Updated October 2026. City of Philadelphia, Philly311, Pennsylvania statute and EPA pages read on October 31, 2026.
Yes, you can sell a Philadelphia house without a realtor. As of October 2026, you need three things a buyer will ask for: the state seller disclosure, a $139 Property Sales Certification from the city, and an agreement on who pays the 4.578% transfer tax. A typical $231,600 home carries $10,602.65 in transfer tax.
Jump to: 🪜 Plan · 📍 City certificate · 🏠 Disclosures · 💲 Your net · 🤝 Settlement · ❓ FAQ
Before you put up a sign
- Pennsylvania law (Act 89) makes you hand the buyer a Property Sales Certification no later than settlement. It’s valid for 30 days.
- The signed state disclosure goes to the buyer before anyone signs the agreement of sale.
- Philadelphia’s 4.578% transfer tax is usually split evenly, but the city can collect all of it from either side.
- Built before 1978? Then the federal lead paint disclosure and its 10-day testing window apply too.
What does a by-owner sale in Philadelphia look like, start to finish?
Think of it in four stretches. None of them is hard. Each one has a piece of paper that, if it’s late, can stall settlement.
| When | What you do | Who it’s for | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before listing | Fill out and sign the seller’s property disclosure statement | State law, the buyer | $0 |
| Before listing | Price from recent sales on your block | You | $0 |
| Listing week | Go live on Bright MLS and the home search sites | Buyers and their agents | From $99 |
| Once you have a buyer | Sign the agreement of sale, including the transfer tax split | You and the buyer | Optional attorney review |
| About a month before settlement | Order the Property Sales Certification on eCLIPSE | City, the buyer | $139 |
| Settlement | Sign the deed at the title company; transfer tax is paid at recording | City, state | 4.578% total, split as agreed |
Why order the certificate late rather than early? Philly311 says it’s valid for 30 days. Order it too soon and you may pay twice.
For pricing, our home value calculator gives you a range to start from. Then walk your block. Philadelphia prices can swing a lot from one street to the next, so the house two doors down tells you more than a ZIP code average.
What is the Philadelphia Property Sales Certification?
It’s a one-page snapshot from the Department of Licenses and Inspections. It shows your property’s zoning classification, its last established use in the zoning record, and any code violations that haven’t been fixed. The city says anyone selling property in Philadelphia needs one, residential or commercial, with or without an agent.
How to get it
- Log in to eCLIPSE, apply for a certificate, verify the address and pay.
- Or bring the application and payment to the Permit and License Center at 1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd. You’ll need an appointment.
- The fee is $139. The city’s service page says processing takes five business days.
Why it matters to your buyer
Say your house is a single-family rowhome, but the zoning record still shows it as a two-unit. Or a porch permit from years ago was never closed. The certificate is where the buyer finds out. Better that you find out first, while there’s time to fix it or price it in. Any violations of record show up on it too.
Which disclosures does a Philadelphia seller give?
The state seller disclosure
Pennsylvania’s Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law, 68 Pa.C.S. § 7303, says a signed and dated copy of the property disclosure statement goes to the buyer before the agreement of sale is signed. It covers known material defects. You don’t have to hire an inspector to fill it out: section 7308 says you’re not required to make a specific investigation. But you can’t make a statement you know is false.
Something changes after you hand it over? Say the basement takes water in a storm before settlement. Section 7307 says you tell the buyer.
Lead paint, for older houses
For homes built before 1978, federal rules add a lead paint disclosure and an EPA pamphlet. The buyer gets a 10-day period to test, unless you both agree in writing to change it. Check your deed or the city’s property records for the build year before you list. The EPA’s real estate disclosure page has the sample forms.
We’ve already covered the statewide basics, like HOA resale certificates and the 2-year window to sue, in our Pennsylvania guide to selling without a realtor. This page sticks to what’s different inside city limits.
How much will you walk away with?
Here’s a sample net sheet on $231,600, the typical Philadelphia home value in September 2026 (Zillow Home Value Index). It assumes you split the transfer tax evenly and don’t offer a buyer’s agent anything. Your own numbers will differ.
| Line | By owner with a $99 listing | With a 3% listing fee (example) |
|---|---|---|
| Sale price | $231,600 | $231,600 |
| Listing cost | $99 | $6,948 |
| Your half of transfer tax (4.578%) | $5,301.32 | $5,301.32 |
| Property Sales Certification | $139 | $139 |
| Before payoff, title charges and prorations | $226,060.68 | $219,211.68 |
The transfer tax is the same either way. It’s a city and state charge: 3.578% for Philadelphia, 1% for Pennsylvania. The city’s Revenue page says it’s usually split evenly, but that’s not required, and the city can go after either party for 100%. Settle the split in writing.
Payment is due when the deed is recorded, and within 30 days after the Department of Records receives it. In practice the title company collects it at settlement. Want the rest of the list, line by line? See who pays closing costs when selling.
How do Philadelphia buyers find a by-owner home?
Mostly through an agent’s search on Bright MLS, or on Zillow, Realtor.com and Redfin, which pull from it. A yard sign helps on a busy block. A listing on the MLS does the heavy lifting.
