The Ultimate Florida FSBO Closing Checklist for Sellers

Selling your Florida home for sale by owner (FSBO) can save you thousands in commission — but it also means you're handling the steps a listing agent normally manages. The good news: the closing itself isn't something you do alone. A title company handles the legal and financial machinery; your job is to stay organized and hit each milestone.

This checklist walks you through every step from accepted offer to recorded deed, so nothing slips through the cracks. (For the title-company side specifically, see our guide to using a title company for a Florida FSBO sale.)

Phase 1 — Before you accept an offer

• Set a realistic price using recent comparable sales (and our closing cost calculator to estimate your net).
• Gather your paperwork: prior deed, current mortgage payoff info, survey, and HOA/condo documents.
• Prepare required Florida disclosures — most importantly the seller's property disclosure (Florida's Johnson v. Davis duty requires disclosing known material defects).
• Decide how you'll handle buyer offers and the purchase contract (most FSBO sellers use the standard FAR/BAR "AS IS" contract).

Phase 2 — Once you're under contract

• Open title & escrow with a title company — this is your first call after signing. (In most Florida counties the seller customarily pays for the owner's title policy and therefore picks the closing agent — see who chooses the title company.)
• Deliver the executed contract and the buyer's earnest money deposit instructions to the title company.
• The title company orders the title search and issues the title commitment.
• Request your mortgage payoff statement from your lender (good through the closing date).
• Order the HOA/condo estoppel certificate if applicable (Florida caps these fees by statute).
• Respond to the buyer's inspection and any repair requests within your contract's timelines.
• Confirm who is paying which closing costs per the contract.

Phase 3 — Documents the title company prepares

You don't draft these yourself — the title company (or closing attorney) prepares them for your signature:

• The deed transferring ownership (signed by the seller, notarized, with two Florida witnesses).
• The settlement statement showing every credit and debit.
• Seller's affidavits (no-lien, FIRPTA/non-foreign status, etc.).
• Payoff and lien-release coordination with your lender.

Phase 4 — Closing day

• Bring valid government-issued photo ID.
• Sign the deed and settlement documents (in person, by mail-away, or by RON if you've moved away).
• Provide wire instructions for your proceeds (verify by phone — wire fraud is real).
• Hand over keys, garage remotes, gate fobs, and any warranties.
• The title company records the deed and disburses your net proceeds.

What FSBO closing costs will you pay?

As the seller, your typical Florida closing costs include documentary stamp tax on the deed ($0.70 per $100 of sale price outside Miami-Dade), the owner's title insurance premium in most counties, the HOA estoppel fee, and a share of recording — separate from any real estate commission. For a full line-by-line breakdown, see FSBO seller closing costs in Florida.

Common FSBO closing mistakes to avoid

• Waiting too long to open title — do it the day you go under contract so the search has time to clear.
• Skipping the seller's disclosure — Florida law requires disclosing known material defects; skipping it invites a lawsuit.
• Forgetting the HOA estoppel — closings stall without it.
• Acting on emailed wire instructions — always confirm by phone.
• Letting the buyer pick the closing agent by default in a county where you customarily have that right.

Florida FSBO Closing FAQ

Yes. Even without a real estate agent, you need a title company (or closing attorney) to run the title search, clear liens, hold escrow, prepare the deed, and conduct the closing. FSBO saves the commission, not the closing.

You'll need the prior deed, your mortgage payoff statement, an HOA/condo estoppel (if applicable), the seller's property disclosure, and a government ID. The title company prepares the new deed, settlement statement, and seller affidavits for your signature.

Whoever pays for the owner's title insurance policy customarily selects the closing agent — and Florida county custom decides who pays. In most counties that's the seller; in Miami-Dade, Broward, Sarasota, and Collier it's typically the buyer. It's also negotiable in the contract.

Excluding commission, FSBO seller closing costs typically run 1–3% of the sale price — mainly the documentary stamp tax on the deed, owner's title insurance (in most counties), HOA estoppel, and recording. Use our closing cost calculator for an estimate.

Yes. You can sign remotely through a mail-away closing or Remote Online Notarization, so you don't need to return to Florida to close.