Transaction Coordinator in Somerset County, NJ.

What we handle on a Somerset County file

Somerset County's own map page counts 21 municipalities across 305 square miles, and they do not agree on who orders the municipal certificate or what it is called. North Plainfield requires a Certificate of Municipal Code Compliance issued in the new owner's name before closing, while Franklin, Bridgewater, and Bernards hang the sale on the smoke and carbon monoxide certificate, each with its own fee ladder, validity window, or penalty. The Somerset Hills towns of Bedminster, Bernards, Bernardsville, Far Hills, and Peapack and Gladstone sit in the Highlands Region, where wells and septic systems come with the house. At the county level, every recording fee in Somerville includes a $5 Homelessness Trust Fund fee, and the required cover sheet is billed as part of the document. Once your deal is ratified, PLS builds and manages the file in KW Command, tracks every deadline and contingency, routes documents for signature, and coordinates with lender, title, attorneys, and the co-op agent. See the full transaction coordination service for the complete scope, and the New Jersey overview for statewide notes.

• KW Command fileBuilds and manages the file in KW Command.
• Every deadlineTracks every deadline and contingency.
• SignaturesRoutes documents for signature.
• Every partyCoordinates with lender, title, attorneys, and the co-op agent.

Transfer tax in Somerset County

New Jersey's Realty Transfer Fee is imposed on the seller and runs on two mutually exclusive schedules, which must never be blended. At total consideration of $350,000 or less it is $2.00 per $500 up to $150,000, $3.35 per $500 from $150,000 to $200,000, and $3.90 per $500 from $200,000 to $350,000. Above $350,000 a different schedule applies to the whole amount: $2.90 per $500 up to $150,000, $4.25 per $500 to $200,000, $4.80 per $500 to $550,000, $5.30 per $500 to $850,000, $5.80 per $500 to $1,000,000, and $6.05 per $500 above that. Reduced schedules exist for senior, blind, disabled, and low and moderate income sellers, and a notarized Form RTF-1 must be annexed to the deed to claim one. Consideration over $1,000,000 also triggers the Graduated Percent Fee that replaced the old 1 percent mansion tax on July 10, 2025 under P.L. 2025 c. 69: 1 percent above $1,000,000, 2 percent above $2,000,000, 2.5 percent above $2,500,000, 3 percent above $3,000,000, and 3.5 percent above $3,500,000, charged as a straight percentage of the entire consideration rather than as brackets. Liability for it shifted from the buyer to the seller, and the Division of Taxation is explicit that the operative date is when the deed is submitted for recording, not the closing date. Form RTF-1EE must be annexed to every deed over $1,000,000 and to every commercial transfer. There is no separate Somerset County transfer tax.

Recording a deed in Somerset County

The Somerset County Clerk, Land Records sits at 20 Grove Street, P.O. Box 3000, Somerville, New Jersey 08876, 908-231-7013. The current recording fee is $45 for the first page of a deed, plus $10 for each additional page. The Clerk states that its recording fees include the $5 Homelessness Trust Fund fee. Deeds, including quitclaim deeds, rights of way, and easements, are $45 for the first page plus $10 per additional page. Mortgages and powers of attorney are $35 first page plus $10 per additional page, and discharges and releases are $45 first page plus $10 per additional page. A notice of settlement is $20 for two parties and $40 for three. Indexing beyond the first five names is $6 per name, and each additional marginal notation is $10. Certified copies are $10 per instrument plus $1 per page. The Clerk's office is open Monday through Friday 8:15 to 4:00, with extended hours on Wednesdays until 6:00. Electronic recording is available through three certified e-filing partners listed on the Clerk's land records page. By law Clerk staff cannot conduct a title search.

Every document submitted for recording, including e-recordings, requires the Somerset County cover sheet, and the Clerk states that the cover sheet is part of the submitted land record and is included in the calculation of recording fees, so budget it as a page. The deed must carry the GIT/REP form, which is absolute statewide: Form GIT/REP-3 states that if it is not completed in its entirety, or the original is not submitted with the deed, the county clerk will not record the deed. Form RTF-1 must accompany any deed claiming a full or partial Realty Transfer Fee exemption, and Form RTF-1EE must be annexed to every deed over $1,000,000.

Recording fees and transfer tax rates for every county we coordinate in are collected side by side on our recording fee and transfer tax reference.

What actually holds up a closing here

Pricing

Transaction coordination in New Jersey is billed per file, not as a monthly retainer. Contract to close is $450 per transaction, and the full rate card including dual agency, unrepresented party (FSBO or URB), and listing management is published on our pricing page. No fixed overhead, no minimum volume.

Where these figures come from

The county-level figures on this page come from the official sources listed below. Municipal fees and deadlines come from each municipality's own published schedules and ordinances, which are revised more often than they are archived. We publish what we could verify and leave out what we could not. Fees and ordinances change; if you are relying on a figure here for a live file, confirm it with the issuing office, and tell us if you find a discrepancy so we can correct the page.