Re/Max Holdings, the residential real estate firm that has been based in Denver since its 1973 founding, has agreed to be sold.

The Real Brokerage, a publicly traded firm based in Miami, Florida, has agreed to pay $13.80 per share for Re/Max, whose headquarters is at 5075 S. Syracuse St. in the Denver Tech Center.

“The acquisition brings together two complementary business models, uniting Real’s AI-powered, high-growth brokerage platform, proprietary software and vibrant agent community with REMAX’s iconic real estate brand and expansive global franchise network with a presence in more than 120 countries and territories and more than 145,000 agents,” the companies said.

The deal is expected to close in the second half of the year.

The combined company will have 180,000 agents, the companies said. It will be headquartered in Miami, although a joint news release says “significant operations” will remain in Denver.

Shareholders of Re/Max, a real estate brokerage franchisor, will have the option of being paid in cash or receiving 5.15 shares of the combined public company, which will be known as Real ReMax group.

With 20.1 million outstanding shares of Re/Max stock, the $13.80 figure values the company at about $278 million.

In the joint news release, the firms said the deal values Re/Max at $880 million, a figure that includes debt. When the deal closes, the companies said, Real shareholders are expected to own about 59% of the combined company, with Re/Max shareholders owning the remainder.

Tamir Poleg, who leads Real, will serve as CEO of the combined company.

Shares of Re/Max stock closed Friday at $7.99, up 8% year to date but down about 90% from a peak of $67.20 in October 2017.

On Monday, Re/Max shares spiked 24% but only reached $9.94 — well below the $13.80 figure. That suggests some doubt among investors that the deal will come to fruition.

Real Brokerage investors didn’t cheer the announcement. Its shares fell 24% Monday.

Re/Max was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger. The company has been led since 2023 by CEO Erik Carlson. At the end of 2025, it had 519 employees, about half of them in the Denver area.

The company had revenue of $291.6 million last year, down from $307 million in 2024, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Phoenix and Denver have long reigned as the twin powerhouses of the Mountain West region, drawing transplants with their booming job markets, appealing lifestyle amenities, and world-class outdoor recreation—but a look at the metros’ luxury housing trends reveals that a major role reversal is underway.

Back in 2016, Denver boasted a luxury entry point roughly $250,000 higher than Phoenix’s. At the time, expanding technology and energy sectors made the Mile High City the ultimate regional destination for high-earning professionals looking to put down roots.

Today, the tables have turned. The luxury threshold in Phoenix—defined as the top 10% of the market—sits at $1.5 million, nearly $148,000 higher than Denver’s $1.35 million, the result of a dramatic pandemic-era swap, according to a new report from Realtor.com®. 

While Denver’s luxury housing segment surged, peaking at $1.85 million in January 2022, it subsequently experienced a 27% correction before stabilizing, explains Realtor.com senior economist Anthony Smith.

Phoenix, on the other hand, saw its luxury benchmark rise more gradually, reaching a high-water mark of $1.76 million as recently as February 2024.

When the inevitable pullback arrived, it was far shallower than Denver’s, shedding approximately 15% off its peak. By early 2026, high-end real estate in the Valley of the Sun had found its second wind and begun appreciating once again.

Notably, the luxury tier benchmarks in both Western markets exceed the national figure of $1.25 million recorded in March. 

From entry-level luxury to the top 1%

An analysis of the latest housing data shows that Phoenix outpaces Denver across all luxury price points, not just at the entry level. 

Phoenix’s top 5% of the market currently starts at $2.66 million, dwarfing Denver’s $1.95 million threshold. 

The gap becomes even more pronounced at the ultraluxury level, identified as the top 1% of listings, with Phoenix’s benchmark standing at $6.72 million, leaving Denver’s $4.26 million in the rearview mirror.  

This divergence is most striking when comparing each metro’s priciest enclave. 

Denver’s premier ZIP code, 80116, covering Franktown, has a median listing price of $1.75 million, which is nearly a third of the $4.99 million price tag in Phoenix’s Paradise Valley. 

“Phoenix’s steeper price escalation at the top reflects a market with a slightly more pronounced separation between the broader market’s median home price and its entry point to luxury,” says Smith.

For perspective, the median listing price in Phoenix in March was $496,900, roughly a third of the metro’s luxury entry point. Meanwhile, Denver’s median of $577,000 sits at nearly half of its luxury entry point, according to the latest Realtor.com monthly housing market trends report.

While both metros have an identical 17.3% share of million-dollar listings, the volume tells a very different story. In Phoenix, that percentage translates into 3,403 seven-figure properties, more than double Denver’s 1,585, reflecting a significantly broader and deeper pool of luxury for desert-bound buyers.

Smith explains that this disparity mostly comes down to Phoenix’s larger market, with a population of nearly 5.2 million compared with Denver’s 3 million residents.

