Realtors in Miami, FL

Agent compensation and closing costs in Miami

Ranges are general estimates gathered from homeowner-reported quotes in the Miami area, not an offer or a quote for your project.

Housing market timing in Miami

Plan showings, inspections and moving protection around the typical May 15–October 15 South Florida rainy season; ask your lender and insurer about storm-related closing constraints. https://www.weather.gov/media/mfl/news/RainySeason2023.pdf

Seller disclosures and local requirements

Use City of Miami Building Department permit and code resources for city properties; have the closing professional confirm any current property-specific point-of-sale certificate or inspection obligation rather than assuming neighboring-city rules apply. Florida requires the statutory flood disclosure at or before contract execution under section 689.302; unincorporated Miami-Dade has additional specified disclosure requirements. https://www.miami.gov/Home https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/689.302 https://www.miamidade.gov/global/economy/code-compliance/buying-selling-residential-properties.page

Agent licensing in Florida

Florida Real Estate Commission / DBPR Division of Real Estate regulates real estate licensing. Verify active license status and brokerage identity in the DBPR lookup before hiring. https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/real-estate-commission/ https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp?mode=0&search_type=realestate

Miami market and neighborhood overview: compare the property, not just the ZIP

Miami is not a single interchangeable housing market. Begin with the legal municipality, property type and ownership structure: a Miami mailing address is not proof that City of Miami rules apply. Keep Miami Beach, Coral Gables and unincorporated Miami-Dade separate when comparing permits and closing requirements. The city recognizes neighborhood areas including Downtown/Brickell, Coconut Grove, Little Havana, Flagami, Allapattah and Little Haiti.

For a condominium search in Brickell, Downtown or Edgewater, ask the agent for building-specific closed comparables, association charges, parking rights, rental restrictions and pending assessments. For a house search in Shenandoah, Silver Bluff, Flagami or Coconut Grove, compare lot characteristics, roof condition, permitted living area and insurance eligibility. These are due-diligence priorities, not neighborhood price or appreciation forecasts.

Ask each agent to explain recent closed sales, competing listings and properties that failed to sell for the same property type and immediate area. Require dates and source records rather than an unsupported citywide median. Visit at commuting hours and after rain, and compare flood mapping at the individual address; the county provides flood-zone and elevation-certificate resources.

Buying a home in Miami: from budget to keys

First calculate a complete monthly housing budget, including principal, interest, taxes, homeowners insurance, flood coverage where appropriate, association dues and maintenance. Obtain insurance indications for the actual address before your contractual inspection rights expire. An attractive sale price does not compensate for a monthly payment or assessment obligation you cannot carry.

Next compare lenders and obtain preapproval before making an offer. Review the representation agreement with your agent, including services, compensation, term and cancellation conditions; commission is negotiable, not a fixed standard. Put financing, inspection, deposit, appraisal and closing deadlines in writing, and ask who is responsible for tracking each one.

After an accepted offer, book an independent inspection promptly and arrange specialist follow-up where needed. An appraisal estimates value for the lending process; it does not replace an inspection of physical condition. Coordinate roof, electrical, plumbing and cooling questions with the inspector and insurer, and request permit records separately rather than assuming a visual inspection verifies legality.

Before closing, review title exceptions, survey issues where applicable, association documents, financing conditions and the final walk-through. For mortgages subject to the federal Closing Disclosure timing rule, the lender must provide it three business days before scheduled closing. Compare cash to close with your earlier estimate and verify wire instructions through a separately confirmed contact method.

Selling your home in Miami: preparation, listing and closing timeline

If your goal is “sell my house Miami,” start with a net-proceeds worksheet rather than a promised list price. Ask agents for an as-is strategy and a limited-preparation strategy, with comparable sales supporting each. Subtract mortgage payoffs, negotiated brokerage compensation, documentary stamps, title or settlement charges assigned by contract, tax prorations, concessions and any association obligations before deciding what you can spend on the next home.

In the preparation phase, collect repair invoices, roof and equipment records, insurance claims, surveys, permits and association information. Resolve questions about additions, enclosed spaces or extra living units early. Complete the Florida flood disclosure at or before contract execution, including knowledge of damaging flooding during ownership, flood claims and flood assistance. Do not wait until closing to introduce this document.

When launching the listing, agree on photography, showing access, offer-review communication and a date to reassess pricing if qualified interest is weak. A sensible calendar distinguishes preparation time, marketing time and the signed-contract period; none is a guaranteed number of days. Association review, title issues, repairs and lender underwriting can change the closing date.

Once under contract, respond to inspections within the agreed deadlines and document repairs or credits through signed amendments. Before handing over keys, confirm agreed work, final utility dates, cleared possession, mortgage payoff arrangements and the actual closing statement. Coordinate any replacement purchase with a written contingency or temporary-housing plan rather than assuming both closings will happen simultaneously.

Buying and selling costs: estimates, taxes and negotiable charges

The CFPB suggests a preliminary buyer closing-cost allowance of 2–5% of purchase price, separate from the down payment. This is a national planning estimate, not a Miami quote, and the table’s individual items are components or additional due-diligence costs rather than amounts to add blindly to that percentage. For an illustrative $500,000 purchase, that allowance is $10,000–$25,000; $500,000 is a calculation example, not a local median.

