Most San Fernando Valley sellers pay roughly 6% to 8% of the sale price in total closing costs, covering brokerage compensation, escrow and title, transfer taxes, the City of LA 9A report and retrofit, and negotiated repair credits.
The short version
Plan on 6% to 8% of the sale price in total costs for a typical San Fernando Valley single-family sale. On an $850,000 home that is roughly $51,000 to $68,000, and the largest piece by far is brokerage compensation.
Two things move that range: whether you agree to contribute to the buyer's agent compensation, and how much repair credit comes out of the inspection negotiation.
Brokerage compensation
Commission is negotiable and always has been. Since the 2024 NAR settlement changes, buyer-agent compensation is negotiated separately rather than assumed, so a listing agreement and a buyer-broker contribution are now two different conversations.
Practically, most Valley sellers still contribute something toward the buyer's side because it widens the buyer pool. Whether that is the right call depends on your price point and how much competition your home has.
Escrow, title, and county fees
These are the predictable ones. In Los Angeles County, sellers customarily pay the owner's title policy and split escrow fees with the buyer, though everything here is negotiable in the contract.
- Escrow fee — typically split, based on sale price
- Owner's title insurance policy — customarily seller-paid in LA County
- County documentary transfer tax — $1.10 per $1,000 of sale price
- City transfer tax where applicable — the City of Los Angeles, Burbank, and Santa Monica each have their own
- Recording, notary, courier, and HOA document fees
City of Los Angeles requirements most sellers forget
If your home sits inside City of LA boundaries — which covers most of the Valley, from Sylmar to Woodland Hills — two items are non-optional and both take time.
The 9A Residential Property Report is ordered from LADBS and discloses zoning, permit history, and any open code issues. Order it early: unpermitted additions surface here, and they are far cheaper to address before you have a buyer than during escrow.
Retrofit certification covers water heater strapping, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and low-flow plumbing fixtures. Budget a few hundred dollars and a single vendor visit.
Measure ULA — only relevant above the high end
The City of LA's Measure ULA adds a transfer tax on residential and commercial sales above a multi-million-dollar threshold, with a higher rate at a second, higher threshold. The thresholds adjust annually for inflation, so confirm the current figures before pricing anything near them.
Below the threshold it does not apply at all. Above it, the tax applies to the entire sale price rather than just the amount over the line, which is why pricing right at the boundary is a real strategy question in Encino, Sherman Oaks, Hidden Hills, and Toluca Lake.
The costs you can actually control
Prep and presentation are discretionary spending that usually returns more than it costs: paint, landscaping cleanup, deep cleaning, and staging in that order of return.
Repair credits are the other lever. Sellers who complete a pre-listing inspection and address the obvious items negotiate from a much stronger position than sellers who see the buyer's inspection report for the first time in escrow.
Frequently asked
- How much are closing costs for a seller in the San Fernando Valley?
- Typically 6% to 8% of the sale price, including brokerage compensation, escrow and title, transfer taxes, the City of LA 9A report and retrofit, and any negotiated repair credits.
- Who pays the transfer tax in Los Angeles County?
- The seller customarily pays the county documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 of sale price, plus any applicable city transfer tax. It is negotiable in the purchase contract.
- Do I need a 9A report to sell my Valley home?
- Yes, if the property is inside City of Los Angeles limits. The 9A Residential Property Report is required at transfer and should be ordered early, because it discloses permit and code issues that take time to resolve.