Agent compensation is the cost you already planned for. It's everything after it on your settlement statement that quietly shrinks your proceeds.

When you decide to sell, you probably do some quick math. Sale price, minus what you owe, minus agent compensation. That's the number in your head. The problem is, that's not the number you'll actually walk away with, and we want you to know why long before you get to the closing table.

Here's what we tell our sellers to watch for on their settlement statement.

Start with agent compensation, but only because it's the one you already know. Other than your mortgage payoff, it's usually the largest line item, and it's negotiable. We'll agree on it together and walk you through exactly what it covers before you sign anything. You've already priced this one in, so it's not going to surprise you. What we really want you watching for is everything that comes after it.

“Don’t ask what it costs to sell. Ask what you’ll actually walk away with. That’s the only number that matters.”

The one that catches people off guard is concessions. This is the item we bring up before we even list. A concession is not a price cut. It's you covering something on the buyer's side, like closing costs or a repair credit, something that needs to be handled on the house, and it comes straight out of your proceeds. This isn't a rare thing anymore. Nationally, nearly half of all sellers ended up giving a concession this past spring, the highest share on record. But it varies a lot by market, which is why we'll always tell you to ask what's typical here right now before you assume it'll happen to you either way.

That's why we show you the numbers up front. We never let a seller guess at this. At our listing appointment, we'll hand you a net sheet with your real numbers, along with comps for your area, so you're seeing the actual math before you sign anything, instead of discovering it at closing.

So here's our advice. Don't ask what it costs to sell. Ask what you'll actually walk away with, because that's the only number that matters. Reach out today and we'll show you what that looks like, before you're sitting at the closing table seeing it for the first time. Call or text us at 480-267-9368, email us at Office@GoodCompanyRE.com, or visit goodcompanyre.com. Let's get you your real number while you can still plan around it.