What Is the Cost to Sell a House in New Jersey?

What are common expenses for home sellers in NJ?

While every home sale situation can be different, here are some typical costs you may face when selling your New Jersey home.

Preparing your home for sale

• Driveway repairs: $829 to $2,811
• Staging the home: $1,500 to $4,000
• Professional cleaning services: $175-$218 (2,000-square-foot house)
• Paint for interior spaces: $2 to $6 per square foot
• Paint for the home’s exterior: $1.50 and $4 per square foot
• Pre-listing inspection, if desired or needed: $300 and $425

Before undertaking any major renovation projects or repairs, consult with your real estate agent. An experienced agent will know what needs to be fixed and what repairs you can skip.

“Make sure your home looks as beautiful as possible — not just in person during showings, but especially online. Most buyers will first encounter your property online, whether on Realtor.com, Zillow, or other websites,” Lowe advises. “That first impression makes all the difference. To stand out, it’s crucial to go above and beyond with professional photography, proper staging, and showcasing everything your home has to offer.”

Realtor fees in New Jersey

Agent commissions are one of the largest selling costs in a real estate transaction. However, a recent landmark lawsuit settlement by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) has changed the way Realtor fees are handled. This includes who pays and how much.

Before the rule changes, the average seller-paid agent commissions in New Jersey fell between 5%-6%. This would include both the listing agent and the buyer’s agent commission. The NAR settlement “decoupled” seller and buyer agent compensations, making it the buyer’s responsibility to pay their own agent fees. However, some sellers are still offering to pay the buyer’s agent commissions as a way to sweeten the deal for cash-strapped buyers.

If you are only covering your listing agent commission, the Realtor fees would be about half of the pre-settlement rate, or 2.5%–3%. On a medium-priced New Jersey home selling for $555,000, you might expect to pay $13,875–$16,650 in commission costs.

Your total will depend on the rate you negotiate and whether you offer to pay the buyer’s agent’s commissions. Below are examples of how your Realtor fees might be split out on a variety of different priced homes, including what you might expect under the new NAR settlement rules. To keep it simple, we’ve broken these out in three ways using 3% and 6% equations:

1. If you agree to pay both the listing and buyer agent fees (6%)

2. If you only pay a 3% listing agent commission

3. What the buyer might pay if they negotiate a 3% buyer’s agent fee

Agent commission examples by home price

“You need to discuss with your listing broker if you think it’s best for you to also offer compensation to the buyer’s agent,” Lowe says. “The buyer’s agent is going to be doing a lot of work to try to get your property closed, to try to get you your money. In many cases, it is best to incentivize that agent and take some of the financial burden off the buyer, knowing they don’t have to come out of pocket another 2% or 3% to pay their agent on top of everything they’re paying for the house.”

The agent commisisons may seem like a lot at first glance, but partnering with a proven professional can make a big difference in your final net proceeds. HomeLight data shows that the top 5% of agents across the U.S. sell homes for as much as 10% more than the average real estate agent. A 10% higher selling price can ultimately make the Realtor fee a very profitable investment.

“For most people, selling their home involves what is often the most valuable asset they own, with a significant amount of money on the line. Having the right team to support and guide them ensures they can achieve their goals,” Lowe says.

Seller concessions

Negotiations with a buyer can result in additional indirect costs often referred to as seller concessions or buyer incentives. A concession occurs when a seller agrees to use part of the proceeds from their home sale to cover some, or all, of a buyer’s closing costs. The amount of these costs will depend on your market and selling situation.

Some common seller concessions or buyer incentives in New Jersey include:

• Home inspection fees: $296–$424 depending on square footage
• Buyer’s home warranty: $450-$600 ($1,200–$1,400 for more coverage)
• Covering negotiated closing costs: $2,200-$3,000

“The biggest seller concession we’re seeing is the commission,” Lowe says. “If the seller is able to pay the buyer’s agent commission, that is a huge, huge benefit to buyers. A lot of times, it motivates buyers to make a better offer, or even to make an offer at all. So that’s always a big one for a seller.”

Closing costs and additional fees

Closing costs are fees associated with a home purchase that buyers and sellers pay at the close of a sale. The average seller closing cost total in New Jesey is around 2% to 5%.

