In a Nevada home sale, both the buyer and the seller pay closing costs, but they pay different ones. Sellers usually carry the larger share because real estate commissions, the owner’s title insurance policy, and (by Clark County custom) the real property transfer tax all land on their side of the settlement statement. Buyers pay the costs tied to getting their loan and checking the house: appraisal, credit report, origination, inspections, lender’s title policy, and their share of escrow. None of this is fixed by statute. The purchase contract controls, and almost every line is negotiable.
What Sellers Typically Pay
The biggest number on the seller’s side is the real estate commission, historically around 5% to 6% of the sale price split between the listing and buyer’s agents. That arrangement changed in August 2024 under a national settlement with the National Association of Realtors. Listing brokers can no longer advertise buyer-agent compensation through the MLS, and buyers now sign a written agreement with their own agent before touring homes.1National Association of Realtors. NAR Settlement FAQs Many Nevada sellers still agree to contribute toward the buyer’s agent fee as part of the deal, but it is negotiated, not defaulted.
Sellers also pay for the owner’s title insurance policy, which protects the buyer against liens or claims that predate the sale. Any existing mortgage is paid off at closing, and the trustee handling the reconveyance may charge a fee; Nevada law conclusively presumes a reconveyance fee of $100 or less to be reasonable.2Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 107-077 – Delivery of Documents by Beneficiary to Trustee Recording fees for the deed and any release documents are usually assigned to the seller as well, along with any unpaid property taxes or liens that have to clear before title can transfer.
If the home is in an HOA, the seller pays for the resale disclosure package and demand statement showing the association’s financials and any outstanding assessments.3Nevada Real Estate Division. Resale Packages – Frequently Asked Questions HOA transfer fees are usually split between buyer and seller, except on VA transactions where the seller pays the full transfer fee. Some sellers add a one-year home warranty, generally $400 to $1,200 depending on coverage, as a negotiating sweetener.
What Buyers Typically Pay
Buyer closing costs cluster around the mortgage. The lender orders an appraisal to confirm the home supports the loan amount, and the buyer pays for it. A credit report fee covers pulling the buyer’s financial history. The loan origination fee, charged by the lender for processing and underwriting the mortgage, generally runs 0.5% to 1% of the loan amount. If the down payment is under 20%, private mortgage insurance is required.
Outside the loan file, buyers usually pay for a home inspection to catch structural, mechanical, or safety problems before closing. Nevada does not require a wood-destroying pest inspection on every sale, but FHA and VA lenders commonly do, and the buyer generally pays. The pest inspection report must be delivered within five days and include the loan reference number when applicable.4Legal Information Institute. Nevada Admin Code 555-430 – Inspection or Application of Pesticide for Wood-Destroying Pests
Buyers also pay for the lender’s title insurance policy, which protects the mortgage holder if a title defect surfaces after closing. Notary fees for signing loan documents are modest: Nevada caps an acknowledgment at $15 for the first signature and $7.50 for each additional one.5Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 240-100 – Fees for Notarial Acts The buyer’s share of title and escrow service fees comes down to what the purchase contract says, though in Southern Nevada the custom is to split them evenly.
The Nevada Real Property Transfer Tax
The transfer tax is one of the larger closing costs in a Nevada sale, and it sits at the top of the list of items where regional custom matters more than law. Chapter 375 of the Nevada Revised Statutes governs it. The tax applies to any deed transferring real property worth more than $100, and the rate depends on county population.
The base tax under NRS 375.020 is $1.25 per $500 of value in counties with a population of 700,000 or more (currently only Clark County) and $0.65 per $500 everywhere else.6Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 375-020 – Imposition and Rate of Tax NRS 375.023 adds another $1.30 per $500 statewide, with proceeds going to the State General Fund.7Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 375-023 – Imposition of Additional Tax Counties under 400,000 population can add an optional $0.05 per $500.8Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 375-026 – Optional Imposition of Additional Tax in Certain Counties
In practice, Clark County’s combined rate is $2.55 per $500 of value.9Clark County, NV. Land Documents Washoe County’s is $2.05 per $500.10Washoe County, NV. Real Property Transfer Tax Rural counties that have not adopted the optional tax come in at $1.95 per $500. On a $450,000 sale in Clark County, the transfer tax works out to $2,295.
