Guides
Researched, dated, and specific to your state — not generic advice.
Selling a house in California costs roughly 6–9% of the sale price. On the statewide median of $904,640, that is about $54,000 to $81,000. Agent commission is the largest share at 5–6%, with escrow, title, county transfer tax, and in some cities a city transfer tax making up the rest. Commission is the only genuinely negotiable line.
California's average total real estate commission is about 5.47%, below the national average of 5.70%. On the statewide median home of $904,640 that is roughly $49,500. Since the 2024 NAR settlement and California's AB 2992, the listing side and the buyer side are negotiated separately — listing-side fees now typically run 2% to 3%.