Buyer-Agent Agreements in Arizona
Arizona has NOT passed its own state statute codifying buyer-representation-agreement requirements. It is a "New York-style" state: the written buyer-broker agreement requirement in Arizona flows entirely from the national NAR class-action settlement (effective August 17, 2024) as implemented through MLS participation rules (ARMLS Rules & Regulations, effective locally August 1, 2024) and Arizona REALTORS association practice/forms guidance — not from the Arizona legislature or the Arizona Department of Real Estate (ADRE). ADRE has explicitly and repeatedly stated that "signing an agreement to see or tour a home is not a state requirement," and that under existing Arizona statute (A.R.S. § 32-2151.02(D)) a real estate employment agreement is not required for a licensee to represent a party — a broker only needs a signed written employment agreement (with a definite duration and stated compensation) if it intends to sue to collect a commission (statute of frauds). Searches of the 2025 and 2026 Arizona legislative sessions (LegiScan, azleg.gov, Arizona REALTORS legislative-update pages) turned up no enacted bill analogous to Texas's SB 1968 or California's AB 2992. So the practical requirement that Arizona REALTOR-affiliated agents obtain a signed written buyer-broker agreement before touring a home comes from (1) the national NAR settlement's MLS Participant Rule and (2) ARMLS's own Rules & Regulations adopting that rule for all subscribers, reinforced by Arizona REALTORS' promulgated forms (Buyer-Broker Exclusive Employment Agreement and Buyer-Broker Agreement to Show Property) — not from a codified Arizona statute.
Requirements
- No Arizona-specific statute exists mandating buyer representation agreements; requirement is sourced from the national NAR settlement (effective Aug 17, 2024) as implemented via MLS rules, not state law
- ARMLS (Arizona's primary MLS) adopted the NAR settlement's Participant Rule effective August 1, 2024, requiring subscribers to have a written agreement with a buyer before showing any residential for-sale property (does not apply to rentals, land, or unrepresented open-house attendees)
- Required agreement terms mirror the national settlement: a specific/conspicuous disclosure of the amount or rate of compensation the buyer's agent will receive (or how it will be determined), a term capping the agent's compensation at the disclosed amount regardless of the source of payment, and a conspicuous statement that broker fees/commissions are fully negotiable and not set by law
- Arizona statute A.R.S. section 32-2151.02 (the pre-existing 'real estate employment agreement' / statute-of-frauds provision) still governs: any agreement a broker intends to enforce for compensation must be in writing, signed by both parties, have a definite duration/expiration date, and state all material terms including compensation — but per subsection (D) such a written agreement is not required merely to establish representation or tour a home
- Arizona Department of Real Estate (ADRE) has issued consumer-facing guidance (e.g., its Buyer Advisory) clarifying that signing a buyer-broker agreement to view a home is not a state legal requirement, distinguishing state law from private MLS/association practice rules
- Arizona REALTORS (AAR), the state trade association, promulgated updated standard forms in 2024-2025 (Buyer-Broker Exclusive Employment Agreement and Buyer-Broker Agreement to Show Property) and removed the old Compensation Agreement Between Brokers (CABB) form (Feb. 2025) to help members comply with the settlement/MLS rule, but these are association/contract-practice tools, not statutory mandates
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.