MLS® home sales in Nova Scotia pick up from recent lows in March but remain below historical norm
The number of homes sold through the MLS® System of the Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® totaled 747 units in March 2026. This was a moderate decrease of 8.3% from March 2025.
Home sales were 12% below the five-year average and 19.8% below the 10-year average for the month of March.
On a year-to-date basis, home sales totaled 1,862 units over the first three months of the year. This decreased by 9.1% 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 $437,200 in March 2026, a small gain of 3.6% compared to March 2025.
The benchmark price for single-family homes was $432,900, increasing by 4.2% on a year-over-year basis in March. By comparison, the benchmark price for townhouse/row units was $541,900, a modest gain of 1% compared to a year earlier, while the benchmark apartment price was $446,300, down modestly by 3.3% from year-ago levels.
The average price of homes sold in March 2026 was $478,667, up only 0.2% from March 2025.
The more comprehensive year-to-date average price was $464,531, nearly unchanged, up only 0.6% from the first three months of 2025.
The dollar value of all home sales in March 2026 was $357.6 million, a decrease of 8.2% from the same month in 2025.
The number of new listings saw a small reduction of 3.9% from March 2025. There were 1,361 new residential listings in March 2026.
New listings were 0.1% above the five-year average and 11.4% below the 10-year average for the month of March.
Active residential listings numbered 3,601 units on the market at the end of March, increasing by 1.3% from the end of March 2025. Active listings haven’t been this high in the month of March in more than five years.
Active listings were 22.9% above the five-year average and 14.5% below the 10-year average for the month of March.
Months of inventory numbered 4.8 at the end of March 2026, up from the 4.4 months recorded at the end of March 2025 and below the long-run average of 4.9 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.
| Nova Scotia Monthly Summary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | Residential Sales | Year-over-year % change | Residential Average Price | Year-over-year % change |
| Annapolis Valley | 111 | 6.7 | $408,264 | 3.1 |
| Cape Breton | 49 | -3.9 | $240,873 | -21.8 |
| Halifax-Dartmouth | 375 | -10.7 | $610,101 | 1.3 |
| Highland Region | 27 | 22.7 | $301,910 | -2.4 |
| Northern Nova Scotia | 113 | 0.0 | $305,272 | -0.6 |
| South Shore | 60 | -24.1 | $410,870 | 10.2 |
| Yarmouth | 12 | -53.8 | $363,075 | 8.6 |
| Nova Scotia | 747 | -8.3 | $478,667 | 0.2 |
| Nova Scotia Year-To-Date Summary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YTD 2026 | Residential Sales | Year-over-year % change | Residential Average Price | Year-over-year % change |
| Annapolis Valley | 270 | -6.6 | $394,646 | 7.9 |
| Cape Breton | 131 | -10.9 | $253,778 | -3.0 |
| Halifax-Dartmouth | 908 | -9.7 | $594,969 | -0.6 |
| Highland Region | 79 | 0.0 | $312,391 | 8.9 |
| Northern Nova Scotia | 277 | -4.8 | $308,622 | 3.0 |
| South Shore | 164 | -14.6 | $397,413 | -0.0 |
| Yarmouth | 33 | -25.0 | $290,370 | -2.2 |
| Nova Scotia | 1,862 | -9.1 | $464,531 | 0.6 |
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
Suzanne Gravel
