Why Do I Have to Sign a Buyer Agency Agreement Before Touring Homes in Maricopa County, AZ?

You have to sign a buyer agency agreement before touring homes because it's now required practice across the real estate industry, not just a preference of your agent. Since August 2024, following a nationwide settlement involving the National Association of REALTORS®, buyers in Arizona and across the country must have a written representation agreement in place with an agent before that agent can show them a home. It's not a sales tactic and it's not optional paperwork you can skip — it's the new standard for how buyer representation works, and it actually protects you as the buyer more clearly than the old system did.

If you're about to start touring homes in Maricopa County and someone hands you this agreement for the first time, it's normal to have questions. Let's walk through what it actually says, what's negotiable, and why it's worth taking a few minutes to read closely instead of just signing on the spot.

What Changed, and Why It Matters to You

For decades, buyers could tour homes with an agent, get advice, write offers, and negotiate — all without ever signing anything that spelled out the relationship or how that agent got paid. Compensation was worked out behind the scenes between the seller's brokerage and the buyer's brokerage, and most buyers never saw those numbers.

That changed industry-wide in 2024. Now, before an agent can tour homes with you — whether that's a scheduled private showing or walking through an open house together — you need a signed written agreement that spells out the agent's duties, the scope of the relationship, and how they'll be compensated. This applies to every buyer's agent in Maricopa County, not just the ones working with a particular brokerage.

The intent behind the change was transparency. You should know, in writing, before you ever step into a home with an agent, what that agent is actually going to do for you and what it's going to cost. That's a good thing, even if it feels like one more form to sign.

What's Actually in a Buyer Agency Agreement

The exact wording varies by brokerage, but every buyer agency agreement in Arizona covers a handful of core items:

The Scope of Representation

This defines what the agent will do for you — searching for homes, scheduling and attending showings, advising on offers and negotiation strategy, coordinating inspections, and guiding you through closing. It also defines your relationship: your agent works for you, owes you loyalty, and is required to negotiate in your best interest.

The Time Period

Agreements have a start and end date. Some agents will ask for a shorter window — say, 30 to 90 days — especially for a first meeting, and extend it if things are working well. Others prefer a longer term tied to a typical home search timeline. Either way, the end date should be clearly written in, and you should ask about it if it isn't obvious.

Geographic Area and Property Type

Many agreements specify where the agent will represent you (for example, a set of cities or ZIP codes within Maricopa County) and sometimes the type of property (single-family homes, condos, land, etc.). If your search might expand — say, from Gilbert into Queen Creek — make sure the agreement's scope actually covers that.

Compensation

This is the part that gets the most attention, and understandably so. The agreement will state how your agent is compensated and the amount or percentage. In many transactions, the seller still offers compensation to the buyer's agent as part of the deal, and that gets applied toward what's owed under your agreement. But because that's negotiated separately with each seller, your agreement should also spell out what happens if the seller offers less than your agent's stated compensation — whether you'd be responsible for the difference, whether your agent will negotiate for seller-paid compensation as part of your offer, or whether they'll accept what's offered.

This is the single most important paragraph to read carefully and ask questions about before you sign anything.

Exclusivity

Most agreements are exclusive, meaning you agree to work with that one agent during the agreement period rather than touring homes with multiple agents at once. Some brokerages offer non-exclusive versions, though they're less common. If you're not sure you're ready to commit to one agent yet, it's completely fair to ask whether a shorter or non-exclusive term is available.

Can You Negotiate It, and Can You Cancel It?

Yes to both, and this is something buyers often don't realize. A buyer agency agreement is a negotiable contract, not a take-it-or-leave-it form. You can ask about the length of the term, the compensation terms, the geographic scope, or the exclusivity provision before you sign. A good agent will walk you through each section and explain why it's written the way it is, rather than rushing you past it.

If the relationship isn't working — communication is off, you don't feel represented well, or your plans change — most agreements include a way to terminate early, though the specifics depend on what's written in yours. If you're not sure how to exit an agreement you've already signed, ask your agent or their broker directly rather than just going quiet and working with someone else, which can create complications for everyone involved.

