What is a seller's net sheet in real estate?
A seller's net sheet is a non-binding estimate of the amount of money you’ll receive once you close.
The net sheet calculates your estimated net proceeds by subtracting projected home selling expenses – pre-listing repairs and improvements, realtor commission, closing costs – from the target sale price.
Estimated Sale Price - (Closing Costs + Agent Commission + Pre-Sale Expenses)
=
Net Proceeds
Your realtor will typically create a net sheet during your listing appointment to help create a realistic picture of how much you could earn from your sale.
Agents often include a net sheet when developing their comparative market analysis (CMA) to assess a home’s value and potential proceeds simultaneously. This strategy can help you set the best listing price to maximize your profits.
» MORE: Get a free net sheet from a local agent and save on realtor fees
🔍 This guide includes:
- Net sheet video walkthrough: I explain how to read a net sheet.
- An in-depth net sheet breakdown: What's included in a net sheet (and what's not).
- Get a free net sheet template: Create a copy of the net sheet I use for my seller clients and plug in your estimated home value and closing costs.
- How to get a pro net sheet: Learn the best way to find a local realtor for a free net sheet.
Seller net sheet example: How to read one (VIDEO)
Here's what our net sheet covers:
Sale price
- The estimated sale price range based on a comparative market analysis (CMA) report.
- Your agent pulls together the best comparables (recent sale prices of similar homes located nearby) to determine a fair market value.
- The agent provides a range of possible sale prices (best-case and worst-case scenarios) based on comparable sales.
Pre-listing repairs
- An estimate of possible expenses to get the house list-ready, if necessary
- Includes repairs, such as fixing an HVAC system, roof leaks, drywall repair, etc.
- May also include house cleaning and painting
Closing costs
- Deed preparation: The cost to cover the preparation of a new deed.
- Deed stamps: The cost to record your deed and transfer of title. Deed stamps cost $3.70 per $1,000 of sale price in South Carolina ($1,850 on a $500,000 home sale).
- Transaction coordinator fee: Your agent's brokerage may have a transaction coordinator or administrative assistant helping your agent complete paperwork, schedule and coordinate inspections, and meet important contract deadlines.
- Termite letter: The cost to pay the buyer's termite inspection and provide a termite clearance letter (if you agree to do so).
- Mortgage/HOA satisfaction: Your lender may charge a small fee when your mortgage is repaid in full at closing, and if your home is located in an HOA, it may charge a small fee to set up the new homeowner.
- Prorated taxes: The amount of tax owed for the days you lived in the home. To calculate, divide your annual taxes (ex: $3,000) by 365 to get a daily tax amount ($8.22), then multiply that figure by how many days you expect to own the home before closing (90 days = $740).
Negotiable costs
- The buyer may ask for a home warranty (~$495, but varies by market and amount of service), or ask you to pay for their closing costs (~$5,000).
- It's less common in a seller's market, but your agent may include these costs to be conservative and avoid any potential surprises later on.
Total realtor commission
- The seller often pays both agents’ commission. The nationwide average total commission rate is 5.49%, typically split between the seller's and buyer's agent.
- Check your state's average commission for an estimate, then multiply the % rate by sale price to get a commission amount.
- The total amount varies by sale price, is deducted from the sale price of the home, and paid at closing.
Estimated net before loan payoff
- The amount of money a seller nets at closing after deducting closing costs and realtor commission from the home sale price.
Real estate net sheets: The full breakdown
A net sheet is a spreadsheet that estimates how much money you can expect to net in a home sale. It deducts typical seller-paid expenses (closing costs, realtor commission) from your estimated sale price.
Real estate agents typically provide a net sheet for free during their initial listing presentation before listing your home for sale. Here's what a potential seller’s net sheet could look like:
| Item | Low Estimate | Base Estimate | High Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated Sale Price | $480,000 | $500,000 | $520,000 |
| Real Estate Commission (6%) | -$28,800 | -$30,000 | -$31,200 |
| Seller Closing Costs | -$3,500 | -$3,000 | -$2,500 |
| Outstanding Mortgage Balance | -$250,000 | -$250,000 | -$250,000 |
| Prorated Property Taxes | -$1,500 | -$1,200 | -$1,000 |
| Repairs or Credits to Buyer | -$5,000 | -$2,500 | -$1,000 |
| Estimated Net Proceeds | $191,700 | $213,300 | $234,300 |
Real estate agents use net sheets to simulate real-world scenarios when estimating the sale price of a home.
