State guide

Buying or Selling a Home in Arizona: What You Need to Know

Arizona's home-buying and selling process runs on a standard Arizona Association of Realtors purchase contract, a built-in inspection period, and seller disclosures about the property's condition.

Are you buying or selling?

TL;DR

Arizona's home-buying and selling process runs on a standard Arizona Association of Realtors purchase contract, a built-in inspection period, and seller disclosures about the property's condition. The state charges no real estate transfer tax, which keeps closing costs lower than in many other states, but Arizona has unique rules around water rights, pool safety, and rural land that can catch first-timers off guard. Since August 17, 2024, buyers also need a signed agreement with their agent before being shown any home listed on the multiple listing service.

8 things every Arizona buyer or seller should know

  • Before a real estate agent in Arizona can show you a home listed on the local MLS, you have to sign a written buyer-broker agreement. This rule started August 17, 2024 as part of the NAR settlement, and the agreement must clearly state the services your agent will provide and how much they'll be paid.

  • When you sell a home in Arizona using the standard Arizona Association of Realtors purchase contract, you fill out a Seller Property Disclosure Statement (SPDS). The SPDS asks what you know about the home's condition, defects, prior insurance claims, HOA fees, flood risk, pool safety, and more.

  • Arizona's standard home purchase contract gives buyers an 'inspection period' — usually 10 days — to inspect the home and decide whether to move forward, ask the seller to fix things, or walk away. You can run any inspections you want during this window, including for pests and pool safety.

  • Arizona does not charge a state, county, or city real estate transfer tax when a home changes hands. That keeps closing costs lower than in states like New York, Florida, or California, where transfer taxes can add thousands of dollars to the final bill.

  • If an Arizona home has a swimming pool, state law requires a safety barrier at least five feet tall with a self-closing, self-latching gate and no handholds a child could climb. Sellers must report on their property disclosure statement whether the pool barrier meets this standard.

  • Arizona's Fair Housing Act protects buyers and renters from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and familial status. Arizona also adds sexual orientation and gender identity as state-protected classes — protections that go beyond what federal law explicitly lists.

  • If you're selling vacant land in an unincorporated part of Arizona, and it's one of five or fewer parcels you've sold this calendar year, you must deliver an Affidavit of Disclosure to the buyer at least seven days before closing. The affidavit covers legal road access, water and utility availability, flood risk, and other facts that don't show up in a regular home inspection.

  • If the home was built before 1978, federal law requires sellers to give buyers a lead-based paint disclosure, the EPA's 'Protect Your Family from Lead' pamphlet, and any records they have about lead paint in the home. Arizona does not add extra state-level lead disclosure rules on top of this.

The guides

Common questions

Do I have to sign a contract with my agent before they show me homes in Arizona?
Yes. Since August 17, 2024, Arizona MLS rules require a written buyer-broker agreement before an agent can show you any home listed on the MLS. This change came from the NAR settlement and is now standard practice nationwide. The agreement must clearly state what your agent will do for you and how they'll be paid.
How long do I have to inspect a home in Arizona before I'm locked in?
The standard Arizona purchase contract gives you an 'inspection period' that you negotiate up front, with 10 days being typical. During this window you can hire home inspectors, check for termites, test the pool, review the title, and look into anything else that matters. If you find a problem you can't accept, you can ask the seller to fix it, renegotiate, or cancel the deal and get your earnest money back.
What do I have to disclose to a buyer when I sell my home in Arizona?
The Arizona Seller Property Disclosure Statement (SPDS) is the main form. It asks you to share what you know about defects, past repairs, insurance claims, pool safety, flood risk, HOA dues, and other property facts. If your home was built before 1978, federal law also requires a separate lead-based paint disclosure.
Do I have to disclose if a registered sex offender lives near my Arizona home?
No. Arizona law does not require sellers or real estate agents to research or disclose the presence of registered sex offenders near a property. Instead, the Arizona Department of Public Safety keeps a public registry, and buyers are pointed to it as part of their own due diligence.
Does Arizona charge a transfer tax when I buy or sell a home?
No. Arizona is one of the few states with no state, county, or city real estate transfer tax. That keeps closing costs lower than in places like New York, Florida, or California, where transfer taxes can add thousands of dollars to the bill.
Can one agent represent both the buyer and the seller in an Arizona deal?
Yes, but only with written informed consent from both sides. Arizona calls this 'limited representation' (also known as dual agency), and the parties sign a Consent to Limited Representation form before it can happen. Once both sides agree, the agent can't take sides or share one party's confidential information with the other.
What does Arizona fair housing law protect me from?
Arizona's Fair Housing Act mirrors federal protections for race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and familial status when you buy, sell, rent, or finance a home. Arizona goes a step further by also protecting sexual orientation and gender identity at the state level. If you think you've been discriminated against, you can file a complaint with the state's civil rights division.

Glossary

2 terms
NAR — National Association of Realtors
The national trade group for real-estate agents. The 2024 NAR settlement is the legal deal that changed how buyer's agents get paid.
MLS — Multiple Listing Service
The shared database agents use to list and find homes for sale. Most homes you'll see online started here.