Florida Seller Closing Costs and Commission: Who Pays What

What closing costs does a seller pay in Florida?

A Florida seller's closing costs are the brokerage commission agreed in the listing agreement, documentary stamp tax on the deed at $0.70 per $100 of the sale price, the owner's title insurance policy where county custom puts it on the seller, the HOA or condo estoppel fee, settlement and recording fees, and property taxes prorated through the day before closing. The commission is negotiable and is never a standard rate. The owner's title policy is customarily the seller's cost in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties; in Broward and Miami-Dade the buyer usually pays it. These costs decide your net proceeds, which is the number that actually matters.

Who pays closing costs in Florida, the buyer or the seller?

Each side pays its own list, and the purchase contract decides the edge cases. The table shows who customarily pays under the standard Florida Realtors/Florida Bar contract in our five counties. Every line can be shifted by agreement, which is why the contract matters more than the custom.

How much is a real estate commission in Florida?

There is no legal or standard real estate commission in Florida; it is whatever you and your listing broker agree in writing. No state law sets a rate, and any agent who tells you there is a "normal" percentage is describing a habit, not a rule. Since August 17, 2024, under the practice changes that followed the National Association of REALTORS settlement, offers of compensation to a buyer's broker can no longer appear in the MLS, and buyers sign a written agreement with their own agent before touring.

For a seller that means two separate decisions:

• Your listing broker's fee. Set in your listing agreement. The agreement also says when the fee is earned and what happens if the property does not sell, so read those clauses before you sign.
• Whether you contribute to the buyer's broker. Optional and negotiated. Some sellers offer it so buyers who would otherwise pay their own agent out of pocket can still make an offer; others leave it to the buyer. Either way it is a term of your sale, not a requirement.

Ask every agent you interview to show their fee as a dollar figure on a written seller net sheet, next to your doc stamps, title and payoff, before you sign anything. A percentage you hear on a call is not a number you can plan around.

Which closing costs does a Florida seller pay, line by line?

Documentary stamp tax on the deed

Florida imposes a documentary stamp tax of $0.70 per $100 of the sale price (Florida Statutes Section 201.02). On a $700,000 sale the tax is $4,900. Miami-Dade County is the exception: $0.60 per $100 for a single-family residence, plus a $0.45 surtax per $100 on any other property type, such as a condominium (Florida Department of Revenue). There is no exemption for a primary residence. The tax itself cannot be waived; on the standard contract the seller pays it, though who pays can be negotiated.

Owner's title insurance policy

In Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties it is customary for the seller to pay for the buyer's owner's title insurance policy. In Broward and Miami-Dade the buyer customarily pays, so if you are selling there this line usually comes off your side. The premium is set by a state rate schedule (Florida Administrative Code 69O-186.003): $5.75 per $1,000 on the first $100,000 and $5.00 per $1,000 from $100,000 to $1 million. On a $700,000 sale that is $3,575, before endorsements and the closing agent's settlement fee. The rate is fixed; who pays it can be negotiated in the contract. For the county detail, see seller closing costs in Palm Beach County.

Prorated property taxes

Florida property taxes are paid in arrears, so at closing the seller credits the buyer for the part of the year the seller owned the home. On the standard Florida Realtors/Florida Bar contract the proration runs through the day before closing; the day of closing belongs to the buyer. If you close at the end of June on a home with a $10,000 annual tax bill, your share is roughly $5,000. Your homestead exemption does not transfer to the buyer, but that affects the buyer's future bill, not your closing costs. Buyers carry a separate list; see closing costs for buyers in Florida.

HOA and condo estoppel fees

If your home is in a homeowners or condominium association, the association issues an estoppel certificate confirming your account (dues paid, special assessments, violations). Florida law caps the fee (Sections 720.30851 and 718.116), and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation's current caps are $299 for preparation and delivery, $119 more for delivery within three business days, and $179 more if the account is delinquent. Order it early so a rush fee is never needed.

Title search and municipal lien search

The closing agent orders a title search to confirm ownership and a municipal lien search to find open permits, code violations or utility liens. These are title company fees, and on the standard contract they follow whichever side pays the owner's title policy.

Other costs that can reduce your net

• Mortgage payoff and liens: your remaining mortgage, any HELOC and any recorded liens or judgments are paid from proceeds at closing.
• Repair credits or concessions: anything you agree to after the buyer's inspection comes off your net.
• Survey: sometimes required by the buyer's lender; who pays is negotiable.
• Wire and courier fees: small closing agent charges for sending your proceeds.

Which seller costs are fixed by rule?

Two of your largest closing costs are set by the state, not negotiated: the deed doc stamps and the owner's title premium. The figures below are calculated from the statutory and promulgated rates only; they are not an estimate of any home's price or of your total costs.

