What It Costs to Sell a House in Seattle
Page author
Adriano Tori
Designated Broker, Founder & CEO — RexMont Real Estate · WA Lic. #27660
Adriano leads RexMont Real Estate — the most-reviewed real estate brokerage in Seattle and the Eastside. 1,200+ closed transactions, $1B+ in production, and 1,241 five-star Google reviews.
Before you list, the number that actually matters is not your sale price — it is your net proceeds: the wire-out amount after every selling cost and your mortgage payoff. Seattle covers an enormous price range, from condos in Belltown and First Hill to $600K–$900K craftsman homes across Beacon Hill, Greenwood, and Columbia City to $2M+ view properties in Queen Anne, Magnolia, and Madison Park — which means Washington's graduated excise tax lands very differently depending on your block. Sellers who anchor on a price estimate are often surprised at closing. This page itemizes every cost, then lets you model your real net with the calculator below.
I am Adriano Tori, founder and Designated Broker of RexMont Real Estate, WA Lic. #27660. RexMont has 1,241 5-star reviews and $1B+ closed across 1,200+ transactions across Seattle and the Eastside. On every consultation I build the full net-proceeds sheet against your actual home — not a generic percentage — so you decide with real numbers.
Total Seattle seller costs usually land between 7% and 9% of sale price. The biggest lever is commission, which is negotiated; the second-biggest is Washington's graduated REET, which climbs into the 2.75% tier on Seattle view homes above $1.525M and into six figures above $3.025M. Knowing the breakdown before you list is how you avoid pricing your move on a number that shrinks at the closing table.
Seattle net-proceeds calculator
Enter your numbers to see your estimated net proceeds after commission, Washington excise tax, title/escrow, prep, and mortgage payoff. King County REET is calculated automatically.
Your target list/sale price — or get an agent-prepared estimate.
Sellers typically negotiate 4.5%–6% total. Post-NAR settlement, buyer-agent compensation is negotiated separately.
Remaining principal from your latest statement.
Paint, staging, cleaning, photography, minor repairs.
Typically $1,800–$3,000 for the seller side.
Estimated net proceeds
$519,135
after $80,865 in selling costs (8.5% of price) and mortgage payoff
Estimates for educational purposes only. Not financial, tax, legal, or investment advice. Actual REET, commission, escrow, and payoff figures vary by transaction and closing date. King County REET shown is the state graduated tax plus the 0.50% local portion; verify current rates with WA DOR and your CPA before acting.
Seattle commission rates
Real estate commission is the single largest selling cost, and it is negotiated — there is no legal or standard rate in Washington. Seattle sellers typically pay 4.5%–6% total, structured against home value, marketing scope, and complexity. A $2.4M Madison Park view home and a $700K Beacon Hill craftsman do not warrant the same percentage, and a good broker prices accordingly.
Since the August 2024 NAR settlement, buyer-agent compensation is negotiated separately in a written buyer-agency agreement, and the seller decides whether to offer a concession toward it. That gives sellers more control over total commission than in decades — but it means you want a broker who explains the trade-offs rather than defaulting to an old fixed split. For the full breakdown, see RexMont's Seattle commission page.
Washington excise tax & fixed closing costs
Washington Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) is paid by the seller at closing and is graduated. Per the WA Department of Revenue, the state portion is 1.10% up to $525K, 1.28% to $1.525M, 2.75% to $3.025M, and 3.00% above — each rate applying only to the slice of price within that tier. Seattle is in King County, which adds a 0.50% local REET on the full price. On a $950K sale, combined REET is roughly $16,000; on a $1.8M Queen Anne view home it is roughly $35,000.
Title, escrow, and prorations round out the fixed costs. The seller customarily pays the owner's title policy, escrow is split, and property tax is prorated to closing from King County Assessor records. Combined seller-side title and escrow generally run $1,800–$3,000. Seattle-specific prep is often the sleeper line item: sewer scopes on older Ballard and Wallingford homes, and view-window and moss cleanup, routinely pay for themselves. None of these are negotiable the way commission is — but knowing them keeps your net estimate honest.
FAQ
Cost to sell a Seattle home — FAQs
What does it cost to sell a house in Seattle?
Plan for roughly 7%–9% of the sale price in total seller costs: the negotiated real estate commission (typically 4.5%–6%), Washington Real Estate Excise Tax (REET), title and escrow, and prep/staging. Your mortgage payoff is separate — it reduces your proceeds but is not a cost of selling. Seattle spans every REET tier, from Beacon Hill starters to $3M+ view homes in Queen Anne and Laurelhurst, so modeling REET against your actual price avoids surprises at the closing table.
How much is the Washington excise tax when I sell in Seattle?
Seattle is in King County, so REET is the state graduated tax plus a 0.50% local portion. State rates: 1.10% up to $525K, 1.28% $525K–$1.525M, 2.75% $1.525M–$3.025M, and 3.00% above $3.025M, each applying only to the portion in that tier. On a $950K Seattle sale, combined REET is roughly $16,000; view homes in Magnolia, Madison Park, or West Seattle that clear $1.525M reach the 2.75% tier, so REET should always be modeled before pricing.
What are real estate commission rates in Seattle?
Commission is negotiated, never fixed by law — Seattle sellers typically pay 4.5%–6% total. Since the August 2024 NAR settlement, buyer-agent compensation is negotiated separately in a buyer-agency agreement, and the seller decides whether to contribute. See RexMont's Seattle commission page for a full breakdown of how the structure works post-settlement.
Do I pay capital gains tax when I sell my Seattle home?
Often no on a primary residence: the federal exclusion is up to $250K of gain for a single filer and $500K for a married couple filing jointly who meet the two-of-five-year ownership and use tests. Long-time owners in appreciating neighborhoods like Ballard, Wallingford, and Columbia City should confirm whether their gain exceeds the exclusion. Investment property does not qualify for the primary-residence exclusion. This is a CPA question — RexMont coordinates with your tax advisor.
How do I get an exact net-proceeds number for my Seattle home?
Use the calculator on this page for an estimate, then request RexMont's full seller net sheet — the same line-item statement escrow produces, tied to your address, payoff, and closing date — before you list. No obligation.
Seattle seller net analysis
Get your exact net-proceeds sheet.
Send the address, your mortgage payoff, and target timing. RexMont will return a line-by-line net-proceeds estimate — sale price, commission, REET, title, escrow, prep, and payoff — so you see the real wire-out number before you list.