Nova Scotia MLS® home sales ease in August as inventory continues to build
The number of homes sold through the MLS® System of the Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® totaled 997 units in August 2026. This was down by 7.1% from August 2025.
Home sales were 7.3% below the five-year average and 15.6% below the 10-year average for the month of August.
On a year-to-date basis, home sales totaled 7,022 units over the first eight months of the year. This was a decrease of 8.1% from the same period in 2025.
The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) tracks price trends far more accurately than is possible using average or median price measures. The overall MLS® HPI composite benchmark price was $435,000 in August 2026, up modestly by 1.6% compared to August 2025.
The benchmark price for single-family homes was $433,200, a minor increase of 2.7% on a year-over-year basis in August. By comparison, the benchmark price for townhouse/row units was $512,900, a moderate decrease of 5.9% compared to a year earlier, while the benchmark apartment price was $422,100, falling by 8.8% from year-ago levels.
The average price of homes sold in August 2026 was $467,585, unchanged from August 2025.
The more comprehensive year-to-date average price was $479,667, increasing by 1.2% from the first eight months of 2025.
The dollar value of all home sales in August 2026 was $466.2 million, a decline of 7.1% from the same month in 2025.
The number of new listings was up modestly by 3% from August 2025. There were 1,571 new residential listings in August 2026. This was the largest number of new listings added in the month of August in five years.
New listings were 4.1% above the five-year average and 1.8% below the 10-year average for the month of August.
Active residential listings numbered 5,643 units on the market at the end of August, an increase of 13.6% from the end of August 2025. Active listings haven’t been this high in the month of August in more than five years.
Active listings were 27.9% above the five-year average and 6.8% above the 10-year average for the month of August.
Months of inventory numbered 5.7 at the end of August 2026, up from the 4.6 months recorded at the end of August 2025 and above the long-run average of 4.6 months for this time of year. The number of months of inventory is the number of months it would take to sell current inventories at the current rate of sales activity.
BOARD & ASSOCIATION INFORMATION
Trademarks are owned or controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA (REALTOR®) and/or the quality of services they provide (MLS®).
NSAR represents more than 2000 brokers, salespeople and affiliate (e.g. solicitors, appraisers, banks) members throughout the province. The Association serves its members through a wide variety of educational programs, publications and special services with the vision that learning and sharing real estate knowledge will help the profession advance. Through an agreement with the Nova Scotia Real Estate Commission, NSAR provides all real estate licensing courses in the province. REALTOR® is a trademark, which identifies real estate professionals who are members of The Canadian Real Estate Association and, as such, subscribe to a high standard of professional service and a strict Code of Ethics.
For more information,
please contact:
Tanya White
(902) 468-5874 or 1 (800) 344-2001
twhite@nsar.ns.ca
Sandi Carroll