For instance, you may secure a higher price with fewer repair credits and closing costs if negotiations go well, which would put you closer to the high estimate.
However, in a worst-case scenario, you could wind up conceding more buyer credits and covering higher closing costs, ultimately landing closer to the low estimate.
👍 Why net sheets are useful
Before you list: Budget and prep
A net sheet can help you budget and plan for potential pre-listing expenses, such as a pre-listing inspection, home repairs and improvements, home staging, or an appraisal.
A net sheet can also help you and your agent determine whether you can afford these optional costs and if they're worth paying for.
After listing: Compare offers and plan ahead
Net sheets help you evaluate offers as they come in. Your agent can plug each offer into your net sheet to determine which one nets you the most money, taking into account the sale price and any requested seller concessions.
For example, the buyer may request that you cover their closing costs, home warranty, or termite inspection.
Net sheets can also help you plan next steps after closing, like budgeting for moving costs or funding a down payment on a new home.
Your seller’s net sheet checklist (what to look for)
It’s important to double-check calculations for real-world accuracy after receiving your net sheet. If any of the following points seem off before listing, talk to your realtor to get a more accurate number:
- Estimated sale price
- Real estate commission
- Estimated closing costs
- Outstanding mortgage(s)
- Property taxes
- Repairs or credits
- Other liens or debts
- Net proceeds range
💸 Use your net sheet to compare multiple offers!
You can use your seller’s net sheet to compare multiple offers by replacing the initial figures with actual offers. This helps you gain a clearer perspective on how much you’d make on each offer and which ones are worth pursuing.
⚠️ Net sheets have limitations
A net sheet is not a legal document and is not 100% accurate. It simply provides an estimate of net proceeds, which will likely go up or down by the time you sell your home.
It's impossible to know what your home will sell for, and buyers may want to renegotiate the price and terms while the house is under contract. Some closing costs vary based on when you sell, making it impossible to get truly accurate numbers in advance.
Net sheets also don’t calculate your actual net profit on the sale or include all of your possible selling expenses.
| Net Proceeds | Net Profit | |
| The amount of money transferred to your bank after you sell your home. | ✅ | ❌ |
| What you earn after accounting for the original price and ownership expenses. | ❌ | ✅ |
| Considers deductions such as closing costs and realtor fees. | ✅ | ❌ |
| Used to calculate capital gains tax after you sell your home. | ❌ | ✅ |
For more information on how to figure out the net profit (or loss) on the sale of your home, check out the IRS's guide on capital gains tax and consult with your accountant or tax advisor.
How to get a professional net sheet for free
We recommend finding a local realtor for the most accurate net sheet estimate. Real estate agents will typically prepare a net sheet for free during a listing presentation or sit-down interview.
Perks of working with a local realtor include:
- Local pricing insights
- Accurate estimates of seller-paid costs
- Help evaluating offers
- Access to vetted vendors (inspectors, title companies, etc)
🎯 Ready to sell? A Clever agent will provide a net sheet, pricing plan, and listing help — all for a 1.5% listing fee.
What is (and isn't) included in a net sheet?
| ✅ Typically included | ❌ Typically not included |
|---|---|
|
|
Here’s what a net sheet typically covers — and what it excludes — along with price ranges for a $500,000 home.
✅ Pre-listing expenses ($1,500-$7,500)
Pre-listing inspection: A general home inspection to help you spot minor or major repair issues to fix before listing.
Repairs and improvements: What you need to fix before listing your home, including paint and drywall repairs, leaky toilets or faucets, broken windows, roof leaks, etc.
Home staging: The cost to hire a professional to decorate and rearrange your furniture and belongings, to make your home look more appealing to buyers.
Appraisal: You can pay for an appraisal if you and your agent are struggling to determine or agree on a fair market value for your home through their CMA report.
