BreakThru Realty

Cost to Sell a House in Fort Lauderdale

Every cost a Fort Lauderdale seller pays at closing, what each one is, who customarily pays it in Broward County, and how to estimate what you keep.

Reviewed by Tyson E. Sam, Founder and Broker of Record, BreakThru Realty, Florida License 3565210

Selling a house in Fort Lauderdale has costs a seller can plan for: the Florida documentary stamp tax, title and closing charges, association estoppel fees, prorated property taxes and the brokerage commission. This page works through each one against the live Fort Lauderdale sold prices, so the net proceeds are not a surprise at the closing table.

Fort Lauderdale Market at a Glance

Updated September 22, 2026 from BeachesMLS.

  • 2,277homes & condos for sale
  • 123new listings this week
  • 443under contract
  • 992waterfront listings
  • 817luxury listings ($1,000,000+)
  • 254sold in the last 30 days
Single-family homesCondos & townhomes
Active listings8111,332
Median list price$1,049,000$589,000
Median list price per sq ft$587/sq ft$455/sq ft
Average days on market121 days153 days
Sold in the last 90 days415348
Median sold price (90 days)$697,000$500,000
Sale price as % of list price96.5%94.8%
Months of inventory5.9 months11.5 months
Median sold price vs. a year ago+9.9%+17.6%

Source: BeachesMLS via the Spark API. Active listings as of September 22, 2026; sold figures cover closings in the last 90 days, compared with the same 90 days one year earlier. Not an appraisal. How these figures are calculated.

The Costs of Selling a House in Fort Lauderdale, in Order of Size

For most Fort Lauderdale sellers the list runs: the mortgage payoff, the brokerage commission, the Florida documentary stamp tax on the deed, title and settlement charges, property taxes for the part of the year you owned the home, association fees and estoppel charges where there is an association, and whatever you agree with the buyer after inspection. None of them is paid up front. They are deducted from the sale price on the closing statement, and what is left is wired to you.

Documentary Stamp Tax in Broward County

Florida charges a documentary stamp tax on every deed, customarily paid by the seller. In Broward County, as in every Florida county except Miami-Dade, the rate is 70 cents per $100 of the sale price. On the median Fort Lauderdale single-family home sale of $697,000, that comes to about $4,879. It is calculated on the full price, not on your gain, and it is due at closing.

Title Insurance and Closing Charges in Broward County

Who pays for the owner's title insurance policy is a matter of local custom, and it is written into the contract. In Broward County the buyer customarily chooses the title company and pays for the owner's policy, which is the opposite of most of Florida and saves a Fort Lauderdale seller a meaningful line on the closing statement. The seller still pays a settlement fee, the title search where the contract assigns it, a municipal lien search, and the cost of clearing anything it turns up, such as an open permit or an unpaid utility balance. All of it is negotiable, so read the contract rather than relying on custom.

Property Taxes, Association Fees and Assessments

Florida property taxes are paid in arrears, so at closing the seller credits the buyer for the taxes from January 1 to the closing date; the later in the year you close, the larger that credit. If the home is in a condominium or a homeowners' association, the association charges for an estoppel certificate showing what is owed, a fee capped by Florida statute, and any unpaid dues are settled at closing. In Fort Lauderdale's older condominium buildings, ask early about special assessments tied to the milestone inspection and the structural reserve study: the contract decides whether the seller or the buyer pays one that has been levied but not yet billed.

Repairs, Credits and Preparing the Home

After the inspection, most buyers ask for repairs or a credit. South Florida insurers care about four things, the roof, the electrical panel, the plumbing and the air conditioning, so a buyer's four-point inspection tends to decide what is asked for. Knowing the roof's age and having permits closed before you list removes most surprises. Preparation costs (cleaning, paint, landscaping, staging) are optional, and we tell you which ones the Fort Lauderdale comparables say will come back in the price and which will not.

Taxes on the Gain, and Foreign Sellers

Florida has no state income tax, so any tax on your gain is federal. Owners who lived in the home as their main residence for two of the last five years can usually exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly; investment and second homes do not qualify, which is where a 1031 exchange comes in. If the seller is a foreign person, the buyer is generally required under FIRPTA to withhold 15% of the sale price for the IRS unless an exception or a withholding certificate applies, something to plan for months before closing. This is general information, not tax advice; confirm your position with a CPA.

