Guides · Selling
What you walk away with: a net proceeds calculator for Washington sellers
Your net proceeds are the sale price minus your loan payoff and the costs of selling. In Washington the largest cost after commission is the real estate excise tax, about 1.7% of a typical Seattle price, and the owner's title policy, your half of escrow and the sales tax on both add roughly another half a percent. The calculator below does the arithmetic with published rates, including the excise tax bands that move for sales closing from January 1, 2027.
What net proceeds are#
Estimate your net proceeds#
Enter what you know. Everything else uses a published rate, and the source for each one is listed under the calculator. The estimate updates as you go.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| What you walk away with |
Treat the result as an estimate. The real number is on the estimated settlement statement your escrow officer prepares, and it is worth asking for as soon as you have an accepted offer.
Sources
- Real estate excise tax: rates and when it is due, Washington State Department of Revenue
- Local REET rates, effective May 1, 2026, Washington State Department of Revenue
- Residential purchase title rates, King, Snohomish and Pierce, effective February 1, 2024, CW Title and Escrow
- Residential escrow fee schedule, effective February 9, 2026, CW Title and Escrow
- WAC 458-20-156, abstract, title insurance and escrow businesses, Washington State Legislature
- Seattle local sales tax change, effective January 1, 2026, Washington State Department of Revenue
- Recording fees, King County Recorder's Office
Wondering what this does to your number?
Book a 30-minute selling callAn $850,000 Seattle sale, worked#
The same arithmetic, done by hand for a house in Seattle that sells for $850,000 and closes on November 13, 2026. The seller owes $400,000 on the mortgage, bought more than ten years ago, and pays $8,420 a year in property tax, which is Seattle's 2026 levy rate on a house assessed at its price.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sale price | $850,000 |
| Real estate excise tax$9,935 to the state on its graduated scale, $4,250 to Seattle, and the state's $5 fee | −$14,190 |
| Owner's title policy, standard coverage$2,318 at CW Title's standard rate, plus 10.55% sales tax | −$2,563 |
| Escrow, your half$1,525, plus the $95 per side charge for wires and deliveries, plus sales tax | −$1,791 |
| Releasing your loanThe escrow company's $450 reconveyance fee plus tax, and $303.50 to record it | −$801 |
| Property tax the buyer pays backBoth halves of 2026 are paid by 31 October, and the seller owned the house for 316 of the year's 365 days | +$1,130 |
| Mortgage payoffTo the lender, from the proceeds | −$400,000 |
| What the seller walks away with, before commissionThe costs of the sale come to $18,215 before commission, about 2.1% of the price | $431,785 |
Commission comes off that figure at whatever rate the listing agreement sets, along with any compensation the seller agreed to pay the buyer's broker. At this price each 1% is $8,500, which is why it belongs in the calculator as your own number rather than as an average.
What each line is, and who sets it#
Real estate excise tax. The state's part is graduated: for a 2026 sale, 1.1% on the first $525,000, 1.28% on the slice up to $1,525,000, 2.75% up to $3,025,000, and 3% above that. The city's part is a flat rate on the whole price, 0.50% in Seattle. From January 1, 2027 the state bands move up to $551,000, $1,551,000 and $3,051,000 at the same rates, which is why the calculator asks for the closing date. The excise tax, worked at three Seattle prices.
The owner's title policy. By Washington custom the seller pays for the buyer's owner's policy at standard coverage. The calculator uses CW Title's published card. If the house was insured by an owner's policy within the past ten years, CW's short-term rate applies: $1,855 instead of $2,318 at $850,000. Title companies publish their own rates, so a quote from another company can differ.
Escrow. Split between buyer and seller by custom, with each side paying half of the escrow company's fee. CW's schedule adds $95 per side for wires, deliveries and similar charges.
Sales tax on both. Washington charges retail sales tax on title insurance premiums and escrow fees. Most estimates leave it out. In Seattle it adds 10.55% to both.
