Journal · selling # Can I Sell My Los Angeles Home If I Live Outside the U.S.? Yes, you can sell a Los Angeles home from abroad: documents can be signed electronically, and you can check any agent's license on the DRE lookup. At closing the buyer generally withholds 15% for FIRPTA, and California withholding applies unless an exemption fits, so ask a CPA or tax advisor which rules fit your sale. Published October 20, 2026 · Reviewed October 22, 2026 · 6 min By Sidney Manzo, CA DRE #01108914 · RE/MAX Dream Properties (ASLG Inc), CA DRE #02142193 [Journal](https://realestateworks.com/journal) · selling foreign seller · remote home sale · FIRPTA withholding · California real estate withholding · California real estate license lookup Sidney Manzo, CA DRE #01108914, can review this property. A request does not create a listing agreement. ## How do I sell my Los Angeles home remotely? You can complete a Los Angeles sale without traveling to California. The California Department of Real Estate's Summer 2026 Real Estate Bulletin notes that documents may be signed electronically and that buyers, sellers, brokers, escrow holders, and lenders may never meet face-to-face. The same bulletin warns about seller-impersonation fraud, so expect your agent and escrow to verify that you own the property before listing. Sidney Manzo, in real estate since 1990, can prepare your property-specific home value review, price the home, and guide the sale while you stay abroad; see also [Selling when you relocate](https://realestateworks.com/services/relocation) and [What steps do I need to take to sell my home remotely?](https://realestateworks.com/journal/what-steps-do-i-need-to-take-to-sell-my-home-remotely). An agent is not mandatory, and representation exists only with a written agreement. ## How do I find a licensed California agent from abroad? Use the Department of Real Estate public license lookup to confirm that anyone who offers to represent you holds a current California real estate license. A current license is the official check available to a seller living abroad. Licensing is not a listing agreement, and you are not required to hire an agent. ## What withholding applies if I am a foreign seller? The IRS treats the disposition of a U.S. real property interest by a foreign person as subject to FIRPTA withholding, and the buyer is the withholding agent. California Revenue and Taxation Code section 18662 requires withholding on the sale of California real estate unless an exception applies, and the Franchise Tax Board states that foreign sellers follow the same California real estate withholding rules as domestic sellers. FTB Publication 1016 (revised February 2026) says a seller needs a valid taxpayer identification number to claim a California exemption, and that California withholding is not required when the total sales price is $100,000 or less. California has no lower rate for capital gains; the Franchise Tax Board taxes them as ordinary income. Ask a CPA or tax advisor which rules fit your sale. ## How do I obtain Los Angeles County real estate records from abroad? The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder records and maintains real estate records; online copy requests go through LexisNexis and are processed within 20 working days. That county office is the source for recorded documents on a Los Angeles property. Request copies from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder when you need the recorded deed or related documents for your tax or title file. General information, not legal or tax advice. Talk with a California attorney or CPA about your situation. Rules as of October 20, 2026; they change, so check the official sources listed below. ## Related California Seller Resources - [Selling When You Relocate](https://realestateworks.com/services/relocation) - [What Steps Do I Need to Take to Sell My Home Remotely?](https://realestateworks.com/journal/what-steps-do-i-need-to-take-to-sell-my-home-remotely) - [What Do I Need to Sell a Los Angeles House If I Live Outside California?](https://realestateworks.com/journal/i-live-out-of-california-what-do-i-need-to-sell-a-house-in-los-angeles-ca) ## Questions homeowners ask next **Do I need a California real estate agent if I live outside the United States?** An agent is not mandatory when you sell a Los Angeles home from abroad. Representation exists only with a written agreement. Use the Department of Real Estate public license lookup to confirm that anyone who offers to list the property holds a current California license. You can still request a property-specific value review without hiring an agent. **What is FIRPTA withholding if I am a foreign seller?** The IRS treats the sale of a U.S. real property interest by a foreign person as subject to FIRPTA withholding. The buyer is the withholding agent, and the rate is generally 15 percent of the amount realized. A foreign person includes a nonresident alien individual or a foreign corporation that has not elected treatment as a domestic corporation under IRC section 897(i). Withholding is generally not required if the buyer will use the property as a residence and the amount realized is not more than $300,000, with plans to reside there for at least 50 percent of the days it is used during each of the first two 12-month periods. A seller who is not a foreign person may give the buyer a certification under penalties of perjury. A Form 8288-B may be filed to request an IRS withholding certificate for reduced or no withholding. **How does California real estate withholding work if I am a foreign seller?