Miami-Dade deed documentary stamps are $0.60 per $100 or fraction of consideration. An additional $0.45 per $100 or fraction applies unless the document transfers only a single-family dwelling. Have the closing agent confirm the classification for a condominium or other property; do not assume a marketing description determines the exemption. At $500,000, the base tax is $3,000, with another $2,250 if the surtax applies. The purchase contract allocates payment, while state law makes all nonexempt parties liable.

Get an itemized title and settlement quote separating insurance premiums, endorsements, search, closing services and recording. Florida regulates title-insurance premiums, but that does not make every settlement charge identical. Inspection costs vary with size and scope, and the appraisal range below is national rather than a verified Miami tariff. Compare actual lender and provider estimates before committing funds.

Seller costs cannot responsibly be summarized as a universal percentage. Request a transaction-specific net sheet at your intended asking price and again for each serious offer. Commission is negotiable; ask whether compensation to any other brokerage is included, separately offered or absent, and approve the arrangement in writing.

Disclosures, permit records and point-of-sale questions

Florida Statutes section 689.302 requires the residential seller’s flood disclosure at or before execution of the sales contract. It also warns that homeowners policies do not cover flood damage. A map designation and a seller disclosure answer different questions: review both, and ask the insurer about coverage and exclusions for the specific property.

For property within the City of Miami, use the City of Miami Building Department and its Permits & Construction resources to investigate permit history, unresolved work and applicable certificates. Do not substitute a private home inspection for a permit or code-record search. Have the closing professional confirm any current re-occupancy or other point-of-sale requirement directly with the city for this property; this page does not assert that all Miami resales require a certificate or that no inspection rule exists.

The county specifically requires a contract disclosure about illegal construction and outstanding building or zoning violations for residential property in unincorporated Miami-Dade. Its buying-and-selling page also addresses other disclosures. That unincorporated-area rule should not be presented as an identical citywide requirement. If a listing’s jurisdiction is unclear, establish it before choosing forms or planning a closing schedule.

Choosing a Miami real estate agent and verifying licensing

The Florida Real Estate Commission, supported by DBPR’s Division of Real Estate, regulates Florida real estate licensees. Search the DBPR license portal by name or license number, check the current status and confirm the brokerage identity before signing. A website profile, association membership or marketing designation is not a substitute for state license verification.

Interview agents about the exact property type you are buying or selling. Ask for a sample pricing analysis, communication plan, written scope, compensation terms and an explanation of who handles inspection and association deadlines. For condos, ask how the agent investigates building documents; for houses, ask how roof, flood and permit issues enter the offer strategy. Henry sends your request to up to 3 local agents; you compare the proposals and choose one.

Miami moving checklist: utilities, vehicles, homestead and closing records

Before moving day, establish who supplies water to the address and whether a condominium includes it in association charges. Miami-Dade Water and Sewer’s start-service process asks for identification, the service address and proof of ownership or a lease. Schedule electricity with FPL using the start date and address, and arrange the old account’s stop date so services remain available for any agreed final walk-through.

If moving from another state, FLHSMV’s new-resident guidance calls for a Florida driver license within 30 days of establishing residency and Florida insurance plus vehicle titling and registration within 10 days. Prepare identity, residency and vehicle documents before booking appointments; confirm lienholder arrangements if you do not hold the out-of-state title.

Calendar the homestead application instead of assuming the seller’s benefit automatically transfers. Miami-Dade generally requires legal or equitable title and permanent residence as of January 1, with application due March 1. Ask the Property Appraiser about eligibility, documentation and any portability benefit from a prior Florida homestead, and estimate future taxes for your ownership rather than simply copying the seller’s bill.

Keep the recorded deed, closing statement, title policy, seller disclosures and documentary-stamp calculations together. Confirm which party pays deed tax in the contract, update mailing addresses and insurance, and arrange association move reservations where applicable. After possession, photograph condition, locate shutoffs and schedule essential repairs before cosmetic improvements.

Seasonal planning and move-related home projects

The National Weather Service places South Florida’s typical rainy season from May 15 through October 15, with near-daily scattered showers and thunderstorms. This is a logistics issue, not a promise of better sale prices in another season: provide covered access, flexible inspection windows and protection for furniture and documents. Ask the lender and insurer what storm conditions could affect binding coverage or closing.

Before listing, prioritize documented defects and maintenance that affect insurability, safety or inspection negotiations. Do not cover staining or moisture damage with fresh paint without addressing its cause. After move-in, obtain scoped bids before replacing a roof, cooling system or windows; verify permits and any association approval before work starts.

The moving projects below are options for an average-size home, not a bundled renovation allowance or a claim that every property needs them. Only painting has a sourced whole-home price: the cited local contractor describes a 1,500–2,500-square-foot house. Other projects intentionally have no low/high figures because no sufficiently supported Miami whole-project price was established; request a measured written quote.

Areas Henry covers

Brickell · Downtown · Edgewater · Coconut Grove · Little Havana · Shenandoah · Silver Bluff · Flagami · Allapattah · Little Haiti

Common questions

More home services in Miami

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