Costs To Sell A House

**HouseSellerNewbie** · 06-15-2009, 06:09 PM

Hi, I am selling a house in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and am wondering if the fees the real estate agent is asking for are typical. I very much appreciate your knowledge of this process!

The house sale price is under $40,000. The commission asked for is $4000 min or 7% of sale price, whichever is greater.

The contract states I, the Seller, will pay my listing broker an additional $225 as part of the Broker's Commission which means the commission of $4000 plus $250 for a total of $4250. Q1: Why are these two amounts separate and what is the $225 for? Is this typical?

Listed as separate charges on the Seller's Estimated Costs are:
"Preparation of Deed" for $125 ;
"Transfer Tax" of $798;
"Municipal Certification" of $100, and
"Settlement Fee" of $200
Dye Test $25 (I know what this is for.)

Q2: Are these fees typically costs a seller pays above and beyond the commission fee that is paid to the real estate agent, or are they typically paid for by the agent from out of his/her commission fee?

Q3: Does the $125 Prep of Deed fee and $200 for Settlement Fee go to the agent or someone else?

Q4: Is it typical for the seller to pay 1/2 of the real estate transfer taxes?

Q5: The contract does not state that the listing agent will split the commission 50/50 with the agent who brings in the buyer. Is it a good idea to state that in the contract? Otherwise, couldn't an agent decide to keep a higher percentage of the commission thus discouraging other agents representing buyers from showing the house?

HouseSellerNewbie

**craig** · 06-15-2009, 06:57 PM

Q1&5:The commission sound reasonable. If it is not stated in the listing agreement how the commission is split with the buyers agent you should ask and have it put in writing. Many times is it split equally but that is between you and the agent. The $250 additional is probably a admin/processing fee which may be paid directly to the broker of the agent or it could even be split or kept by the agent entirely. That depends on how the agent has to pay his/her broker
Q2: The other fees you mentioned are not fees collected by the agent but would be the state, county, title company etc... They are taken at settlement by the closing company and disbursed appropriately
Q3: Those fees are for the closing/title company that does there share of the work.
Q4: Many states it is the norm for the real estate transfer taxes to be split equally. Not sure about PA but this is how MD is. In WV the seller pays it all. I would bet PA does split though