What does it cost to sell a home in Central Texas in 2026? Sellers in Texas typically pay between 8% and 10% of the sale price in total costs — including agent commissions, title insurance, prorated property taxes, and potential buyer concessions. On a $275,000 home in Killeen, that’s roughly $22,000 to $27,500 out of your proceeds.

Most Sellers Focus on the Wrong Number

Here’s what I see constantly: a seller gets excited about the sale price, mentally spends the money, and then sits down at the closing table wondering where a chunk of it went. The sale price and the amount that hits your bank account are two very different numbers. The gap between them? That’s what we’re breaking down right now.

Whether you’re PCSing out of Fort Cavazos, selling your first home in Copperas Cove, or upgrading from Killeen to Pflugerville, you need to know what’s coming off the top — before you list, not the day you close. A good agent gives you a seller net sheet on day one. If yours doesn’t, that tells you something.

Let’s walk through each cost line by line so there are zero surprises.

Agent Commissions: The Biggest Line Item

This is the largest expense for most sellers. In Texas, total commissions typically run between 5% and 6% of the sale price, split between your listing agent and the buyer’s agent.

On a $275,000 sale, that’s $13,750 to $16,500.

Here’s what shifted: after the NAR settlement in 2024, buyer agent compensation is no longer automatically bundled into the listing agreement. Buyers now negotiate compensation directly with their own agent. However, many sellers in Central Texas still offer to cover the buyer’s agent fee because it makes the home easier to afford — especially for VA and FHA buyers who are already stretching their cash-to-close.

The smart move: have a conversation with your agent about what compensation structure makes sense for your specific property and price point. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here.

Title Insurance: Customary and Non-Negotiable (Sort Of)

In Texas, it’s customary for the seller to pay for the owner’s title insurance policy. This protects the buyer from any title defects, liens, or ownership disputes tied to the property.

Title insurance rates in Texas are regulated by the Texas Department of Insurance, so the pricing is standardized statewide — you won’t find wildly different quotes from different title companies. One thing worth noting: title rates dropped 6.2% effective March 1, 2026, so if you’re closing after that date, your settlement statement should reflect the new rates.

On a $275,000 home, expect the owner’s title policy to run roughly $1,700 to $2,000.

While the seller paying this cost is “customary,” everything in real estate is technically negotiable. In a strong seller’s market, some buyers agreed to pick up this cost. In the current market, the convention holds — sellers pay it.

Prorated Property Taxes: The One That Catches People Off Guard

Texas property taxes are paid in arrears. That means the 2026 tax bill covering the whole calendar year won’t be issued until October or November, and it isn’t due until January 31, 2027. But when you sell mid-year, you don’t just walk away from the taxes you owe for the months you lived there.

The title company calculates how many days of the tax year you owned the property and credits that amount to the buyer at closing. You’re paying your share of taxes for the time you owned the home — even though the actual bill hasn’t been issued yet.

Here’s what that looks like in Bell County. The effective property tax rate in the Killeen area runs roughly 2% or higher depending on your specific city, school district, and special taxing districts. On a $275,000 home assessed at full value, that’s approximately $5,500 per year in property taxes. Sell on July 1st, and you’ll owe roughly $2,750 at closing for half a year of prorated taxes.

For closings before April 1, the title company typically uses prior year taxes for the proration math. After April 1, they use the appraisal district’s current assessed value multiplied by the prior year’s rate — sometimes with a small cushion built in.

Bottom line: budget for this. It’s not optional, and the amount varies significantly depending on when you close and where your property sits within Bell County’s taxing jurisdictions.

Buyer Concessions: The Cost of Getting to the Finish Line

Concessions aren’t a fixed cost — they’re negotiable. But in the current Central Texas market, they’re extremely common. Buyers are asking sellers to contribute toward closing costs, rate buydowns, or repair credits, and sellers who want to move their property are saying yes.

Budget roughly 2% to 3% of the sale price for concessions. On a $275,000 home, that’s $5,500 to $8,250.

In a seller’s market, you might get away with offering nothing. Right now, concessions are part of most deals. Your agent should be able to tell you what’s typical in your specific neighborhood and price range based on recent closed sales — not just what’s being asked, but what’s actually being agreed to.

