A line-item look at what home buyers pay, from earnest money to closing: down payment, loan costs, inspection, title, taxes, and the post-NAR-settlement buyer's agent commission.
Most first-time buyers focus on the down payment and assume the rest will sort itself out. Post-NAR-settlement, the buyer-side cost picture has shifted, and a line item that used to sit in the background, the buyer's agent commission, is now something buyers see and agree to in writing.
This post walks through the costs a buyer typically sees from offer acceptance to keys in hand. Exact amounts vary by lender, loan type, county, and contract; your lender's Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure are the documents that set out your numbers (see the CFPB's guide to the Closing Disclosure, as of September 2026).
Your loan program sets the minimum:
Your lender confirms what applies to you. The down payment affects your monthly payment and whether you pay mortgage insurance; the monthly breakdown calculator models this at different down-payment levels.
A good-faith deposit paid with the offer, held until closing and credited toward your costs at settlement. The amount is set in your contract. If you back out without a valid contingency, you can lose it; see what is earnest money.
Lenders charge fees to originate your mortgage, which can include origination charges, an appraisal, credit report and underwriting fees, lender's title insurance, and optional discount points. VA loans have a VA funding fee unless you're exempt (VA funding fee and closing costs, as of September 2026). Your Loan Estimate itemizes them.
Before August 2024, buyer's agent compensation was usually offered by the seller through the listing and paid from the seller's proceeds, so many buyers never saw it as a line item.
Since the settlement took effect, buyers who work with an agent sign a written agreement first. That agreement sets out what the agent will be paid and whether the buyer is responsible for it if the seller doesn't agree to cover it.
On a $400,000 home, a 1% technology fee is $4,000. If a buyer's agent charged 3%, that would be $12,000, a difference of $8,000. Commissions are negotiable, so your number depends on what you'd have paid.
With VroomBrick: VroomBrick charges a 1% technology fee for the platform, paid by the seller at closing. You don't pay a buyer's agent commission. See how the 1% technology fee works.
Your inspection, your cost, your choice of inspector. Specialty inspections (radon, wood-destroying insects, septic, well, chimney, roof) may be added depending on the home. Paid directly to the inspector.
In VA, MD, and NC, closings are commonly handled by a licensed closing attorney or settlement agent. A licensed closing attorney handles your contracts and closing. Your closing attorney's fee is part of your closing costs, itemized in your closing documents.
Optional. A one-time premium that protects you against covered defects in the property's title history. Your lender requires a separate lender's policy; the owner's policy protects you. Your closing attorney provides the premium.
At closing you may reimburse the seller for property taxes or HOA dues they've already paid that cover the period after you take ownership. The amount depends on when in the cycle you close.
Government fees charged when the deed is recorded and ownership transfers. They vary by state and county:
Who pays which tax can also be set in the contract. Statutes as of September 2026; your closing attorney calculates the exact amounts.
Not a closing cost, but it's money leaving your account in the same week.
VroomBrick charges a 1% technology fee for the platform, paid by the seller at closing. You don't pay a buyer's agent commission.
Technology does the heavy lifting, and you're never on your own. A licensed closing attorney handles your contracts and closing, showing agents schedule your tours, and our team is with you from your first question to closing day.
For an interactive look at a specific home's numbers, try the buyer savings simulator or the monthly payment breakdown.
Most buyers walk into their first offer knowing their down payment and little else. Your lender's Loan Estimate is the place to start.
About VroomBrick: VroomBrick is a real estate technology platform, not a licensed real estate brokerage. VroomBrick does not provide brokerage services, represent buyers or sellers, negotiate contracts, or hold real estate licenses. Contracts and settlement are handled by independent licensed closing attorneys connected through the platform. Real estate commissions and fees are not set by law and are fully negotiable. Fee examples are illustrative; actual costs vary by lender, loan type, county, and transaction.
About the Author
MBA · Army Veteran
Head of Partnerships at VroomBrick. Writes about how homeowners can keep more of their equity, what the post-NAR-settlement market actually looks like, and how buying or selling works with a 1% technology fee.
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