As to who writes the check, NRS 375.030 makes the buyer and seller jointly and severally liable, meaning the county recorder can collect from either party. The escrow holder is not liable. The statute lets the parties agree by contract which side will pay, and that contract term is where the real answer lives.11Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Title 32 – 375.030 Payment of Taxes, Penalties, and Interest Certain transfers are exempt under NRS 375.090, including transfers between spouses in a divorce, transfers to or from a government entity, inheritances, and some interfamily transfers; the exemption number and reason go on the Declaration of Value form filed with the county recorder.
Regional Custom Changes the Split
Where the property sits in Nevada is one of the strongest predictors of who pays what, not because the law differs but because local practice does.
Clark County and Las Vegas
In the Las Vegas area and throughout Clark County, the entire transfer tax customarily falls on the seller. Title and escrow fees are typically split 50/50. The combined effect pushes a larger share of closing costs onto the seller than the strict statutory default would suggest.
Washoe County and Northern Nevada
In Reno, Sparks, and the rest of Washoe County, the transfer tax is customarily split 50/50 between buyer and seller. Title insurance and escrow fee allocations may also look different than in the south. Reviewing regional expectations before signing a purchase agreement avoids thousands of dollars in surprises; a buyer who assumes Clark County custom in a Washoe County deal has quietly agreed to pay half the transfer tax.
Prorations at Closing
Some recurring costs are divided between buyer and seller by the calendar, with the split showing up on the settlement statement.
Property Taxes
Nevada’s property tax fiscal year runs July 1 through June 30.12Nevada Department of Taxation. Redbook – Glossary Taxes come due in four installments, in August, October, January, and March.13Clark County, NV. Future Due Dates At closing, the seller is debited and the buyer is credited for the portion of the current tax period the seller owned the home. If the seller has already prepaid taxes covering days after closing, the buyer reimburses the seller for those days instead.
HOA Dues
For a home in an HOA, the current month’s dues are prorated between the parties based on the closing date, and the buyer prepays the next full month at closing.
Seller Credits Toward Buyer Costs
A Nevada seller can agree to cover part of the buyer’s closing costs. These seller concessions help buyers who are tight on cash after their down payment, but the buyer’s loan type caps how much the seller can contribute.
- Conventional loans (Fannie Mae): with less than 10% down, up to 3% of the sale price; with 10% to 24.99% down, up to 6%; with 25% or more down, up to 9%.14Fannie Mae. Interested Party Contributions (IPCs)
- FHA loans: seller contributions cannot exceed 6% of the sale price; anything above reduces the mortgage amount dollar for dollar.
- VA loans: no limit on credits toward the buyer’s actual closing costs, but seller concessions (extras like paying off the buyer’s debts or prepaying hazard insurance) are capped at 4% of the home’s reasonable value.15Veterans Affairs. VA Funding Fee and Loan Closing Costs
- Investment properties (conventional): capped at 2% regardless of down payment.14Fannie Mae. Interested Party Contributions (IPCs)
A concession that goes over the cap is not simply trimmed. It gets treated as a reduction in the sale price, which drops the value used for the loan-to-value ratio and can jeopardize the buyer’s financing. Work with the lender to structure the credit before writing it into the contract.
FIRPTA When the Seller Is a Foreign Person
When the seller is a foreign person or entity, the buyer, not the seller, has to withhold 15% of the sale price under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act and send it to the IRS.16Internal Revenue Service. FIRPTA Withholding There is an exception when the buyer plans to use the home as a personal residence and the sale price is $300,000 or less; in that case, no withholding is required.17Internal Revenue Service. Exceptions From FIRPTA Withholding In a market like Las Vegas, which draws significant foreign investment, FIRPTA catches unprepared parties off guard. A foreign seller who wants to reduce or eliminate the withholding can apply to the IRS for a withholding certificate before closing, but the application takes time, so start early.