Price it off recent sales that truly match your house, deal with what a buyer’s inspector will find before you list, and go live fully ready. In August 2026 the typical Brentwood home sold for 99.2% of its asking price, but only 31.4% sold above list (Redfin, Brentwood housing market page, August 2026, checked September 24, 2026).

Here’s the number that should shape your plan. That same month, 40.6% of Brentwood homes for sale had a price drop (same source). Four in ten. A cut after weeks on the market is the outcome you’re planning to avoid.

What is the Brentwood market doing for sellers right now?

Softer than a year ago, with buyers taking their time. Redfin’s August 2026 figures for Brentwood, all home types (Redfin, Brentwood housing market page, August 2026, checked September 24, 2026):

  • Median sale price: $759,497, down 2.6% from a year earlier.
  • Homes sold: 209.
  • Median days on market: 30.
  • Sold for, as a share of list: 99.2%.
  • Went over asking: 31.4%.
  • Homes for sale with a price drop: 40.6%.
  • Median price per square foot: $342.

Put together, that’s a market where a well-priced home still sells close to asking in about a month, and an overpriced one waits, then drops. Brentwood buyers have choices, so they compare.

How do I price my Brentwood house so I don’t have to cut?

Start with the three to six closest sales, not the citywide median. Same home type, similar square footage and lot, similar age and condition, ideally on nearby streets. Two houses with the same floor plan can sell apart if one has an owned solar system, a newer roof or a pool and the other doesn’t.

Then check what’s for sale right now near you. Buyers will tour those the same weekend they see yours. If yours is priced above a similar home that already has a price cut, you’ve just made that one look like the deal.

Redfin’s $342 a square foot is a gut check only. If your number lands well above what your best matches closed at, you’re lining up to join the 40.6%.

What should I fix before I list?

Anything a buyer’s inspector will write up. Roof leaks, the electrical panel, water heater strapping, plumbing drips, drainage around the foundation, dry rot, a broken window seal. Buyers will ask for those in escrow anyway, as a repair or a credit, and it usually costs you more then than now.

If you’ve owned the home a long time, a pre-listing inspection is cheap insurance. Then sort the report:

  • Do now: safety items, active leaks, anything a lender or appraiser will flag.
  • Freshen up: paint, lighting, landscaping, a deep clean, clear counters.
  • Skip: a full kitchen or bath remodel, unless recent nearby sales clearly show updated homes sold for more than the project would cost.

What will Brentwood buyers ask me about?

Have the answers ready before the first showing. Buyers who get straight answers write stronger offers.

  • Is there Mello-Roos on this house? If your home carries a Mello-Roos special tax, California law says the seller must make a good faith effort to get a Notice of Special Tax from the agency that levies it and deliver it to the buyer (California Civil Code section 1102.6b). Pull your current property tax bill now and look for special tax lines. For what they mean or when they end, ask a tax professional or the Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector.
  • How far is BART? Brentwood has no BART station. The closest is Antioch station at 1600 Slatten Ranch Road (BART station data, checked September 25, 2026). Tri Delta Transit route 373 runs from the Brentwood Park & Ride to Antioch BART; the 6:50 am weekday bus is scheduled to arrive at 7:37 am (Tri Delta Transit, route 373 timetable, checked September 25, 2026). Know your own drive time to the station.
  • Which schools? Most Brentwood addresses are in Brentwood Union School District for grades K to 8 and Liberty Union High School District for 9 to 12, but not every one. Don’t promise a school. Point buyers to the districts and tell them to verify the address with the district.
  • Is it in a flood zone? FEMA’s Flood Insurance Study for Contra Costa County, revised March 21, 2017, reports no known principal flood problems within the City of Brentwood (FEMA, FIS 06013CV001C). Your Natural Hazard Disclosure report will show your own lot’s status.

What does it cost to sell a house in Brentwood?

