Quick answer: A cash offer usually pays less but closes fast with few costs. A listing often brings the highest price, but you pay a listing fee, repairs, and holding costs. A 1% listing keeps the listing fee low. Selling on terms can raise your total payout, but you get paid over time and take on more risk. Compare each option by your net, not the price.
When you sell a home, the price is only half the story. What matters is how much money actually lands in your bank account, and when. That is your net. This guide walks through the three main ways to sell a Florida home and what each one tends to cost.
Start With Net, Not Price
Your net is the sale price minus everything that comes out of it. That includes your mortgage payoff, commissions, taxes, title costs, repairs, and the cost of holding the home while it sells.
A higher price does not always mean a higher net. A lower price with fewer costs can sometimes leave you with a similar amount. The only way to know is to run the numbers for your own home.
Common Florida Seller Closing Costs
Documentary stamp tax on the deed
Florida charges a tax when a deed is recorded. In most counties, the rate is 70 cents per 100 dollars of the price. In Miami-Dade, the rate is 60 cents per 100 dollars for a single family home, and other property types pay an added surtax. By custom, the seller usually pays this tax, though it can be negotiated.
Owner’s title insurance
In most of Florida, the seller pays for the buyer’s owner’s title policy by custom. In a few counties, such as Miami-Dade, Broward, Sarasota, and Collier, the buyer often pays instead. Florida sets title insurance premiums by state rule, so the base premium is the same from company to company. Search and closing fees can still differ. Our seller closing costs guide covers each item in more detail.
Real estate commissions
Commissions are negotiable. They always have been. After the 2024 NAR settlement, which took effect August 17, 2024, offers to pay buyer agents can no longer be posted on the MLS. Buyers must also sign written agreements with their agents. Sellers can still choose to pay part or all of the buyer agent’s fee. Redfin reported that the average buyer’s agent commission was about 2.4 percent in the third quarter of 2025, close to where it was before the change. Your own costs may be higher or lower.
Other costs
- Your mortgage payoff, including any interest owed up to closing
- Prorated property taxes for the part of the year you owned the home
- HOA or condo estoppel fees and any unpaid dues
- Repairs the buyer asks for after inspection
- Holding costs while the home is for sale: mortgage, insurance, utilities, and upkeep
Example: 1% Listing Costs on a 300,000 Dollar Home
The example below is for illustration only. It is not a quote and not an average. Your numbers will be different.
| Cost Item | Example Amount | How It Was Figured |
|---|---|---|
| Doc stamp tax | 2,100 dollars | 70 cents per 100 dollars on 300,000 |
| Owner’s title policy premium | 1,575 dollars | Florida promulgated rate, before other fees |
| Listing fee | 3,000 dollars | 1 percent of 300,000 |
| Buyer agent pay | Only if you agree | Separate from the listing fee and negotiable |
| Repairs and prep | Varies | Depends on the home’s condition |
| Holding costs | Varies | Monthly costs times months on the market |
In this example, about 6,675 dollars goes out before any buyer agent pay, repairs, holding costs, and the mortgage payoff. For comparison only, a 5.5 percent total commission, used here only as an example, would be 16,500 dollars on the same price. Keep these numbers in mind when you compare a listing with a cash offer.
Option 1: Cash Offer
A cash buyer pays with their own funds or a private loan. There is no buyer mortgage to wait on.
What tends to work well
- Speed. A cash sale can often close faster than a financed sale.
- Sold as is. The buyer usually takes on repairs.
- Fewer fees. There is usually no commission. Some cash buyers also pay some or all closing costs. Check the offer.
- More certainty. No appraisal or loan approval to fall through.
The tradeoff
The price is usually lower than a retail sale. A cash buyer is taking on the repairs, the holding costs, and the risk of resale, and prices that in.
When it is NOT a fit
If your home is in great shape, you have time, and you want the highest possible price, a listing may net you more.
Option 2: 1% Listing
Your home is listed on the MLS and sold to a retail buyer, who often uses a mortgage. With HOMKEYS, our licensed Florida real estate partner lists the home for a 1% listing fee, because HOMKEYS is not a brokerage. Any pay to a buyer’s agent is separate and negotiable. Read our guide to selling your Florida house with a 1% listing.
What tends to work well
- Market exposure. More buyers see the home.
- Often the highest price, especially for homes in good condition.
- A licensed agent who handles the listing and presents offers to you.
The tradeoff
You pay the 1% listing fee, closing costs, and any buyer agent pay you agree to. You may need to make repairs or updates. You keep paying the mortgage, taxes, and insurance until it sells. Buyer loans can fall through, and appraisals can come in low.
When it is NOT a fit
If the home needs major repairs, you need to move quickly, or you cannot afford months of holding costs, a listing can be stressful and costly.
See cash as is, creative terms and a 1% listing side by side, in writing. It takes about a minute.
