As a real estate agent, when it comes to selling a home, understanding the financial aspects of the transaction is crucial to homeowners. It’s also one of the most important skills that a listing agent can showcase to home sellers! One valuable tool used by real estate agents is a seller’s net sheet – and you can download our free, customizable seller net sheet calculator template right from this post!

A seller net sheet helps listing agents estimate the seller’s take home net proceeds from the sale of their property. The net sheet estimates the net proceeds by deducting common fees and expenses like Realtor commissions, closing costs, concessions, taxes, and more.

With a listing agent prepared seller net sheet, sellers can make informed decisions regarding any necessary repairs or adjustments to the listing price, as well as compare offers to determine which will yield the highest proceeds.

While title companies and/or a closing attorney will help determine the final net proceeds, as a listing agent you absolutely must be able to estimate before listing and using offers in hand because it could make the difference between winning or losing a potential listing!

In this post, we will break down what key expenses should be included on a seller net sheet, seller responsibilities with a sale, and show you how to use our downloadable seller net sheet calculator template and make it your own!

Understanding a Seller Net Sheet

A seller net sheet is an essential tool to account for all the factors associated with the seller’s costs for a home sale, providing a comprehensive breakdown of expenses and net proceeds based on an estimated sales price or the actual purchase price for that seller’s individual situation.

To calculate the estimated net proceeds, the seller net sheet deducts common fees from the targeted sales price. This allows real estate agents to show the potential outcome of the home sale with their clients, giving them clear idea of what to expect.

These financial estimates are typically provided by real estate agents during their initial listing presentation, even before listing the home for sale. It’s important to understand that these estimates are just that—estimates. Actual costs and proceeds may vary as the market conditions change, and the final sales price is negotiated.

Some common closing cost expenses included in the seller net sheet calculations are:

• Realtor total commission (remember, the seller usually pays ALL commissions!)
• Title fees and settlement fees (including title insurance costs)
• Transfer taxes and recording fees
• Mortgage payoff
• Inspection repairs and appraisal repairs
• Home warranties (if applicable)
• Property taxes (take tax proration into account)
• Any outstanding fees or HOA assessments

By providing a clear breakdown of expenses and net proceeds, the seller net sheet helps homeowners make informed decisions about the pricing and potential return on investment from their home sale. This valuable tool can also assist sellers in identifying areas where they may be able to negotiate lower fees or expenses, ultimately increasing their net proceeds.

Understanding how the seller net sheet works is key to a listing agent’s success – so it’s a good idea to have one and know how to use it!

Components of a Seller Net Sheet

Sale Price

Of course the sale price is perhaps the most important part, but it’s also the easiest to figure out compared to the expenses. A good real estate net sheet will actually have a top and bottom range for sale price so that the seller can see what the impact to net proceeds is if the home sells at the high or low end of the projected sale price range.

Real Estate Agent Commission

A key component of a seller net sheet is the real estate agent commission. This fee – both the buyer and seller commission – is typically paid entirely by the seller as a percentage of the final sale price.

The commission can vary depending on factors such as the real estate agency, the agent’s experience, and the type of home being sold. It’s essential for sellers to factor in this expense when calculating their net proceeds from the sale.

Closing Costs

Closing costs include various fees and charges that are paid at the end of a real estate transaction. They may consist of attorney fees, escrow fees, title fees, title insurance, and other miscellaneous charges.

Both the seller and the buyer share these costs ad that proportion varies a lot by state and area. It’s important to only capture the seller’s portion of these expenses. The proportion of closing costs paid by the seller can be negotiated, which should be taken into consideration in the net sheet.

Mortgage Balance

The mortgage balance is the remaining debt on the property at the time of sale. This amount needs to be subtracted from the sale price, as it’s the portion of the proceeds that will be used to pay off the existing mortgage. It’s crucial for the seller to include their mortgage balance on the net sheet to accurately estimate their net proceeds.

Property Taxes

Property taxes are prorated and should be included on the seller net sheet. The seller is responsible for paying the taxes up to the date of closing. These costs can vary depending on the local tax rate and can add up quickly, so it’s essential to account for them in the net sheet calculations.

Deed Stamps

Deed stamps, or revenue stamps, are taxes that the seller pays at the time of closing. The cost of deed stamps depends on the property’s sale price and the local tax rate – which should be easy to look up. This cost should be included in the seller net sheet as part of the overall transaction costs.

