Sell My House in Maryland: What It Really Costs and How to Keep More

What Selling a House in Maryland Actually Costs

Maryland sellers typically give up 8 to 10 percent of the sale price in total selling costs. Here is where it goes.

Commissions are the largest piece. A traditional listing runs 5 to 6 percent of the sale price. On a median-priced Maryland home, that alone is $27,000 to $32,400.

Transfer taxes come next. Maryland charges a state transfer tax of 0.5 percent of the sale price under Tax-Property section 13-203. The statute has a quirk sellers should know: when the buyer is a first-time Maryland home buyer purchasing a principal residence, the state rate drops to 0.25 percent, but the law says that reduced tax "shall be paid entirely by the seller." So a first-time-buyer sale lowers the total tax while shifting the state portion onto your side of the settlement sheet. On top of the state tax, county transfer taxes range from roughly 0.5 to 1.4 percent depending on where the property sits, whether that is Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Howard County, or elsewhere.

Then the smaller items: title fees around $1,345, recording fees around $75, and any repair credits you negotiate. One more Maryland-specific catch: if you live out of state when you sell, Maryland withholds a portion of your proceeds at settlement, around 8 percent for individual sellers, which you reconcile when you file your Maryland return.

The Maryland Market Right Now: Prices, Timelines, and Rules

As of May 2026, Maryland's median sale price sits near $539,800, up about 8 percent year over year. Homes are going under contract in a median of 35 days, and sellers are collecting about 99.8 percent of list price. That is a healthy market: priced-right homes in Baltimore, Frederick, Rockville, Silver Spring, and Annapolis are selling close to asking without long waits.

Timing from contract to settlement depends on the buyer's financing. A financed buyer usually needs 30 to 45 days to close. A buyer paying without a loan can often settle in about three weeks.

Maryland also has paperwork rules that matter. Sellers must give buyers a residential property disclosure or disclaimer statement before the contract is ratified. And remember the transfer-tax math from section 13-203 above: who pays the state and county transfer taxes is part of the negotiation in a normal sale, so your net depends on the contract terms, not just the sale price. A good local net sheet accounts for all of it before you accept anything.

The Third Way to Sell Your Maryland House: A Locked-In Price, No Commission

Companies that buy homes directly, like the big national buyers, trade convenience for price and fees. A full-commission agent trades service for 5 to 6 percent of your equity. There is a third path.

Cash Flow Deals agrees on your net price in writing before anything else happens — the cash number you're guaranteed at closing, locked in unless an inspection turns up a foundation, moisture, wiring, or drain issue, in which case the numbers get re-costed and you decide how to proceed. To get the home in front of real buyers, Cash Flow Deals works with a licensed broker partner in Maryland, who lists it on the MLS through a flat-fee listing service. That's simply how the listing lands on the same database every local agent and buyer searches — it's not what you pay. Cash Flow Deals then markets the home above your agreed price, aiming for a real, financed buyer using an FHA, conventional, VA, or DSCR loan.

You don't pay Cash Flow Deals a commission or a flat fee. When the home sells, the proceeds first cover your locked-in price, your closing costs, and the buyer's agent commission — Cash Flow Deals is paid only from what's left over, the spread between the final sale price and your number. You sign one contract, the end buyer purchases directly, and Cash Flow Deals never takes title. Your number holds regardless of how big or small that spread turns out to be, as long as the sale closes as planned.

The broker partner also builds your Maryland-specific net sheet before you list: the 0.5 percent state transfer tax, your county's transfer tax, title and recording fees, and whether the 0.25 percent first-time-buyer rate under section 13-203 applies to your sale, since that reduced tax lands entirely on the seller by statute. You see your real number before you sign anything.

If you're ready to sell your house in Maryland, start with the net sheet. Reach out to Cash Flow Deals, get connected with the licensed broker partner in Maryland, and compare your locked-in number against what a 6 percent full-commission listing would actually leave you after fees. On a $539,800 median-priced home, that gap is often a five-figure check that stays in your pocket.

Here's how Cash Flow Deals works in Maryland, step by step:

1. Cash Flow Deals reviews your address and builds your Maryland net sheet -- the 0.5 percent state transfer tax, your county's rate, and title and recording fees -- so you see your locked-in number before you agree to anything.

2. The licensed broker partner lists your home on the MLS under a flat-fee listing, and your home gets marketed to real, financed buyers above your locked price.

3. Once a financed buyer is under contract, you typically close in 30 to 45 days -- your price holds regardless of the final sale price, and Cash Flow Deals is paid only from what's left over.