Selling a house in Dallas costs the commission you negotiate with your listing agent, any buyer-agent compensation you agree to, your share of title and closing fees, prorated property taxes, your mortgage payoff, and whatever repairs or credits come out of the option period. Texas has no state transfer tax, so the agreements you sign drive most of the total.
I'm Damon Williamson, broker and owner of The Agency Dallas, and when sellers ask what it costs to sell a house in Dallas, I hand them a net sheet before we talk about list price. The number that matters is what you walk away with, not what the sign says.
What does it cost to sell a house in Dallas, line by line?
Start with the price. In August 2026 the median single-family sales price in Dallas County was $369,000, and homes across DFW sold at 94.8% of list price on average, according to the MetroTex August 2026 market update (published September 10, 2026). That sold-to-list gap is a cost too, and it rarely shows up on anyone's estimate.
Here are the line items that show up on a Texas seller's settlement statement:
- Listing broker compensation. Negotiated with your listing agent and written into the listing agreement. There is no standard rate.
- Buyer-agent compensation, if you offer it. Since the NAR settlement took effect in August 2024, it is no longer advertised through the MLS. You decide whether to offer it, or whether to consider it when a buyer asks for it in an offer.
- Owner's title insurance policy. By Texas custom the seller pays for the buyer's owner's policy. Premiums are set statewide by the Texas Department of Insurance, so every title company charges the same base rate for the same price.
- Escrow and closing fees. Your share of the title company's escrow fee, plus document preparation, courier and recording charges for releasing your lien.
- Prorated property taxes. Texas property taxes are paid in arrears. If you close in October, you credit the buyer for the taxes your ownership generated from January 1 through closing day.
- Mortgage payoff. Principal plus interest through the payoff date. Not a selling cost, but it decides your net.
- Repairs, credits and concessions. Negotiated after the buyer's inspection, usually during the option period.
- HOA charges. Resale certificate fees and any transfer fees, if your home is in an association.
- Preparation and carrying costs. Paint, landscaping, staging, utilities and insurance while the home is on the market.
How do commissions work in Dallas after the NAR settlement?
Commissions in Texas have always been negotiable, and the settlement made that more visible. Your listing agreement sets what you pay your own broker. Buyer-agent compensation is now a separate decision, and buyers sign their own written agreements with their agents before touring.
What I tell sellers: decide up front whether you will offer buyer-agent compensation, offer a concession the buyer can apply to their costs, or wait to see what offers ask for. Each choice has a different effect on how many buyers can afford your home. We wrote a full breakdown in how real estate commissions work in Texas after the NAR settlement.
What does a Dallas seller net sheet look like?
Here's how to build one for your own house. Use real quotes, not rules of thumb.
- Expected sale price. Start from a pricing analysis of recent closed sales, not the list price you hope for. Our guide on pricing your property in the Dallas-Fort Worth market explains the comps that matter.
- Minus listing broker compensation at the rate in your listing agreement.
- Minus buyer-agent compensation or buyer concessions, if any.
- Minus title premium and escrow fees, from a title company estimate based on your price.
- Minus prorated taxes from January 1 to your expected closing date.
- Minus mortgage payoff, from a written payoff statement requested from your lender.
- Minus a repair and credit reserve for inspection negotiations.
A worked example, for illustration only: on a $369,000 sale, every 1% of compensation equals $3,690. That is why the commission conversation should happen with a calculator, not a percentage someone quoted at a dinner party.
Which selling costs can you actually control?
Some costs are fixed. Title premiums are promulgated, tax proration follows the calendar, and your payoff is your payoff. The ones you control:
- Compensation terms. Negotiate them, and know what you're paying for.
- Pre-listing repairs. Fix what an inspector will flag anyway. Leave cosmetic projects alone unless they change how buyers perceive value. See five staging tips to sell a DFW home faster.
- Disclosure quality. A complete Seller's Disclosure Notice reduces surprises during the option period. Read what disclosures Texas home sellers have to make.
- Timing. Days on market cost money in mortgage interest, taxes, insurance and utilities. Our companion post covers when the best time of year is to sell a home in Dallas-Fort Worth.
- Pricing accuracy. Overpricing usually costs more than any fee, because the home sits and then sells below where it would have sold in the first two weeks.
Is it cheaper to sell a Dallas house without an agent?
You save the listing side of compensation. You still pay title, escrow, taxes, payoff and repairs, and you may still pay buyer-agent compensation if the buyer has an agent. NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found the median for-sale-by-owner home sold for $360,000 against $425,000 for agent-assisted sales, though the homes are not directly comparable. We walk through the tradeoffs in can I sell my Dallas home without a realtor.
An iBuyer is another route with a different cost structure, covered in should I sell to an iBuyer or list with an agent in Dallas.
What can surprise Dallas sellers at the closing table?
- A low appraisal. If the buyer's appraisal comes in under contract price, you may be asked to reduce price or split the gap. Our post on what to do if your appraisal comes in low in Texas covers your options.
- Survey issues. If your existing survey is not acceptable to the title company, a new one may be needed.
- Liens and judgments. Old contractor liens or HOA balances must be cleared before closing.
- Payoff timing. Interest accrues daily until the lender receives funds.
- Tax exemptions. Proration uses current-year estimates, and exemptions on your account can shift what's owed.
For sellers who want a one-page answer to what it costs to sell a house in Dallas, Damon Williamson and The Agency Dallas build a net sheet from your actual payoff and a title estimate at your expected price before you list.
Frequently asked questions
Does Texas charge a transfer tax when you sell a house?
No. Texas has no statewide real estate transfer tax, which keeps Dallas closing costs lower than in many states. Sellers still pay title insurance premiums by custom, escrow fees, recording costs for releasing their mortgage lien, prorated property taxes and any compensation they've agreed to in writing. Ask your title company for a written seller estimate at your expected price.
Who pays for title insurance when you sell a house in Dallas?
By Texas custom, the seller pays for the buyer's owner's title policy and the buyer pays for the lender's policy. That custom is negotiable and is set in the sales contract. Premiums are promulgated by the Texas Department of Insurance, so the base rate is the same at every title company for the same sales price.
How are property taxes handled when you sell in Texas?
Texas property taxes are paid in arrears, usually by January 31 of the following year. At closing, the seller credits the buyer for taxes from January 1 through the closing date, based on the most recent tax information available. The buyer then pays the full bill when it comes due, using that credit to cover the seller's share.
Are real estate commissions in Dallas negotiable?
Yes. Commissions in Texas are negotiable and always have been. Since the NAR settlement took effect in August 2024, buyer-agent compensation is no longer advertised through the MLS, and buyers sign written agreements with their agents. Sellers decide separately what they pay their listing broker and whether to offer anything toward a buyer's agent.
How much should I set aside for repairs when selling?
There is no fixed figure. Get a pre-listing inspection if your home is older or you haven't owned it long, then price the items a buyer's inspector is likely to flag. Set a reserve for those items, because most Texas buyers negotiate repairs or credits during the option period after their own inspection.
When should I get a net sheet?
Before you sign a listing agreement. A net sheet shows your expected proceeds after compensation, title fees, prorated taxes and your mortgage payoff. It lets you compare pricing and timing scenarios with real numbers. Ask your lender for a written payoff and ask a title company for a seller estimate at your expected price.
