The short answer: five groups of costs
Every Ohio seller’s settlement statement sorts into the same five groups, though not every sale has all of them.
| Cost group | What it covers | Typical driver |
|---|---|---|
| Brokerage | Listing and buyer-agent commission | A percentage of the price |
| Government | County conveyance fee, recording fees | Price and number of documents |
| Title and settlement | Settlement fee, deed preparation, title work split per contract | The title company’s fee schedule |
| Taxes and payoffs | Prorated property taxes, mortgage and lien payoffs | Your loan balance and the closing date |
| Negotiated items | Repairs, buyer credits, inspection fees | The purchase agreement |
The rest of this guide takes each group in turn, with Ohio figures where a source publishes them.
Commission: usually the largest seller cost
If you list with an agent, commission is normally the biggest number on the statement. Clever Real Estate’s August 2026 survey put the average total in Ohio at 5.65%, made up of about 3.00% for the listing agent and 2.65% for the buyer’s agent.
On a $200,000 sale, 5.65% is $11,300. That rate is negotiable. The National Association of Realtors says broker fees “are fully negotiable and not set by law,” and since August 17, 2024, offers of buyer-agent pay can no longer be posted on the MLS. Our guide to the average Realtor commission in Ohio explains what changed.
Selling without an agent removes this line, though some sellers still pay a buyer’s agent.
The county conveyance fee
Every Ohio county charges a conveyance fee when the deed is recorded, and the law places it on the seller. In Summit, Stark and Portage counties it is $4 per $1,000 of price; in Medina it is $3 per $1,000. A $200,000 sale costs $800 in Summit and $600 in Medina, plus a 50-cent per-parcel transfer fee.
Rates, the 25 exemptions and the DTE 100 paperwork are covered in depth in our Ohio conveyance fee guide.
Title, deed and settlement charges
The title company runs the closing, and its charges are split between buyer and seller as the purchase agreement says. Items that commonly appear on the seller side:
- Settlement or closing fee: the title company’s charge for handling the closing and disbursing money.
- Deed preparation: drafting the deed that transfers your ownership. Some counties also want specific details on the deed; the Stark County Auditor, for example, asks for the grantor’s marital status and a spouse’s signature for dower release.
- Title search and title insurance: the cost of checking the public record and insuring the buyer’s ownership. How this is split varies by contract.
- Recording the mortgage release: under R.C. 5301.36 your lender must record the release within 90 days of payoff, and the lender may recover the recording fee from you if your loan contract allows it.
- Wire and courier fees: small charges for sending payoffs and your proceeds.
Ask for the title company’s fee sheet early. These items are fixed by the company, not by state law. Our guide on what a title company does explains each step.
Property taxes and payoffs
These are not fees, but they come out of your proceeds the same way.
Property taxes. Ohio taxes are billed for the prior year, in two halves due by December 31 and June 20 under R.C. 323.12 unless the county sets later dates. Because you are always paying for a year that has already passed, the buyer is usually credited for the taxes that accrued while you owned the house. That credit can run into thousands of dollars. See property tax proration at closing for how it is figured.
Mortgage and HELOC payoffs. Your lender must send an accurate payoff statement within seven business days of a written request, under Regulation Z. The payoff includes interest through the closing date, not just the balance on your last statement.
Other liens. Judgment liens, unpaid water bills that have been certified to taxes, and tax liens all have to be paid from proceeds or released before the buyer gets clear title.
Negotiated costs: repairs, credits and inspections
The last group depends on your deal, not on a rate sheet.
- Repair credits after a buyer’s inspection, or repairs a lender requires. FHA appraisals, for example, can require fixes before the loan closes.
- Seller concessions, such as paying part of the buyer’s closing costs. NAR notes these can still be offered on the MLS after the settlement.
- Point-of-sale inspections in the cities that require them. Macedonia’s exterior-only inspection was $75 on a 2025 title-company list; most Summit communities do not require one, but septic and well inspections are required countywide when a property has them.
- Home warranty or utility final bills, if you agree to them or they are due at move-out.
Estimate your own net
Start from the price and subtract the groups above in order: commission, conveyance fee, title and settlement charges, prorated tax credit, payoffs and any negotiated credits. What is left is roughly your check at closing.
A worked example, using round numbers for a $200,000 listed sale in Summit County with a $110,000 mortgage:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sale price | $200,000 |
| Commission at 5.65% | minus $11,300 |
| Conveyance fee at $4 per $1,000 | minus $800 |
| Title and settlement charges (example) | minus $900 |
| Prorated tax credit to the buyer (example) | minus $2,600 |
| Mortgage payoff with interest to closing | minus $110,400 |
| Estimated proceeds | about $74,000 |
The title and tax figures in that table are placeholders; your title company’s fee sheet and the county tax bill supply the real ones. If a large mortgage leaves little room, the home equity guide shows how to run the numbers before you list.
For a side-by-side of listing against a direct sale, see your selling options.
