What It REALLY Costs To Sell Your House in the Twin Cities

Do you know how much it really costs to sell your house?

Listing your house isn't free. There are costs, chores and a lot of work that go into getting a house ready for the market, and a lot of sellers aren't prepared for them. Before you sign a listing agreement, it's worth sitting down and running the numbers.

Here's a look at what it costs to sell a house the traditional way in the Twin Cities, compared to selling it directly.

Commissions

This is the biggie.

When you sell with a real estate agent, you pay a commission when the house sells. For a long time it was pretty standard for the seller to pay around 5% to 6% total, which got split between your agent and the buyer's agent.

That changed a bit in 2024 after a big national lawsuit settlement. Now the buyer's agent's commission is more negotiable, and it isn't automatically paid by the seller. But in a lot of deals the seller still ends up covering some or all of it, because buyers ask for it as part of their offer.

Let's say your house sells for $350,000. At 5% to 6%, that's somewhere between $17,500 and $21,000 coming off the top before you see a dime. And that's not including all the other costs.

Closing costs

Closing costs are all the fees paid at the closing table. Some of these get paid by the buyer and some by the seller, depending on what you negotiate. For sellers in Minnesota, these can include:

• Minnesota deed tax. The state charges 0.33% of the sale price, and it's usually paid by the seller. On a $350,000 house, that's about $1,155. In Hennepin and Ramsey counties there's a small extra tax on top of that.
• Title and closing fees
• Recording fees
• Your share of the property taxes up to the closing date
• Paying off your mortgage and any liens
• Any credits you agreed to give the buyer

All in, a lot of sellers should expect somewhere around 1% to 3% of the sale price in closing costs, on top of commissions.

The Truth in Sale of Housing inspection

If you live in Minneapolis, St. Paul or one of the other metro cities with a point-of-sale inspection, you'll pay for that evaluation before you can list. And if it finds hazards the city requires you to fix, you'll pay for those too.

Repairs

Depending on your house, repair costs can add up to a small fortune. You might make repairs before you list, only to have them snowball into bigger projects. Then the buyer's inspector comes through and finds a whole new list, and the buyer asks you to fix it or give them a credit. A lot of deals get renegotiated right here.

Cleaning and staging

The house has to be clean. Like, really clean. Windows inside and out, baseboards, grout, ceiling fans. If you have pets, pay close attention to hair and odors. And then you have to keep it that clean for every showing and open house. You can do it yourself, but a lot of people end up paying for a professional cleaning (or several).

Staging is the same way. Maybe your house already looks straight out of a catalog. If not, there's some cost and effort there too.

Landscaping

Never, ever neglect the yard when selling your house. The front yard is your buyer's first impression. Trim the trees and bushes, pull weeds, plant some flowers, touch up the paint on the front door and trim. And in a Minnesota winter, keep the walks and driveway shoveled for every showing.

Holding costs while it's on the market

A lot of people forget about this one. Until the day you close, you're still paying:

• The mortgage
• Property taxes
• Insurance
• Utilities (even if you've moved out)
• Lawn care and snow removal
• HOA dues, if you have them

When you list, there's no way of knowing how long it will take to sell. If your house sits for a few months, these bills can add up to thousands. And if you've already moved, you might be paying two sets of bills.

Storage and moving

Once the house is on the market, it's smart to pack up a lot of your personal stuff so the house doesn't feel cluttered. That might mean renting storage. Then once it sells there's the cost of the move itself... movers, a truck, packing supplies.

Selling your house directly

On the other hand, when you sell your house directly to Trademark Properties:

• No commissions. We're not agents, we're the buyer.
• We pay the closing costs.
• No repairs. We buy the house as-is.
• No cleaning, staging or showings.
• You pick the closing date, so your holding costs stop when you want them to.

Now, to be fair, a direct sale isn't right for everyone. If your house is in great shape and you have time to wait, listing it might get you more money. But once you add up all these costs, the difference is often a lot smaller than people think. The only way to know for sure is to compare real numbers.

Want to see what your house would net with a direct sale? Give us a call at Call us or fill out the form and we'll make you a no-obligation offer so you can compare.