Who We Are

We are the professional Association for REALTORS® in Nova Scotia.

The Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® (NSAR) represents over 2,100 real estate brokers and salespeople across the province. 

Our Mission

NSAR, the voice of real estate in Nova Scotia. Empowering REALTORS® by providing leading edge tools, outstanding services, and active advocacy while staying at the forefront of the rapidly evolving real estate industry. 

Our Vision

Highlights of Organized Real Estate in Nova Scotia

For over 60 years, REALTORS® have played a vital role in Nova Scotia’s real estate market, facilitating more than $2 billion in transactions annually. This activity is grounded in public trust built through decades of organized, professional real estate practice.

Early Foundations

Organized real estate in Nova Scotia began in 1943 with the founding of the Halifax–Dartmouth Real Estate Board (HDREB). That same year, 17 Canadian real estate boards formed the Canadian Association of Real Estate Boards, now the Canadian Real Estate Association, which introduced the term REALTOR® in 1944.

Growth and Regulation

Many of the boards that would later form the Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® (NSAR) were established in the 1950s. In 1957, Nova Scotia introduced the Real Estate Agents’ Licensing Act, formally regulating the profession. The HDREB was incorporated in 1958, enabling it to act as a provincial advocate for real estate.

Collaboration and Innovation

The profession continued to evolve in the 1960s with the introduction of the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) System. In the 1970s, Nova Scotia’s boards began working more closely together through the Nova Scotia Real Estate Association, a REALTOR® led regulator.

Formation of NSAR

By the 1990s, boards across the province began to amalgamate to strengthen advocacy and efficiency. This process culminated in the formation of the Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® on April 14, 2000.

How We Are Making A Difference

Working Together to Help Nova Scotian's Find a Home

Representing more than 2,000 REALTORS®, we are the voice of real estate in Nova Scotia.
As the professional association for REALTORS®, we work in partnership with government
and partners to create housing solutions across the housing spectrum to ensure
every Nova Scotian has a home.

Advocacy

As sector experts, we draw on our specialized knowledge of real estate to advocate for initiatives in collaboration with government and industry partners - finding solutions to Nova Scotia's housing challenges grounded in data and local expertise.

 The impact of our housing sector is significant. In 2023, Nova Scotia home sales drove $516.5 million in spin-off spending, with an additional $266.9 million generated from federal, provincial, and municipal taxes. We work to leverage this economic power into solutions that benefit all Nova Scotians.

Since 2017, the NSAR has advocated for the expansion of the Down Payment Assistance Program (DPAP) on behalf of first-time homebuyers, helping over 1,500 families purchase homes in Nova Scotia.

Affordable Housing Report

Part of strengthening our housing market means working to ensure every Nova Scotian has a place to call home. As prices have grown in recent years, more and more Nova Scotians have struggled to afford housing and other basic needs. Without income-accessible housing, our communities suffer.

Working together with municipal governments, the NSAR held a series of conversations on the challenges these communities are facing. With input from provincial government officials and stakeholders, the NSAR published its Affordable Housing Report in 2021 for submission to Nova Scotia's Affordable Housing Commission. The report details what we heard across the province, and steps to creating a housing sector that meets the needs of every Nova Scotian.

        

Partner Update

As the voice of real estate in Nova Scotia, we work to ensure that our members and stakeholder partners are kept up to date on our activities and of important developments in the housing sector, as well as the services, education, information, tools and representation we provide.

Sign up below to receive our partner updates, and to keep up to date.
Reach out to [email protected] to register.

We are the professional Association for REALTORS® in Nova Scotia.

In addition, we focus on celebrating and supporting REALTORS® from various backgrounds and are committed to supporting an environment free of homophobia, queer phobia, racism, xenophobia and ableism.