What It Really Costs to Sell a Home in the Bay Area: Commission, Taxes, and Your Net Sheet
There is no standard real estate commission. There never legally was. That is the starting point of my new guide to what it really costs to sell a home in the Bay Area, and it only gets more useful from there.
The rules changed in August 2024, and most of what sellers think they know about who pays what is out of date. The full article walks through every line on a seller's net sheet in plain English:
- The 2024 practice changes, decoded. What the NAR settlement actually did, what it did not do, and why every piece of agent compensation is now negotiated in the open.
- Who pays the buyer's agent now. It is a live strategy decision on every listing, not a default, and the answer affects how many buyers can afford to write on your home.
- Transfer taxes by city. The county rate is set by state law, but Hayward and San Jose add their own, and the difference on the same sale price runs to five figures.
- A worked net sheet. Sale price to walk-away number on a real example, with the only two lines set by law clearly separated from everything you negotiate.
Read the Full Article: What It Really Costs to Sell »
Want to run your own numbers first? My closing cost calculator is free and takes about two minutes, and a free home valuation grounds the top line of your net sheet in real comparable sales.
Harv Balu, REALTOR®, PSA | REALTY EXPERTS® | DRE# 02195792 | (510) 600-3425 | homes@HarvRealtor.com