Nova Scotia Real Estate Market Statistics September 2026

By Rob Lough, Broker/Owner | Century 21 Optimum Realty | October 1, 2026

Nova Scotia’s housing market cooled further into fall, with sales activity pulling back and inventory continuing to build toward a new 13-month high. Months supply crept closer still to the six-month balanced-market threshold, while prices held roughly flat, the average sales price barely moved and the median actually rose from August. Here’s what the numbers from the Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® show for September 2026.

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Months Supply Climbs to 5.7 Months, Another 13-Month High

Months supply rose again in September to 5.7 months, up from 5.6 in August and well above the 4.5 months recorded in September 2025. That’s the highest reading in the trailing 13 months and extends a climb that began back in January’s tight 3.1 months.

With six months of supply the conventional line between a seller’s market and a balanced one, Nova Scotia is now effectively at that threshold province-wide.

Inventory Reaches 4,508 Homes

Homes for sale finished September at 4,508, up from 4,454 in August (+1.2%) and up 17.5% from the 3,836 available in September 2025. Inventory has now risen in nine of the past ten months, with each month’s unsold listings continuing to stack up on top of the last.

New Listings Tick Up to 1,410

New listings totalled 1,410 in September, up slightly from August’s 1,400 (+0.7%) and up just 1.0% from September 2025’s 1,396. New supply has been essentially flat for two months running, well off the spring peak of 1,767 in June, the inventory build is coming from slower absorption, not a fresh wave of sellers.

Prices Hold: Average Nearly Flat, Median Rises

The average sales price was $480,903 in September, down slightly from $487,868 in August (-1.4%) and essentially unchanged from $481,515 a year earlier (-0.1%).

The median sales price told the opposite story, rising to $445,000 from $436,000 in August (+2.1%) and up 3.5% from $430,000 in September 2025. With the average essentially flat and the median climbing, September’s activity shifted back toward the middle of the market compared to August, a reversal of the “upper-end skew” pattern seen the month before.

Price Per Square Foot: Still Up Year-Over-Year

Average price per square foot on total living area was $277 in September, down $2 from August but up 2.6% from $270 a year ago. On main living area, the figure held at $354, flat against August and up 3.8% from $341 in September 2025.

Per-square-foot pricing strips out shifts in the size and mix of what’s selling, and on that basis Nova Scotia values remain modestly ahead of last year despite flat-to-softer headline prices.

Dollar Volume and Sales Activity Pull Back

Dollar volume of closed sales came in at $398.7 million in September, down from $437.1 million in August (-8.8%) and down 9.9% from $442.5 million in September 2025.

Total units sold followed the same pattern: 828 in September against 897 in August (-7.7%) and 919 a year ago (-9.9%). Pending sales held fairly steady at 867, down just 0.5% from August’s 871, pointing to a similarly measured October.

Days on Market Edge Up to 53

Average days on market rose to 53 in September from 50 in August, though it remains slightly below the 55 days recorded in September 2025. Homes are taking a little longer to sell month-over-month, consistent with the deepening inventory, but the year-over-year comparison shows the market isn’t moving meaningfully slower than it was twelve months ago.

Sale Price Ratios Continue to Soften

Sellers received 96.0% of their last list price in September, down from 96.7% in August and 96.5% a year ago.

Against the original list price, the ratio was 92.9%, down from 94.2% in August and 93.4% in September 2025. The widening gap between these two figures, roughly 3.1 percentage points, is the clearest sign yet that price reductions are becoming a bigger part of the typical sale, and a slightly more expensive one each month.

Buyer Traffic Holds Steady

Showings per listing held at 3.5 in September, unchanged from August and down from 3.8 a year ago. With inventory continuing to build, each individual listing continues to see thinner traffic than it did last fall.

Average showings to pending rose to 8.8, up from 8.5 in August and below September 2025’s 9.0. Buyers who do go out remain decisive, converting showings to offers at a fairly consistent rate even as overall traffic softens.

What This Means for Buyers and Sellers

For buyers: Nova Scotia is now essentially at the six-month balanced-market threshold, with 4,508 homes to choose from and the deepest inventory in over a year. The 92.9% original-list ratio means the average sale is closing meaningfully below initial asking, and conditions on financing and inspection are realistic again. Per-square-foot values are still up year-over-year, so this is a market offering choice and negotiating room without signaling a broad decline in value. Browse current Nova Scotia listings with our team or get pre-approved before you start touring.

For sellers: Pricing discipline matters more each month. The 3.1-point gap between last-list and original-list ratios shows the real cost of testing the market high,  a reduction, a longer wait, and still a finish below where correct initial pricing would have landed. With showings per listing flat at a 13-month-low level, each visit has to count, and realistic pricing from day one is what separates a 53-day sale from a much longer one. Get a free market evaluation before you set your number.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Nova Scotia a buyer’s or seller’s market in September 2026? It’s essentially balanced. At 5.7 months of supply, the province sits right at the six-month line typically used to define a balanced market, with individual communities varying.

Are Nova Scotia home prices falling? Not meaningfully. The average sales price of $480,903 is roughly flat year-over-year (-0.1%), and the median of $445,000 is actually up 3.5%. Price per square foot is up 2.6–3.8% depending on the measure. The overall picture is stable values with month-to-month noise in the mix of what’s selling.

How long does it take to sell a home in Nova Scotia? Average days on market was 53 in September 2026, close to the 55 days recorded a year earlier.

How much below asking are homes selling for? The average sale closed at 96.0% of the last list price and 92.9% of the original list price — meaning a home originally listed at $500,000 sold for roughly $35,500 less, on average, mostly due to price reductions along the way.

Why does inventory keep rising if new listings are flat? Because sales are slowing faster than new supply is. With 1,410 new listings against 828 sales in September, unsold homes keep accumulating even without a surge of new sellers.

Should I wait for prices to drop further? Nothing here points to an imminent decline — per-square-foot values are still up year-over-year. The negotiating advantage buyers have gained is real today; waiting trades a known advantage now for an uncertain one later. Run the numbers on a specific property with our mortgage calculator.

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About This Report

Data is sourced from the Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® and covers province-wide single-family and multi-family residential sales for September 2026. Market statistics describe province-wide averages and may not reflect conditions in a specific community, price band, or property type. For advice on a particular property, connect with our team at Century 21 Optimum Realty.

Related Resources

• Nova Scotia Real Estate Market Statistics – August 2026
• Nova Scotia Real Estate Market Statistics – July 2026
• Nova Scotia Real Estate Market Statistics – June 2026
• What Is My Nova Scotia Home Worth? Free Evaluation
• Mortgage Calculator
• Get Pre-Approved
• Century 21 Optimum Realty

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Data source: Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® (2026 ShowingTime Plus, LLC). Prepared by Rob Lough, Broker/Owner, Century 21 Optimum Realty.