Your net proceeds equal your sale price minus every cost of selling: commission, transfer tax, title, escrow, prorated property taxes, any repairs or staging, and payoff of your mortgage. In East County, those costs vary by city, closing date, and what you negotiate, a personalized net sheet from a local agent gives you the only reliable number.
Your net proceeds equal your gross sale price minus every cost of selling: commission, Contra Costa County documentary transfer tax, title insurance, escrow fees, prorated property taxes, any repairs or staging you fund before listing, and the payoff balance on your mortgage. Because commission is fully negotiable and several other costs shift based on your closing date and what you agree to in the purchase contract, no two net sheets look exactly alike, but understanding each category puts you in control of the conversation before you list.
What Goes Into a Seller Net Sheet
A net sheet is a line-by-line estimate of what you'll walk away with after every cost is deducted from your sale price. Think of it as a financial flight plan. We walk every seller through one before we even talk about a list price, because the number that matters isn't what your home sells for, it's what hits your bank account.
Here are the major categories you'll see on any East County seller net sheet, and what you need to know about each one.
Commission
Commission is the largest variable line item on most net sheets, and it is fully negotiable, there is no standard, customary, or legally fixed rate in California. Per California Department of Real Estate consumer guidance, the rate is set in your listing agreement, not by law. The listing-side fee and any compensation a seller chooses to offer a buyer's agent are separate, independently negotiated items. Since the 2024 NAR settlement, sellers are not automatically required to cover a buyer's agent's compensation, and offers of compensation are no longer shared on the MLS. If you want to know what commission would look like for your specific situation, that's a direct conversation to have with me, not a number to pull from a blog.
Documentary Transfer Tax
California imposes a state documentary transfer tax under Revenue and Taxation Code § 11911, and counties and cities may layer on their own local transfer taxes where authorized. Contra Costa County records and collects documentary transfer tax on qualifying real-property transfers, so your escrow officer will verify the exact rate for your property's location. Whether the seller or buyer ultimately pays this is commonly negotiated between the parties, confirm the allocation in your own purchase contract, not from a general rule.
Title Insurance and Escrow
Title insurance and escrow fees are standard closing-cost categories in California, but who pays them is negotiated in the purchase contract rather than fixed by law. According to California Department of Real Estate consumer guidance, these are customary seller costs in many transactions, but "customary" is not the same as "required." Your escrow officer will quote the actual fees for your specific deal. The California Association of REALTORS® purchase agreement framework treats both as negotiable line items.
Prorated Property Taxes
California property taxes run on a fiscal-year cycle, and your share of the current tax bill is prorated in escrow based on your exact closing date. The California State Board of Equalization outlines the general property tax framework, and the Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector manages the local billing schedule. Because installment timing matters, your owed share can shift meaningfully from one closing week to the next. This is one of the cleanest math items on your net sheet, once your close date is set.
HOA Transfer Fees and Demands
If your home is in a homeowners association, common in Brentwood master-planned communities, expect HOA transfer fees and a demand for any outstanding dues to appear on your settlement statement. These vary by association and are worth pulling early in the process.
Repairs, Staging, and Pre-Listing Costs
Staging and pre-listing repairs are pre-closing expenses, not closing-cost line items, they typically won't appear on your settlement statement the way escrow or transfer tax does. But they absolutely affect your net proceeds, which is why I include them in every seller net sheet I prepare. According to NAR's home-staging research, staged homes tend to sell faster and closer to list price, so the upfront cost often pays for itself. Whether staging makes sense for your specific home is a judgment call we make together based on condition, price point, and current buyer demand.
Mortgage Payoff
Your lender will provide a payoff statement good through a specific date. That figure, not your remaining balance from your last statement, is what gets deducted in escrow. Request it early, because payoff amounts include accrued interest to the projected close date.
- Brentwood vs. Antioch: Why the Price Point Changes Everything
Brentwood and Antioch are the two most active submarkets in East County, and they anchor opposite ends of the local price spectrum. The Contra Costa Association of REALTORS® regularly tracks both cities in East County market updates. That price difference matters on a net sheet because most closing costs, transfer tax, title, escrow, scale with the sale price, while some costs (like a flat-fee staging package or a fixed HOA demand) don't. Fixed costs eat a larger share of proceeds on a lower-priced Antioch sale than they do on a higher-priced Brentwood one.
The table below shows the cost categories a seller in each city should expect to see on their net sheet. I'm not publishing dollar amounts here, those depend on your negotiated terms, your exact close date, your mortgage payoff, and your specific HOA, but the structure is the same for every transaction.
Net Sheet Line Item
Nature of Cost
Scales With Sale Price?
Negotiable?
Gross Sale Price
Starting point
N/A
Yes (market-driven)
Listing-Side Commission
Variable, contract-based
Typically yes
Yes, fully negotiable
Buyer's Agent Compensation (if offered)
Optional, separately negotiated
| Typically yes | Yes, seller's choice |
|---|---|
| Documentary Transfer Tax (County/City) | Statutory, jurisdiction-specific |
| Yes | Who pays is negotiable |
| Title Insurance (Owner's Policy) | Customary, contract-allocated |
| Generally yes | Yes |
| Escrow Fees | Service fee, contract-allocated |
| Partially | Yes |
| Prorated Property Taxes | Close-date dependent |
| Yes (based on assessed value) | No, math-based |
| HOA Transfer Fee / Demand | Association-specific |
| No (flat or tiered) | No |
| Repairs / Credits to Buyer | Negotiated post-inspection |
| No | Yes |
| Staging / Pre-Listing Costs | Pre-closing, out-of-pocket |
| No | Yes (your choice) |
| Mortgage Payoff | Lender-issued payoff statement |
| No | No |
| Net Proceeds to Seller | What you walk away with |
| N/A | N/A |
Every line item above is something I walk through with sellers before we list. The goal isn't to overwhelm you with paperwork, it's to make sure the number you're expecting on closing day is the number you actually receive.
