Nova Scotia MLS® home sales soften in July; active listings rise for third consecutive month
The number of homes sold through the MLS® System of the Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® totaled 1,075 units in July 2026. This decreased by 5.9% from July 2025.
Home sales were 2.9% below the five-year average and 10.6% below the 10-year average for the month of July.
On a year-to-date basis, home sales totaled 6,033 units over the first seven months of the year. This was a decline 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 $429,100 in July 2026, unchanged 0% compared to July 2025.
The benchmark price for single-family homes was $425,200, up only 0.6% on a year-over-year basis in July. By comparison, the benchmark price for townhouse/row units was $536,000, nearly unchanged, down only 0.6% compared to a year earlier, while the benchmark apartment price was $435,100, a decrease of 7.8% from year-ago levels.
The average price of homes sold in July 2026 was $465,412, up modestly by 1.5% from July 2025.
The more comprehensive year-to-date average price was $481,496, a minor increase of 1.4% from the first seven months of 2025.
The dollar value of all home sales in July 2026 was $500.3 million, a moderate decrease of 4.6% from the same month in 2025.
The number of new listings increased by 4.1% from July 2025. There were 1,819 new residential listings in July 2026. This was the largest number of new listings added in the month of July in more than five years.
New listings were 7.5% above the five-year average and 3.9% above the 10-year average for the month of July.
Active residential listings numbered 5,653 units on the market at the end of July, a gain of 12.3% from the end of July 2025. Active listings haven’t been this high in the month of July in more than five years.
Active listings were 28% above the five-year average and 5.5% above the 10-year average for the month of July.
Months of inventory numbered 5.3 at the end of July 2026, up from the 4.4 months recorded at the end of July 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
