Maine imposes a statewide Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT) under 36 M.R.S.A. ch. 711 — there is no separate county or city transfer tax; it's collected by the county Registry of Deeds when the deed is recorded. Base rate: $2.20 per $500 (or fractional part of $500) of the property's value/sale price — equivalent to 0.44% of the sale price. This applies to the full price on sales up to $1,000,000. Effective November 1, 2025 (per LD 210 / LD 1082), a new higher tier was added: for the portion of the sale price EXCEEDING $1,000,000, the rate jumps to $6.00 per $500 (1.2%) on that excess portion — nearly triple the base rate. Example from Bernstein Shur: a $3,000,000 sale now owes $4,400 on the first $1M plus $24,000 on the remaining $2M (at the new $6.00/$500 rate) = $28,400 total (older sources citing $3.80/$500 for the excess tier reflect an earlier/proposed version of the bill before it was finalized at $6.00/$500 — treat $6.00/$500 effective 11/1/2025 as the current correct figure). By statute (36 M.R.S.A. §4641-A), the tax is split 50/50 between grantor (seller) and grantee (buyer) by default.
Buyer closing costs: roughly 2%-5% of purchase price, with ~3.4% cited as a typical average (excludes down payment). Seller closing costs excluding agent commission: roughly 3.3% of sale price (this includes their half of transfer tax, title/escrow fees, recording fees, etc.). Seller total costs INCLUDING real estate agent commissions (commissions average ~5.5-5.6% in Maine) commonly run 6%-10% of the sale price combined.
Who typically pays: Statutory default is a 50/50 split of the transfer tax between buyer and seller (each pays $1.10 per $500 of value, i.e., 0.22% of price each, under the base tier). This split is negotiable as part of the purchase and sale contract, and in slower markets or competitive-offer situations a seller may agree to cover the buyer's share to make a deal more attractive. Beyond transfer tax, normal U.S. convention applies in Maine: sellers typically pay real estate agent commissions (~5.5% combined for both agents) plus their share of prorated property taxes and title-related fees; buyers typically pay for their mortgage/loan-related fees (origination, appraisal, credit report), title insurance (lender's policy), home inspection, and recording fees for the mortgage.
Key 2026 fact: Maine's transfer tax structure changed materially on November 1, 2025 — before that date it was a single flat rate of $2.20/$500 (0.44%) on all property values with no upper tier. Now there are two tiers: 0.44% up to $1,000,000, and 1.2% ($6.00/$500) on any value above $1,000,000 — this mainly affects luxury/high-value transactions (e.g., in coastal areas like Bar Harbor, Kennebunkport, or Cumberland County waterfront). There is NO county-by-county or city-by-city variation in the rate itself — it is a uniform state tax administered locally by each County Registry of Deeds (some sources express it as $4.40 per $1,000 rather than $2.20 per $500 — these are mathematically identical, not a local variation). No separate "mansion tax" exists beyond this new high-value tier. Revenue from the tax funds Maine's Housing Opportunities for Maine (HOME) Fund and other housing/conservation programs. Sources consulted: Maine Revenue Services (maine.gov/revenue/taxes/property-tax/transfer-tax), Title 36 §4641-A (Maine statute), Bernstein Shur law firm analysis, Cumberland County Registry of Deeds notice, ListWithClever, RealEstateWitch, and iBuyer.com closing cost guides (all 2026-dated).
Facts on this page reflect research current as of 2026-07-05. Programs, rates, and laws change — confirm current figures with the relevant state agency before relying on them.