What South Florida Sellers Should Know About Closing Costs

By Vânia Aquino | SERHANT. · October 15, 2026 · Palm Beach & Broward counties

Your sale price is the starting point—not the amount you take home.

If you are preparing to sell in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale, or another Palm Beach or Broward community, an early proceeds estimate can help you plan your next move. It should also make its limits clear. A website cannot determine your final closing costs from an address alone. Your contract, payoff statements, property records, and closing date all need review.

Start with three numbers you can understand.

Begin with your anticipated sale price, estimated mortgage payoff, and the total brokerage compensation you have agreed to in writing. Compensation is negotiable; no percentage is required or recommended by this article. Our Home Sale Calculator keeps these three inputs simple and shows a preliminary result before other closing costs unless you add an optional cost estimate.

Use the estimate as a conversation starter. When comparing offers, consider the requested credits, timing, contingencies, and responsibilities for costs as well as the price. A higher offer does not automatically produce the higher final proceeds.

Your mortgage balance may not be the payoff.

Ask your lender or loan servicer for the payoff amount applicable to the intended closing date. A balance shown on a monthly statement is not necessarily the amount required to satisfy the loan. Let your closing professional identify any additional loans or recorded obligations that also require attention. Do not enter account numbers or upload loan documents into a public calculator.

Separate title insurance from settlement charges.

If seller-paid under your agreement, title insurance and settlement services can affect your proceeds. They are not simply one universal fee. Ask for an itemized estimate explaining the premium, closing services, and other applicable charges. Florida regulates title-insurance premium rates; the title professional should confirm the appropriate coverage and any applicable rate treatment for your transaction.

Do not assume that a county custom settles who pays. Have the closing team review the signed contract and explain which charges are allocated to you. The Florida Department of Financial Services title-insurance overview is a useful starting resource, not a substitute for your property-specific estimate.

Ask about deed taxes and recording charges.

Florida documentary stamp tax can apply to documents transferring real-property interests. Your closing professional should confirm the applicable tax, any exemption, recording charges, and how the contract allocates those costs. An address alone does not establish every fact needed for a final calculation. See the Florida Department of Revenue documentary stamp tax guidance for the official overview.

Leave room for the closing adjustments.

Ask the title company to explain property-tax and association prorations, outstanding balances or assessments, agreed buyer credits, and any other adjustments relevant to your sale. For an association property, request the information early so unexpected items are not left until the final days. Keep preparation, moving, storage, and your next purchase in your personal budget even when they are not deductions on the closing statement.

When entering an optional title-company estimate in the calculator, check what it includes. Do not subtract a mortgage payoff, commission, or credit twice. Update the working estimate when your offer terms or closing date change.

Review the final statement with your closing team.

Only the title company handling your closing can provide the final closing costs and net proceeds for the estimate shown on this website. Review its statement, ask questions, and resolve differences before signing. Discuss tax treatment with your own CPA or attorney rather than assuming your proceeds are tax-free. Independently confirm payment instructions through a trusted phone number.

For guidance on positioning and selling your property, explore the Seller’s Guide or request a personal conversation with Vânia Aquino | SERHANT. Together, we can organize the real estate decisions while your closing and financial professionals verify the numbers.

General educational information, reviewed October 15, 2026; not individualized legal, tax, lending, or insurance advice. Your contract and circumstances govern. No sale price or net proceeds are guaranteed. Sources: Florida Department of Financial Services and Florida Department of Revenue, linked above. Images are for inspiration, not a current listing or representation.