Mountain West’s migration corridor

Situated more than 800 miles apart, Phoenix and Denver nevertheless are closely linked by buyer demand and migration.

According to a study of Realtor.com cross-market listing demand data, the two Western hubs are each other’s largest single source of out-of-market interest. 

Over 13% of Denver’s external listing views on the site originate from Phoenix, and nearly 9% of Phoenix’s out-of-market views come from Denver. 

“Denver consistently attracts out-of-state buyers and visitors alike, and more often than not, visitors turn into buyers,” Michelle Schwinghammer, a real estate agent at West and Main Homes in Denver, tells Realtor.com. “Once people experience it here, they tend to want to stay. Life simply feels different in Denver, in all the right ways.”

Smith explains that this two-way demand pipeline reflects a migration corridor between Phoenix and Denver, which both offer lifestyle perks, lower cost of living compared with coastal markets, and ample outdoor recreation opportunities.

“For buyers moving from Denver to Phoenix, the draw often includes a warmer climate, no state income tax, and a deeper supply of luxury inventory,” says the economist. “For those moving from Phoenix to Denver, the appeal may center on four-season mountain access, a more temperate summer climate, and an economic engine driven by aerospace, defense, and tech.”

Schwinghammer says that for high-net-worth buyers drawn to Denver’s relaxed vibes, diversified economy, and active lifestyle, luxury can mean different things, depending on their budget and personal preferences.

“For some, it’s a gated estate in Cherry Hills Village, morning tee times on pristine fairways, followed by the grueling decision of which world-class neighborhood restaurant to dine at that evening,” says the agent. “For others, it looks entirely different. A penthouse in one of Denver’s new architecturally driven luxury high-rises, where sweeping city and mountain views set the backdrop for a lifestyle defined by modern design, elevated amenities, and resort-inspired living centered around entertaining, gathering, retreating, and indulging on a daily basis.”

Meanwhile, buyers interested in luxury condo living put a premium on high-end amenities, such as rooftop terraces with pools and spas, outdoor firepits, state-of-the-art fitness centers, and social lounges.

Why Denver wins the race to the closing table

While Denver’s luxury prices sit well below Phoenix’s, the Mile High City remains the undisputed champion of market pace.

The typical entry-level luxury home in Denver goes under contract in just 43 days, outstripping Phoenix’s 66-day median and the national luxury benchmark of 62 days. 

This speed, according to Smith, is driven by Denver’s more compressed price range at the top of the market and a more decisive buyer base.

However, Schwinghammer warns Denver’s luxury buyers not to let this blistering pace cloud their judgment, arguing that the smartest move is to slow down and explore.

“Denver is bigger and more established than most people realize, made up of 78 distinct neighborhoods, each with its own style, personality, architecture, historic character, and sense of place,” she says. “The right fit isn’t just about the home, it’s about finding the neighborhood that matches how you want to live.”

Conversely, Phoenix’s deeper luxury inventory has emerged as a double-edged sword. While the metro offers shoppers more variety, it often leads to buyer hesitation, extending the time it takes to get to the closing table. 

“These two metros demonstrate how the Mountain West has matured into one of the country’s most dynamic luxury housing corridors,” says Smith.

Metro Denver residents will see rain through the middle of May — probably not enough to reverse the drought — and any snow during this week’s cool spell likely will stay in Colorado’s mountains and foothills, according to the National Weather Service.

But Colorado and Denver have a history of May snowstorms, and “it can happen,” NWS meteorologist Russell Danielson said on Monday.

“There’s a slight, very small possibility of a few flakes falling overnight tonight with no accumulation expected,” Danielson said. “And, then, there’s another very slight chance Thursday night – again, with no accumulation expected,” he said.

The cooler weather that reached the Colorado Front Range on Sunday morning is expected to bring significant snow at elevations above 6,000 feet. In metro Denver, temperatures peaked at around 53 degrees on Monday, and NWS forecast afternoon thunderstorms.

In the mountains, snow showers will create hazardous travel conditions — poor visibility and slippery roads, especially on passes at higher elevations, NWS forecasters said. They issued a winter weather advisory for the north central mountains and anticipated mountain snow accumulations up to 8 inches by Tuesday morning.

Looking ahead, meteorologists predicted moisture in metro Denver over the next two weeks, shifting to warmer conditions through the end of July. That may bring relief after an exceptionally dry winter and early spring. Colorado mountain snowpack ranked as the lowest in recent history, and Denver temperatures in March – typically a month that brings heavy snow — broke records, topping 80 degrees.

“We have varying levels of severe to exceptional drought across the Denver area and the Front Range mountains,” Danielson said.

“Through about May 10, we expect multiple rounds of precipitation. That can, hopefully, lead to a little green-up,” he said.  “But, then, from the second half of May through the end of July, it will look particularly hot and dry. We’re still expecting an above-normal fire weather season.”

On Sunday, up to a quarter inch of rain fell on parts of north metro Denver.