Get each of these in writing before you sign a listing agreement:

  • Agent commission. No rate is set by law. Commission is always negotiable, and so is anything you choose to offer toward a buyer’s agent. Ask each agent what they charge and what’s included, then get it on paper.
  • Documentary transfer tax. Brentwood is a general law city, so its city tax is $0.55 per $1,000 of price, and that $0.55 is credited inside Contra Costa County’s $1.10. The total is $1.10 per $1,000, with nothing added on top (California City Finance, “California City Documentary and Property Transfer Tax Rates,” effective December 1, 2025). On a $759,497 sale, that’s 759.497 times $1.10, or about $835. The purchase contract says who pays it, and your escrow officer can confirm.
  • Escrow and title fees. They vary by company and price. Ask for a written estimate.
  • Repairs or credits agreed on after the buyer’s inspection.
  • Your loan payoff and prorations, including property taxes, any special taxes and HOA dues.

Taxes on your gain are a question for a tax professional; IRS Publication 523 explains the home sale exclusion. Questions about the contract itself go to a real estate attorney.

What do I have to disclose when I sell?

What you know about the home. Most California sellers must give buyers written disclosures, including the Transfer Disclosure Statement and the Natural Hazard Disclosure (California Civil Code sections 1102 and 1103), plus the Notice of Special Tax where a Mello-Roos tax applies (section 1102.6b). If you’re unsure whether something counts, ask a real estate attorney. Disclosing it is almost always cheaper than a dispute after closing.

When should I list?

When your house is ready and you’re ready to move, more than on a certain date. Our answer on the best time to sell a Brentwood home covers timing. Whatever month you pick, the first two weeks on the market get the most attention, so don’t go live half-finished.

Questions people also ask

Do Brentwood homes sell over asking?

Some do, but most don’t right now. In August 2026, 31.4% of Brentwood homes sold above list price, and the typical home sold for 99.2% of list, per Redfin’s Brentwood housing market page checked September 24, 2026. Meanwhile 40.6% of homes for sale had a price drop. Your opening price is the part of that you control.

How much is the transfer tax on a Brentwood home sale?

It’s $1.10 per $1,000 of price in total. Brentwood’s $0.55 city share is credited inside Contra Costa County’s $1.10, so there’s no extra city tax, per California City Finance’s rate table effective December 1, 2025. On a $759,497 sale that comes to about $835. Your purchase contract sets who pays, and your escrow officer can confirm the amount.

Do I have to tell buyers about Mello-Roos?

Yes, if your home carries a Mello-Roos special tax. California Civil Code section 1102.6b says the seller must make a good faith effort to get a Notice of Special Tax and deliver it to the buyer. Check your current property tax bill for special tax lines, and ask a tax professional or the county Treasurer-Tax Collector what they cover and when they end.

What commission will I pay to sell my Brentwood house?

No commission is set by law. It is always negotiable between you and the agent you hire, and so is any amount you offer a buyer’s agent. Ask each agent you interview what they charge, what services it covers, and what the total looks like at your likely price. Then get the final terms in writing before you list.

Your next step

Want to know what your Brentwood house would sell for this month, and the two or three fixes worth doing first? Reach our Brentwood team here or call (510) 949-5525. We’ll pull the sales that actually match your home and walk you through the plan.

Keep reading: Brentwood prices this month · When to list a Brentwood home · The honest Brentwood guide · Get a home value estimate

By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Brentwood, CA. Updated September 24, 2026.

Sources

  • Redfin’s Brentwood housing market page, August 2026 figures, checked September 24, 2026 (redfin.com/city/2112/CA/Brentwood/housing-market)
  • California City Finance, “California City Documentary and Property Transfer Tax Rates,” effective December 1, 2025, read September 25, 2026 (californiacityfinance.com/PropTransfTaxRates.pdf)
  • California Civil Code sections 1102, 1102.6b and 1103, read September 25, 2026 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
  • BART station information for Antioch, queried September 25, 2026 (api.bart.gov)
  • Tri Delta Transit, route 373 Antioch BART / Brentwood Park & Ride weekday timetable, checked September 25, 2026 (trideltatransit.com)
  • FEMA, Flood Insurance Study, Contra Costa County and Incorporated Areas, Volume 1, revised March 21, 2017 (06013CV001C), read September 25, 2026
  • IRS Publication 523, Selling Your Home (irs.gov)