You can look at a house without pre-approval. Open houses are open to the public, and no law requires a pre-approval letter to walk through a home that is listed for sale. Private showings are a different matter: sellers and agents often ask for proof you can actually buy before they unlock the door, and since August 2024 you also need a signed written agreement with your agent before touring with them.
Open Houses Are Walk-In
Open houses are designed to attract as many visitors as possible, and hosts almost never ask for a pre-approval letter at the door. You can walk in, tour the rooms, and leave without proving anything about your finances. The agent hosting the event will usually offer a sign-in sheet, but completing it is voluntary and not a condition of entry.
You also do not need a signed buyer-broker agreement to attend an open house on your own. For early-stage browsing — comparing neighborhoods, layouts, and price points before you ever talk to a lender — open houses are the right tool.
Private Showings Are Where the Gatekeeping Starts
Once you want an agent to schedule a private tour of a specific home, expectations change. Sellers can set conditions on who enters their home, and listing agreements often specify that only financially vetted buyers get access to private showings. That protects the seller’s privacy and filters out visitors who are unlikely to make an offer.
Agents also prefer working with pre-approved buyers for practical reasons. Arranging a private tour means coordinating with the seller’s schedule, traveling to the property, and investing professional time. An agent may decline to schedule a private showing if you cannot produce a current pre-approval letter. That is a matter of professional discretion and the terms of your buyer agreement, not a legal prohibition.
Keep in mind that pre-approval letters typically expire after 30 to 60 days, depending on the lender.1Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Get a Preapproval Letter If yours has lapsed, you may need to reapply with updated financial documents and undergo another credit check before an agent or seller will grant access.
You Also Need a Signed Buyer Agreement
If you want a real estate agent to schedule that private tour, you have to sign a written buyer agreement first. This requirement took effect on August 17, 2024, as part of a nationwide settlement involving the National Association of Realtors. The agreement must be signed before touring a home with your agent, whether in person or virtually.2National Association of REALTORS®. Consumer Guide to Written Buyer Agreements
The agreement spells out what services the agent will provide and how they will be compensated. Compensation has to be stated as a specific figure — a flat fee, a percentage, an hourly rate, or even zero — rather than an open-ended range.3National Association of REALTORS®. Written Buyer Agreements 101 Before you set foot in a privately shown home with an agent, you need to understand and agree to the financial terms of that relationship.
The requirement applies to agents who participate in a Multiple Listing Service. It does not apply when you visit an open house on your own, or when you are simply asking an agent about their services without touring a property.4National Association of REALTORS®. NAR Settlement FAQs
What Counts as Pre-Approval
When an agent or seller asks whether you are pre-approved, they want something more rigorous than a pre-qualification. A pre-qualification relies on self-reported income, debts, and assets, and the lender typically does not verify documentation or pull a hard credit report. A pre-approval requires you to submit pay stubs, tax returns, and bank statements, and it authorizes the lender to pull your credit. Because the lender has actually reviewed your finances, the pre-approval letter is what sellers treat as a serious signal.
The hard credit inquiry may temporarily lower your credit score by a few points. Credit scoring models generally treat multiple mortgage inquiries within a short window — typically 14 to 45 days — as a single inquiry, so shopping among lenders does not multiply the impact.
Paying Cash? Bring Proof of Funds Instead
If you plan to buy without a mortgage, sellers will ask for proof of funds rather than a pre-approval letter. That is typically a current bank statement or a letter from your financial institution confirming you have enough liquid assets to cover the purchase price. You can redact sensitive details like full account numbers before sharing it. Sellers generally expect the statement to be recent, within the last 30 to 90 days, so it reflects your current position. A valid proof of funds opens the same doors a pre-approval letter would.
Model Homes and New Construction
Model homes operated by builders function more like showrooms than private residences. They are typically open to walk-in visitors during business hours, and you do not need pre-approval or an appointment to browse layouts and design options.
The financial requirements kick in when you want to move from browsing to buying. Builders generally require a pre-approval letter, or proof of funds for a cash purchase, before drafting a purchase agreement. You will also need to put down earnest money to hold a specific lot, and builder deposits tend to be a percentage of the sale price rather than a flat amount.
Pre-Approval Rules Must Apply Equally
A seller who requires pre-approval has to apply that standard uniformly. The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to refuse to sell a home, or to make it unavailable, because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or disability.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 U.S. Code 3604 – Discrimination in the Sale or Rental of Housing and Other Prohibited Practices Federal regulations also prohibit using different qualification criteria, such as stricter financial documentation requirements, based on a buyer’s membership in a protected class.6eCFR. 24 CFR Part 100 – Discriminatory Conduct Under the Fair Housing Act Telling a prospective buyer that a home is unavailable for inspection when it actually is available also violates the Act.
Penalties are significant. In an administrative proceeding, a first-time offender with no prior discriminatory housing practices faces a civil penalty of up to $26,262 under the most recent inflation adjustment.7Federal Register. Adjustment of Civil Monetary Penalty Amounts for 2025 The ceiling rises to $65,653 for a respondent with one prior violation within the past five years, and $131,308 for two or more prior violations within seven years. In federal court cases brought by the Attorney General, statutory penalties can be higher still.
If you suspect a seller or agent is asking for pre-approval from you but waving others through, that is a complaint worth filing with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.