What It Really Costs to Sell a House in Florida

The price on the listing is never the amount that lands in your bank account. Between commissions, closing costs, title insurance, and the months of carrying the home, selling a Florida house the traditional way often costs 8–10% of the sale price or more.

Here’s what those costs actually are. The big one is the agent commission — about 5–6% of the price, taken right off the top. Then Florida’s own closing costs: the documentary stamp tax (“doc stamps”) on the deed — a state tax of generally $0.70 per $100 of the sale price (about 0.7%) that the seller customarily pays — and owner’s title insurance, the policy that protects the buyer’s ownership, which in Brevard County and many Florida counties the seller customarily pays for (though this varies by county and is negotiable). Add prorated property taxes (your share of the yearly tax up to the closing date) and, if you’re in a community with a homeowners association, possible HOA or estoppel fees (a fee for the document that states what you owe the HOA). One piece of good news: there’s no state transfer tax beyond doc stamps and no state income tax in Florida.

Here’s a realistic example on a $400,000 home: a 5.5% commission runs about $22,000, doc stamps about $2,800, owner’s title insurance and other closing costs another ~$3,000–4,000, plus a few months of carrying costs (mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities) — quickly reaching 8–10% gone before you move.

A cash sale is different by design: no commission, no repairs, no staging, no months of carrying costs, and a buyer who typically covers standard closing costs. The offer is lower than full retail — that’s the honest trade — but because none of the above comes out of it, the net is often surprisingly close.

Use the calculator below to put in your own numbers and compare both paths side by side.