How to Read Your Net Sheet When Selling Your Westside LA Home

When I sit down with a seller and we talk price, the conversation always ends in the same place: what will you actually walk away with? The number on the listing sign is not the number on your check. Your net sheet is the document that shows you the real number, broken down into every cost between accepting an offer and closing.

Many sellers see a net sheet for the first time after they have already listed. You should see one before you sign anything. Here is how to read it.

A net sheet is a one-page estimate of your proceeds. I build it from the proposed list price or an accepted offer price and works backward through every cost you will pay to close the sale. It is an estimate, not a final number, but a well-built one comes close to the final figure.

Ask for it early. I have one ready at the first pricing conversation, not as an afterthought.

Sale price. This is the starting line. Everything below it is a deduction.

Agent commission. In California, seller and buyer agent compensation is negotiated separately. Your listing agreement spells out what you are paying on the sell side. Buyer agent compensation may also show here if you agreed to cover it as part of attracting offers.

Escrow fee. The escrow company holds funds and coordinates the paperwork transfer. In Los Angeles County, sellers pay their share of the escrow fee. The escrow company quotes it, and it is based on the sale price.

Title insurance. Sellers in California typically pay for the owner's title insurance policy that protects the buyer. This is a one-time fee. The title company quotes it; it is based on the sale price.

Transfer tax. Los Angeles city and county both charge a documentary transfer tax at closing. Rates vary by municipality. For a home selling near $1.2 million in an incorporated city, this can add up to several thousand dollars. Your escrow officer will show you the exact figure for your property's location.

Loan payoff. If you have a mortgage, the lender gets paid first. Your outstanding balance plus interest accrued through the closing date comes out before your net. A home equity line of credit is paid off here too.

Prorations. Property taxes are split between you and the buyer as of the closing date. If you have already paid ahead through the period, you may receive a credit. If taxes have accrued through closing and not yet been paid, you owe the difference. HOA dues prorate the same way.

Credits to buyer (if any). If you agreed to a closing cost credit or a repair credit during negotiation, it shows here as a deduction from your proceeds.

Seller's net proceeds. Everything above adds up or subtracts down to this line. This is the check you walk away with.

Commission is negotiable. So is any buyer-side compensation you agree to cover. Escrow and title fees are set by the provider and are less flexible, though I can sometimes compare competing providers. Transfer tax is set by the municipality and is not negotiable.

The biggest lever on your net is the sale price itself, which is why the marketing strategy matters as much as the pricing conversation. The best way to protect your proceeds is to launch well and draw competition.

Ask before you sign the listing agreement. A net sheet built from the pricing conversation tells you whether the list price you are considering actually gets you where you need to go financially. If you are selling to fund a move, a purchase, or retirement, the net sheet is where you confirm the math before you commit.

For the full cost breakdown, read what it costs to sell a home in Westside Los Angeles.

Sellers can lose money in the gap between listing and closing when vendor coordination falls apart. The repair that takes three weeks instead of one because no one followed up. The vendor who misses Media Day. The lender coordination that drags closing past a rate lock and costs the buyer a fee that ends up coming back to you as a credit.

My Concierge Standard handles all of this. I coordinate every vendor from the day we sign through the keys changing hands. Your net is protected because the process runs on time and on schedule. For the full picture of what the listing process looks like, start with the complete guide to selling a Westside Los Angeles home. And before you choose an agent, read through these questions to ask a listing agent.

I give every seller a detailed net sheet at the first conversation, before we set a price and before anyone signs anything. If you want to walk through yours, I am here.

Book a consultation through my contact page or reach me directly at bobejo@firstkeypacific.com. No pressure, just real answers.

If you are weighing a sale on the Westside, the useful first conversation is not about a listing price. It is about what your home needs, what it will cost, and what it is likely to return. First Key Pacific is my practice, and I walk the property before anyone spends a dollar. Tell me about your home and we will start there.