What Does It Cost to Sell a House in California

What does it cost to sell a house in California? Most California sellers pay roughly 6% to 8% of the sale price in total selling costs, including agent commissions. In Riverside and San Bernardino County, that's about $38,000 to $50,000 on a $635,000 sale — before repairs or buyer credits.

Why sellers get surprised at the closing table

Almost every seller I sit down with in Riverside, Corona, or Rancho Cucamonga starts in the same place: they know roughly what their home is worth, and they know roughly what they owe. What they haven't done is the math in the middle.

That middle is where the surprises live. Escrow fees, title insurance, county transfer tax, a beneficiary statement fee from a lender they haven't thought about in eight years, an HOA transfer packet in Eastvale, prorated property taxes that include a Mello-Roos assessment. None of these are large individually. Together, they're the difference between the number in your head and the number on your settlement statement.

Here's the full picture, so you can price your home and plan your next move with real figures instead of a guess.

The big one: real estate commissions

Commissions are the largest single cost of selling, and they are negotiable — they always have been, and since the National Association of Realtors settlement took effect in August 2024, how buyer-side compensation gets discussed and documented has changed meaningfully.

A few things that matter for Inland Empire sellers:

• Buyer agent compensation is no longer published in the MLS. It's negotiated separately, and you decide whether to offer it.
• Total commission across both sides in California has been averaging around 5% of the sale price, though it varies widely by price point, property type, and the level of service involved.
• Offering buyer-agent compensation is optional, but it's a strategic decision, not just a cost decision. In a market where Riverside County inventory has been climbing and days on market have stretched, limiting your buyer pool has a price of its own.

On a $635,000 Riverside County sale, a 5% total commission is about $31,750. That single line is worth an actual conversation, not a default assumption.

Closing costs: what escrow deducts from your proceeds

These are the fees that get subtracted automatically at closing. In Southern California — including Riverside and San Bernardino counties — local custom puts more of these on the seller than in the Bay Area.

Cost	Who typically pays (SoCal custom)	Estimated on a $635,000 sale
County documentary transfer tax	Seller	~$699 ($1.10 per $1,000)
Owner's title insurance policy	Seller	~$1,100–$1,400
Escrow fee (seller's half)	Split 50/50	~$1,000–$1,400
Natural Hazard Disclosure report	Seller	~$100–$150
Recording, notary, wire, courier fees	Seller	~$150–$300
Subtotal, non-commission closing costs		~$3,000–$4,000

Estimates only. Your escrow officer produces the binding numbers.

A note on transfer tax: California's base county rate is $1.10 per $1,000 of sale price and applies in all 58 counties. Charter cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento layer their own transfer taxes on top — which is why you'll see horror stories online that don't apply here. Most Inland Empire sellers pay the county rate only, but confirm your specific city with escrow before you plan around it.

The costs that don't show up on a generic calculator

Mortgage payoff and per-diem interest

Your payoff amount is not your last statement balance. Escrow orders a demand statement from your lender that includes interest through the projected closing date, plus a demand or reconveyance fee. If closing slips a week, that number moves.

Prorated property taxes and special assessments

You're responsible for property taxes through your closing date. In Inland Empire communities with Mello-Roos or CFD assessments — parts of Eastvale, Menifee, Beaumont, and newer Corona and Murrieta tracts — that proration is larger than sellers expect. Pull your latest tax bill before you estimate.

HOA documents and transfer fees

If you're in an HOA, expect a document package fee and a transfer fee, typically a few hundred dollars combined. Order these early. In San Bernardino and Riverside County associations, slow document delivery is one of the most common causes of a delayed close.

Repairs, pest work, and buyer credits

This is the most variable line on the list and the one most worth planning for. Section 1 termite clearance is commonly negotiated in Southern California transactions. Beyond that, buyer credits have become a real factor: with more inventory on the market across Riverside County, buyers are asking for concessions again, and a $5,000 to $15,000 credit request after inspection is not unusual.

Pre-listing prep

Cleaning, landscaping, paint touch-ups, and decluttering. Professional photography and marketing should be covered by your listing agent — confirm that in writing. Prep spend is discretionary, but it's the discretionary money with the best return.

What this looks like on a real Inland Empire sale

Riverside County's median existing single-family home price was <cite index="12-1">$635,000 in June 2026, down 0.8% from May and unchanged from a year earlier, according to the California Association of Realtors</cite>. In neighboring San Bernardino County, <cite index="8-1">the median sale price was $548,000 over the prior three months, up 1.2% year over year</cite>.

On a $635,000 sale in Riverside County with no HOA and modest repairs:

• Commission (5%): ~$31,750
• Closing costs: ~$3,500
• Pest and repair items: ~$3,000
• Total: roughly $38,250, or about 6% of the sale price

Add a buyer credit or a significant repair negotiation and you're closer to 7–8%. Subtract your mortgage payoff from what's left, and that's your walk-away number.

One more thing: capital gains

Most Inland Empire sellers won't owe capital gains tax. If the home was your primary residence for at least two of the last five years, the IRS exclusion shelters up to $250,000 of gain if you're single and $500,000 if you're married filing jointly. Long-held homes bought before the 2012 run-up, inherited properties, and rentals are the situations that need a CPA's eyes early — not after you're in escrow.

If you're selling and moving out of California, be aware that California withholds a percentage of the sale price at closing for sellers who won't be state residents, unless an exemption applies. Your escrow officer will flag it, but it's better to know going in.

Frequently asked questions

How much are closing costs for a seller in California? Excluding agent commissions, California sellers typically pay about 1.5% to 3% of the sale price in closing costs. In Riverside and San Bernardino County, where there's no city transfer tax in most jurisdictions, sellers commonly land in the $3,000 to $5,000 range on a mid-priced home.

Who pays the transfer tax in Riverside County? By local custom, the seller pays the county documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 of sale price. Like nearly everything in a purchase agreement, it's negotiable — in a strong seller's market, buyers occasionally absorb it as part of a competitive offer.

Can I negotiate my real estate commission in California? Yes. Commission rates have always been negotiable and are set by agreement between you and your agent, not by any board or association. What matters more than the rate alone is what the listing agreement includes, whether you're offering buyer-agent compensation, and how that decision affects your buyer pool.

What's the cheapest way to sell a house in California? Selling without an agent eliminates the listing-side commission but not closing costs, transfer tax, escrow, title, or repairs. Weigh those savings against pricing accuracy, marketing exposure, and negotiation outcomes — the gap between a well-priced listing and a mispriced one in the Inland Empire routinely exceeds the commission difference.

Know your number before you list

Every home is different, and a generic percentage is a starting point, not an answer. I put together a free seller net sheet for Inland Empire homeowners: a line-by-line estimate of your costs and your projected walk-away proceeds, based on your actual property, your loan balance, and current conditions in your specific city.

No obligation, no listing presentation required. Just the number.

Request your free seller net sheet →

Amanda Zito | REALTOR®, Real Brokerage | Serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties — Riverside, Corona, Eastvale, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Murrieta, and Temecula