The Real Cost of Selling a House in Maryland (Full Breakdown + Calculator Math for 2026)

If you're thinking about selling your home in Maryland, the first number you want to know is what's left in your pocket at the end. Asking price minus mortgage payoff is the back-of-the-envelope calculation everyone starts with — but it's wildly incomplete.

Between commission, transfer tax, prep costs, and closing fees, the cost of selling a typical Montgomery County home is usually 7–9% of the sale price. On a $700,000 home, that's $49,000 to $63,000. On a $1,000,000 home, that's $70,000 to $90,000.

Here's the actual breakdown for 2026, line by line, with real numbers from deals I've closed this year.

How much does it cost to sell a house in Maryland in 2026?

The total cost of selling a typical Maryland home in 2026 breaks down into five categories:

1. Real estate commission — 5–6% of sale price (the biggest line item)
2. State and county transfer/recordation taxes — about 0.75–1.25% of sale price
3. Settlement and title costs — about 0.3–0.5% of sale price
4. Prep costs (pre-list repairs, staging, photography) — 0.5–1.5% of sale price
5. Buyer concessions (if any) — 0–2% of sale price

On a $700,000 Montgomery County home with 5.5% commission, 1% in transfer taxes, $4,000 in prep, and no buyer concessions, total cost of sale is roughly $49,000–$52,000.

Let's break each one down.

How much is realtor commission in Maryland?

The largest cost of selling a home in Maryland is the real estate commission. In 2026, after the 2024 NAR settlement, commissions are negotiated more explicitly than they used to be — but the math hasn't changed dramatically.

Typical commission ranges in Montgomery County right now:

• Listing agent: 2.5–3% of the sale price. This pays for marketing, photography, MLS listing, open houses, negotiation, paperwork, contract management, and your agent's actual time.
• Buyer's agent: 2–2.5% of the sale price. This is now negotiated separately under the 2024 settlement, but in roughly 80% of MoCo listings I see, the seller is still offering it as part of the listing agreement.

Combined: 4.5%–5.5% is the most common total commission I see today, on standard-tier homes. Luxury homes ($1.5M+) sometimes negotiate down to 4–4.5%. Discount brokers offer 1.5% listing-side — but you typically get less marketing, less negotiation, and longer days on market. You get what you pay for.

For an honest discussion of what a listing agent actually does for their commission, see what does a listing agent do.

Sample math on a $700,000 sale at 5.5% total commission: $38,500.

What are the transfer and recordation taxes when selling in Maryland?

In Maryland, the seller pays a portion of the state and county transfer/recordation taxes. The default split (negotiable in the contract):

• Maryland state transfer tax: 0.5% of sale price — typically split 50/50 with the buyer (so seller pays 0.25%)
• Maryland state recordation tax: 0.5% of sale price — typically paid by the buyer, but can be shifted
• Montgomery County transfer tax: 1% of sale price — typically split 50/50 (so seller pays 0.5%)

Seller's typical share: roughly 0.75% of the sale price in MoCo. On a $700,000 home: $5,250.

In Prince George's County and other MD counties, the percentages differ slightly. For the full transfer-tax math specific to MoCo, see Montgomery County real estate transfer and recordation tax.

What are the settlement and title costs for a Maryland seller?

The settlement company handles the closing and produces the title work. Seller-side fees typically include:

• Title clearance / lien payoff coordination — $200–$400
• Document preparation — $150–$300
• Notary and recording fees — $50–$100
• Wire/courier fees — $50–$100
• HOA or condo resale package fee (if applicable) — $200–$700

Total: typically $500–$1,500 depending on whether there's an HOA.

How much should I budget for prep costs before listing?

This is the category most sellers underestimate.

Pre-listing prep work falls into three buckets:

1. Repairs and touch-ups (~$500–$5,000) The cosmetic fixes that aren't really fixes — touching up paint, repairing a few drywall dings, replacing burnt-out bulbs, deep-cleaning carpets, regrouting a bathroom. Almost every home I list needs $500–$2,000 of this kind of work to look its best.

2. Strategic upgrades that pay off (~$0–$15,000) For some homes, targeted upgrades return 2x–3x what they cost. Repainting interior walls in neutral colors, refinishing hardwood floors, swapping outdated light fixtures, modernizing kitchen and bathroom hardware. I walk through every listing and recommend only the upgrades that will recover their cost.

For the actual ROI data on which upgrades pay off and which don't, see the 268% ROI home improvement that pays for itself and home upgrades ROI for selling in Maryland 2026.

3. Staging and photography

• Professional photography: typically included by your listing agent (I cover this for every client). If buying separately, $400–$800.
• Virtual staging (digital): $30–$80 per photo, useful for empty rooms.
• Physical staging (rented furniture): $1,500–$4,000 for a one-month rental on a typical 3-bedroom home. Higher for luxury homes.

