By Meraj Uddin Provat · Last reviewed May 23, 2026 · Editorial Standards
The number on the sale contract is not the number that hits your bank account. Between the agent’s commission, closing costs, what you still owe, and the credits buyers negotiate, the gap is often tens of thousands. This calculator shows the figure that actually matters: what you walk away with.
Home Sale Net Proceeds Calculator
What you actually walk away with after selling — not the sale price the sign shows. Updates as you type.
Net proceeds = sale price − agent commission − closing costs − concessions/other − loan payoff. Closing costs and transfer taxes vary widely by state and contract; commission is negotiable. Estimates for planning only — not legal, tax, or financial advice.
How to use this calculator
Enter the price you expect to sell for, your remaining mortgage payoff (include any second loan or HELOC), the agent commission and closing-cost percentages, and any concessions or repairs you'll cover. The result is your net proceeds — the cash in hand — plus a breakdown of where every dollar of the sale price goes.
Where the sale price actually goes
A home sale splits into three buckets: paying off your loan, paying the cost of selling, and what's left for you. The cost-of-selling bucket is the one sellers underestimate, because it is several separate line items that only feel large when added together:
- Agent commission — usually the biggest single cost; commonly 5–6% of price, split between the agents. It is negotiable, and on a large sale a single percentage point is real money.
- Closing costs — transfer/recordation tax, title, escrow or attorney fees, prorated property tax and HOA. Highly state-dependent.
- Concessions and repairs — buyer credits, agreed repairs after inspection, sometimes a home warranty. These appear late in the deal and erode the final number.
Why "I'm selling for $450k" is misleading
Anchoring on the sale price sets you up for a shock at closing. On a typical sale, selling costs alone run roughly 7–10% of the price before the mortgage payoff. Plan around net proceeds from the start — especially if those proceeds are the down payment on your next home, because that is the number your next purchase actually depends on.
The biggest lever: commission
Of all the costs, agent commission is both the largest and the most negotiable. Lower-commission and flat-fee models exist, and even within a traditional listing the rate is a conversation, not a fixed law. The calculator shows what each point is worth in your specific numbers — use that figure in the listing conversation rather than accepting a default.
If the number comes out negative
If payoff plus costs exceeds the sale price, you would have to bring cash to closing — you are effectively underwater on the sale. That usually means the expected price is too low, the payoff is higher than assumed, or both. It is far cheaper to discover this in a calculator than at the closing table; recheck the price and the exact payoff (call the lender for a payoff quote, not the statement balance) before listing.
Frequently asked questions
What are typical seller closing costs? Beyond agent commission, sellers often pay roughly 1–3% of the price in transfer tax, title, escrow/attorney, and prorated items — but this varies widely by state and contract.
Is the agent commission negotiable? Yes. Commission rates are not fixed; flat-fee and discount models exist, and traditional rates can be negotiated. On a large sale, each point is a significant amount.
Does net proceeds account for capital gains tax? No. This shows cash at closing. Capital gains tax (if any) is separate and depends on your exclusion eligibility and gain — consult a tax professional.
Should I use my mortgage statement balance for payoff? Use a lender payoff quote, not the statement balance. The payoff includes per-day interest to the closing date and any fees, so it is slightly higher than the statement.
Why are my net proceeds so much lower than the price? The mortgage payoff plus the stack of selling costs (commission, closing, concessions) commonly removes a large share of the price. The leftover — net proceeds — is the real number.
Methodology
Net proceeds = sale price − agent commission − closing costs − concessions/repairs/other − mortgage payoff. Commission and closing costs are applied as a percentage of the sale price; concessions and other items are flat amounts. State transfer taxes and contract terms vary, and commission is negotiable, so treat the output as a planning estimate. Capital gains tax is not included. Not legal, tax, or financial advice.
Written by the CalcCottage team. We show the real number, not the marketing number.