Escrow, Recording, and Settlement Fees

These are the smaller line items that add up. They include:

• Escrow/settlement fees: The title company’s fee for handling the closing, typically $400 to $800 in Central Texas
• Recording fees: Paid to the county to officially record the deed transfer, usually $100 to $300
• HOA transfer fees: If your property is in an HOA, expect $100 to $400 for resale certificates and transfer documents
• Property survey: If questions arise about boundary lines, a survey can run $300 to $800

Good news for Texas sellers: there is no state transfer tax on real estate transactions. There’s also no state income tax on the gain. The federal capital gains exclusion — $250,000 for individuals, $500,000 for married couples — applies if you’ve lived in the home at least two of the last five years. Most Central Texas sellers fall well within that exclusion.

Pre-Listing Costs That Don’t Show Up on the Settlement Statement

These aren’t closing costs, but they come out of your pocket before you ever get to the closing table:

• Repairs and prep work: Depending on condition, sellers spend anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand getting a home market-ready. At minimum, address deferred maintenance items that will show up on a buyer’s inspection.
• Staging and photography: Professional photos are non-negotiable if you want top dollar. Some agents include this in their services — ask.
• Carrying costs: Every month your home sits on the market, you’re paying the mortgage, insurance, property taxes, utilities, and possibly HOA dues. On a $275,000 home with a $1,800 monthly payment, two extra months on market costs you $3,600 in carrying costs alone. Pricing it right from the start isn’t just strategy — it’s math.

Putting It All Together: A Real Net Sheet Example

Here’s what the math looks like on a $275,000 sale in Killeen, Texas:

Cost	Estimated Amount
Agent commissions (5.5%)	$15,125
Owner’s title insurance	~$1,850
Prorated property taxes (mid-year)	~$2,750
Buyer concessions (2.5%)	$6,875
Escrow/settlement fees	~$600
Recording and misc. fees	~$300
Total estimated costs	~$27,500

That’s roughly 10% of the sale price. If you still owe $180,000 on your mortgage, your estimated net proceeds would be around $67,500.

That number — the net — is the only number that matters. Not the sale price. Not the Zestimate. The net.

How to Keep More of Your Money

You can’t eliminate these costs, but you can control some of them:

• Price it right from day one. Overpricing leads to longer days on market, which means more carrying costs and eventually a price reduction that signals weakness to buyers. Data-driven pricing protects your net.
• Negotiate concessions strategically. A $5,000 concession toward a rate buydown might cost you less than a $10,000 price reduction — and the buyer’s monthly payment drops more. Run the numbers both ways.
• Ask for a seller net sheet before you list. Any agent worth hiring will walk you through this before you sign a listing agreement. If they can’t produce one, find someone who can.
• Understand your mortgage payoff. Interest accrues daily. On a $200,000 balance at 6%, that’s roughly $33 per day. The exact payoff date matters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Texas charge a transfer tax when you sell a home?

No. Texas does not impose a state or county transfer tax on real estate sales. This is one advantage Texas sellers have over sellers in states like California, New York, or Illinois where transfer taxes can add thousands to the closing costs.

Who pays for title insurance in a Central Texas home sale?

By custom, the seller pays for the owner’s title insurance policy. Rates are standardized statewide by the Texas Department of Insurance and were reduced 6.2% effective March 2026. The buyer typically pays for the lender’s title insurance policy required by their mortgage company.

How much are property taxes in the Killeen–Fort Cavazos area?

Total effective property tax rates in the Killeen area generally run around 2% or higher of assessed value, depending on your specific city, school district (Killeen ISD, for example, has a rate of about $0.88 per $100), and special districts. On a $275,000 home, that can mean $5,500 or more per year. When you sell, you’ll owe a prorated share through your closing date.

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Ready to see your actual numbers — not estimates? Book a free strategy call with Stephen Harris so we can build your personalized seller net sheet and map out the smartest path to your next move — whether you’re PCSing from Fort Cavazos, downsizing, or upgrading somewhere in Central Texas.

Stephen Harris | Real Estate Broker and Loan Originator | Good Life Team — All City Real Estate | Serving Killeen, Fort Cavazos, Copperas Cove, Pflugerville, and all of Central Texas