Sell Your Chicago Home on the North Side
Straight answers on what it costs, what you must disclose, and how buyer-agent fees actually work in 2026.
Chicago metro · July 2026. Listing data via Realtor.com / FRED. Updates automatically.
What this means if you’re selling. Prices are up, homes are moving faster than a year ago, and inventory is down about 7%. Fewer sellers are competing for the same buyers — the definition of a seller’s market. Across the North Side, well-priced condos and 2–4 unit buildings move quickly; overpriced ones sit, take a price cut, and sell for less than they would have. Pricing is the whole game right now.
How Selling Works
1 Consultation & Walkthrough
2 Pricing Strategy
3 Prep & Disclosures
4 Photography & Launch
5 Offers & Negotiation
6 Attorney Review to Close
What I Do For Sellers
For Sellers
Pricing built on real closed comps, not a guess. Disclosure package assembled before we list. Professional photography and full MLS syndication. Straight guidance on buyer-agent compensation.
My Process
We start with a no-pressure walkthrough and a real conversation about timing. I show you what comparable homes actually closed for, what is worth fixing, and what a buyer will notice. Then I handle the paperwork that stalls most Chicago deals.
Rated 5 Stars by 54 Clients
37 reviews on Google and 17 on Zillow, all five stars. Sellers, buyers, and landlords across Uptown, Edgewater, Lakeview and Lincoln Park. Fulton Grace Realty, member of The Shino Group.
What changed about buyer-agent fees — and what didn’t
This is the question I get first, and most of what’s online about it is wrong or out of date.
Why can’t it just go in the MLS anymore?
Offers of compensation to buyer brokers are prohibited from appearing in any MLS field. That’s national policy, and Chicago’s MLS restates it: participants and their sellers may not make offers of compensation to buyer brokers in the MLS, including in any data field.
So how would a buyer’s agent even know?
Off the MLS — direct broker-to-broker conversation, marketing materials, or negotiated into the offer itself. A listing broker is also permitted to publish compensation for their own listings on their own website, which is one of the tools available to us.
If I offer nothing, will agents just not show my home?
Steering is prohibited, and there’s a structural reason it doesn’t pay: since 2024, buyers must sign a written agreement with their agent before touring, and that agent can’t collect more than that agreement specifies. Offering more doesn’t buy their loyalty, because they can’t accept it.
What’s the difference between a concession and buyer-agent compensation?
This is the one that trips people up. You can offer a concession toward the buyer’s closing costs. What you can’t do is condition it on being paid to a buyer’s broker. Unconditional concession — fine. Earmarked compensation — not fine.
Are the rules still changing?
Not really, and that’s the reassuring part. The rules have been stable since August 2024. What’s still moving is litigation between brokerages — none of which changed what a seller has to do. Anyone telling you the ground is still shifting is selling urgency.
One Illinois-specific thing almost nobody mentions: since January 1, 2025, Illinois requires a written brokerage agreement with sellers, not just buyers, before representation begins. It’s why I’ll ask you to sign something before advising in detail — it’s not a sales tactic, it’s state law.
What it costs to sell in Chicago
No mystery, and no vague percentages. Chicago is one of the few markets where buyer and seller both owe transfer tax, at different rates — and a lot of published breakdowns get this backwards.
| Taxing body | Rate | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| City of Chicago (CTA portion) | $3.00 per $1,000 | Seller |
| Illinois | $1.00 per $1,000 | Seller |
| Cook County | $0.50 per $1,000 | Seller |
| Seller total | $4.50 per $1,000 | |
| City of Chicago (city portion) | $7.50 per $1,000 | Buyer |
On a $400,000 sale, your transfer tax is $1,800. Buyers age 65 or older who occupy the home for a year after purchase can get the CTA portion refunded if the price is $250,000 or less — on North Side condos, that’s a real negotiating chip.
On top of that: attorney fees, title insurance, prorated taxes (Cook County bills in arrears, which surprises nearly every first-time seller), the water and zoning certificates, and for condos the 22.1 fee capped at $375.
On my fee: I’d rather talk it through than post a number that assumes I know your property. What I’ll tell you on a call is exactly what’s included and what drives it.
