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

NSAR, supporting REALTORS® as the first choice of consumers while staying at the forefront of the rapidly evolving real estate industry. 
Consumers respect and value REALTORS® as their professional real estate partners.
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.

Evolution of NSAR

 
You must accept cookies to view this content.

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.