Agent compensation

When you sell a home in Naperville, the listing agreement establishes the professional fee paid to the listing brokerage. Real estate commissions are not set by law, regulation, or standard market custom. You negotiate this fee directly with your listing broker before placing a property on the market. In August 2026, the median sold price for a home in Naperville was $512,000 across 58 closed transactions. Every transaction involves independent negotiations between the parties, so compensation terms vary from contract to contract.

A seller may also choose to offer compensation toward a buyer's broker fee. This offering is entirely optional and decided on a case-by-case basis rather than through fixed rules. There is no standard market-wide percentage or required dollar amount for cooperating broker compensation in Naperville. Buyers and sellers determine how representative services are handled during contract discussions. In August 2026, homes sold at 97.6% of their list price, showing how overall contract terms remain subject to individual bargaining.

If you are purchasing a home among the 227 active listings, your buyer representation agreement specifies what your broker charges. You can request that a seller pay this compensation as an offer concession during purchase negotiations. Alternatively, you can pay your representative directly according to your written representation agreement. Transparent written agreements ensure that you evaluate every professional fee before you complete a transaction.

Transfer taxes in Illinois

When you buy or sell a home in Illinois, you encounter real estate transfer taxes at state, county, and municipal levels. The Illinois state transfer tax is $0.50 for each $500 of value, which equals $1.00 per $1,000. By local custom, the seller pays the state transfer tax at closing. Illinois counties also have the authority to levy their own real estate transfer taxes. The county rate is $0.25 for each $500 of value, or $0.50 per $1,000. Cook County and the collar counties of DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will collect this tax. By local custom, the seller pays this county transfer tax during the closing process.

Home-rule municipalities set their own transfer tax rates and determine which transaction party pays them. In Naperville, the municipal transfer tax is $3.00 per $1,000 of property value, and the buyer pays this tax. Aurora also charges $3.00 per $1,000 of value, but the ordinance requires the seller to pay it. In Chicago, the buyer pays $3.75 per $500 of value while the seller pays a $1.50 per $500 CTA portion. Under its local code, Oak Park charges the seller $8.00 per $1,000 of property value.

Municipalities that collect a transfer tax issue physical stamps only after specific local conditions are met. These municipal requirements customarily mandate full payment of the final water bill. In Chicago, the city requires a Full Payment Certificate from the Department of Finance. Some villages also require a point-of-sale inspection, a certificate of compliance, or a zoning certificate. The attorney for the seller customarily obtains the required transfer stamps prior to closing.

Title, attorney and survey

Illinois operates as an attorney state by established custom rather than by statute. In the Chicago area, the buyer and the seller each retain a separate real estate attorney. Your attorney reviews and modifies the real estate contract. This attorney also works to clear title and attends the closing on your behalf. All closings take place at a title company office. The title company acts as the escrow and settlement agent for the transaction. Both real estate attorneys either attend the closing in person or sign in advance. The title company disburses all transaction funds on the day of closing.

Title insurance policies and settlement fees are allocated between the parties by established custom. By custom, the seller pays for the owner's title insurance policy. The seller also pays for the title company search and the closing fee on the seller side. As the buyer, you pay for the lender's title insurance policy. In addition, you pay for the buyer-side closing fees and escrow fees at settlement. For the purchase of a detached home, the seller customarily provides a current plat of survey before closing. If you purchase a condominium unit, the transaction is exempt from this survey requirement.

Tax proration, payoffs and credits

Illinois property taxes are billed and paid one year in arrears across two separate installments. Cook County bills the first installment around March 1 at 55.0 percent of the prior year total. Cook County releases the second installment bill later in the calendar year. In collar counties, officials bill the two installments around June 1 and September 1. Because of this billing schedule, tax prorations represent a substantial credit on your settlement statement.

At closing, the seller credits you for the property taxes accrued during their ownership but not yet billed. Standard contracts customarily set this credit between 100.0 and 110.0 percent of the most recent full-year bill. You retain this upfront credit to pay the upcoming tax installments when the county treasurer sends them. The specific terms of your purchase agreement establish the final proration percentage for your transaction.

Your final settlement statement also accounts for existing mortgage payoffs, association charges, and negotiated seller concessions. The settlement agent verifies mortgage payoff figures and per-diem interest charges accrued through the exact closing date. Properties governed by a homeowners association often incur transfer fees, statement fees, and documentation costs. In addition, any negotiated seller concessions appear as a direct credit to offset your allowable closing costs. Reviewing these debits and credits ensures that all financial obligations balance accurately at the closing table.

A worked example at the {market} median

In August 2026, the median sold price for a residential property in Naperville was $512,000. You can use this benchmark figure to walk through an estimate of statutory transfer taxes on a local deal. Every figure outlined here serves strictly as an estimate based on published tax rates. Actual closing totals will vary depending on your final contract details and mutual agreements.

The State of Illinois charges a real estate transfer tax of $0.50 for each $500 of value, which equals $1.00 per $1,000. On a $512,000 median sale, the seller pays an estimated $512 by standard practice. Illinois counties also levy a transfer tax of $0.25 for each $500 of value, or $0.50 per $1,000. In collar counties such as DuPage and Will, this county assessment adds an estimated $256 to the seller obligation. Together, the estimated state and county transfer taxes for the seller equal $768 on the median transaction.

Under municipal rules, the City of Naperville assesses an additional transfer tax of $3.00 per $1,000 of value. Unlike state and county fees, the buyer pays this local municipal tax. At the $512,000 median price point, the buyer owes an estimated $1,536 at closing. For an individualized financial breakdown that reflects your personal purchase price, loan terms, and settlement credits, you can consult the net estimator.

Sources: Aurora Code of Ordinances, Real Estate Transfer Tax; Chicago Department of Finance; village ordinances; Chicago-area practice; Chicago Municipal Code 3-33-030; Chicago-area practice; Cook County Treasurer; Multi-Board Residential Real Estate Contract 8.0, Prorations paragraph; Counties Code, 55 ILCS 5/5-1031; Cook County Code §74-100 et seq.; Evanston City Code 3-5, Real Estate Transfer Tax; Illinois State Bar Association; Chicago-area practice; Multi-Board Residential Real Estate Contract 8.0, Survey paragraph; Multi-Board Residential Real Estate Contract 8.0, Title paragraph; Chicago-area practice; Municipal ordinances as listed; Naperville Municipal Code, Real Estate Transfer Tax; Oak Park Village Code 23A-1-2, Real Estate Transfer Tax; Real Estate Transfer Tax Law, 35 ILCS 200/31-10.

Written from public sources and the closings recorded on this site; last revised September 21, 2026.