The average cost to sell a home in New York is about 14.79% of the total sale price. Based on the average home value of $510,449, that works out to about $75,496.
However, this is just an average — the cost to sell one home may vary widely depending on the specifics. Expenses for repairs, staging, and taxes are all unique to the condition and location of the home.
Costs of selling a house calculator
How much does it cost to sell a house in New York? Our tool can help you estimate your closing costs.
Common expenses for home sellers in New York
👉 Jump to: Home repairs, staging, and prep | Realtor fees | Closing costs | Property taxes | Capital gains taxes | Moving expenses | Mortgage payoff | Real estate attorney
Real estate agent commissions are the biggest expense for most sellers.
Realtor commission fees usually total 5–6% of your home's sale price. About half of that is the listing commission, and the other half is the buyer's agent commission.
Keep in mind that your actual expenses may vary, depending on your home price and factors like how much you need to spend on home prep and relocation.
💰 Ready to learn how you can save thousands on real estate agent commission? Clever Real Estate can help reduce your commission expenses. We've negotiated a reduced listing commission of 1.5%, saving you thousands in commission!
Home repairs, staging, and prep
| 💰 Estimated cost: | up to $12,059 |
Expect to spend around $12,059, on average, to get your New York home market-ready to attract qualified buyers.
This could involve simple tasks like mowing your lawn, deep cleaning your house, and getting rid of clutter. Some homes may require more involved preparation like making repairs or painting.
Listing agents generally recommend making repairs that add curb appeal without costing a ton of money. You may also want to have your home inspected for pests and other damage to avoid expensive surprises after listing the property.
If your home is in poor condition and you can't afford the time or repairs it would take to get it market-ready, selling to a cash buyer in New York might be the right choice for you. A cash buyer will purchase your home as-is, allowing you to skip the repairs and sell quickly.
Want to learn more about cash buyers? Clever Offers can connect you with vetted, top-rated cash buyers in your area offering up to 100% of your home's value. See offers on your home today.
Realtor fees in New York
| Average listing fee | 2.93% of home sale price |
| Average buyer's agent concession | 2.76% of home sale price |
| 💰 Average total cost | 5.69% of home sale price[1] |
One of the biggest fees for selling a house in New York is realtor commission. In a standard real estate transaction — one involving two traditional, full-price agents — you should expect to pay the full commission fee for both agents.
As part of the NAR lawsuit settlement of 2024, buyers are required to sign a contract with their agent promising to pay the commission when they buy a home. Even though the buyer is contractually obligated to pay their own agent, the seller usually foots the bill for both agents to help the buyer afford the home.
Of course, a seller can always refuse to pay for the buyer's real estate agent. But most listing agents advise against this because it makes the home less attractive to buyers.
Real estate agent commission is your biggest opportunity for savings when selling a home. Working with a company like Clever that negotiates 1.5% commissions with full-service, local agents on your behalf can mean thousands in savings and a bigger profit on your home sale.
Seller closing costs in New York
| 💰 Average cost: | 2.80% of home sale price |
Closing costs are a blanket term for the various fees and expenses (not including realtor commission) both buyers and sellers pay at the close of a real estate transaction. These fees include:
- Buyer incentives are buyer's costs the seller agrees to pay to help negotiate the final terms of the deal. This may include buyer's closing costs or credits toward improving the home. It's smart to set aside about 2.0% of the home's final sale price for buyer's incentives.
- Real estate transfer tax is a fee charged by New York to transfer your home to another owner. Expect to pay 0.40% of home sale price.[2]
- Recording fees are charged by the state to record the deed. In New York, you'll pay an average of $52.
- Title service fees go to the title company, which makes sure there are no claims or liens on the home. Title service fees cost about $1,077 in New York.
- Owner's title insurance protects the buyer in case the title company missed a claim. In New York, it's more common for the seller to pay for the owner's title insurance policy.
