Home sellers report average selling costs of $81,918, up 22%.

A recent survey from a national online brokerage found that surveyed sellers reported combined outlays averaging $81,918 per transaction, encompassing home repairs, agent commissions, buyer concessions and moving expenses. The firm cautioned that this survey figure is a respondent-based aggregate rather than a standardized national closing-cost average, and the reported uptick in seller expenses diminishes net proceeds for many homeowners. For mortgage industry professionals, these elevated seller-side costs complicate pricing, reduce available equity for down payments or reinvestment, and can alter timing and product choices for move-up borrowers. Originators and advisers should account for higher seller deductions when assessing client affordability and exit strategies.

Market participants should treat the survey as directional evidence of rising seller burdens while recognizing potential sample and regional biases. Persistently higher seller costs can shift negotiating leverage, influence listing strategies, and prompt sellers to resist concessions, all of which affect transaction velocity and financing needs. The numbers underline the importance of clearer pre-sale cost estimates, stronger contingency planning, and proactive counseling from agents and loan officers to preserve deals and manage downstream effects on purchase demand and refinance pipelines. Transparency about expected seller expenses will help lenders and brokers better evaluate borrower readiness and market dynamics.

– Survey headline amount: $81,918 — Average combined seller expenses reported by surveyed respondents, reflecting total outlays tied to selling a home.
– Expense components: repairs, commissions, concessions, moving costs — The main categories driving the aggregated seller expense figure.
– Not a national closing-cost average — The firm emphasized the number represents surveyed respondents’ combined costs, not a standardized national metric.
– Reported increase in costs: notable rise — The survey indicates seller expenses have risen, signaling tighter seller proceeds and altered market behavior.
– Source: Clever Real Estate via industry reporting — Findings were released by an online brokerage and circulated through real estate news outlets.

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