See my optionsOption 3: Selling on Terms
“Terms” means you are paid over time, not all at once. There are two common types.
Seller financing
You act as the lender. The buyer pays you a down payment, then monthly payments with interest. Your total payout can be higher than a cash sale. But if the buyer stops paying, you may need to foreclose to get the home back. If you still have a mortgage, your lender’s due-on-sale clause may also apply. Seller financing can be covered by federal lending rules, so have a Florida real estate attorney set it up.
Subject to the existing mortgage
The buyer takes the deed and makes the payments on your current loan, which stays in your name. This can help when you have little equity. The risks are your credit, if payments are late, and the lender’s right to call the loan due. We cover this in more detail in our guide to subject-to home sales.
When terms are NOT a fit
- You need all your cash now.
- You want to be fully done with the home and the loan.
- You are not comfortable relying on a buyer to keep paying.
Side by Side Comparison
| Factor | Cash Offer | 1% Listing | Selling on Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical price | Lower | Often highest | Can be higher in total |
| When you get paid | At closing | At closing | Over time |
| Repairs | Usually none | Often needed | Depends on deal |
| Commission | Usually none | 1% listing fee; buyer agent pay separate and negotiable | Usually none |
| Speed | Fastest | Slower | Varies |
| Main risk | Leaving money on the table | Deal falls through, costs add up | Buyer stops paying |
Taxes and Legal Questions
How you sell can change your taxes. The IRS lets many owners exclude up to 250,000 dollars of gain on a main home, or 500,000 dollars for married couples filing jointly, if they meet ownership and use tests. Payments received over time can be taxed differently too. Talk with a tax professional. For any terms deal, talk with a Florida real estate attorney before you sign.
How HOMKEYS Can Help You Compare
HOMKEYS LLC buys homes across Florida. Depending on your home, we may offer a cash purchase as is, creative terms (a purchase subject to your existing mortgage, or seller financing), or a 1% listing on the MLS through our licensed Florida real estate partner. We can lay out the options that fit your situation side by side, so you can compare your net and your timeline. Every closing goes through a licensed Florida title company.
Subject to qualification, property inspection, and transaction terms.
We do not promise a price or a timeline before we see the home. We also do not give legal or tax advice. You are welcome to get a listing price opinion from an agent and compare it with ours.
We buy in many areas, including Spring Hill, Port Charlotte, and Fort Myers. View all of our areas we buy.
Ready to see your numbers? Send us your property details or call (305) 914-4191.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to sell a house in Florida?
It depends on the price, the county, and how you sell. Common costs include agent commissions, documentary stamp tax on the deed, the owner’s title policy in most counties, your mortgage payoff, prorated property taxes, and any repairs. Ask a title company for a written estimate of your net before you decide.
What is the Florida doc stamp tax when selling a home?
Florida charges documentary stamp tax on deeds at 70 cents per 100 dollars of the sale price in most counties. Miami-Dade uses a different rate: 60 cents per 100 dollars for a single family home, plus a surtax on other property types. The seller usually pays it, but that can be negotiated.
Do sellers still pay the buyer’s agent after the NAR settlement?
Not automatically. Since August 17, 2024, offers of buyer agent pay are no longer posted on the MLS, and buyers must sign written agreements with their agents. Sellers can still agree to pay some or all of a buyer agent’s fee as part of a deal. Every commission is negotiable.
Is a cash offer always lower than listing?
The offer price is usually lower, because a cash buyer takes on repairs, holding costs, and risk. But your net is what matters. Once you subtract commissions, repairs, and months of carrying costs from a listing, the gap can be smaller than it first looks. Compare net to net, in writing.
What does selling on terms mean?
Selling on terms means you get paid over time instead of all at once. Two common types are seller financing, where the buyer pays you monthly with interest, and a subject-to sale, where the buyer takes over payments on your existing mortgage. Both carry risks, so talk to a Florida real estate attorney first.
Not legal advice. This guide is general information about Florida home sales. Laws change and every situation is different. Talk with a Florida attorney, tax professional, or insurance professional about your own case before you sign anything.
Tell us about the house. We will show you cash, terms and listing side by side, in writing. Subject to qualification, property inspection, and transaction terms.
See my optionsCall (305) 914-4191Sources
- https://floridarevenue.com/Forms_library/current/gt800014.pdf
- https://www.stollfloridalawyer.com/florida-title-insurance-cost-who-pays-at-closing/
- https://www.waterstonemortgage.com/blog/market-industry/2024/08/nar-settlement-2024-explained
- https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/12/1701j-3
- https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc701
- https://www.redfin.com/news/commissions-q3-2025/
- https://www.nar.realtor/the-facts
⌂ Equal Housing Opportunity. HOMKEYS LLC does not give legal or tax advice. Talk with a Florida real estate attorney or tax professional about your situation.