✅ Seller closing costs ($2,000-$7,000)
Title and escrow charges (attorney fees): The cost to hire a title company or attorneys to transfer property ownership to the buyer and to handle your closing.
Deed stamps (recording fee): The cost your local government charges to record your deed and transfer of title.
Prorated property taxes: The estimated amount of property taxes the seller owes at closing (the seller is only responsible for paying taxes for the days they owned the property).
Transaction coordinator fee: Your agent may have a transaction coordinator, who helps them complete paperwork, schedule inspections, and meet deadlines.
Seller concessions: The cost to pay part or all of the buyer's closing costs (if agreed upon in the sale contract).
Homeowner's association (HOA) fees: The cost to transfer property ownership from the seller to the buyer if the home is located in an HOA.
Inspections: The home buyer might ask you to pay for their termite, asbestos, or lead-based paint home inspection.
Repair credits: Money credited to the buyer to fix issues discovered during the buyer's home inspection (in lieu of the seller making the repairs).
✅ Real estate agent commission ($25,000-$30,000)
The seller typically pays realtor commission for both realtors.
Total agent commission averages 2.5% to 3% per agent and is based on the agent's negotiated commission rate; commission is paid at closing.
❌ Capital gains (varies, may not apply)
You may owe capital gains tax if you sell your home less than two years after buying it.
The IRS allows you to write off up to $250,000 in capital gains ($500,000 for couples) after meeting the two-year occupancy requirement. Check with your accountant or attorney for clarification.
❌ Mortgage payoff (varies)
Your mortgage balance is repaid at closing, but it may not be included in a net sheet.
Since selling a house takes time, the numbers may change due to the timing of your closing.
You can download your most recent mortgage statement to find your mortgage payoff amount and deduct this figure from your net proceeds to get an estimate.
❌ Moving costs (varies)
Moving costs aren't part of the transaction (they come after you close).
But you'll want to budget for moving costs and consider whether you'll have enough left over from your net proceeds to cover these costs.
Your actual moving costs may be lower or higher than that, depending on factors like the distance of your move, if you hire pros vs. DIY, the size of your home, and what you want to move.
Free net sheet download
» FREE DOWNLOAD: Net sheet template |
Use our free seller’s net sheet template to estimate your net proceeds by inputting your estimated home sale price, closing costs, taxes, and fees to reflect your area.
For more information on estimating your home value or closing costs, refer to the section below.
How to get your estimated home value
You can use the numbers from a CMA report, whether you create one on your own or get a free CMA through a local realtor. Or you can get a quick ballpark estimate through an online home value estimator (Zillow, Realtor, etc).
How to estimate your closing costs
Check out our guide on how to find the typical real estate closing costs sellers pay in your area.
You can reference your most recent mortgage statement or search your local government website to find your property taxes. Once you have that information, you can estimate when your home might sell after listing it (2-3 months is common) to determine your prorated tax estimate.
A local realtor or title company can also help you determine your estimated closing costs.
Net sheet FAQs
A net sheet in real estate is a document that breaks down the seller's potential future sale proceeds.
A net sheet is not a legal document – it's created by a realtor or title company as a courtesy for a home seller – and it doesn't include all of your possible selling expenses.
To create your own net sheet, you'll need to get an estimate of your home's potential sale price from a CMA report or online home value estimator, and then estimate your closing costs and realtor commission.
Watch our Net sheet video explainer to learn more, and download our free net sheet template.
Net sale proceeds are the estimated amount the seller earns in a home sale after deducting closing costs and realtor commission from sale price.
They do not typically include mortgage loan payoff and capital gains taxes.
No. Net proceeds are the amount of money transferred to a seller upon closing, while net profit factors in how much you originally paid for the home and expenses you incurred during ownership.
Absolutely! A net sheet helps you break down each offer side by side to show how much you’ll walk away with after selling.
It’s especially helpful when comparing offers with different prices, concessions, or contingencies.
A net sheet is just an estimate. Your agent creates it to give you a rough idea of your proceeds.
A closing disclosure is a final document prepared by the title or escrow company that lists the exact numbers you’ll see when you close on your home.