- Lender's title insurance is a title insurance policy that protects the bank against title claims. In New York, the buyer usually pays for lender's title insurance, so you're off the hook. Still, it's always possible the buyer will try to get you to pay for this in negotiations, so make sure you have a quality real estate agent looking out for your best interests.
Expect to pay roughly 2.80% of your home’s final sale price in closing costs. Here's how that works out for three different price points:
- $10,700 for a $383,000 home
- $21,500 for a $766,000 home
- $35,800 for a $1,276,000 home
Depending on your circumstances, you might be able to negotiate for the buyer to pay closing costs. However, it's more common for buyers to ask sellers to pay their closing costs to seal the deal. Talk to your realtor to get a sense of how much you should expect to pay in closing costs.
» MORE: How much are seller closing costs in New York?
Prorated property taxes
| 💰 Average cost: | 1.51% of home's assessed value[3] |
Prorated property taxes are due for the portion of the year you lived in the home. In New York, you'll pay an average of 1.51% of your home's assessed property value. These taxes vary from one location to another.[3]
Capital gains taxes
Most home sellers in New York will not make enough profit to owe federal or state capital gains taxes.
Federal capital gains
If you have lived in your house for at least two out of the last five years, you can exclude up to $250,000 in profits, or up to $500,000 if filing federal income taxes jointly with your spouse.[4]
State capital gains
In most states, capital gains are taxed as income at the state level, as well.
New York generally follows the same exclusion rules as the IRS, allowing $250,000 of gain on home sales ($500,000 for married joint filers), if they owned and used the home as their principal residence for two out of the five years before the sale.
In New York, any capital gains not subject to exclusions are taxed as ordinary income at 10.9%.
Moving costs
| 💰 Average cost: | $637 to $20,087[5] |
If you're selling your own home, you'll have to pay to move your possessions. This could include hiring professional movers and spending thousands of dollars for a long-distance move.
Even moving yourself locally could require renting a truck, moving equipment, and possibly a storage unit if you don't already have a place lined up for your possessions.
In New York, the average moving costs are $637 locally and $20,087 for 1,000 miles or more — which accounts for packing supplies, movers, and carrying costs.[5]
Mortgage payoff
| 💰 Average cost: | $240,795[6] |
The average homeowner in New York owes $240,795 on their mortgage. You'll have to pay off the remaining balance before transferring the home to another owner. If the home sale proceeds don't cover the remaining mortgage balance, you'll have to pay out of pocket.
Keep in mind that prepayment penalties and accrued interest could make your payoff amount higher than the mortgage balance listed on your statement.
Do you need a real estate attorney in New York?
| 💰 Average cost: | up to $384 per hour[7] |
States differ in their requirements for real estate attorneys. In New York, a real estate attorney is optional.
A real estate attorney can be especially valuable in a complex transaction. Short sales, potential property line disputes, and title issues are all good reasons to have one on your side.
In New York, you can expect to pay up to $384 an hour in real estate attorney fees.
How much will I make selling my New York house?
In New York, the average home seller spends around 2.80% of the final sale price of their home on closing costs, plus an additional 5.69% in realtor fees.[1]
Home prep, staging, and moving add to those costs too. See the total cost-to-sell estimate at the top of this guide.
You also need to factor in any mortgage balance that you have left to pay.
To estimate how much you'll make selling your home, use our New York seller closing costs calculator.
How to maximize your New York home sale price
No matter where you're selling in New York, these tips will help you maximize your profits from your home sale!
1. List with a discount real estate agent
Realtor commission fees are a huge expense for New York home sellers, often making up a large portion of your total selling costs. Thankfully, finding a way to save on commission is one of the best ways to make more money when you sell your home!
You can negotiate commission rates on your own, but the easiest option is to find a discount real estate agent in New York through an agent-matching company like Clever.
