Americans report spending just under $55,000 on their home sale – a cost that surprised 64% of sellers, a new Clever Real Estate survey of 1,000 people who have sold a home since 2022 reveals.
Selling a home is one of the most lucrative transactions in a person’s life, but to the surprise of many home sellers, it’s also one of the most expensive.
The full cost breakdown is as follows:
• Listing agent commission: $11,136
• Buyer’s agent commission: $10,467
• Repairs and upgrades: $10,000
• Closing costs: $8,000
• Buyer concessions: $7,200
• Moving costs: $3,250
• Marketing: $2,300
• Staging: $2,263
Although the past few years have been a historically hot seller’s market, the vast majority of sellers are unsatisfied with how their sale turned out. Approximately 89% say they had regrets about their sale, and think they could have pocketed $50,000 more from their home sale if they’d taken a different approach.
Agents expensive, worth it
Homeowners spent a median of $54,616 to sell their home, nearly half of which went to agent commission. Under the current commission model, sellers pay an average of 5% to 6% of the final sale price to both the listing agent and the buyer’s agent.
About 21% of recent home sellers say they regret how much they paid their agents. Among sellers who thought their agent failed to deliver valuable services, 57% claim they received bad advice, 53% say their agent made mistakes and 50% complain their agent didn’t communicate enough.
Although using an agent can be expensive, a home sale is a complex financial transaction and sellers who don’t have a background in law or real estate can benefit from some professional guidance. Around 46% of unrepresented sellers said they made legal mistakes during their sale, and 43% said buyers didn’t trust them. In the end, 54% of unrepresented sellers regretted not using an agent.
Selling without an agent might save money at first, but it can ultimately cost sellers cash. Sellers who didn’t use an agent made an average of $71,000 on their home sale, while sellers who did use an agent netted an average of $105,000. Agents bring valuable expertise to the table.
However, future sellers could get a big break on commission thanks to a recent lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors. The resulting settlement removes the rule that forces sellers to cover the buyer’s agent commission, shifting the buyer’s agent commission responsibilities back to the buyer – at least in theory.
“The consequences are somewhat unknown, and everyone is guessing,” says Philadelphia-based real estate agent Brett Rosenthal. “I personally do not think this will affect overall expenses because at the end of the day, listings where buyer agents are involved get more traffic and higher values, so I think things will stay the same.”
Because a home’s sale price generally increases proportionally to buyer interest, sellers covering commission could attract multiple competing buyers or start a bidding war.
Though no longer necessary, some sellers may still offer to pay buyer’s agent commission because they anticipate their home’s sale price will exceed commission costs.
Home improvements needed?
Repairs and renovations were another significant pre-sale expense for home sellers – about 76% of sellers invested in home updates to appeal to buyers seeking a move-in-ready home. The repairs and updates cost a median of $10,000.
Many agents stress sellers should consult with a professional before performing any work, as changes should appeal to buyers. “Many sellers waste money on upgrades that only they like and don’t bring up the value of their home,” Rosenthal notes.
Of sellers who made improvements to their homes, 80% followed their agent’s advice on which fixes to make and 67% admit they spent more than they were comfortable with.
For most, though, the upgrades paid off. About 68% say the upgrades paid for themselves, and 65% mention they translated to a higher sale price.
Closing costs are skyrocketing
Selling a home includes several small but significant expenses, such as closing costs and moving fees.
“Closing costs” is an umbrella term for homebuyer expenses beyond the listing price, such as title insurance, a credit check, document prep and other fees – and they have been subject to dramatic inflation over the past two years. The median closing cost was $6,000 in 2022 but soared to $8,000 in 2024.
The average seller also paid $7,200 in buyer concessions such as a home warranty, price reduction or miscellaneous repairs. As the market tips back toward buyers, concessions are becoming more common. About 89% of sellers made concessions to the buyer, but 26% said they regretted making too many concessions.
Sellers also spent almost $8,000 on marketing and moving costs. Marketing expenses include expenses such as home staging and photography, which accounted for an average of $4,563. Moving costs averaged $3,250.
Although these services are pricy, skimping on them could negatively affect demand for a home and its eventual sale price. When selling a home, it takes money to make money.
This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.