Know What Your Home Is Worth
What you’re legally required to disclose
Illinois Residential Real Property Disclosure Report
Required for 1–4 unit residential, condos, and co-ops. It covers flooding and floodplain status, basement leakage, radon, asbestos, lead, boundary disputes, unresolved code violations, and underground tanks.
Two things people miss: you have a continuing duty to supplement through closing, and if a supplemental disclosure reveals a material defect, the buyer can terminate within five business days.
Radon
Before contract you must give the buyer the state’s radon pamphlet and a disclosure form. You are not required to test or mitigate — only to disclose what you know. If your unit is on the third story or higher, the requirement doesn’t apply. For a lot of Sheridan Road and Marine Drive sellers, that’s one item off the list.
Chicago heating cost disclosure — the one nobody tells you about
Chicago Municipal Code 5-16-050 requires you to disclose the previous 12 months of gas and electric costs — at the time you offer the home for sale, and included in the written contract before signing.
I’ve never seen another Chicago agent’s seller page mention this. It matters because it isn’t a closing-table item you can handle later. Start pulling those bills before we go live.
Lead paint
Pre-1978 buildings require federal lead disclosure plus the EPA pamphlet. On the North Side, that’s most of the housing stock.
How long it takes
Most Chicago sales run 30–75 days from contract to close. Attorney review is five business days — your attorney can modify terms or cancel, but not the price. Condo 22.1 documents take up to ten business days, so we request them the day we list. And Chicago won’t issue transfer stamps without a Water Full Payment Certificate, which is the other routine delay.
Selling a Chicago condo
Most of what I sell on the North Side is condo, so a few specifics.
- Special assessments. Pending or recently passed assessments have to be handled openly. Buyers’ attorneys will find them, and finding them late kills deals.
- Reserves. Buyers’ lenders look at the association’s reserve funding. Thin reserves can limit your buyer pool to cash.
- FHA. Since January 1, 2025, Illinois associations can’t block a sale simply because the buyer is using FHA financing.
- Selling with a tenant in place. Doable, but lease terms, notice requirements, and security deposit transfer all have to be handled correctly. Chicago tenant law is strict.
Selling a 2–4 unit building
Two-flats and three-flats are core Uptown, Edgewater, and Logan Square inventory, and almost nobody writes about selling them.
Buyers will want rent rolls and expense history, leases have to be assigned, and security deposits transferred correctly under Chicago’s rules. Your buyer pool splits between owner-occupants using low-down-payment financing and investors pricing off the numbers — and which one we market to changes the strategy, often the price.
Questions About Your Situation?
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay the buyer’s agent?
No — it is negotiable
What will it actually cost me?
$4.50 per $1,000 in transfer tax
How long will it take?
Typically 30 to 75 days
Do I have to pay the buyer’s agent to sell my Chicago home?
No. There’s no requirement. It’s negotiable, it can’t be advertised in the MLS since August 2024, and buyer agents can’t collect more than their signed buyer agreement allows.
Who pays the transfer tax in Chicago, the buyer or the seller?
Both. The seller pays $4.50 per $1,000 (CTA, state, and county portions). The buyer pays $7.50 per $1,000 (the city portion).
What is the attorney review period in Illinois?
Five business days from delivery of the fully executed contract. Your attorney can modify terms or cancel — but not the purchase price.
What do I have to disclose when selling a house in Illinois?
The Residential Real Property Disclosure Report, radon disclosure and pamphlet, lead paint disclosure for pre-1978 buildings, and in Chicago, 12 months of heating and electric costs.
Do I need a real estate attorney to sell in Illinois?
Practically, yes. Illinois closings are run by attorneys, not escrow companies.
Why do I have to sign an agreement before you’ll advise me?
Illinois law since January 1, 2025 requires a written brokerage agreement with sellers before representation begins.
Can I sell my condo if my association is slow with documents?
Yes — they have 10 business days by law. Request them the day we list.
Should I sell off-market?
Sometimes, but understand the trade. Private listings are excluded from the MLS’s public syndication, which means far fewer buyers see it. Less exposure usually means less money. Ask me to walk you through it before deciding.
Ready to Sell?
©2026 Uran Kabashi
Fulton Grace Realty | The Shino Group
1400 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago IL 60622
Call Me: 773-574-7291