Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® MLS® home sales rise in March but momentum wanes
The number of homes sold through the MLS® System of the Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® totaled 820 units in March 2025. This increased by 4.5% from March 2024.
Home sales were 20.1% below the five-year average and 12.2% below the 10-year average for the month of March.
On a year-to-date basis, home sales totaled 2,056 units over the first three months of the year. This was a gain of 4.2% from the same period in 2024.
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 $421,900 in March 2025, up by 4.6% compared to March 2024.
The benchmark price for single-family homes was $415,200, an increase of 4.7% on a year-over-year basis in March. By comparison, the benchmark price for townhouse/row units was $535,200, a small gain of 3.3% compared to a year earlier, while the benchmark apartment price was $473,100, increasing by 5.1% from year-ago levels.
The average price of homes sold in March 2025 was a record $477,054, up by 7.3% from March 2024.
The more comprehensive year-to-date average price was $461,514, an increase of 6.8% from the first three months of 2024.
The dollar value of all home sales in March 2025 was $391.2 million, a sizable gain of 12.1% from the same month in 2024.
The number of new listings was up by 20.8% from March 2024. There were 1,432 new residential listings in March 2025.
New listings were 4.5% below the five-year average and 10.6% below the 10-year average for the month of March.
Active residential listings numbered 3,544 units on the market at the end of March, a gain of 15.1% from the end of March 2024. Active listings haven’t been this high in the month of March in five years.
Active listings were 30.4% above the five-year average and 25.5% below the 10-year average for the month of March.
| Nova Scotia Monthly Summary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2025 | Residential Sales | Year-over-year % change | Residential Average Price | Year-over-year % change |
| Annapolis Valley | 104 | 4.0 | $395,809 | 13.6 |
| Cape Breton | 51 | 4.1 | $308,000 | 31.2 |
| Halifax-Dartmouth | 421 | 5.2 | $601,250 | 6.5 |
| Highland Region | 22 | -15.4 | $300,191 | 9.3 |
| Northern Nova Scotia | 115 | -3.4 | $307,557 | 2.2 |
| South Shore | 81 | 20.9 | $377,111 | -6.9 |
| Yarmouth | 26 | 8.3 | $333,323 | 18.3 |
| Nova Scotia | 820 | 4.5 | $477,054 | 7.3 |
| Nova Scotia Year-To-Date Summary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YTD 2025 | Residential Sales | Year-over-year % change | Residential Average Price | Year-over-year % change |
| Annapolis Valley | 289 | 17.5 | $365,856 | 4.4 |
| Cape Breton | 148 | 0.7 | $260,655 | 15.3 |
| Halifax-Dartmouth | 1,009 | 3.0 | $598,368 | 5.7 |
| Highland Region | 80 | 8.1 | $286,365 | 6.6 |
| Northern Nova Scotia | 292 | -4.6 | $299,400 | 6.2 |
| South Shore | 194 | 19.0 | $399,173 | 12.1 |
| Yarmouth | 44 | -22.8 | $296,280 | 15.2 |
| Nova Scotia | 2,056 | 4.2 | $461,514 | 6.8 |
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 1,600 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
Andrew Gilroy
