I’ve had this conversation with buyers dozens of times this year alone: they call about a listing, we set up a showing, and before we walk in the front door I hand them a form to sign. Almost every time, the first question is “wait, do I actually have to sign this just to look at a house?” The short answer is yes, in nearly every case now. The longer answer — what’s actually in that agreement, and what parts of it you can push back on — is what most buyers never get explained to them, so let’s fix that.
Why This Changed
For most of my 22 years doing this, a buyer could tour homes with an agent on a handshake. That changed after the 2024 NAR settlement reshaped how buyer representation works nationwide. Brokerages that participate in the MLS now require a signed written agreement with a buyer before that buyer can be shown homes in person. It’s not a Mike Caruso policy or a HomeSmart Elite policy — it’s an industry-wide requirement tied to MLS participation, and any licensed agent showing you homes through the MLS has to have you sign something first.
What the Agreement Actually Is
A buyer-broker agreement — sometimes called a buyer representation agreement — is a contract between you and your agent’s brokerage. It spells out that the agent is working for you, the buyer, and defines the terms of that relationship: how the agent gets paid, how long the agreement lasts, what geographic area or property types it covers, and how either side can end it. It is not a mortgage document, it doesn’t obligate you to buy anything, and it doesn’t commit you to a specific property. It commits you to working with that agent under agreed terms while you’re house hunting.
What Has to Be in It
Arizona doesn’t have a single mandated state form, but any agreement I put in front of a buyer needs to clearly spell out a few things, and you should insist on seeing all of them in writing before you sign anything:
Compensation. How much the agent is being paid, and by whom. This is the part that changed the most post-settlement — commission is no longer just assumed to come from the seller’s side automatically. It has to be negotiated and disclosed up front.
Term. How long the agreement runs. I typically write these for a specific window tied to what the buyer actually needs, not an open-ended commitment.
Scope. What properties and areas it covers — a specific address you’re touring, or a broader search across the Valley.
Exclusivity. Whether you’re required to work with that one agent exclusively during the term, or whether it’s non-exclusive.
Cancellation terms. How you can get out of it if the relationship isn’t working.
If any of these are missing, vague, or the agent brushes past them quickly, that’s your cue to slow down and ask questions before signing.
What’s Actually Negotiable
This is the part most buyers don’t realize: almost everything in a buyer-broker agreement is negotiable. You are not required to accept whatever version gets handed to you.
Compensation is negotiable — the rate, and who’s expected to pay it. In many transactions the seller still offers compensation to the buyer’s agent as part of the deal, and your agreement can be written so that if the seller covers it, you owe nothing out of pocket. Ask directly how that works before you sign, and get it in writing rather than taking a verbal explanation at face value.
Term length is negotiable. If an agent wants you to sign something covering six months or a year and you’re just starting to look, ask for a shorter term — even a single-showing agreement for one property is legitimate if you’re not ready to commit to a full search relationship yet.
Exclusivity is negotiable. You can ask for a non-exclusive agreement, though most agents worth working with will want some exclusivity in exchange for the time they put into your search — that’s a fair trade, but it should be a conversation, not something buried in fine print.
Cancellation is negotiable. A reasonable agreement lets you walk away if you’re not being served well. Be wary of anything that locks you in with no exit and heavy penalties for backing out.
Red Flags to Watch For
A few things that should make you pause before signing:
- An agreement with no clear end date, or a term far longer than makes sense for your situation
- Compensation language that’s vague about who pays or leaves the number blank to be filled in later
- Pressure to sign immediately, in the driveway, before you’ve had a chance to actually read it
- No explanation of what happens if you and the agent part ways mid-search
- An agent who can’t clearly explain any clause when you ask
None of these are automatically dealbreakers, but they’re all reasons to ask more questions before you put your name on it. A good agent wants you to understand what you’re signing — if they’re rushing you past it, that tells you something.
A Few Real Scenarios I Run Into
The out-of-town buyer flying in for one weekend. These buyers usually don’t want a six-month exclusive agreement for a market they’re only visiting once. I’ll write a short-term agreement scoped to that weekend and the specific homes we’re touring, so they can see what a working relationship feels like before committing further.
The first-time buyer just starting to look. Someone who’s early in the process and mostly wants to see what’s out there doesn’t need to sign a year-long exclusive. A 30- or 60-day term with a straightforward cancellation clause lets both sides figure out if it’s a good fit without either party feeling locked in.
The buyer who’s been searching for months with another agent and isn’t happy. If you’re already under an agreement with someone else, you generally can’t just start touring homes with a different agent until that agreement ends or is formally released. Read your cancellation terms — most reasonable agreements let you exit if the agent isn’t performing, but you have to actually invoke that clause rather than just stop returning calls.
The buyer competing for a specific new listing. Sometimes a buyer calls me about one house and wants to see it that day. A single-property agreement is the fastest, lowest-commitment way to do that legally under current MLS rules, and it doesn’t obligate either of us beyond that one showing.
In every one of these situations, the paperwork should match what the buyer actually needs — not the other way around.
What This Means for You as a Buyer
Practically speaking, here’s how this plays out day to day: if you want to tour a specific home, you can sign a single-property or single-showing agreement just for that one house, which is a low-commitment way to work with an agent for the first time. If you’re doing a real search — multiple homes, over weeks or months — a broader agreement makes more sense, and that’s the point to have a real conversation about compensation, term, and what you’re both expecting from the relationship.
I always walk buyers through this before we ever get to a showing, not at the door. If an agent hasn’t done that with you, ask them to before you sign anything.
How This Connects to Your Overall Buying Costs
Understanding your buyer-broker agreement is really part of a bigger picture — knowing what you’re actually paying to buy a home in Arizona. If you haven’t already, it’s worth reading up on who typically pays the buyer’s agent commission in today’s market and how that gets negotiated deal by deal. It also pairs well with understanding your full closing costs so there are no surprises at the table, and if you haven’t nailed down your budget yet, start with how much house you can actually afford.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to sign a buyer-broker agreement to just look at one house? In most cases, yes — MLS rules now require a signed agreement before an agent can show you a home in person, even for a single showing. You can ask for a single-property agreement that only covers that one home if you’re not ready for a broader commitment.
Can I negotiate the commission in a buyer-broker agreement? Yes. Compensation is fully negotiable between you and your agent, and the agreement should clearly state the amount and who is expected to pay it, whether that’s you directly or a credit negotiated from the seller’s side of the deal.
What happens if I want to stop working with my agent after signing? A well-written agreement includes clear cancellation terms. Ask about this before you sign — a fair agreement gives you a reasonable way out if the relationship isn’t working, rather than locking you in indefinitely.
The Bottom Line
Yes, you almost certainly have to sign a buyer-broker agreement before touring homes in Arizona now — that part isn’t optional. But the terms inside it — compensation, term length, exclusivity, and how you can cancel — are yours to negotiate. Read it before you sign it, ask questions about anything that isn’t crystal clear, and work with an agent who’s willing to walk you through it rather than rush you past it.
Have questions about a buyer-broker agreement someone’s asked you to sign, or want to talk through your options before you start touring homes? Call me at (480) 201-3700 or reach out at https://mikecaruso.idxbroker.com/idx/contact.
Mike Caruso | HomeSmart Elite, Chandler AZ | License SA540586000 | 22+ years | 500+ homes sold
