Starting January 1, 2017, the Nova Scotia Real Estate Commission will require all brokerages to sign a brokerage agreement with buyers who agree to be clients of their brokerage. This move is aimed at enhancing consumer protection by improving transparency between the brokerage and buyer by clearly outlining expectations at the time they agree to work together.

Common Law licensees who practice only in commercial real estate (zero residential trades) are eligible for an exemption to the mandatory buyer brokerage agreement information session, because the information is specific to the practice of residential real estate. 

A competing offer situation, when a seller receives more than one written offer on a property, creates unique circumstances for consumers and it is important for both buyers and sellers to understand how they can handle these situation.

November 16, 2016
Revised June 25, 2025

The Commission talks a lot about ensuring you have items in writing. While the term may seem straight forward, there are some important rules to remember.

We require all real estate agreements facilitated through licensees, including amendments, to be in writing. This application of “in writing” necessitates written terms and bona fide signatures of all parties. This includes agreements between consumers and agreements between consumers and brokerages.  

When buying real estate, the onus is on the buyer to ask questions if something is specifically important to them rather than relying on a licensee to anticipate their needs.