Selling a home involves more than just setting a price and finding a buyer—you also need to account for the costs to sell a house that will reduce your net proceeds. A seller net sheet is a useful tool that helps homeowners estimate how much money they’ll get for their home after closing costs, realtor fees, and other expenses.
Understanding your estimated net proceeds before listing your home can help you make informed financial decisions. It lets you plan for post-sale expenses, thoughtfully compare multiple offers, and maximize your profit.
While real estate agents and title companies often provide free seller’s net sheets, homeowners can also create their own.
What is a seller net sheet?
A seller net sheet is a worksheet that outlines all the costs associated with selling a home and subtracts them from the estimated sale price. This gives sellers an estimate of their net proceeds, or the amount they’ll receive after covering all expenses.
A net sheet helps homeowners understand the financial impact of a sale by factoring in realtor commissions, closing costs, mortgage payoff, and prorated property taxes. Sellers can use this tool at multiple stages of the home-selling process — before listing, while reviewing offers, and during closing — to ensure they make financially sound decisions.
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Net proceeds vs. net profit
It’s important to differentiate between net proceeds and net profit:
- Net proceeds: The amount you take home after selling expenses are deducted.
- Net profit: Your net proceeds minus the original purchase price and any home improvement costs.
Net profit is a key consideration for tax purposes because capital gains taxes may apply if your profit exceeds federal exemption limits for your total taxable income for the year. The limit varies depending on your tax filing status.
Why a seller net sheet is important
1. Helps sellers estimate take-home profit before listing
Many home sellers focus on their home’s sale price but overlook the costs involved. A net sheet helps you realistically estimate how much money you may spend to facilitate the transaction and how much you may have after closing, ensuring you set appropriate financial expectations.
2. Aids in making pre-listing decisions
If your estimated net proceeds seem lower than expected, a net sheet can help you determine whether making repairs, staging, or pricing adjustments could result in a higher return on investment.
3. Assists in comparing offers
When reviewing multiple offers, the highest offer isn’t always the best. A net sheet helps you compare offers based on net proceeds—factoring in buyer repair requests, seller concessions, and financing terms.
4. Helps sellers budget for post-sale costs
Once you know your expected net proceeds, you can better plan for moving expenses, a down payment on a new home, or other financial obligations.
How a seller’s net sheet works
Breakdown of a seller’s net sheet
A seller’s net sheet includes the following key elements:
- Projected sale price: Estimated based on a comparative market analysis (CMA) or online home valuation tools, or an offer from a buyer.
- Pre-listing expenses: Costs for home repairs, staging, or inspections.
- Real estate agent commissions: Typically 5-6% of the sale price, covering both the buyer’s and seller’s agents.
- Closing costs: Title fees, escrow fees, transfer taxes, and any seller concessions.
- Mortgage payoff: The remaining balance on your mortgage loan.
- Prorated property taxes: The portion of annual property taxes owed up to the closing date.
- Estimated net proceeds: The final amount left after all deductions.
What’s NOT included in a seller’s net sheet?
Some expenses don’t appear on a net sheet but still affect your bottom line, such as:
- Capital gains taxes (if applicable)
- Moving expenses (hiring movers, storage costs)
- Post-inspection home repairs requested by the buyer
How to create your own seller net sheet
You don’t need to wait for an agent or title company to get a seller’s net sheet — you can create one yourself using our free seller’s net sheet template.
Step-by-step guide to filling out the template
- Estimate your home’s value
An online home value estimator (such as Zillow’s Zestimate or Redfin’s value estimator) can help you approximate your home’s value, but if you want to get closer than an approximation, look at recent sales of comparable homes in your area, or — even better — talk to a real estate agent about getting a CMA report (comparative market analysis).
- Calculate estimated closing costs
You can ballpark this number by using an online closing cost calculator for your state, or even asking a title company to provide an estimate. Generally speaking, you can expect closing costs to range from between 1-3% of the sales price, not including realtor commissions.
- Subtract expenses to get net proceeds
After determining your net profit, deduct any agent commissions, the mortgage payoff balance, and seller concessions made for the sale.
The final estimated net proceeds can be adjusted as you explore different listing prices, negotiate agent commission, or change other details involving the sale.
How to get a professional seller net sheet for free
While a DIY net sheet is useful, a professional seller’s net sheet from a realtor provides a more accurate estimate.
Why a realtor’s net sheet is more reliable
Real estate agents are familiar with the local market and can use real-time market data to estimate home value and seller costs. They also have access to recent and accurate closing cost estimates based on local transactions. And they’re adept at finding the most apt comparable listings for your home.
How to get a free net sheet from an agent
Many real estate agents provide seller net sheets for free as part of their listing services. If you don’t have an agent yet, you can use a free service like Clever Real Estate to connect with top-rated agents and get a professional net sheet with no obligation.
Seller net sheet: The bottom line
A seller’s net sheet is a powerful tool for estimating your take-home proceeds before selling your home. Understanding selling costs upfront can help you set realistic expectations, compare offers effectively, and make smarter financial decisions.
If filling out your own seller net sheet feels overwhelming, consider talking to a real estate agent and asking for their assistance. You can find highly qualified agents who work for just 1.5% commission, courtesy of Clever Real Estate, by answering a few short questions.
FAQ
How do I calculate my net proceeds from selling my home?
Subtract all selling costs — including agent commissions, closing fees, and mortgage payoff — from your home’s expected sales price. Remember that this doesn't account for other potential expenses, including moving costs or capital gains taxes.
Does a net sheet guarantee my final profit?
No, it’s just an estimate. Final proceeds depend on actual closing costs, negotiations, and market conditions. For a more accurate estimate, contact a realtor or title company.
Can I get a net sheet without hiring a realtor?
Yes! You can download our free seller’s net sheet template or get a free estimate from a title company or realtor.