April 25, 2026 · 3 min read
Selling a home involves more than agreeing on a price and signing at closing. A handful of costs come out of the proceeds along the way, and knowing what they are ahead of time makes it much easier to understand what you will actually walk away with. None of these costs are unique to any one seller's situation, but a few of them surprise people who have not sold a home in Florida before.
Real Estate Commission
Commission is typically the largest single cost in a home sale, and it is negotiated between a seller and their listing agent rather than set by any fixed rule. It is customarily paid out of the proceeds at closing rather than billed separately, and it generally covers both the listing side of the transaction and the agent who brings the buyer. Before you list, it is worth having a direct conversation with your agent about what is included, from professional photography to how your home will be marketed, so you understand what you are paying for rather than just the percentage itself.
Title, Closing, and Transfer Costs
Florida charges a documentary stamp tax on the deed at closing, a state transfer tax that applies regardless of which county the property sits in. Title insurance is another closing cost, and in much of Florida the seller customarily pays for the buyer's owner's title policy, though exactly who pays what is a negotiable point in every contract rather than a fixed rule. A settlement or closing agent, whether a title company or a real estate attorney, also charges a fee for handling the closing itself, and if you choose to have an attorney review your contract, that is a separate cost to plan for.
Prorated Costs and Existing Payoffs
A few costs are not new expenses so much as a settling of accounts. Property taxes are prorated between buyer and seller based on the closing date, and if your property is part of a homeowners association, expect to pay for an estoppel certificate, a document confirming your account is current, along with any prorated HOA or CDD dues. Any existing mortgage balance, and any other liens on the property, also get paid off out of your proceeds at closing, which is part of why an accurate, current payoff figure from your lender matters well before your closing date arrives.
Costs Tied to Preparing and Negotiating
A few more costs depend on how your specific sale unfolds rather than being fixed in advance. Repairs requested after a buyer's inspection are common and worth budgeting some flexibility for, and many sellers also offer a credit toward the buyer's closing costs as a negotiating point rather than lowering the price outright. If you choose to offer a home warranty as an incentive, that is an optional cost as well, and any staging, cleaning, or pre-listing repairs you pay for out of pocket belong in this category too, even though they happen before you have an accepted offer.
Start With a Realistic Number
Because so many of these costs are proportional to your sale price, the most useful first step is getting a clear, current sense of what your home is actually worth. A home valuation grounded in real, comparable local sales gives you a starting point for estimating your net proceeds, and browsing current homes for sale in your neighborhood can round out that picture, giving you a feel for what buyers will be comparing your home against. A conversation with your agent about a specific net sheet, an itemized estimate of costs against your likely sale price, will tell you far more than any general list like this one ever could.
Note: Every sale is different, and which of these costs apply, and how much they run, depends on your specific contract and property. Treat this as a general overview rather than an estimate for your home.
If you are weighing whether now is the right time to sell, or you expect to buy your next home around the same time, learn more about selling with Legacy and buying with Legacy, or contact our team to talk through the numbers for your specific property.