What Costs Are Involved in Selling a Commercial Property?

SVVRE | A better kind of brokerage.

February 18, 2022

Person calculating the cost of selling their property

During any commercial real estate transaction, sellers, as well as buyers incur some costs due to the various requirements that need to be fulfilled during the transaction. In view of this, sellers of commercial properties might ask: what costs are involved in selling a commercial property?

What Costs Are Involved in Selling a Commercial Property? 

The costs that are incurred by a seller while selling a commercial property include, but are not limited to appraisal fees, inspection and repair fees, agent commission fees, solicitor fees, transfer tax, and moving costs. The amount of money these fees would cost vary based on the property and the company hired to perform the services needed.    

While the ultimate reason for selling a commercial property is to generate income, you would still be required to spend some amount of money due to some inevitable costs that pop up during the sales. Here is a breakdown of the costs that could be incurred while selling a commercial property:

Client handing the payment for a commercial property

Appraisal Fees

Before deciding how much to set as the asking price for a commercial building, you first have to have a solid idea about its current value. Appraising your property before selling helps you know the estimated value of your property, hence reducing the chances of you underselling or setting an unrealistic asking price.

The best way to do this is by hiring the services of a real estate appraiser, which would no doubt cost you some money. The average cost for appraising commercial buildings is $4,000, while big buildings could cost as much as $15,000 or more. 

Inspection and Repair Fees

While the inspection of a building’s condition, as well as renovation, is mostly left to buyers to carry out, sellers could also choose to be responsible for it. Inspecting a property before sales helps you to identify any existing issues, and making repairs not only increases the value of the property but also quickens the entire transaction. 

Take note that inspection and renovations should only be carried out by professionals, who can be trusted to do a good job.

Agent Commission Fees

Real estate agents play a major role in the sales of commercial properties. They list your property, advertise it to the right audience, link you up with professionals that you might need to carry out other activities, broker the best deals, and generally ensure that the transaction goes smoothly from start to finish. 

Realtor showing the location of the commercial property to a potential buyer

However, all of these do not come for free. Typically, real estate agents -listing agent and buyer’s agent- charge a particular percentage of the sales price of your property, which would be divided equally between both agents. 

When looking for a real estate service to hire, make certain that you consider only professionals, such as Si Vales Valeo Real Estate, to guarantee the best deals for you, in regards to sales price and sales speed. 

Solicitor Fees

A commercial real estate transaction is a complex process and is best carried out with the assistance of a legal counsel. Your solicitor creates a legal framework for the transaction and keeps you protected from any legal issues that might arise. They also ensure smooth conveyancing

The solicitor fee covers the amount of money your solicitor will charge for the services offered and will vary based on the complexities of the transaction process. 

Transfer Tax

This is usually charged by the state or city within which the real estate transaction takes place. Before selling, you should find out the amount of money usually charged for each transaction, and make provisions to pay it during closing. 

For example, in Ohio, sellers would pay 1% of the sales price of the property as a real property conveyance fee, and in Hamilton, Cincinnati, 2% of the sales price in thousands as permissive tax. 

Person calculating the cost of selling their property

Moving Costs

Before closing, you would need to move any equipment or furniture that you have from the property, provided they are not part of the sales deal. The cost of hiring a moving company to transport these equipment is another fee that you might have to pay. 

How Much Do Solicitor Fees Cost on an Average?

Solicitor fees mostly cost about 0.5% – 1.25% of the property sales price. This price could vary based on the peculiarities of the transaction and could also be subject to negotiation.

How Long Would It Take To Sell My Commercial Property?

Acquiring the purchase and sale agreement of a commercial property could take a short while, like say a couple of weeks, or could extend over a long period, like say a year or more. Factors such as property price, property location, and market demand play a role in this. 

Conclusion

Closing costs in real estate transactions are pretty much unavoidable. However, if you are looking to minimize the amount you pay in closing costs as a seller, you might want to consider hiring a realtor service such as Si Vales Valeo Real Estate to help negotiate the best prices for the services you need rendered. 

More News

Wooden miniature house on top of a printed paper and near a set of keys

Real Estate vs 401K

Everybody wants a comfortable retirement. Investing now and living off returns later is one path to accomplishing that. Real estate investing may be an excellent

Read More »

You May Also Like

Client’s Bill of Rights

based on ORC 4735.62

As your partner, you can expect from us the following fiduciary duties:

  • Accounting: We will account for all funds entrusted to us by you, the client, and not commingle your funds with personal and/or business funds.
  • Care: We will use all of our skills to the best of our ability on behalf of you, the client.
  • Confidentiality: We will keep confidential any information provided by you, the client, especially information that may be damaging to you in a negotiation.
  • Disclosure: We will disclose to you, the client, any information received that may benefit your position in a negotiation.
  • Loyalty: We owe undivided loyalty to you, the client, and put your interests above our own.
    Obedience: We will obey all lawful orders given by you, the client.