Sellers in North Carolina can expect to pay about 2.74% of their home's final sale price in closing costs. For a $328,682 home — the median home sales price in North Carolina — you'd pay around $9,011.
In most cases, closing costs are simply deducted from the seller's total profits. You'd only have to pay out of pocket if your closing costs are more than your profit from the sale — which rarely happens.
One of the most expensive parts of selling a home in North Carolina is paying real estate agent fees. Commissions alone can easily exceed all your closing costs combined! However, by using an agent-matching service like Clever Real Estate, you can save thousands.
Clever pre-negotiates low listing fees with top-performing agents to help you keep more of the profit you earn from selling your home.
Keep reading to find out which closing costs sellers are responsible for in North Carolina and how much you can expect to pay for each of them. Want an estimated profit for your sale? You'll also find our North Carolina seller closing costs calculator!
How much are seller closing costs in North Carolina?
Seller closing costs include all the fees due when you finalize your North Carolina home sale. Since many of these expenses are required to fully transfer ownership of the property to your buyer, they're generally unavoidable.
North Carolina seller closing costs | Average rate | Average cost* |
|---|---|---|
0.25% | $823 | |
0.10% | $342 | |
0.20% | $657 | |
0.16% | $540 | |
2% | $6,574 | |
Varies | Varies | |
Total | 2.74% | $9,011 |
*Based on a sale price of $328,682, the typical home value in North Carolina (Zillow August 31, 2022) | ||
In North Carolina, you'll pay about 2.74% of your home's value in closing costs, not including realtor fees.
Keep in mind that this figure is just an estimate. Your closing costs can differ based on a wide range of variables. Although closing costs are inevitable, you can always negotiate which expenses will be covered by you or your buyer.
To get the best deal, you'll need an agent with plenty of negotiation experience. Clever can help by matching you with a knowledgeable local agent who will keep your best interests in mind throughout the selling process.
» MORE: See how Clever can match you with a local expert
Closing costs are generally split between the buyer and seller in most real estate sales. In North Carolina, sellers tend to be responsible for paying title and closing service fees, owner's title insurance policy, lender's title insurance policy, transfer taxes, and recording fees.
» FIND: Learn more about buyer closing costs in North Carolina
Title fees: 0.25%
Title fees cover the costs of your title search and title transfer.
A crucial aspect of selling your home is transferring legal ownership to your buyer. Before this can occur, your settlement agent will have to do a title search to ensure there aren't any outstanding liens or claims against your home.
Although buyers and sellers in North Carolina usually pay for their own title company or closing agent, this isn't always the case. For sellers, this usually ends up being 0.25% of the sale price.
Owner's title insurance: 0.10%
An owner's title insurance policy protects your buyer if a problem is found with the property title, such as ownership disputes or clerical mistakes. If any issues come up, title insurance may cover any legal fees your buyer incurs or even reimburse them for the value of the home.
In North Carolina, title insurance usually costs around 0.10% of your home's final sale price — or $342 for a $328,682 home. However, North Carolina title companies use a tiered pricing system to determine how much you'll pay for a policy based on the value of your home.
Sellers cover the cost of an owner's title insurance policy in most cases in North Carolina, but you can always negotiate this expense.
» MORE: What is title insurance, and why do you need it?
North Carolina transfer tax: 0.20%
North Carolina will charge you about 0.20% of your home's value to transfer the property title to your buyer. For a $328,682 house — the median home value in North Carolina — you'd end up paying around $657.
However, transfer taxes vary depending on your home value and neighborhood. Certain counties — such as Perquimans County and Dare County — apply an additional excise tax of 1% on real estate property sales.
Ask your agent to find out exactly how much you'll need to pay based on your local ordinances.
» FIND: Learn more about transfer taxes in North Carolina
North Carolina recording fees: $540
The state of North Carolina will have to legally record your property's mortgage and deed information before the closing date. The exact amount varies from county to county, but you can expect to pay around $540 in North Carolina. This is another fee you might be able to negotiate for the buyer to cover.
Check out your county's website to view its recording fees or ask your realtor what you can expect.
Buyer incentives: 2%
Buyer incentives are important tools to make your home seem more appealing to house hunters. In tough markets, paying some of the buyer's closing costs, providing repair credits, or including valuable items — like appliances or new furniture — in the sale can encourage more people to make an offer.
On average, sellers spend about $6,574 for buyer incentives in North Carolina.
Don't forget about property taxes!
When you sell a home in North Carolina, you'll still have to pay property taxes for the months you owned the property. Using this prorated system, you won't be on the hook for the full 12 months of taxes. However, this does make it more difficult to estimate how much you'll owe at closing.
The average property tax rate in North Carolina is #N/A, but this can vary quite a bit depending on your county.
For instance, Edgecombe has the highest property tax rate in the state at 1.25%. Meanwhile, Watauga residents have the lowest property tax rate at just 0.43%.
Be sure to check with your real estate agent so you can find out exactly you'll need to pay in property taxes.
Other North Carolina closing costs for sellers
No matter how prepared you are, selling a home in North Carolina will often lead to a few surprise fees. For instance, you might get hit with a penalty for paying off your Raleigh home’s mortgage early, or you might want to retain a real estate attorney to guide you through selling your Asheville investment rental.
» LEARN: The total cost of selling a house
Regardless of your individual situation, you should prepare for a couple miscellaneous expenses. Some of the most common extra fees include:
- Homeowners Association (HOA) fees
- Mortgage payoff and/or prepayment penalties
- Property appraisal fees
- Settlement or attorney fees
Finding a local expert who understands the standard closing costs and fees is a great way to help you save. They'll understand which fees can change based on the unique factors of your North Carolina neighborhood.
When you use Clever, you'll be paired with an experienced local realtor with the insights you need to maximize your profits.
North Carolina closing costs calculator
Your exact closing costs will ultimately vary based on your home's value, local fees, and negotiations with your buyer.
You can use this North Carolina closing costs calculator to see how much money you'll actually take home after the sale.
How to save on North Carolina closing costs
Although closing costs aren't usually the biggest expense for sellers in North Carolina, there are a few things you can do to reduce these fees.
Shop around for better prices
It's possible to save money by shopping around for cheaper rates on services like title insurance and closing fees.
Before you do, understand that these costs tend to be low and fairly consistent between companies. When you're already dealing with fees for inspections, repairs, and appraisals, checking out several companies for a $50 discount might not be worth your time.
Negotiate for the buyer to pay
If you're in a hot seller's market with more interested buyers than available homes, you can try asking the buyer to cover some of your closing costs.
Buyers expect fierce competition in these market conditions, so most will compromise on certain fees so you'll accept their offer on your North Carolina home.
» MORE: How to negotiate with buyers before accepting an offer
Save on realtor fees
The best way to reduce your selling costs is to find a realtor who charges lower listing fees. In North Carolina, real estate commission costs an average of $18,406 — that's usually more expensive than the rest of your closing costs combined!
Thankfully, there's a way to save big by selling with Clever. With listing fees of just 1.5%, you'll save on realtor commission, putting more money in your pocket.
Frequently asked questions
In North Carolina, expect to pay about 2.74% of your home’s sale price in closing costs — not including realtor fees. At the median home value of $328,682, this equates to around $9,011 at closing. Learn more about what makes up seller closing costs in North Carolina.
Buyers and sellers each pay for different closing costs to finalize a sale. In North Carolina, sellers typically pay for title fees, transfer taxes, owner's title insurance expenses, and recording fees at closing. Learn more about who pays closing costs in North Carolina.