The All-in-One Solution for California Homeowners
FAST ANSWER: Closing costs in California for sellers typically run about 6% to 8% of the sale price when agent commission is included, and roughly 1% to 3% without it. Commission, which averaged 5.08% for both agents in August 2026, is the biggest line. Escrow, title insurance, transfer tax, and prorated property tax make up most of the rest. Selling as-is to a direct cash buyer removes commission and most fees, and can close in as few as 7 days.
The number that matters when you sell is what you keep, not the price on the contract. Closing costs in California for sellers come off the top in escrow, so a $700,000 sale can leave you close to $40,000 short of what you pictured.
Commission drives most of that gap, and it’s negotiable. So are several of the smaller fees, which buyers and sellers often split.
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California seller closing costs run about 6%–8% of the sale price with commission and 1%–3% without it; Clever Real Estate’s September 2026 data puts non-commission costs at 2.71% on average.
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Real estate commission is the single largest cost, and since the 2024 NAR settlement the buyer’s agent fee is negotiated separately rather than paid by the seller by default.
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Escrow fees and title insurance are set by each provider’s filed rate schedule, so written quotes from two or three companies can differ by hundreds of dollars.
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The county documentary transfer tax is $1.10 per $1,000 of the sale price statewide, and cities such as Los Angeles add their own tax on top.
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California seller closing costs are the fees deducted from your proceeds at closing, mainly commission, escrow, title insurance, transfer tax, and prorated property tax. Commission is a percentage of the price, which is why totals are usually quoted two ways.
With both agents’ commissions, sellers typically pay about 6% to 8%. Without commission, the remaining costs average 2.71% of the sale price, according to Clever Real Estate’s September 2026 seller closing cost data, and most of that is optional buyer credits and prorated property tax.
Real estate commission is what you pay the agents, deducted from your proceeds at closing. It averaged 5.08% of the sale price in California in August 2026: 2.57% for the listing agent and 2.51% for the buyer’s agent (Clever Real Estate agent survey). No law sets the rate. Our guide to real estate commission covers how the NAR settlement changed who pays the buyer’s side.
The escrow fee pays the neutral escrow company that holds the funds, collects signatures, and releases the funds once all conditions are met. Buyer and seller usually split it. A seller’s half is often $1,000 to $2,500, depending on the price and the provider.
Owner’s title insurance protects the buyer against ownership claims the title search missed, such as an old lien or a recording error. The premium is a one-time charge. In most California transactions the search itself is built into that premium, not billed as a separate line.
California’s documentary transfer tax is charged when the deed is recorded. Counties charge $1.10 per $1,000 of the sale price under the Revenue and Taxation Code, and some cities add their own tax on top.
You owe property tax for every day you own the home, and escrow settles it by proration. Under Proposition 13, the general levy is 1% of assessed value, with local voter-approved charges on top. Whether you get money back or pay more depends on whether your last installment is already paid.
California Civil Code requires most sellers to disclose flood, fire, earthquake-fault and other hazard zones. A third-party NHD report typically costs $75 to $150. In an HOA, you also pay for the resale documents buyers must receive, plus any transfer fee. Optional extras, such as staging or buyer credits, can cost more than all of these fixed fees combined.
Here is a line-by-line breakdown of typical California seller closing costs in 2026.
| Fee | Who typically pays | Estimated cost (2026) |
| Listing agent commission | Seller | Avg. 2.57% of sale price; negotiable (Clever, Aug 2026) |
| Buyer’s agent commission | Buyer, unless the seller agrees to cover it | Avg. 2.51% of sale price; negotiable (Clever, Aug 2026) |
| Escrow fee | Usually split 50/50 | About $1,000–$2,500 for the seller’s half; negotiable (805 Title, 2026) |
| Owner’s title insurance | Seller in Southern California; buyer in much of Northern California | About $1,600–$2,900 on a $750,000 home; $2,100–$3,800 on $1 million (805 Title, 2026) |
| Title search | Included in the title premium | Usually no separate charge |
| County documentary transfer tax | Seller, by custom | $1.10 per $1,000 of sale price (R&T Code) |
| City transfer tax (some cities) | Seller, or split in some Bay Area cities | $0 in most cities; e.g. $4.50 per $1,000 in the City of Los Angeles |
| Prorated property tax | Seller, for the days owned | 1% of assessed value plus local charges, prorated to the closing date |
| Natural Hazard Disclosure report | Seller | About $75–$150 (MyNHD pricing, 2026) |
| HOA resale documents and transfer fee | Seller, usually | Set by each HOA; commonly a few hundred dollars |
| Recording and reconveyance fees | Seller | About $244 on average (Clever, 2026) |
| Buyer credits and concessions | Seller, only if negotiated | Avg. 2% of sale price (Clever, 2026) |
Sources: Clever Real Estate (updated September 1, 2026); 805 Title title and escrow guides (2026); City of Los Angeles Office of Finance; MyNHD. Figures are estimates and vary by county and provider.
On a $700,000 California home, the fixed fees come to about $4,100: roughly $1,000 for your half of escrow, $2,000 for owner’s title insurance, $770 in county transfer tax, $100 for the NHD report, and $244 in recording fees.
Add a 2.57% listing commission, and the total is about $22,100, or 3.2%. Cover the buyer’s agent at 2.51% as well, and it reaches about $39,700 (5.7%). A 2% buyer credit on top brings it near $53,700, or 7.7%. Prorated property tax is extra and depends on your closing date. For your own numbers, run the closing cost calculator.
