pay what the house is actually worth, not what someone hopes it's worth.

If there's a house you've got your eye on, call or text me at (303) 552-4804 and I'll pull what I can on it for you.

Wondering what homes like yours are actually selling for right now?

What's My Home Worth?

Quick question: is there a house you've been watching that keeps dropping its price? Just hit reply with the address and I'll tell you what I'd look at.