Most sellers know there's a commission. Fewer know about Maryland's transfer and recordation taxes, or that the split can change when your buyer is a first-time Maryland homebuyer. Here's the honest list, using Baltimore County as the example, so the number on your settlement sheet doesn't surprise you.
The Short Answer
Your cost to sell is the sum of a few buckets:
- The agent compensation you negotiate
- Your share of transfer and recordation taxes
- Paying off your mortgage (and any home equity line)
- Settlement fees and prorated bills
- Anything you agree to in the contract, like repairs or a credit toward the buyer's closing costs
No one can give you a real number without your actual price and contract terms. But you can get close before you list.
1. Commissions: Negotiable, Period
There is no "standard" commission in Maryland. Compensation isn't set by law or by any organization, and it's negotiable between you and the brokerage you hire.
Since the National Association of REALTORS® settlement practice changes took effect on August 17, 2024, a few things work differently:
- Offers of compensation to buyer's agents are no longer posted on the MLS.
- Buyers working with an agent sign a written agreement before touring homes, and that agreement spells out how their agent gets paid.
- If you or your listing brokerage agree to pay anything toward the buyer's agent, that has to be disclosed to you in writing and approved by you first.
A buyer may ask you to cover some or all of their agent's fee as part of their offer. That's a negotiation, like price or closing date.
The math is simple: every 1% of a $365,000 sale price is $3,650. When you compare agents, ask what's included: pricing work, photos, marketing, showings, negotiation, and handling the inspection and appraisal stages.
2. Transfer and Recordation Taxes
When a deed is recorded in Maryland, the state and the county collect taxes based on the sale price. For a Baltimore County home, the published rates are:
| Tax | Rate |
|---|---|
| Maryland state transfer tax | 0.5% (0.25% for a qualifying first-time Maryland homebuyer) |
| Baltimore County transfer tax | 1.5% (county excludes the first $22,000 of residential transfers) |
| Recordation tax (Baltimore County) | $2.50 per $500 of price (about 0.5%) |
Who pays? Maryland law presumes the buyer and seller split these taxes equally, unless the contract or the law says otherwise. Your contract controls, and it's negotiable.
The first-time buyer twist. If your buyer is a first-time Maryland homebuyer who will live in the home, the state transfer tax drops to 0.25% and the seller pays all of it. The seller also pays all of the recordation tax and county transfer tax, unless the contract expressly says otherwise. The buyer signs a sworn statement to qualify. If there are two or more buyers, each one generally has to qualify.
Example only, using a $365,000 price:
- State transfer tax at 0.5%: $1,825
- County transfer tax at 1.5% of $343,000 (after the $22,000 exclusion): $5,145
- Recordation tax: $1,825
- Total: $8,795. Split 50/50, the seller's share is about $4,398.
- If the buyer is a first-time Maryland homebuyer and the contract doesn't change the default: state transfer tax at 0.25% ($912.50), plus all of the county transfer and recordation tax. Seller pays about $7,883.
The $365,000 figure is Baltimore County's September 2026 median sold price. Based on information from Bright MLS for September 1, 2026 through September 30, 2026; data is reliable but not guaranteed. Other counties and Baltimore City set their own rates, and your title company calculates the exact amounts.
3. The Closing Costs Sellers Forget
- Loan payoff. Your payoff includes interest through the payoff date, so it's a bit more than the balance on your last statement. Include any home equity line.
- Release and settlement fees. Recording the release of your mortgage, deed preparation, and the title company's seller-side charges. These vary by company, so ask for them up front.
- Property tax proration. Maryland's property tax year runs July 1 through June 30. Taxes are split between buyer and seller at settlement based on the closing date.
- HOA or condo costs. Dues get prorated, and the association charges for the resale disclosure package.
- Repairs or credits after inspection. Often the biggest surprise. Budget for something here, even on a well-kept home.
- Help with the buyer's closing costs. Only if you agree to it, but it's a common request.
- Getting the house ready and moving out. Paint, cleaning, small fixes, movers, and any overlap if you're carrying two homes for a while.
4. Taxes on the Sale Itself
- Capital gains. The IRS lets you exclude up to $250,000 of gain on your main home ($500,000 if married filing jointly) if you owned it and lived in it for at least 2 of the last 5 years. Maryland also added a 2% tax on net capital gains for people with federal adjusted gross income over $350,000, but a primary residence sold for less than $1,500,000 is excluded from that extra tax.
- Not a Maryland resident? The state requires a withholding payment when a nonresident sells Maryland real estate: 8.75% of the total payment for nonresident individuals and 8.25% for entities, for sales after June 30, 2025. It's a prepayment toward your Maryland income tax, not an extra tax, and the Comptroller has forms to apply for an exemption or a refund.
These are worth a call to your CPA before you list, not after.
How to Get Your Real Number
- Get a realistic price range based on recent sales near you.
- Get the commission and any buyer-agent compensation terms in writing.
- Ask for a seller net sheet with your payoff, tax split, and fees.
- Update the net sheet when offers come in, because concessions and the buyer's first-time status change the math.
Want to see where your price lands first? Check this month's numbers on the Market Reports page, or start with a free estimate below.
Sources: Maryland Department of Legislative Services, 2025 BRFA tax provisions (2% capital gains surtax); Maryland Code, Tax-Property §13-203; Maryland Code, Real Property §14-104; Baltimore County, Deed Transfer and Recordation; Baltimore County, Tax Rates; National Association of REALTORS®, The Facts; Comptroller of Maryland, Tax Alert: Withholding on Sale of Real Property by a Nonresident; IRS Topic 701, Sale of Your Home; Bright MLS (Baltimore County, September 1–30, 2026, via this site's Market Reports).
This is general information, not legal, tax, or lending advice — talk to your attorney, CPA, or lender about your situation.