Total prep budget for most Montgomery County sellers: $2,000–$10,000, depending on the home's current condition and how much you choose to invest.

What's a buyer concession and how much should I budget?

A buyer concession is when the seller credits the buyer at closing to cover closing costs or rate buydowns. It functions like a price reduction but happens at the closing table instead of the contract.

In a balanced market, buyer concessions on MoCo homes typically run 0–2% of the sale price. On a $700,000 home, that's $0–$14,000 depending on negotiation.

When concessions happen most:

• Buyer is stretched on cash and needs help covering closing costs
• Buyer wants to do a rate buydown to lower their monthly payment
• Inspection turned up issues and the seller offers a credit in lieu of repairs
• Home has been on the market longer than expected

Concessions are a negotiation lever, not a fixed cost. But you should plan for the possibility — most listings end up giving up something at the table.

Are there any other hidden costs of selling?

A few that sellers consistently forget:

Mortgage payoff overage. Your mortgage balance on closing day isn't your balance today. It includes accrued interest from the last payment plus a small payoff processing fee ($30–$75). Typically a few hundred dollars more than expected.

Pro-rated property taxes. Maryland property taxes are paid in arrears. At closing, you pay your share of the current tax year up to the closing date. This usually shows up as a small charge to the seller and a credit to the buyer.

Pre-sale inspection (optional). Some sellers pay $400–$600 for a pre-listing inspection so they know what issues will come up before buyers do. Smart move on older homes. Not required.

Capital gains tax. If your gain on the sale exceeds the federal exclusion ($250,000 single / $500,000 married filing jointly), you owe capital gains tax. See capital gains tax when selling your home in Maryland — the $250K/$500K exclusion for the full math.

HOA / condo association fees through closing. Pro-rated to closing day — typically a $50–$200 charge to the seller.

What's a worked example for a $700,000 Maryland sale?

Here's the full closing math for a typical $700,000 sale in Montgomery County in 2026:

| Item | Cost | |------|------| | Listing agent commission (2.75%) | $19,250 | | Buyer's agent commission (2.5%) | $17,500 | | State transfer tax (seller's half) | $1,750 | | County transfer tax (seller's half) | $3,500 | | Settlement / title fees | $1,000 | | HOA resale package | $400 | | Pre-listing prep / painting / staging | $5,000 | | Buyer concession at closing | $5,000 | | Pro-rated property taxes | $1,500 | | Mortgage payoff overage | $400 | | Total cost of sale | $55,300 |

That's 7.9% of the sale price.

Net to seller (before mortgage payoff): $700,000 − $55,300 = $644,700.

If the seller's mortgage payoff is $350,000, net cash to seller at closing = $294,700.

Can I sell my house without paying these costs?

The two biggest costs — commission and transfer taxes — are the ones sellers most often try to avoid.

FSBO (For Sale By Owner) eliminates the listing agent commission but typically doesn't eliminate the buyer's agent commission, and FSBO sellers in Maryland statistically net less than agent-listed sellers even after factoring in the commission savings. See FSBO vs agent in Maryland — why it costs you more for the actual data, and why FSBO sellers end up cutting price for the pattern I've seen play out dozens of times.

Discount brokers (1% listing brokers) eliminate some of the listing commission but typically offer less marketing, less negotiation, and longer days on market. For most sellers, the net is worse.

Transfer taxes can be negotiated to shift more to the buyer in a strong seller's market. In a buyer's market, the seller typically absorbs more.

The realistic answer: the cost of selling is what it is. The lever that matters isn't reducing the costs — it's getting the highest sale price with the least time on market. That's where the real money is made or lost.

How do I estimate my net proceeds?

The math is straightforward:

Net proceeds = sale price − mortgage payoff − total cost of sale

For most Maryland sellers in 2026:

• Total cost of sale = 7–9% of sale price
• Plus or minus negotiated concessions

Quick formula for a rough net:

Net = (Sale Price × 0.92) − Mortgage Payoff

That gets you to within a few thousand dollars of your actual closing-day net. For an exact number, ask your agent to prepare a seller net sheet — every good listing agent will run this for you before you sign a listing agreement. I do this for every prospective seller I meet with, free.

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The bottom line

The cost of selling a home in Maryland in 2026 typically runs 7%–9% of the sale price, broken down as:

• 5–5.5% in real estate commission (the biggest line)
• 0.75% in seller-side transfer taxes
• ~0.5% in settlement, title, and admin fees
• 0.5–1.5% in prep costs (typical)
• 0–2% in buyer concessions (depending on negotiation)

The fastest way to lose money on a sale isn't paying these costs — it's mispricing your home so it sits on the market for 60+ days and you end up cutting the price below where you should have started. For the pricing math, see how to price your home and why overpricing costs you money.

If you'd like a free seller net sheet for your specific Montgomery County address, call me at (301) 357-1170 or email edwarddumi.realtor@gmail.com. I'll run the numbers and send you a one-page estimate within 24 hours.