Escrow fees in California are set by each escrow company’s own rate schedule, usually a base fee plus a charge per $1,000 of the sale price. Using 805 Title’s example, a $350 base plus $2 per $1,000 puts total escrow at $2,150 on a $900,000 sale, or about $1,075 for each side.
Expect smaller add-ons too, such as document preparation, wire and courier fees, so ask for the full fee sheet. In Northern California, title companies often run escrow themselves, and a bundled quote can beat hiring two firms.
In California, sellers customarily pay their listing agent and the county transfer tax, while escrow is usually split, and title insurance follows regional custom. No state law assigns most of these costs. The purchase agreement decides, and local custom is only the starting point for negotiation.
| Cost | Southern California custom | Northern California custom |
| Listing agent commission | Seller | Seller |
| Buyer’s agent commission | Buyer, unless the seller agrees to cover it | Buyer, unless the seller agrees to cover it |
| Escrow fee | Split 50/50 | Often split; varies by county |
| Owner’s title insurance | Seller | Buyer, in many counties |
| Lender’s title insurance | Buyer | Buyer |
| County transfer tax | Seller | Seller |
| City transfer tax | Seller | Seller, or split in some Bay Area cities |
| Prorated property tax | Each side pays for the days owned | Each side pays for the days owned |
| NHD report and HOA documents | Seller | Seller |
| Loan fees, appraisal, and inspection | Buyer | Buyer |
Customs shift county by county, so treat this split as typical, not guaranteed. In a slow market buyers often ask for a credit toward their costs; in a competitive one, sellers rarely give more than custom requires.
Sellers cut closing costs by negotiating commission, comparing escrow and title providers, skipping optional prep, or selling as-is to a direct buyer. The first three trim a traditional sale. The fourth changes which costs exist at all.
On a $700,000 home, each percentage point of commission is $7,000. Interview at least three agents and ask for each fee in writing. You can also decide how much of the buyer’s agent fee to offer, if any, and some sellers compare a flat-fee realtor option against a percentage listing.
Every title insurer files its rates with the California Department of Insurance, and every escrow company sets its own schedule, so prices differ. Ask two or three companies for written quotes early. If you’re the one paying for the owner’s policy, the savings go straight to your proceeds.
Pre-listing inspections, heavy staging, extended warranties, and cosmetic updates often cost more than they return. Fix what a lender or inspector would flag. Our guide to which repairs to make before selling a house helps you sort one from the other.
Selling as-is to a direct cash buyer removes commission, repair requests, and most closing fees in one step. Osborne Homes is a California real estate investment company that has bought houses directly for cash, as-is, since 2007, and it covers standard closing costs on its purchases. Here is how the main seller costs change in that kind of sale.
| Seller cost | Traditional listing | Direct sale (as-is, for cash) |
| Agent commission | About 2.5%–5% of price | None |
| Escrow and owner’s title insurance | Seller’s customary share | Covered by the buyer |
| Repairs, staging, and buyer credits | Often thousands of dollars | None; sold as-is |
| Prorated property tax | Paid through closing | Paid through closing |
| Documentary transfer tax | Seller, by custom | Seller |
A cash offer is usually below full retail value, so compare the net from each route, after commission, repairs, buyer credits, and the months of mortgage and utility payments a listing can add.
California sellers typically pay 6% to 8% of the sale price in closing costs, including both agents’ commissions, or about 1% to 3% without commission. Clever Real Estate’s September 2026 data puts non-commission costs at 2.71% on average, with commission averaging another 5.08%. On a $700,000 home, that works out to roughly $40,000 to $54,000 all in, depending on buyer credits.
Escrow fees in California are usually split 50/50 between buyer and seller, although the purchase contract can assign them either way, and customs differ by county. Each escrow company sets its own schedule, often a base fee plus about $2 per $1,000 of the price. A seller’s half is commonly $1,000 to $2,500, depending on the home’s price and the provider.
Most seller closing costs aren’t deductible on their own, but they can still lower your tax. IRS Publication 523 subtracts selling expenses, such as commission, from the sale price to find your amount realized, which reduces any gain above the $250,000 exclusion ($500,000 for married couples filing jointly). Your share of property tax up to the sale date may be deductible if you itemize. Confirm with a CPA.
California’s county documentary transfer tax is $1.10 per $1,000 of the sale price, or $770 on a $700,000 home. Some cities add their own. The City of Los Angeles charges another $4.50 per $1,000, and its Measure ULA tax adds 4% on sales from $5.4 million and 5.5% from $10.9 million, under thresholds effective July 1, 2026. Many sellers in Los Angeles County cities outside of LA pay only the county rate.
You can avoid most closing costs by selling as-is to a direct cash buyer who covers standard closing costs. There’s no commission, no repair credits, and usually no escrow or title charge on your side. You still settle property tax owed through the sale date, and some buyers leave the transfer tax with the seller, so get the fee split in writing before you sign.
If speed and certainty matter more than squeezing out the last dollar, a direct cash sale is worth weighing against the traditional route. On a listing, budget for commission first, since it is usually the largest single seller closing cost in California. Osborne Homes makes a no-obligation cash offer, covers standard closing costs, and can close in as few as 7 days once the title is clear, which gives you a firm net figure to compare.
This article is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. For advice on your sale, talk to a California real estate attorney or a CPA.
The Osborne Homes Team
The Osborne Homes team specializes in California real estate, helping buyers, sellers, and homeowners navigate the market with clarity and confidence. Our articles are written to provide practical guidance, local insight, and up-to-date information you can trust.
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