Beycome lists Philadelphia homes on Bright MLS for $99, with $0 at closing. You get the photo maximum and up to 12 months, the longest Pennsylvania allows. Artur, our AI assistant, helps you read and answer offers, and support runs 7 days a week. If a buyer’s agent calls, you choose whether to offer them anything; it’s a separate agreement, never shown on the MLS.
Showings in a rowhome are close quarters. Clear the stairs, open every blind, and show the basement even if it’s plain. Buyers want to see the water heater, the electrical panel and any signs of water. Our guide to listing on the MLS without a realtor walks through photos, pricing and the go-live steps.
Who handles settlement in Philadelphia?
A title company, in most sales. It searches the title, orders lien and tax certifications, prepares the settlement statement, collects the transfer tax and records the deed. The buyer usually picks the title company. Here’s why the buyer typically chooses.
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On homes listed by other agents, Beycome credits you up to 2% of the price at closing (1% kept, $1,499 minimum; not on FSBO homes or homes listed by Beycome sellers).
Buy a home →You don’t need an attorney to sell in Pennsylvania, but plenty of Philadelphia by-owner sellers pay one to review the agreement of sale. For what goes in that contract, read our for sale by owner contract guide.
Do you need a realtor to sell in Philadelphia?
No, it’s not required; it’s your choice. Both routes work. An agent handles the pricing, showings and negotiation and charges for it. Selling by owner, you do those parts and keep the difference.
There’s a middle path, too. Beycome Concierge gives you a dedicated expert who negotiates with you, always on your side, while every decision stays yours. It’s $999 until November 2, 2026 ($1,399 list price), with $0 at closing. Buying your next place in the city? Our Philadelphia buyer program has no upfront fee.
When you’re set, list your Pennsylvania home for $99. We’ve helped 22,000+ homeowners save over $225 million, with a home sold every 30 minutes (Beycome internal data, October 2026).
More Pennsylvania guides: Flat Fee MLS Philadelphia (2026): 8 Bright MLS Plans Ranked, Flat Fee MLS Pittsburgh (2026): 8 West Penn MLS Options Ranked, Flat Fee MLS Allentown & Lehigh Valley (2026): 8 Plans Ranked, How to Sell Your Pittsburgh House Without a Realtor (2026), How to List Your Pennsylvania Home on the MLS by Owner (2026), Pennsylvania Seller Disclosure Form: What Sellers Must Disclose (2026), Pennsylvania Realty Transfer Tax: Who Pays and How Much (2026), Pennsylvania FSBO Agreement of Sale: What It Must Include (2026), Do You Need a Lawyer to Sell a House in Pennsylvania? (2026).
Selling by owner in Philadelphia: FAQ
Can I sell my house in Philadelphia without a realtor?
Yes. It’s not required; it’s your choice. Give the buyer the state disclosure before the agreement of sale and the city’s Property Sales Certification by settlement.
How much is a Property Sales Certification in Philadelphia?
$139. Apply on eCLIPSE or at 1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd by appointment. The city says processing takes five business days.
How long is the Philadelphia certification valid?
30 days, according to Philly311. Order it about a month before settlement so it doesn’t expire.
Who pays the transfer tax in Philadelphia?
It’s usually split evenly, but no law requires it, and the city can collect 100% from either party. Put the split in the agreement of sale.
How much is the transfer tax on a $231,600 Philadelphia home?
$10,602.65 at 4.578%. Split evenly, the seller’s half is $5,301.32.
Do I have to fix problems before selling my Philadelphia house?
Not under the state disclosure law; you disclose what you know. Open city violations show up on the certification, so the buyer will see them.
Which MLS do Philadelphia by-owner listings go on?
Bright MLS. Beycome lists there for $99 with $0 at closing, for up to 12 months.
Commission figures are examples only. Real estate commissions are not set by law or by NAR rules and are fully negotiable. Sellers choose whether to offer any compensation to a buyer’s agent, and how much; since August 17, 2024, those offers can’t be shown on the MLS.
Prices as of October 31, 2026. Beycome Basic is $99 in Pennsylvania; Concierge is $999 until November 2, 2026, 9 a.m. ET ($1,399 list price). “$0 at closing” means no Beycome fee at closing. Transfer tax, title charges and any buyer’s agent pay you agree to still apply.
The net sheet is an example on the typical Philadelphia home value (Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026). It leaves out your mortgage payoff, title and settlement charges, tax prorations and utility certifications.
* No cancellation fee. Listings under contract can’t be canceled. No refund once the listing is live.
** Listing term: the maximum the state and MLS allow, 12 months in Pennsylvania (24 months in most other states).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Philadelphia County is the same as the City of Philadelphia; suburban counties have their own rules. Reviewed by Beycome Brokerage Realty LLC, licensed real estate brokerage (PA #RB070477).
Sources
- City of Philadelphia, Get a property sales certification, read October 31, 2026.
- Philly311, What is a Property Certification or Real Estate Certificate?, read October 31, 2026.
- City of Philadelphia, Realty Transfer Tax, read October 31, 2026.
- Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, Title 68, Chapter 73, read October 31, 2026.
- EPA, Real Estate Disclosures About Potential Lead Hazards, read October 31, 2026.
- Zillow Research, Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026.
- NAR, Settlement FAQs.
- Beycome, listing package features, October 2026.
Disclosure & Disclaimer
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