Common Mistakes Buyers Make With These Agreements

The biggest mistake is treating it like a formality and not reading the compensation section. Buyers sometimes sign quickly at an open house just to get inside, without realizing they've entered into a written agreement with terms that matter. Take the two or three minutes it takes to actually read it.

Another common mistake is assuming the agreement locks you into buying a home at all. It doesn't. It defines your relationship with the agent during your search — it doesn't obligate you to purchase anything. You can sign a buyer agency agreement and still decide not to buy, or decide the timing isn't right, without breaking the agreement.

A third mistake is not asking what happens if you want to tour a For Sale By Owner property or a new-construction model home with an on-site builder's agent. Your existing agreement may or may not cover those situations depending on how it's written, so it's worth asking your agent directly if you're planning to look at either.

Two Real Scenarios

Here's how this plays out in practice. A first-time buyer relocating to Chandler reached out after finding a few listings online and wanted to see them that weekend. Before the first showing, her agent walked her through a 60-day, non-exclusive buyer agency agreement covering the East Valley, explained the compensation section line by line, and answered her questions about what would happen if a particular seller wasn't offering buyer-agent compensation. She signed, toured four homes that weekend, and felt like she understood exactly what she was agreeing to going in.

In another case, a couple touring open houses in Surprise on their own, without an agent yet, got asked to sign an agreement at the door of the first house. They felt rushed, so they asked if they could look at that one home under a single-property showing agreement instead of a broader exclusive agreement, which the agent's brokerage was able to offer. That gave them room to see the house and decide if they wanted to move forward with that agent for their full search, without committing right away.

Buying in Maricopa County: A Few Local Notes

Maricopa County spans a lot of ground — from established Phoenix and Scottsdale neighborhoods to fast-growing areas like Buckeye, Queen Creek, and San Tan Valley. If your search might cross multiple cities or even push toward the edges of the county, make sure your agreement's geographic scope is broad enough to follow you, or ask your agent to update it if your plans change mid-search.

New-construction communities are common throughout the county, and builders' on-site sales representatives work for the builder, not for you. Bringing your own buyer's agent — and making sure your agreement is in place before you first walk into a builder's model home — matters here, since some builders require your agent to be registered with them on your very first visit in order to represent you on that purchase.

Stephanie Pondevie is a bilingual REALTOR® in Maricopa County, AZ, helping buyers understand exactly what they're signing before they ever step foot in a home, in English or Spanish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to sign a buyer agency agreement just to attend an open house?

If you're touring on your own without an agent, no. The requirement applies when a real estate agent is going to show you the home or represent your interests. Some agents use a single-showing or one-time-tour agreement if you just want to see one house before committing to a full search relationship.

What if I don't want to commit to one agent yet?

Ask about a shorter-term or non-exclusive agreement, or a single-property showing agreement. Not every brokerage offers these, but many do, especially for a first meeting.

Who pays my buyer's agent if I sign this agreement?

It depends on the transaction. In many cases, the seller still offers compensation to the buyer's agent as part of the deal, and your agreement should explain how that gets applied and what happens if it falls short of what's stated in your agreement.

Can I back out of a buyer agency agreement once I've signed it?

Most agreements include a way to end the relationship early. Talk to your agent or their broker directly if you need to cancel — don't just stop responding and start working with someone else.

Does signing this agreement mean I have to buy a house?

No. It defines your working relationship with your agent during your search. It doesn't obligate you to make an offer or complete a purchase.

Is this agreement the same everywhere in Arizona?

The requirement to have one in place is standard, but the exact terms — length, exclusivity, compensation language — vary by brokerage. Read your specific agreement rather than assuming it matches what a friend signed with a different agent.

Ready to Start Touring Homes the Right Way?

If you're getting ready to buy in Maricopa County and want an agent who will walk you through every line of what you're signing — in English or Spanish — before you ever tour a home, reach out through yourhomecomesfirst.com. Stephanie Pondevie has spent 12+ years helping buyers and sellers across the Valley, and she'd rather you fully understand the paperwork than just sign it.