Clever matches you with local full-service agents from well-known brokerages like RE/MAX, Keller Williams, and Century 21. But, instead of paying the typical 2.93% listing fee, you'll only pay 1.5%![1]
With Clever, you can also compare multiple New York agents to find the one that best fits your needs. Even better, finding an agent through Clever won't cost you a dime, and there's no obligation to move forward until you find the perfect agent.
Work with a full service agent for only 1.5%!
Clever negotiates discounted listing fees with top agents to help you save money when selling your home!
2. Time your sale to get top dollar for your New York home
To get the best price, the best month to sell a house in New York is May. Last year, the average listing price for New York homes in May was $503,027, which is $31,601 more than the annual average.
The best month to sell your house fast in New York is May, because that's when homes tend to spend the fewest days on the market. Last year, New York homes sold in May were on the market for an average of 61 days, which is 16 days faster than the annual average.
However, sellers can have a successful sale even outside the busiest months!
Your best bet is to work with a great New York real estate agent who knows your local area trends. They can create a pricing and marketing strategy to increase competition among buyers so you maximize your profits.
3. Negotiate like a pro
The buyer may ask you to offer incentives or make concessions to ensure the deal goes through. These could include things like covering inspection fees, certain closing costs, repair credits, offering a home warranty, etc.
The right negotiation techniques can help you minimize the costs you’re responsible for and make your home sale as profitable as possible.
If you have a quality home in a competitive market, you'll be in a position to negotiate terms that are favorable to your situation and get you the most money. In a tougher market, you may need to sweeten the deal to attract the highest offers.
Using a top-rated real estate agent can be an invaluable resource when it comes to negotiating, as they'll do most of the back-and-forth for you.
An experienced agent can often pay for themselves by helping you set the right price and negotiating favorable terms to net you more money.
FAQ about costs to sell in New York
On average, closing costs tend to be about 2.80% of a home's sale price in New York.
That said, you should also consider realtor fees, which average another 5.69% of your sale price and account for the majority of your expenses.[1]
The average home seller in New York spends about $75,496, or 14.79% of the sale price.
This will vary quite a bit depending on the sale price and condition of your house, however. Working with an agent who offers a discounted rate is a great way to keep this number down.
The average New York home seller makes about $434,953 on their home sale before paying off their existing mortgage, if they have one. For a more specific idea of what you can expect to walk away with, check out our home sale proceeds calculator.
Methodology and data sources
We calculate the typical cost to sell a home by adding the major seller expenses (real estate agent commission, closing costs, and home prep, staging, and moving) and dividing the total by the home's average value.
Figures combine Clever's proprietary data with public records and quotes from local providers:
- Home values, list prices, and sale prices. Zillow research data as of April 2026.
- Real estate agent commission. A survey of 533 Clever partner agents.
- Property tax rates. The Tax Foundation's annual property-tax data.
- Transfer/recordation taxes and recording fees. State departments of revenue and county recorder fee schedules.
- Title insurance, title service, and attorney fees. Quotes from local providers.
- Home prep, staging, cleaning, and moving costs. HomeAdvisor.
- Capital gains taxes. IRS rules and state tax authorities.
- Mortgage balances. Experian's state mortgage-debt data.
Because many figures are averages, your actual costs will vary by home price, location, and what you negotiate. Use the calculator above to estimate your own number.
About Clever Real Estate
Clever Real Estate has helped more than 234,000 people buy and sell homes. We partner with more than 12,000 top-performing real estate agents nationwide at national brokers, including Keller Williams, RE/MAX, and Century 21. Our free agent-matching tool connects buyers and sellers with real estate agents who have agreed to work for a 1.5% listing fee, while Clever Offers lets sellers compare cash offers on their home at no charge.
We’ve earned buyers' and sellers’ trust with more than 4,100 5 out of 5 star ratings on Trustpilot.
Our team of industry-leading researchers is committed to making the home buying and home selling process more accessible by educating sellers through guides like this one. The New York Times, Business Insider, Inman, Housing Wire, and many more publications have featured our research.