For current market context: the most recent East County market data available as of August 5, 2026 comes from Contra Costa Association of REALTORS® Q2 2026 reporting. Median sale prices in Brentwood and Antioch have been tracking in different ranges, which is exactly why a personalized net sheet, not a blog estimate, is the right tool for your situation. If you want the latest numbers for your specific address, that's a five-minute conversation.
How to Get Your Actual Net Sheet Before You List
Here's what We tell every seller who asks me this: don't wait until you're under contract to run the numbers. A net sheet before you list helps you set a realistic price target, decide whether repairs or staging pencil out, and know whether your timeline works financially.
The process at E3 Realty is straightforward
Pull your mortgage payoff. Call your lender and request a payoff statement good through your projected close date. This is the single biggest variable most sellers overlook.
Check your HOA documents. If you're in a planned community in Brentwood or Oakley, your HOA will have transfer fees and may have outstanding assessments. Pull those early.
Know your property tax status. The Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector can confirm what's paid and what will be owed through your projected close date.
Talk through commission and buyer compensation. Because we're a boutique brokerage, we have direct conversations about what makes sense for your specific sale, not a one-size-fits-all fee structure.
Factor in pre-listing costs honestly. Staging, paint, landscaping, minor repairs, I'll tell you which ones move the needle in today's East County market and which ones don't. Sometimes the right move is to sell as-is and price accordingly.
One thing I've learned from working with sellers across Brentwood, Antioch, Oakley, and Pittsburg: the sellers who feel best about their closing day are the ones who ran the numbers before they signed the listing agreement, not after. Your specific number depends on your home's condition, your payoff, your close date, and what you negotiate. That's where a personalized net sheet from someone who knows this market makes all the difference.
Because we handle lending in-house at E3, your agent and loan officer are on the same team from day one. That means if you're selling and buying simultaneously, one of the most financially complex moves a homeowner can make, your timelines are coordinated, not competing. You can also explore our overview of cost of living in East County 2026 to see how your next chapter fits the budget, or review our Walnut Creek vs. Brentwood comparison if you're weighing where to land after the sale.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate my net proceeds when selling a house in Antioch?
Start with your expected sale price, then subtract every cost of selling: commission, documentary transfer tax, title insurance, escrow fees, prorated property taxes through your close date, any HOA transfer fees, repair credits, and your mortgage payoff balance. Because Antioch homes typically sell at a lower price point than Brentwood, fixed costs represent a larger share of your proceeds, which makes running the numbers with a local agent especially important before you set your price expectations.
What closing costs does a seller usually pay in Contra Costa County?
In most Contra Costa County transactions, sellers commonly see documentary transfer tax, title insurance (owner's policy), escrow fees, prorated property taxes, and HOA transfer fees on their settlement statement. Who pays title and escrow is negotiated in the purchase contract, not fixed by law, per California Department of Real Estate guidance. Commission is also negotiated separately and is the largest variable cost for most sellers.
Who pays the transfer tax when selling a home in Brentwood?
California's documentary transfer tax under Revenue and Taxation Code § 11911 applies to qualifying real-property transfers, and Contra Costa County collects it at the county level. Whether the seller or buyer pays it is commonly negotiated between the parties in the purchase contract, there's no single rule that applies to every deal. Confirm the allocation in your specific contract and with your escrow officer.
How does property tax proration work at closing in California?
California property taxes are billed on a fiscal-year cycle (July 1 through June 30), and your share of the current bill is calculated through your exact closing date and credited or debited in escrow. The California State Board of Equalization outlines the general framework, and the Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector manages the local billing schedule. Because installment timing matters, your proration amount can shift depending on whether you close before or after a tax due date, your escrow officer will calculate the exact figure.
Can I get a seller net sheet before I list my house?
Yes, and you should. A pre-listing net sheet lets you set a realistic price target, evaluate whether repairs or staging make financial sense, and confirm your sale will meet your financial goals before you commit to a list date. At E3 Realty, I prepare personalized net sheets as part of every listing consultation, it's one of the most valuable conversations we have before a sign goes in the yard. Reach out to schedule yours.
What's the difference between gross sale price and cash to seller?
Your gross sale price is what the buyer agrees to pay. Your cash to seller, also called net proceeds, is what's left after every cost of the transaction is deducted: commission, transfer tax, title, escrow, prorated taxes, HOA fees, repair credits, and your mortgage payoff. The gap between those two numbers is often larger than sellers expect, which is exactly why reviewing a net sheet before you list is worth the time.
The bottom line: your net proceeds are determined by a dozen variables, and most of them are negotiable or date-dependent. The only reliable number is the one built from your specific home, your specific payoff, and your specific deal terms.
That's what I do. If you're thinking about selling in Brentwood, Antioch, Oakley, or anywhere else in East County, let's run your numbers before you list, not after. Schedule a seller consultation with E3 Realty today.
Schedule a consultation — we're happy to walk through the numbers for your situation — or
This article is general information only, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Verify all costs, tax obligations, market figures, and transaction specifics with your attorney, tax advisor, lender, or escrow officer before proceeding.
