Real Estate Myth Checks

Claims vs. sourced data · Arizona

ClozeEZ, the for-sale-by-owner site for Arizona, tests the real estate claims that get repeated until they sound like facts against primary sources, and gives a verdict either way. These pages check the most common against those sources (NAR's own surveys, published academic research, MLS policy documents, and current Arizona figures) and give a verdict either way, including where a myth holds a kernel of truth. Every page shows its sources, and anyone is welcome to cite them.

False“Real estate commission is a standard 6%”No law has ever set a commission rate, and the current published averages sit below 6%; here is what the data shows and what changed in 2024.

False“The seller has to pay the buyer's agent”Not since August 2024. ARMLS removed compensation fields entirely; here is how buyer-agent pay actually works in Arizona now.

Mostly false“FSBO homes sell for 26% less than agent-listed homes”The 26% figure appears in no current data source; NAR's own survey says 15.3%, most of which evaporates under scrutiny. Here is where the number actually comes from.

Informational only, not legal or financial advice. ClozeEZ is a software platform, not a real estate broker.