What it really costs to sell a house in Richmond, and what you walk away with.
Most real estate websites will not print a commission number. We pulled 266 of our own 2026 settlement statements so you can see what sellers in Central Virginia actually paid this year, then run your own numbers below without giving us your email.
Run your numbersWhat is my house worthSource: 266 Mission Realty closings in Central Virginia settled January 1 through September 5, 2026, read from the final settlement statements (average sale price $403,663 on our listings and $414,589 on our buyer-side sales; company-owned and agent-personal transactions excluded; duplicates removed). Buyer-agent compensation by price: under $300,000 averaged 2.9%; $300,000 to $500,000 averaged 3.0%; $500,000 to $750,000 averaged 2.7%; over $750,000 averaged 2.5% on 18 sales. These are what sellers in our transactions agreed to pay, not a rule; every fee in real estate is negotiable and yours is set in your written listing agreement. Listing fee figure: 101 Mission Realty listings closed January 5 through September 16, 2026, from our Sisu transaction records; company-owned, agent-personal, referral-only, and land sales excluded.
Change anything. Start from the defaults or enter your own numbers.
Nothing you type here is sent anywhere unless you click the button to have us check it. The Virginia seller-side costs are explained line by line further down.
Your estimated net
Cash to you at closing, before capital gains tax and prorated property taxes.
| Sale price | |
| Listing-side fee | |
| Buyer-agent compensation | |
| Virginia grantor tax (0.1%) | |
| Settlement, deed prep, release, wire | |
| HOA packet and transfer | |
| Home warranty | |
| Seller credit to buyer | |
| Repairs and staging | |
| Total cost of sale | |
| Cost of sale as % of price | |
| Mortgage payoff | |
| Estimated net proceeds |
Have us check these numbersWhat is my house worth
Estimates only. Prorated property taxes, HOA dues, and any capital gains tax are not included. Your settlement agent produces the final statement.
The same house as a rental.
About one seller in ten asks whether they should rent instead. Here is the honest version of that math, using Mission Realty Property Management published pricing, which you can also check at rentingrichmond.com/pricing.
Year one as a rental
| Gross rent (12 months) | |
| Vacancy allowance | |
| Management fee | |
| Tenant placement (50% of one month, $700 minimum) | |
| Setup fee, one time | |
| Annual property evaluation | |
| Maintenance reserve | |
| Mortgage payments (12 months) | |
| Year-one cash flow | |
| Monthly cash flow | |
| Cash you keep in the house instead of taking as proceeds |
Excludes principal paydown, appreciation, depreciation, and the tax treatment of rental income, all of which usually favor holding, and excludes the risk of a bad tenant or a big repair, which do not. Talk to a CPA before you decide.
What each seller-side cost is, and who sets it.
| Cost | What it is | Who sets it |
|---|---|---|
| Listing-side fee | What you pay the brokerage that markets and negotiates your sale. Stated as a percentage of the sale price in your listing agreement. | You and your listing brokerage. Negotiable. |
| Buyer-agent compensation | Since August 17, 2024, offers of compensation cannot be published on the MLS. The buyer agent fee is set in the buyer's own agreement with their agent, and the buyer asks you to cover some or all of it in the offer. You decide offer by offer. In our 2026 closings, sellers covered it in 97% of sales, at an average of 2.9%. | Negotiated in each offer. |
| Virginia grantor tax | $0.50 per $500 of sale price (0.1%), split between the state and the locality. Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, Hanover, Goochland, Powhatan, and New Kent do not add the regional fees charged in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. | Virginia Code 58.1-802. |
| Settlement charges | Settlement fee, deed preparation, lien release recording, wire and courier. Usually $600 to $1,100 combined on the seller side in the Richmond area. | Your settlement agent. Ask for a quote. |
| Association packet | If you have an HOA or condo association, Virginia requires the seller to deliver the disclosure packet and caps what the association can charge for it. | Virginia Property Owners Association Act. |
| Seller credit | Money you agree to give the buyer at closing toward their closing costs or in lieu of repairs. Common in 2026: 59% of our sellers gave one, median $5,725. | Negotiated in the offer and after inspection. |
| Prorated taxes and dues | You owe property tax and any HOA dues through the day you close. Not in the calculator because it depends on your closing date. | Calculated by the settlement agent. |
| Capital gains | Most owner-occupants exclude up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 married) if they lived in the home two of the last five years. Investors and short-term owners do not. | IRS Section 121. Ask a CPA. |
The seller questions we hear every week, answered plainly.
What is the average real estate commission in Richmond, VA in 2026?
Nobody publishes a verified market-wide number, and there is no standard rate. Here is what we can prove from our own closings: in 266 Mission Realty closings across Central Virginia settled between January 1 and September 5, 2026, the buyer-agent compensation sellers agreed to pay averaged 2.9% of the sale price (median 3.0%), and on the 101 homes we listed and closed, the Mission Realty listing fee averaged 2.8% (median 3.0%). Both are negotiable and set in writing with each client. These are observed figures from our own transactions, not a standard.
Do I have to pay the buyer agent?
No. Since the 2024 rule changes, the buyer agent fee is set in the buyer agreement with their agent, and the buyer asks you to cover it in the offer. You can accept, counter, or decline. Many sellers choose to because it lets buyers who are short on cash still afford the house; in our 2026 closings sellers covered it in 97% of sales.
How much are seller closing costs in Virginia besides commission?
Plan on about 0.3% to 0.5% of the sale price: the 0.1% grantor tax, settlement and deed preparation, lien release recording, an association packet if you have one, and prorated property taxes. On a $450,000 sale that is roughly $1,500 to $2,300 before any seller credit you negotiate.
Is there a regional transfer tax in the Richmond area?
No. The regional congestion relief and WMATA fees apply in Northern Virginia and the regional transportation fee applies in Hampton Roads. Richmond-area sellers pay the state grantor tax only.
Should I sell or rent my house?
Run both panels above. As a rule, holding wins when the rent covers the mortgage, management, and a maintenance reserve with room to spare and you do not need the equity for the next house; selling wins when you need the proceeds, the house needs a large repair, or the cash flow is thin. We do both for a living and will tell you which one your numbers support.
Send the address. We send the net sheet.
We reply by email with a net sheet built from real comparable sales and a rent estimate from the property management side, no phone call required unless you want one.
Request a net sheetHow a sale works, start to finishEstimates only. The calculator excludes prorated property taxes, HOA dues, principal paydown, appreciation, depreciation, rental income tax treatment, and any capital gains tax; your settlement agent produces the final statement and a CPA should review the tax questions. Commission and cost figures are observed averages from 266 Mission Realty closings settled January 1 through September 5, 2026, and from 101 Mission Realty listings closed January 5 through September 16, 2026, not a standard, and every fee is negotiable. Mission Realty is licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Mission Realty Team, brokered by Real Broker LLC, 3701 Cox Rd, Richmond, VA 23233, (804) 601-4960. Updated September 22, 2026.
The complete guide to selling your home
