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What are the costs of selling a condo?

By Winfred Quek · CEA R073319H · Published 5 Aug 2026

Quick answer: Five items come off the sale price before you see cash: the outstanding bank loan, CPF principal plus 2.5% accrued interest refunded to your CPF account, agent commission around 2%, legal fees of roughly $3,000, and Seller's Stamp Duty if you're still inside the 4 year window. Compute net proceeds before you list, not after.

The sale price is never the number you take home. Five deductions stand between the headline price and your actual net proceeds.

The five deductions

  1. Outstanding mortgage balance, paid off first from the sale proceeds.
  2. CPF refund, principal plus 2.5% accrued interest, returned to your CPF Ordinary Account, not paid to you as cash.
  3. Agent commission, market standard is around 2% plus GST for seller representation.
  4. Legal fees, roughly $3,000 for a standard completion.
  5. Seller's Stamp Duty, only if you sell within the SSD window from your purchase date.
Quotable: As of August 2026, CPF housing refunds on sale must include the principal used plus 2.5% per annum accrued interest, credited back to the member's CPF account (CPF Board).

Worked example

On a $1.2 million sale with a $218,000 CPF refund, net cash can be as low as $611,000, even with no Seller's Stamp Duty involved. The CPF refund is very often the largest single deduction, not the agent commission.

If you're still inside the SSD window

For property purchased on or after 4 Jul 2025, Seller's Stamp Duty applies within 4 years: 16% in year 1, 12% in year 2, 8% in year 3, 4% in year 4, 0% after. Property purchased before 4 Jul 2025 keeps the earlier 3 year schedule: 12%, 8%, 4%, then 0%. At $2 million, year 1 SSD under the current schedule is $320,000, large enough to erase gains on most properties held under 24 months.

Always compute net proceeds before listing

Run all five deductions against your actual numbers before you set an asking price, the net figure, not the headline sale price, is what determines whether the sale actually makes sense for your next move.

Frequently asked questions

Is agent commission the biggest cost when selling a condo?

Not usually. The CPF refund, principal plus accrued interest, is very often the largest single deduction, especially if CPF was used for years, and commonly outweighs agent commission and legal fees combined.

Do I pay Seller's Stamp Duty on every condo sale?

No, only if you sell within the SSD window. For property bought on or after 4 Jul 2025, that's 4 years, 16/12/8/4% by year; for property bought before that date, the earlier 3 year schedule still applies. After the window, SSD is 0%.

Want your real net proceeds before you list?

Winfred runs the full loan payoff, CPF refund, commission, legal fee and SSD stack so the number you plan around is accurate.

Book a free 30 minute call

Winfred Quek is an Associate Marketing Consultant at Crestbrick Pte Ltd (CEA Licence No. L31010886H). CEA R073319H. This page is for general information only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Rates and rules reflect the position as at 5 Aug 2026; verify current figures with IRAS, HDB, or MAS before making any decision.

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