What does it cost to sell a house in Emeryville, California?
What does it cost to sell a home in Emeryville, California? Emeryville levies a city transfer tax of 1.5% of the sale price, on top of the countywide documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000. Free, honest net sheet covering commission, transfer taxes, title, escrow, and net proceeds — and how AgentAudit negotiates the commission down. Free for sellers.
Emeryville transfer tax
Emeryville levies a city transfer tax of 1.5% of the sale price, on top of the countywide documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000.
- Up to $1,000,000: 1.2% of the sale price
- $1,000,000–$2,000,000: 1.5% of the sale price
- Over $2,000,000: 2.5% of the sale price
Example — on a $1,500,000 sale the Emeryville transfer tax is about $22,500, plus the county documentary transfer tax of about $1,650.
CaliforniaCityFinance.com transfer-tax chart (rev. Dec 2025) — verified 2026-06-22.
The commission is the biggest cost — and the only negotiable one
On a typical Emeryville sale the agent commission dwarfs every transfer-tax and escrow line combined. AgentAudit targets a roughly 2.0% listing-side commission, shown as a projected range rather than a promise; the real rate is whatever a local agent commits to in your blind-bid competition. AgentAudit never attaches a projected rate to a named agent.
Frequently asked questions
Does Emeryville have a city transfer tax?
Emeryville levies a city transfer tax of 1.5% of the sale price, on top of the countywide documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000. Source: CaliforniaCityFinance.com transfer-tax chart (rev. Dec 2025) — verified 2026-06-22.
What does it actually cost to sell a house in California?
On a typical California sale the agent commission is by far the largest cost of selling — commonly 4–6% of the price when you add the listing side and a buyer-side concession together. Everything else (county documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000, title and escrow, recording, and prorations) usually adds up to a small fraction of the commission. That's why AgentAudit focuses on the commission: it's the one line big enough to be worth negotiating, and it's the line we negotiate down in writing.
How much is the California transfer tax when selling a home?
The California county documentary transfer tax is $1.10 per $1,000 of the sale price (i.e. $0.55 per $500), charged in every county. Some charter cities — for example Oakland, Berkeley, and San José — add their own city transfer tax on top; general-law cities such as Dublin and Pleasanton do not. Your escrow officer can confirm the exact city rate for your address.
Is the agent commission really the biggest cost of selling?
Yes. On most sales the listing-side commission plus any buyer-side concession dwarfs every other closing cost combined. Title, escrow, transfer tax, and recording fees are real but comparatively small. Because the commission is both the largest and the most negotiable line, lowering it is where a seller keeps the most money — which is exactly what AgentAudit does.
How does AgentAudit lower the commission?
AgentAudit runs a blind-bid competition where qualified local agents compete on their listing-side commission and concessions, in writing, before any listing appointment. AgentAudit targets a roughly 2.0% listing-side commission, but the figure on the net sheet is a projection shown as a range — the actual rate is whatever an agent commits to in your competition. AgentAudit never attaches a projected rate to a named agent, and it is 100% free for sellers.
Is the AgentAudit net sheet a closing statement?
No. It's a planning estimate to help you understand where your money goes. Title, escrow, prorations, and city transfer tax are estimates — your escrow officer provides the exact figures. AgentAudit negotiates the listing-side commission; it does not set title or escrow fees.
Open the full Emeryville net sheet · Make agents compete for your listing