Home-Selling Costs Surpass $67,000 in 2025 -- Triple Sellers' Expectations

Had recent sellers known the true cost of selling a home, 75% would have made different decisions.

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Home sellers expect to spend $18,557 on home-selling expenses, but the actual average cost has soared to $67,245, according to a new report from Clever Offers, a platform owned by Clever Real Estate that allows home sellers on tight timelines to explore their selling options.

On average, recent home sellers spent the following:

• Pre- and post-listing repairs and improvements: $21,024
• Listing agent commission: $14,204
• Buyer's agent commission: $13,691
• Closing costs: $8,217
• Concessions to the buyer: $5,277
• Moving costs: $2,439
• Marketing and staging: $2,393

That adds up to more than three times what sellers anticipated spending. More than half of recent sellers (55%) were surprised by selling costs, and 48% say they underestimated expenses.

Unsurprisingly, 40% of sellers felt financially strained during the process. Even more, nearly a quarter (22%) went into debt to cover selling expenses.

While 41% of sellers admit they did not budget for their home sale, 18% of those who did wish they had budgeted differently.

In 2025, the average home seller made a profit of $166,702 — a 14% increase from $144,021 in 2024 — with 79% of sellers turning a profit, up from 64% last year.

Still, more than half of sellers (51%) say their profit was lower than expected due to high selling costs.

80% of sellers have regrets about their sale, with the most common being that agent commission was too high (19%).

About two-thirds (67%) of sellers who did not use an agent believe they saved money, reporting an average savings of $5,953. However, only 68% turned a profit, compared to 84% of agent-assisted sellers.

About 81% of sellers with an agent say costs were clearly explained to them. Just 29% of represented sellers experienced higher-than-expected expenses, compared to 41% of unrepresented sellers.

Overall, 75% of sellers would have made different decisions had they known the true cost of selling and believe they could have sold for $35,915 more on average.

Read the full report at: https://cleveroffers.com/research/cost-to-sell-a-house-2025/

About Clever Offers
Clever Offers is a platform that empowers sellers who need to sell quickly or for cash to compare their options and make informed decisions. Clever Offers' free service connects sellers with vetted cash buyers and top local realtors, allowing them to evaluate traditional cash offers alongside options such as cash offers with a second payment upon resale, listing on the MLS for as little as 7 days, and standard open-market listings.

About Clever
Clever Real Estate's content reaches over 10 million readers annually, and its nationwide agent matching service has a 5.0-star Trustpilot rating across 3,600+ customer reviews. Since launching in 2017, Clever has reached $14 billion in real estate sold, matched 175,000+ customers with realtors, and saved consumers over $210 million on commission fees. Clever's network spans 17,000 agents across all 50 states.

CONTACT:
Nicole Lehman
Clever Real Estate
[email protected]
724-719-0406 

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SOURCE Clever Offers