Not having a pre-approval will not stop you from being able to show most homes, however, it is highly recommended to acquire it before you do.
Here are 3 reasons why:
1) There is often a discrepancy as to what people think they can afford versus what amount they can get approved for. The pre-approval gives you all a limit to base your search off of so you are not looking at homes that they do not qualify for.
2) If you show them a home and they absolutely love it and want to submit an offer, you will need that pre-approval for their offer. Without it, your offer may not get accepted and they can lose out on the home they fell in love with.
3) Keeps you from wasting time and money on people that are not serious or cannot qualify to buy.
