By Mike Lentz | The Mike Lentz Team – Keller Williams Realty
More sellers across South Jersey are saying yes as the market shifts toward balance. With inventory growing and buyers gaining negotiating power, offering to help with closing costs can speed up your sale and keep it on track. Whether it makes sense depends on local market conditions, how long your home has been listed, and your timeline to move.
A few years ago, sellers could get away with saying “no” to just about everything. No repairs. No concessions. No negotiation. Buyers who wanted the house had to take it on the seller’s terms. But now that inventory has grown across Camden, Burlington, Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland counties, negotiations are becoming normal again. And one of the most common requests from buyers? Help with their closing costs. Understanding seller closing cost concessions is crucial right now. The goal isn’t to “win” every negotiation. Sometimes, it’s worth meeting buyers where they are to get to closing quickly.
What Are Buyer Closing Costs?
Closing costs are the extra expenses buyers pay on top of their down payment when they purchase a home. Freddie Mac gives some examples:
- Loan origination fees
- Appraisal and inspection costs
- Title and attorney fees
- Survey fees and more
Typically, buyer closing costs range from about 2% to 5% of the home’s purchase price. So on a $400,000 home, that could mean anywhere from $8,000 to $20,000 out of pocket.
And in an affordability-challenged market, that upfront cash can be a major hurdle for some buyers. Even if they can comfortably afford the monthly mortgage payment itself. That’s why more people are asking sellers for help.
More Sellers Are Offering Seller Closing Cost Concessions
According to the latest data from Zillow, 67% of sellers reported paying some or all of the buyer’s closing costs in 2025 (see chart below):
Now, that doesn’t mean every seller is doing it. And it definitely doesn’t mean every seller should. But it does show how common concessions have become as the market has shifted. And that’s important for you to know.
What We Are Seeing Across South Jersey
That 67% is a national number. So what does it actually look like here at home? We pulled every closed residential sale across Camden, Burlington, Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland counties over the past year to find out.
The short version: roughly 1 in 3 closed sales across our five counties included a seller concession. When a seller did contribute, the typical amount landed around $5,500, or close to 1.7% of the sale price. Some sales ran well above that, but the middle of the market has held steady in the $5,000 to $6,000 range all year.
One honest caveat. Our local MLS only began consistently recording concession amounts toward the end of 2025. Before that, the field was left blank on most sales. National surveys can talk about multi-year trends, but we are being careful not to overstate a “rising” pattern locally because the older records simply were not tracked the same way. What we can say with confidence is what is happening right now: concessions are common, they are a normal part of negotiations again, and the typical dollar amount has stayed stable.
Keep in mind the national survey counts any seller who paid anything at all, while our figure counts closed sales where a concession was actually recorded, so the two percentages are not measured the same way. Either way, the takeaway holds. Helping with closing costs is not uncommon across South Jersey.
When Should You Consider Seller Closing Cost Concessions?
This is where many sellers get stuck. They hear “help with closing costs” and immediately think: “Why should I pay for their expenses?”
But that’s not always the right way to look at it. You’ve got to consider who has the leverage in the current market.
Redfin data shows there are more sellers than buyers active today. And that shifts the market dynamics (see graph below):
That doesn’t mean buyers suddenly hold all the cards. Far from it. Here in South Jersey, well-priced homes are still moving quickly, and sellers in plenty of neighborhoods keep real leverage. What has changed is that buyers have a little more room to negotiate than they did a couple of years ago, especially on homes that have been sitting.
That’s why local market conditions matter so much when you make your decision.
Signs You Should Consider Offering Concessions
For example, helping with closing costs may be worth considering if:
- There are a lot of homes for sale in your area
- Your house has been sitting on the market longer than expected
- You’ve had showings, but no offers
- You’re motivated to move quickly
- Or you’re trying to keep the sale together during negotiations
After all, if it’s the thing that helps bring a serious buyer across the finish line, it could be well worth it. If your listing has stalled, understanding what buyers want becomes even more important.
Other Concessions You Could Offer Instead
Just remember, being flexible doesn’t mean saying “yes” to every request. It means understanding which compromises actually help you accomplish your goals. Because there are always alternatives.
Closing cost help is just one lever. A home warranty, repair credits, a flexible closing date, or leaving behind certain appliances and furniture can all be part of the negotiation too. This isn’t about putting everything on the table up front. In many cases, for example, the appliances are already included. It’s about going in prepared to negotiate on the credits and concessions a buyer may ask for, and knowing which ones are worth giving.
The right answer depends on what buyers in your market are asking for and what matters most to you. That’s exactly why working with an experienced local agent is so important.
Bottom Line
The sellers having the most success today are the ones who understand the market has changed and are adapting to meet it where it is.
Sometimes that means negotiating on closing costs. Sometimes it means offering something else. The key is knowing which seller closing cost concessions are worth it for your local market.
If you’re wondering what’s normal across Camden, Burlington, Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland counties, what’s worth negotiating, and where it makes sense to stand firm, schedule a quick call and we’ll walk through it together.
For the full picture in your county, see our latest updates for Camden, Burlington, Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland counties.