Commission, prorated taxes, estoppel and payoffs then depend on your agreement, your tax bill, your association and your loan, which is why a written net sheet beats any online calculator.

How do you estimate your net proceeds?

Net proceeds = sale price - mortgage payoff - closing costs.

The inputs need current data. Your payoff comes from your lender. Your realistic sale price comes from a market analysis of recent closed sales in your neighborhood, not an automated estimate. Your closing costs depend on the lines above. That is why we prepare a written seller net sheet for every listing consultation: it puts every line in dollars, so "What will I keep?" becomes a number before you decide anything. If you are considering selling your home, start there.

What do Florida sellers most often miss?

The homestead exemption does not reduce closing costs. It lowers your yearly property tax, not the transfer tax or title premium. If you are buying again in Florida, your Save Our Homes benefit may be portable to the next home.

"Seller pays title" is a custom, not a law. It is the norm in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie, and it can be changed in the contract.

Open permits surface late. Unpermitted work or open permits appear in the municipal lien search and can delay closing. Close them before you list whenever possible.

"As-is" does not mean "no costs." Every cost above still applies to an as-is sale. See selling a Florida house as-is: what it really costs you.

Ready to know your number?

Gia Freer, our Broker of Record, prepares your opinion of value by hand from current BeachesMLS closed sales, within one business day, and your listing consultation adds a seller net sheet with every line above in dollars. Start with what your home is worth, or call 561-395-8418.

Florida seller closing costs: questions and answers

How much are closing costs for sellers in Florida?

A Florida seller typically pays the brokerage commission agreed in the listing agreement, documentary stamp tax on the deed ($0.70 per $100 of the sale price; $0.60 in Miami-Dade for a single-family residence), the owner's title insurance policy where county custom puts it on the seller, the HOA or condo estoppel fee, settlement fees, and property taxes prorated through the day before closing. There is no standard commission rate, so the total depends on the price, the commission you negotiate and the property.

Who pays closing costs in Florida, the buyer or the seller?

Both sides pay their own list. On the standard Florida Realtors/Florida Bar contract the seller pays the deed doc stamps and the association estoppel fee; who pays the owner's title policy follows county custom (usually the seller in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie, usually the buyer in Broward and Miami-Dade). A financing buyer pays the mortgage doc stamps, intangible tax and lender's title policy. Any of these can be shifted by agreement in the contract.

What is the average real estate commission in Florida?

There is no legal or standard real estate commission in Florida. Commission is whatever you and your listing broker agree in writing in the listing agreement, and since August 17, 2024 offers of compensation to a buyer's broker can no longer appear in the MLS. Ask every agent you interview to show their fee as a dollar line on a written seller net sheet before you sign.

Who pays the real estate commission in Florida?

The seller pays the listing broker under the listing agreement. A buyer's broker is paid under the buyer's written agreement; that fee is paid by the buyer unless the seller agrees, as a negotiated term of the sale, to contribute to it.

What is the documentary stamp tax on a Florida home sale?

Florida documentary stamp tax on the deed is $0.70 per $100 of the sale price (Florida Statutes Section 201.02). On a $500,000 sale, the tax is $3,500. Miami-Dade County charges $0.60 per $100 for a single-family residence and adds a $0.45 surtax on other property types, such as condominiums.

How are property taxes prorated when you sell a house in Florida?

Florida property taxes are paid in arrears, so the seller credits the buyer for the days the seller owned the home in the current year. On the standard Florida Realtors/Florida Bar contract, taxes are prorated through the day before closing; the day of closing belongs to the buyer.

Can I deduct closing costs on my taxes when I sell?

Some selling costs, such as commissions and transfer taxes, reduce the gain on the sale, and the primary residence exclusion ($250,000 single / $500,000 married filing jointly) shelters many sellers from capital gains entirely. Consult a tax professional for your situation; this is real estate guidance, not tax advice.

What is a seller net sheet?

A seller net sheet is a written estimate of what you keep after the mortgage payoff and every closing cost are subtracted from the sale price. It is the document that shows you what you actually keep, so ask for it before you sign a listing agreement.

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Sources: Florida Statutes 201.02, 201.08, 199.133, 718.116 and 720.30851; Florida Administrative Code 69O-186.003; Florida Department of Revenue documentary stamp tax guidance; DBPR estoppel fee caps; Florida Realtors/Florida Bar residential contract. Checked October 8, 2026. Published by PBP Real Estate, LLC (Fla. license CQ1064615), Boca Raton, Florida. This page covers the real-estate side only - not legal or tax advice; consult a qualified attorney or tax professional for your situation. See our AI Policy.