A Massachusetts seller's closing costs include the deed excise tax, attorney fees, a smoke and carbon monoxide certificate, and several smaller charges tied to your property type, on top of the brokerage commission and your mortgage payoff. Most sellers who get surprised at closing were never shown the full list. Here is the full list, using a Lowell sale as the example.
Deed Excise Tax
Massachusetts charges $4.56 per $1,000 of sale price as a deed excise tax when the deed records, and in this state the seller customarily pays it. On a $600,000 sale, that is $2,736. It appears on every Massachusetts seller's closing statement, and it is the item sellers most often tell me nobody warned them about.
Attorney Fees
Your attorney reviews the purchase and sale agreement, makes sure the title is clean, prepares or reviews the deed, and coordinates your side of the closing. Fees depend on the attorney and the complexity of your transaction. An estate sale, a property with a title issue from decades ago, or a sale involving a trust will cost more than a clean single family closing in Pawtucketville. It is money well spent either way. Real estate in Massachusetts is an attorney driven closing process, and your interests need their own lawyer in the room.
Smoke and CO Certificate
Massachusetts law requires the fire department to inspect your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors before closing and issue a certificate of compliance. There is a fee for the inspection, and if your detectors are expired or in the wrong places, you will be replacing them first. I tell every seller to check detector dates the week we list, not the week we close, because a failed inspection days before closing is a preventable headache.
Property Specific Items
If your home has a septic system, expect a Title V inspection cost, which applies to most transfers. If you are selling a condo or one of Lowell's downtown mill lofts, you will pay the association for a 6D certificate stating your dues are current, and sometimes for the condo document package the buyer's lender requires. Final water and sewer readings are taken near closing so usage can be adjusted between you and the buyer. If you have an oil tank, the remaining oil is usually measured and credited. Rental properties may also have security deposit and rent adjustments with the tenants at closing.
Payoff Related Charges
Your existing mortgage gets paid off from the sale proceeds, and the payoff figure includes interest through the payoff date, which is why it is always a little higher than the balance on your last statement. There may be small fees for the payoff statement and for recording the discharge of your mortgage at the registry of deeds. If you have a home equity line, that must be paid off and closed as well, even if the balance is zero.
The Commission
The brokerage commission agreed in your listing agreement is paid at closing from the proceeds. It is negotiable and set in writing before your home is marketed, so it should never be a surprise. Along with the mortgage payoff, it is typically the largest deduction on the seller's side of the statement.
The smart move is to see all of this in one estimate before you list. I prepare net sheet estimates for my Lowell and Greater Lowell sellers showing the likely proceeds at different prices, including every cost above. Call Doherty Properties at (978) 746-0124 and I will run yours, free and with no obligation.
Chris Doherty is the #1 selling agent in Lowell, ranked #1 in the city again and again, including in 2024 and 2025, and he is one of Greater Lowell's top-producing agents. He personally sells 100+ homes a year, with 3,000+ career transactions, and Doherty Properties, the company he leads, has handled over $1 billion in real estate transactions.
Doherty Properties LLC, 14 Jackson Street, Lowell, MA 01852 | 160 Main Street, Unit 7, Haverhill, MA 01830 | 4 Courthouse Lane, Suite 2, Chelmsford, MA 01824 | (978) 746-0124 | [email protected]
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