Every listing agent knows the conversation. The sellers sit across the table, they've heard the number — $650,000, $725,000, whatever the CMA says — and someone in the room always asks: "So what do we actually walk away with?"
A seller's net sheet is how you answer that question before it becomes an awkward pause. It's a line-by-line breakdown of every deduction between the sale price and the check that lands in the seller's account. Agents who provide one before the first showing build immediate credibility. Agents who don't often find themselves scrambling to explain why the numbers at the closing table don't match expectations.
Here's how to build a net sheet that actually holds up — and why the DMV market has a few wrinkles that make accuracy matter more here than almost anywhere else.
What a Seller's Net Sheet Is
A net sheet is a projected closing statement from the seller's perspective. It takes the anticipated sale price and subtracts every seller-paid cost: agent commission, transfer taxes, title and settlement fees, mortgage payoff, recording fees, and any seller-paid buyer concessions.
The result is the seller's net proceeds — what hits their bank account after the wire.
The key word is projected. Until the transaction closes, every number is an estimate except the mortgage payoff (which your lender will quote as a per-diem figure) and the title fees (which a title company can quote to the dollar through tools like TitleCapture).
That distinction matters. In the DMV market, where title and settlement fees, transfer taxes, and local government recording fees can vary significantly by jurisdiction, a rough estimate can be off by several thousand dollars. The agents who deliver net sheets built on real numbers — not ballpark figures — are the ones sellers trust.
The Main Deductions That Hit DMV Sellers
Agent Commission
Typically the largest line item. Standard practice in the Northern Virginia and Maryland markets has shifted following the NAR settlement, but seller-paid commission remains common. At 5-6% of the sale price, this is often $30,000–$45,000 on a $650K home.
Transfer Taxes
This is where jurisdiction matters enormously.
In Virginia, the state grantor's tax is $0.10 per $100 of the sale price — $650 on a $650K sale. Certain localities add their own transfer tax on top. Fairfax County, for example, assesses an additional $0.08 per $100.
DC imposes a much higher transfer tax burden. The seller pays DC's recordation tax (1.1% to 1.45% depending on sale price) plus the DC transfer tax (1.1% to 1.45%). On a $650K DC sale, that's roughly $14,300–$18,850 in combined transfer taxes — compared to under $2,000 in Virginia for the same price. This difference alone is why DMV sellers need a jurisdiction-specific net sheet, not a generic one.
Maryland falls in the middle. State transfer tax is 0.5% of the sale price, split between buyer and seller by custom. County transfer taxes (1-2%) and recordation taxes vary by county. Montgomery County has different rates than Prince George's County.
Title and Settlement Fees
Seller-paid title costs typically include the settlement agent fee, any title search costs allocated to the seller, deed preparation, and release/payoff fees for existing liens. These fees are fixed and quotable — not estimates. Pruitt Title can provide exact fees through TitleCapture before you ever draft the net sheet.
Mortgage Payoff
This is the single most variable number on the net sheet. Your lender will provide a payoff quote with a per-diem figure. Always use the closing date (not today's date) to calculate the accurate payoff and build in a few extra days as buffer.
Recording Fees
The local government charges to record the deed and any releases. These are modest but not zero — typically $25–$100 depending on page count and jurisdiction.
Seller-Paid Buyer Closing Costs
If the seller agreed to pay any of the buyer's closing costs as a concession — common in slower market conditions or with less competitive offers — that credit comes off the top.
Sample Net Sheet: $650K Virginia Sale
| Line Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sale Price | $650,000 |
| Agent Commission (5.5%) | -$35,750 |
| Virginia Grantor's Tax ($0.10/$100) | -$650 |
| Fairfax County Transfer Tax ($0.08/$100) | -$520 |
| Settlement Agent Fee | -$550 |
| Title Search and Deed Prep | -$275 |
| Recording Fees (deed + release) | -$85 |
| Mortgage Payoff (estimated) | -$285,000 |
| Seller Closing Cost Credit to Buyer | -$0 |
| Estimated Net Proceeds | $326,170 |
Transfer taxes, title fees, and recording charges in this table reflect Fairfax County, Virginia closing conventions. These numbers will differ for DC, Maryland, and other Virginia jurisdictions.
Why Real Title Fees Matter for the Net Sheet
The number most agents get wrong on a net sheet is the title fee line. Standard practice is to plug in a round number — $500, $600, $750 — because it's faster than calling a title company.
The problem: that round number is often wrong by $150–$400 depending on the transaction. On a net sheet you hand to a seller the day they list, that variance gets built into their expectations. When the actual closing disclosure comes in and the title fees are higher, you have an explanation to make.
Pruitt Title's TitleCapture calculator generates an exact, binding fee quote in under a minute. You enter the sale price, property location, and loan payoff amount, and you get a real title fee — not an estimate. Build that number into the net sheet on day one. Sellers notice the precision, and it positions your net sheet as a document they can actually trust.
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