Arizona property owners now have another free tool that may help them spot a suspicious real estate sale before it is completed. The Arizona Department of Real Estate calls it the Early Real Estate Sales Alert System, or ERAS.

What is the ADRE Early Real Estate Sales Alert System?

ERAS is a deed-fraud mitigation service provided by the Arizona Department of Real Estate. A property owner or an owner representative can register identifying information for a property and choose to receive alerts by email, text message, or both.

The purpose is to give a registered owner notice when an escrow officer enters pending real estate sales information that matches the registration. If the owner does not recognize the sale, the alert may give that person time to report the transaction as unauthorized and seek help.

Registration is voluntary. Arizona property owners are not required to use the system, and using it does not change ownership or place a restriction on the property.

How does ERAS work?

The system connects two separate actions:

1. A property owner registers information to monitor.
2. During a pending sale, an escrow officer transmits authorized transaction information to ERAS.

ADRE compares the submitted information with registered owner records. A potential match can be based on the owner name, property address, or assessor parcel number, commonly called the APN. When a match occurs, the registered person receives an alert using the contact method provided.

This timing matters. ERAS is designed around pending-sale information submitted by escrow. It is not described as a continuous search of every deed or document recorded in every Arizona county.

ERAS versus a county recorder alert

These services address different points in the process. That is why ADRE encourages property owners to register with both the state system and the alert program offered by their county recorder, when available.

For many Shebang Realty clients in Surprise and the West Valley, the relevant county resource is Maricopa Title Alert. Homeowners outside Maricopa County should use the official recorder website for the county where the property is located.

How to register for Arizona Early Alert

Registration takes place on the official ADRE Property Owner Portal. Before you begin, it can help to have your property address and APN available.

1. Open the official portal. Go directly to earlyalert.azre.gov.
2. Choose your contact method. Provide an email address, mobile number, or both so ADRE can send registration and alert messages.
3. Identify what you want to monitor. You may use the owner’s legal name, an entity or trust name, the property address, the APN, or a combination.
4. Review the terms and privacy information. Read the current ADRE disclosures before accepting them.
5. Complete registration. Watch for the registration message and keep your contact information current.

ADRE notes that an owner with a common name may receive alerts involving someone else with the same name. Using the property address or APN can help make the registration more specific.

What buyers and sellers may see during escrow

ADRE also provides an Early Real Estate Sales Alert transaction form. The form allows buyers and sellers to instruct the escrow officer to transmit specific details about the seller and property to ERAS.

The listed information includes the seller’s full legal name, the property mailing address when available, and the APN. The form states that all parties to the contract must consent for the authorization to create valid escrow instructions.

Because this is a transaction instruction, buyers and sellers should read it carefully and direct questions about their particular transaction to their real estate professional, escrow officer, or qualified legal adviser. You can review the official ADRE transaction form.

Who should be especially cautious?

Deed fraud can affect homeowners of any age. The Arizona Attorney General has reported that deed fraud has been more common in vacant homes, rentals owned by corporations or out-of-state owners, and properties connected to someone who recently died. Homeowners may also face additional risk of financial exploitation when they are isolated, grieving, experiencing cognitive or health challenges, or relying on someone else to manage important documents or finances.

That does not mean age alone makes someone vulnerable. It means families, trusted advisers, and homeowners should pay attention to the circumstances that can make pressure or deception harder to recognize. Arizona authorities have pursued cases involving the alleged exploitation of elderly homeowners and vulnerable adults.

Learn more from the Arizona Attorney General’s deed-fraud warning and its financial-exploitation resources.

What ERAS does not do

ERAS is an additional warning tool, not complete protection from fraud. ADRE states that the database is not a comprehensive registry and does not contain information for every Arizona property. Information can change, outages can occur, and user-entered details can contain errors.

An alert also depends on a pending transaction being submitted to the system and matching the information registered by the owner. A person should not assume that receiving no alert proves that no fraudulent activity exists.

Good property-protection habits may also include keeping contact information current, monitoring county recorder alerts, reviewing unexpected property mail, protecting personal information, and responding carefully to suspicious calls, emails, or texts. When following an alert, start from the official government website instead of an unsolicited link whenever possible.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and review date: Arizona Department of Real Estate Early Real Estate Sales Alert System, the ADRE Early Real Estate Sales Alert transaction form, and Arizona Attorney General homeowner-protection resources, reviewed October 1, 2026. This article is general educational information and is not legal advice. Program features and instructions may change, so confirm current requirements on the official ADRE website.