Based on our example home sale price of $555,000, a New Jersey seller might pay the following in closing costs:

• Escrow fee: $5,550 to $11,100 (1%-2%)
• Homeowner’s association dues: $500–$700 per month
• Mortgage loan payoff: Ask your lender (NJ average is $276,650)
• Reconveyance fees: Varies, but typically about $50-$65
• Reconveyance recording fees: $15 to $40, depending on the county
• Realty Transfer Fee (RTF): This transfer tax cost will be based on the sale price of the property (often close to 1%). Use this Realty Transfer Fee Calculator to get a  preliminary estimate.

Buyers usually pay these costs:

• Title insurance premiums: $2,775–$5,550 (0.5%–1%)
• Title search fees: $88–$175

Property taxes are also considered a closing cost in a New Jersey home sale:

• Sellers: Sellers are responsible for paying property taxes until the sale closes. They may also need to prepay a portion of their property taxes at closing.
• Buyers: Buyers may need to prepay a portion of their property taxes at closing

The average effective property tax rate in New Jersey is around 2.25%, compared with a national average of nearly 1%. Combined, the average property tax you might expect to pay in New Jersey can be more than $9,000.

New Jersey home selling cost example

Using our statewide median home price of $555,000, here is an example of what the cost of selling a house in New Jersey might look like:

How can I reduce my seller costs in NJ?

There are ways a seller in New Jersey can reduce some of their selling costs. A few examples include:

• Make some of the home repairs yourself
• Avoid over-improving or unnecessary fixes
• Stage your home on a budget using existing furnishings
• Negotiate a lower commission with your agent
• Use a discount Realtor service or brokerage
• Sell for sale by owner or FSBO (can result in fewer proceeds)
• Don’t offer any seller concessions or buyer incentives
• If you agree to pay closing costs, you might raise the home’s price
• Time your home sale using HomeLight’s Best Time to Sell Calculator
• Hire a top-performing agent with a proven list-to-sell ratio

How much will I make selling my NJ home?

A number of factors play a role in the net proceeds you’ll make on your New Jersey home sale, including:

• Method of sale (agent, FSBO, cash buyer, or iBuyer)
• Cost of repairs, upgrades, or improvements
• Total concessions or buyer credits you offer
• Closing costs, including state and local taxes
• Upir mortgage balance pay-off amount

The mortgage payoff amount is typically the largest determining factor for calculating your final net proceeds. The average New Jersey homeowner has a remaining mortgage balance of $276,650. If you’ve paid off your mortgage before selling your home, your proceeds can be generally calculated by subtracting selling costs from the sale price.

Try HomeLight’s free Net Proceeds Calculator to get an idea of how much you might make selling your New Jersey home.

Sell Your House Fast in New Jersey With an All-Cash Offer

Get an all-cash, no-obligation offer on your New Jersey home through HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform whenever you’re ready. Receive your offer in as little as 24 hours and close in as few as 10 days. No showings, no repairs, no open houses.

Step 1: Request Offer

Partner with a top New Jersey agent

To get a more detailed picture of the cost of selling your house in New Jersey, start with a home value estimate. Then plan to maximize your profits by partnering with a top agent who can help you reach your selling goals.

Lowe offers New Jersey home sellers these three parting insights:

Price it right: “The listing price plays a huge role in getting people’s attention. When buyers are scrolling online, they’re looking at your pictures, reading your property description, and checking your asking price. If those elements align and make a strong impression, you’ll have a much better chance of drawing buyers to see the home in person.”

Market for multiple offers: “If you want to get someone to pay top dollar, that usually happens when you have multiple parties competing for the home. When you have a few really interested buyers putting in offers, it starts to become more psychological. At that point, it’s not just about the house anymore — it’s about that couple, family, or individual feeling like they need this home. That’s typically when we see the highest sale prices and those bidding wars.”

Top selling mistake to avoid: “If you’re not guided correctly, the number one seller mistake is overpricing the home. Some sellers believe their home is worth a certain value, maybe because they saw what a neighbor’s house sold for… But when a house is overpriced, you risk scaring buyers away before they even walk through the door. Even if we manage to get some showings, if buyers don’t believe the home is worth the asking price, they may not even bother making an offer.”

“So, the number one thing is to make sure you talk to the right people and get the right help and advice,” Lowe says. “There are a million ways to do it, you just have to find your path.”

Interested in this kind of selling expertise? HomeLight can connect you with a top-rated real estate agent in your New Jersey market. Search our data-backed list of performance-proven agents who serve your community.

If you’re buying and selling at the same time in New Jersey, check out HomeLight’s Buy Before You Sell program. This innovative program uses your existing equity to provide a streamlined, simplified, and more certain process to make your best move. Watch this short video to learn more.

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