Open Houses Q. I've heard that visiting an open house without my buyer's agent means she can't represent me in my home purchase. Is that true? A. It could be. You'll want to protect your agent's ability to represent you by communicating regularly, discussing which homes you'd like to see, and when you're available. Q. What should you do if your agent is on vacation, and the Sunday classifieds feature an open house that just calls out to you? A. Real Living allows its buyer's agents to register their clients for open houses (held by members of our company) that they can't attend. Be sure to understand how prospective agents handle even brief periods in which they're unavailable.