Do you need to be pre-qualified for a loan before a realtor will show you a home that is listed?

Not necessarily, however, a good Realtor is going to prequalify any buyer they show a home to.  I don't know if you know this or not, so at the risk of repeating what you might or might not know I'll be as brief as possible.  Realtor's are self employed, when I got my license my teacher made us all stand up and do the boy scout salute and swear "I am not a tour guide".  If a Realtor shows a house to an unqualified potential purchaser that is all they are, "tour guides".  Why would a Realtor show a home to someone they didn't know was capable of buying a home?  A Realtor does not make a penny if the buyer doesn't buy or a seller doesn't sell, there are tons of expenses involved in just being licensed, every year we spend about $2000 before we even start to sell a home.  In order to protect our very hard earned dollars we all want to make sure we aren't wasting our time showing homes to people who can't afford to buy them.  So, if you want to tour houses, look for open houses and walk in, if you want a professional to guide you through the process, advise you on value, condition and what you should offer then do your part and get pre-approved for a loan before you start your search.  If you want to know who to get preapproved with or about loan programs ask a Professional Realtor for a referral, I know I have lots of fabulous loan professionals that do a great job on a list just ready to share.