About Us

The Nova Scotia Real Estate Commission is the regulatory body for trading in real estate in the province. Established by the provincial government in 1997, the Commission is an independent, non-profit agency that supervises the professional activities of all real estate licensees in Nova Scotia. The Commission is comprised of a Board of Directors, committees and full-time staff members.

The Commission’s mandate is to protect the public interest through effective regulation that promotes professionalism, ethical conduct, and integrity, which strengthens consumer trust and confidence in the real estate profession. We work toward public protection through:

• Administering and revising the Commission By-law, which defines the duties of licensees, the Board of Directors, and Commission staff, as well as the business and affairs of the Commission, including services provided and fees levied on licensees.
• Setting the Policies and Procedures that govern licensees trading in real estate.
• Setting the requirements for licensing indiviuals as real estate brokers and salespeople, including entry educational requirements, admission exams, and continuing education requirements.
• Holding conduct hearings arising from complaints of improper conduct by licensees.
• Administering the Real Estate Recovery Fund.
• Appointing a Registrar, setting the philosophy, direction, and policies and for the Commission and its staff.
• Submitting an Annual Report to the Minister responsible for the Act.

About Self-regulation

Real estate in Nova Scotia is fully self-regulated. Professional self-regulation is in essence the protection of the public interest and all of the regulatory body’s decisions and actions are done in the public interest, to protect real estate consumers from incompetent or unethical practices by licensees.

How does the Commission ensure consumer confidence in the real estate industry?

By licensing licensees, enforcing certain standards of practice required by the Nova Scotia Real Estate Trading Act, and investigating and taking disciplinary action against licensees found in violation of the Act, the By-law, or the Policies and Procedures.

What is the difference between the Nova Scotia Real Estate Commission and the Nova Scotia Association of Realtors®?

The Commission is a self-governing regulatory body appointed by the provincial government to license and regulate the real estate industry in Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® (NSAR) is a professional association with voluntary membership that offers services to its members, like MLS® and Errors and Omissions insurance. Only licensees who belong to NSAR can call themselves REALTORS®.