How Much Does It Cost to Sell a House in Los Angeles?

Selling a house in Los Angeles costs the sum of a few predictable pieces: the commission you negotiate with your agent, government transfer taxes, escrow and title fees, and whatever you spend getting the home ready. Your mortgage payoff comes out of the proceeds too, but that's your own debt, not a cost of selling.

Of those, only the transfer taxes are set by law. As of November 2026, a sale inside the City of Los Angeles under $5.4 million carries about 0.56% in combined city and county transfer tax. Everything else is either negotiable or depends on your home.

So the honest answer to "how much?" is a range you can narrow down quickly once you know your price and your address. Here's how I break it down with sellers.

How Much Is the Real Estate Commission in LA?

There is no standard commission in Los Angeles, and there isn't one set by law. The National Association of REALTORS® says it plainly: broker fees and commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable.

What changed in August 2024 is how buyer agents get paid. Since August 17, 2024, agents working with buyers must have a written agreement with their buyer before touring a home, and offers of compensation to buyer agents can no longer appear on the MLS.

For you as a seller, that means two separate questions:

• What will you pay your listing agent? That's agreed in your listing agreement.
• Will you offer anything toward the buyer's agent? You can, but you don't have to. Some sellers offer it up front to widen the pool of buyers. Others handle it as a request in each offer.

Commission is usually the largest single cost of a sale, so it deserves a real conversation, not an assumption.

What Transfer Taxes Do Sellers Pay in Los Angeles?

Transfer taxes are charged when the deed records, and in LA the seller customarily pays them. Who pays is ultimately set by your contract.

LA County: $1.10 per $1,000 of the price, according to the LA County Registrar-Recorder. That applies everywhere in the county.

City of Los Angeles: a base tax of 0.45%, per the LA Office of Finance. For closings after June 30, 2026, Measure ULA adds 4% to sales above $5.4 million and under $10.9 million, and 5.5% to sales of $10.9 million or more.

Here's what the city and county taxes look like for a home inside the City of LA:

• $1.5 million sale: $6,750 city plus $1,650 county, or $8,400.
• $3 million sale: $13,500 city plus $3,300 county, or $16,800.
• $6 million sale: $240,000 ULA, plus $27,000 city base and $6,600 county, or $273,600.

If you're anywhere near $5.4 million, read my post on how the LA mansion tax works before you set a price. ULA applies to the whole price, so crossing the line by a little can cost a lot.

One more thing. Your address may say "Los Angeles" even if your home sits in a different city or in unincorporated county. Santa Monica and Culver City charge their own city transfer taxes, while Beverly Hills and unincorporated areas such as Marina del Rey pay only the county rate. We always confirm the parcel's actual jurisdiction first.

What About Escrow and Title Fees?

Every sale runs through escrow and title. Which party pays which escrow and title charges is written into the purchase contract, so read that section closely.

These fees are set by each company and scale with the price, so I won't quote a number here. Instead, ask the escrow and title companies for a written estimate based on your expected price. That number goes straight into your net sheet.

Smaller line items show up too: recording fees, a notary, any HOA transfer or document fees if you're in a condo or planned community, and your share of property taxes and HOA dues prorated to the closing date.

How Much Should I Budget to Get the Home Ready?

This is the cost you control most.

Some homes need little more than a deep clean and fresh paint. Others benefit from staging, landscaping or repairs to the things a buyer's inspector will find anyway. Is a dollar spent before listing better than a credit negotiated during escrow? Often, yes, because you set the scope and the price instead of reacting to a buyer's list.

I covered where that money tends to go furthest in the home improvements with the best ROI before you sell. The short version: fix what buyers notice, skip the big remodel, and get bids before you commit.

Also leave room for buyer requests. After inspections, buyers often ask for repairs or a credit. Planning for that possibility ahead of time keeps a surprise from turning into a problem.

Will I Owe Taxes on the Sale?

Possibly, but many homeowners owe less than they expect.

Under federal rules, if you owned and lived in the home as your main home for at least two of the five years before the sale, you may be able to exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for most married couples filing jointly. The IRS explains the tests in Publication 523.

California also requires withholding at closing on many sales, generally 3 1/3% of the sale price, unless you qualify for an exemption such as selling your principal residence. The Franchise Tax Board's Form 593 instructions cover who qualifies. Escrow handles the form, but you want to know about it early, especially for a rental or second home.

Your CPA is the right person to tell you what you'll actually owe.

How to Estimate Your Net Proceeds

The simplest way to see what you'll walk away with is a net sheet. Start with a realistic sale price, then subtract:

• Your mortgage and any other liens
• Listing commission, and any buyer agent compensation you agree to
• City and county transfer taxes for your address
• Escrow, title and recording fees from written estimates
• Prep, staging and repair costs
• Prorated property taxes and HOA dues

Run it at two or three prices, not one. In LA, the jurisdiction and the price band can change the answer more than you'd think.

If you want the full picture of the process around these numbers, my seller guide walks through it step by step.

Final Thoughts

Selling costs in Los Angeles aren't a mystery. They're a short list of items, and most of them can be estimated before you ever sign a listing agreement.

The sellers who feel best at closing are the ones who saw their net number early and made decisions with it in front of them.

If you'd like your own numbers, Mike Goldfarb Properties is happy to build a net sheet for your home. Request a home valuation or call (310) 490-0026, and we'll walk through it together.

This article is general information as of November 2026, not tax, legal or financial advice. Rates and rules change, so please confirm them with the relevant agencies and your own advisors.