** California Revenue and Taxation Code section 18662 requires withholding at source on the sale of California real estate unless an exception applies. The Franchise Tax Board states that foreign sellers follow the same real estate withholding rules as domestic sellers, and a valid taxpayer identification number is required to claim an exemption. No California withholding is required if the sales price does not exceed $100,000. The transferee generally withholds 3 1/3 percent of the sales price unless the transferor elects in writing, under penalty of perjury, to withhold based on recognized gain. Under the 2026 Instructions for Form 593, the form goes to the Franchise Tax Board by the 20th day of the month after the month escrow closes. **Can I sign listing and closing papers from another country?** The California Department of Real Estate's Summer 2026 Real Estate Bulletin notes that documents may be signed electronically and that buyers, sellers, brokers, escrow holders, and lenders may never meet face-to-face. A remote sale of a Los Angeles home can therefore proceed without a face-to-face meeting. Representation exists only with a written agreement if you hire an agent. A property-specific value review can be prepared before any listing is signed. **How do I find out what my Los Angeles home is worth while I live abroad?** A citywide figure is not the value of your address, and this note is not an appraisal. Individual value depends on the property, its condition, and how it compares with other Los Angeles homes on the market. Request a property-specific home value review so pricing can be set before you decide whether to list. An agent is not mandatory for that review. Thinking about selling? Sidney will prepare a free home value review. [Get my free home review](https://realestateworks.com/valuation#valuation-form) ## Sources - [irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/firpta-withholding](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/firpta-withholding) - [irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/definitions-of-terms-and-procedures-unique-to-firpta](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/definitions-of-terms-and-procedures-unique-to-firpta) - [irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/exceptions-from-firpta-withholding](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/exceptions-from-firpta-withholding) - [leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes\_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=18662.&lawCode=RTC](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=18662.&lawCode=RTC) - [ftb.ca.gov/forms/misc/1016.html](https://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms/misc/1016.html) - [ftb.ca.gov/pay/withholding/real-estate-withholding.html](https://www.ftb.ca.gov/pay/withholding/real-estate-withholding.html) - [dre.ca.gov/MultipleLookup.html](https://www.dre.ca.gov/MultipleLookup.html) - [dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/reb/rebsum\_26.pdf](https://dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/reb/rebsum_26.pdf) - [lavote.gov/home/records/real-estate-records/real-estate-records-request/online-request](https://www.lavote.gov/home/records/real-estate-records/real-estate-records-request/online-request) - [ftb.ca.gov/file/personal/income-types/capital-gains-and-losses.html](https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/personal/income-types/capital-gains-and-losses.html) - [ftb.ca.gov/forms/2026/2026-593-instructions.html](https://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms/2026/2026-593-instructions.html) ## Who can help with this? Sidney Manzo is a local agent in the San Gabriel Valley who helps homeowners with foreign seller and can review your situation and the next step. Sidney Manzo, CA DRE #01108914, licensed in California; 155+ closed sales; RE/MAX Hall of Fame; member of the Pasadena Association of REALTORS® and C.A.R. [About Sidney Manzo](https://realestateworks.com/about) · [Get my free home review](https://realestateworks.com/valuation#valuation-form). RE/MAX Dream Properties (ASLG Inc), CA DRE #02142193 Published October 20, 2026 · Last reviewed October 22, 2026 This note is not an appraisal and not legal, tax, or foreclosure advice. Nothing on this page creates a listing agreement. Equal Housing Opportunity. ## Also in the catalog - [What Steps Do I Need to Take to Sell My Home Remotely?](https://realestateworks.com/journal/what-steps-do-i-need-to-take-to-sell-my-home-remotely) Set up access first, with a lockbox or a trusted local contact for photos, showings and inspections, then ask escrow how you will sign from where you live, since documents can be signed electronically. Price from a property-specific review of the address; Sidney will confirm the steps for your house, and an agent is not mandatory. - [What Do I Need to Sell a Los Angeles House If I Live Outside California?](https://realestateworks.com/journal/i-live-out-of-california-what-do-i-need-to-sell-a-house-in-los-angeles-ca) You can sell from another state, and under FTB Publication 1016 real estate withholding applies at closing unless an exemption applies or the total sales price is $100,000 or less, figured as 3 1/3% of the total sales price or, if you elect, on your estimated gain. You may need to file a California return to claim that withholding, so ask a CPA or tax advisor about the tax side. - [How do we sell the house during a divorce in California?](https://realestateworks.com/journal/how-do-we-sell-the-house-during-a-divorce-in-california) Once a divorce petition is filed and the petition and summons are served in California (or service is waived), the restraining orders in the summons under Family Code section 2040 bar both spouses from transferring or disposing of property without the other spouse's written consent or a court order, except in the usual course of business or for the necessities of life. The California Courts say that until you have a court order, property or debt from your marriage "still belongs to both of you". --- Sidney Manzo, CA DRE #01108914 · RE/MAX Dream Properties (ASLG Inc), CA DRE #02142193 · (626) 296-2900 Source page: https://realestateworks.com/journal/i-live-outside-the-united-states-and-want-to-sell-my-home-in-los-angeles-can-you