Repairs

Repairs cost might need to be included in the seller net sheet, especially if the buyer requests specific repairs after a home inspection or appraisal. These expenses can add up, and sellers should be prepared to factor them into their net sheet calculations.

Home Warranty & Other Seller Concessions

In some cases, sellers may offer buyer incentives such as a home warranty or other concessions to make their property more appealing or to get under contract. These costs should also be included in the seller net sheet, as they can affect the actual proceeds from the sale.

You may want to build these in to initial estimates. For example, in my market it is common for the seller to replace an aged roof before closing. In this case, you might price accordingly and throw a roof in as part of your sale strategy. This roof expense should be included on the net sheet for accuracy of expenses.

Calculating Net Proceeds

When selling a home, it’s important to understand how much money you’ll walk away with after all the expenses have been accounted for. This process is known as calculating net proceeds. In this section, we’ll discuss various factors such as the sale price, estimates, using a calculator, and the accuracy of these calculations.

Sale Price

The sale price is the starting point for calculating net proceeds. It refers to the amount a buyer is willing to pay for the property. The sale price is a critical component in determining net proceeds, as all other expenses will be deducted from it. Keep in mind that the sale price may be subject to negotiation, and may not be the initial asking price.

Estimates

To determine the net proceeds, several estimates must be taken into account. These include the mortgage balance, any outstanding liens, realtor commissions, taxes, and other closing costs such as title insurance. It’s essential to gather accurate information on all of these expenses, as they can significantly impact the final amount you receive from the sale.

Calculator

A calculator – like the seller net sheet calculator template you can download here – can be a helpful tool when trying to estimate your net proceeds. By inputting your sale price, mortgage information, and closing date, the calculator will provide an estimate of your closing costs and net proceeds. Keep in mind that this is only an estimate, and actual costs may vary.

Accuracy

Although calculators and estimates can give you a ballpark figure for net proceeds, it’s crucial to remember that these figures may not be 100% accurate. There could be additional expenses or adjustments made during the closing process that affect the final amount you receive. Be sure to inform your clients of that!

Before the sale is complete, the title company will provide the actual net proceeds as part of balancing the transaction for closing.

How to Use Our Customizable Seller Net Sheet Template

Gather Your Numbers

Here are the numbers and information you’ll need to gather to prepare your seller net sheet:

• Sale Price: High and low estimates for what you believe the home could sell for.
• Commissions: Seller typically pays all commissions determined by listing contract.
• Property Tax: Estimate the prorated amount due based on a future closing date.
• Deed Stamps & Transfer Taxes: Lookup these rates in your area to project the cost.
• Title & Escrow Fees: Talk to your favorite title agent or look at past transactions to estimate title and escrow fees based on sale price.
• Repairs: Any repairs you expect to need to make or an estimated budget.
• Concessions: Any estimated concessions seller is willing to give to sell the home.
• Loan Balance: Principle mortgage/lien balances remaining to be paid off at closing.

Filling Out Our Seller Net Sheet Spreadsheet

To effectively use our customizable seller’s net sheet template there are three steps:

1. Gather your numbers as described above
2. Enter your numbers into the sheet to calculate each line
3. Complete the sheet with your notes and recommendations

By meticulously filling out the spreadsheet, you can ensure a consistent and clear understanding of the projected proceeds from the sale. Be sure to remind your clients that this is just a rough estimate!

And finally, make sure to customize this template with your own logos!

Downloadable Template

Our seller’s net sheet template is available for download, making it convenient for you to access and customize. We chose a Google Sheet for this to make it easy anyone to use this for free. By using this downloadable template, you can modify the fields as needed and save the file for future reference or updates. Simply:

• Download the template
• Customize the fields as needed
• Save and update the file as necessary

Discussing with Your Seller

Once you have completed filling out the customizable seller’s net sheet template, it’s essential to discuss the document with your seller. This discussion should involve a thorough review of every line item, including the property’s selling price, associated expenses, and mortgage payoff. In doing so, both parties can gain a clear understanding of the estimated earnings from the sale and identify any areas that may require clarification or adjustment. The seller’s net sheet serves as a foundation for clear communication, ensuring a smooth and successful transaction for both the seller and the real estate professional.

More free resources, downloads, and checklists:

• Real Estate Transaction Checklist Templates
• Open House Sign in Sheet Templates
• List of 120 Realtor Lead Generation Ideas
• Agent Training Free Guest Pass
• Free Lead Attraction Masterclass
• 21 Questions to Ask when Interviewing Brokers