Releasing your loan. If you have a mortgage, the escrow company charges a reconveyance fee to get the deed of trust released, $450 on CW's schedule, and the county charges $303.50 to record the release.
Property tax. Washington's property tax year is the calendar year, paid in two halves due 30 April and 31 October. At closing the seller owes the days before the closing date. Whatever the seller has already paid beyond that, the buyer pays back.
Commission. Whatever your listing agreement says, and in Washington it is negotiable. Compensation for the buyer's broker is now a separate decision, explained here.
Sources
- RCW 82.45.060, tax rates and thresholds, Washington State Legislature
- Property tax frequently asked questions, King County Treasury
- Real estate laws and customs: Washington, Fidelity National Title
What the calculator leaves out#
A second mortgage or a home equity line. Add its payoff to the mortgage payoff. Escrow pays every lien on the title before you are paid.
Homeowners' association dues and final utility bills. A condo's dues are prorated like property tax. The resale certificate the association prepares can cost up to $275, so put it under other costs.
Federal tax on your gain. The home sale exclusion covers the gain on most people's main home, and Washington's capital gains tax does not apply to real estate. Whether you owe anything is a question for an accountant, not a calculator.
Anything you agree to after the inspection. A credit or a price cut both come out of the same pocket. Which one costs you less depends on the numbers, and a price cut also trims the excise tax.
What moves the number most#
Commission, at $8,500 per percentage point on an $850,000 sale. It is the one large cost you negotiate.
The price itself. Every $10,000 of price adds $178 of excise tax at Seattle's combined marginal rate of 1.78%, so almost all of an extra $10,000 reaches you.
The closing date. It decides how the property tax splits. A sale closing on or after January 1, 2027 also pays $46.80 less state excise tax on most Seattle prices, because the bands move up.
Credits. A credit to the buyer comes straight off your proceeds, so compare offers on what they leave you, not only on price. Comparing a cash offer with listing works the same way.
Getting the real number#
Before you list, the estimate above is enough to decide whether selling now makes sense.
When an offer arrives, ask your listing broker for a net sheet on that exact offer: its price, any credit, its closing date and the title company it names. Two offers a few thousand dollars apart can leave you with the same money once credits and dates are counted.
Once you are under contract, the escrow company prepares an estimated settlement statement. That is the figure to plan your next purchase around, and the final statement at closing should match it closely.
Common questions#
How do I work out my net proceeds from a home sale in Washington?
Start with the sale price and take off your loan payoff, commission, the real estate excise tax, the owner's title policy, your half of escrow, the sales tax on title and escrow, and any credits, then add or subtract the property tax proration. The calculator on this page does it with published rates.
How much is the excise tax when I sell a house in Seattle?
For a sale closing in 2026, the state charges 1.1% on the first $525,000 and 1.28% on the next million, Seattle adds 0.50% of the whole price, and there is a $5 state fee. On an $850,000 sale that is $14,190.
Do sellers pay sales tax on title insurance and escrow in Washington?
Yes. Washington charges retail sales tax on title insurance premiums and escrow fees. In Seattle the rate has been 10.55% since January 1, 2026.
Who pays for the owner's title policy in Washington?
The seller, by custom, at standard coverage. The buyer pays for the lender's policy and for any upgrade to broader coverage.
What is a short-term title rate?
A lower price for the owner's policy when the house was insured by an owner's policy within the past ten years. On CW Title's card it is $1,855 instead of $2,318 at $850,000.
Why does the closing date change my proceeds?
Property tax is split to the day, so the date decides whether you owe some or get some back. The excise tax bands also move on January 1, 2027, which takes $46.80 off the state tax on most Seattle sales.
Related guides
- What selling in Seattle leaves you with: the Seattle seller's guide
- Washington's real estate excise tax, worked to the dollar
- Should you take the cash offer on your Seattle house?
- Who pays the buyer's agent in Washington?