Estimating What You Keep

Net proceeds are the sale price less the mortgage payoff and the costs above. We prepare a written estimate for your address before you decide anything, using a valuation from matching Fort Lauderdale sales and the actual Broward County charges, and we put a guaranteed cash offer beside it if you want to compare a certain, as-is sale with a listing. Request it with the form on this page.

Fort Lauderdale Costs Beyond the County Norms

Selling in Fort Lauderdale adds costs the county norms do not mention. A waterfront seller is usually asked for a seawall and dock inspection, and a buyer will negotiate over a seawall near the end of its life; moving a boat off the dock for showings and closing is the seller's problem. Homes near the river and on the isles often need an elevation certificate for the buyer's flood policy, and a wind mitigation and four-point inspection for the wind policy. Fort Lauderdale runs a lien search that surfaces open permits, so an unpermitted dock, addition or window job gets closed out at the seller's expense before closing, and that can take longer than the contract allows.

Selling a Fort Lauderdale Condo or Association Home

Selling a condo or co-op in Fort Lauderdale runs through the association. The buyer's application and approval come with a fee and a timeline the board controls, and the co-ops on the Galt Ocean Mile and in Coral Ridge Towers add a board interview and rules on financing that narrow who can buy. Some buildings hold a right of first refusal, which delays a contract until the board waives it. Buyers ask for the milestone inspection report, the structural reserve study, the budget and any assessment before they offer, and a Fort Lauderdale seller who has them ready avoids a price cut later. Rental caps affect investor buyers, so know your building's lease rules before you set a price.

When Fort Lauderdale Sellers Close Fastest

Fort Lauderdale sellers close fastest when the listing meets the buyers who are actually here. Winter residents and boat owners are in town from January through April, so a waterfront home or oceanfront condo launched in the autumn shows to the largest audience. Families with school-age children look at Victoria Park, Coral Ridge and Rio Vista in spring for a summer move. Hurricane season from June to November slows waterfront closings because insurance binding can pause when a storm is named. A cash sale on a dry lot can close in a few weeks; a financed sale with a condo approval or a co-op interview takes longer, and a Fort Lauderdale seller should build that into the contract dates.

Recently Sold in Fort Lauderdale

The newest closings in Fort Lauderdale, with the sale price, closing date and days on market for each.

Recently sold homes in Fort Lauderdale

What Is Your Fort Lauderdale Home Worth?

Request a free valuation built on recent Fort Lauderdale sales, or a full comparative market analysis before you list. No fee, no obligation, and a licensed broker answers within one business day.

Cost to Sell: Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to sell a house in Fort Lauderdale?
Apart from the mortgage payoff, a Fort Lauderdale seller pays the brokerage commission, the Florida documentary stamp tax on the deed, title and settlement charges, prorated property taxes, any association estoppel fee and unpaid dues, and whatever repairs or credits are agreed after inspection. Everything is deducted at closing; nothing is paid up front. We prepare a written net proceeds estimate for your address before you decide.
How much are documentary stamps on a home sale in Broward County?
In Broward County the documentary stamp tax on a deed is 70 cents per $100 of the sale price, the rate in every Florida county except Miami-Dade. On the median Fort Lauderdale single-family home sale of $697,000, that is about $4,879. The seller customarily pays it.
Who pays for title insurance in Broward County, the buyer or the seller?
By local custom the buyer chooses the title company and pays for the owner's policy in Broward County, as in Miami-Dade and Broward generally. In most other Florida counties the seller pays. It is a custom, not a law, so the contract controls.
Do I pay capital gains tax when I sell my home in Florida?
Florida has no state income tax, so any tax on the gain is federal. If the home was your main residence for two of the last five years you can usually exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly. Second homes and rentals do not qualify. This is general information, not tax advice; confirm it with a CPA.
Do I have to make repairs before I sell?
No. You can sell as-is, and the standard Florida as-is contract gives the buyer an inspection period rather than a repair obligation. Repairs become a negotiation after the inspection, usually settled with a credit. If you would rather avoid showings and inspections altogether, ask us for the guaranteed cash offer and compare it with the listing estimate.

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