Show Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS (NSAR) listings on your own site with MLS Import. You get real listing pages on your own domain. It works with any WordPress theme.
Built on NSAR's published rules (version dated March 25, 2025) and NSAR's 2026 join fees.
Organized real estate in Nova Scotia began in 1943. That year, the Halifax-Dartmouth Real Estate Board was founded. The MLS® System came in the 1960s. By the 1990s, boards across the province had begun to merge.
On April 14, 2000, five boards joined the Nova Scotia Real Estate Association. They were Cape Breton, Halifax-Dartmouth, Highland, Northern and South Shore. Together they became the Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS, or NSAR. Two more boards joined later. In 2003, NSAR put its first MLS® System online.
Today, NSAR runs one MLS® System for all of Nova Scotia. Business In Focus put it plainly: "Only members of NSAR have access to the MLS® System." The public sees the listings on REALTOR.ca and on member websites. NSAR's MLS® data feeds REALTOR.ca.
NSAR's MLS® Rules say it holds a licensing agreement with CREA, the Canadian Real Estate Association, for the MLS® marks. When you join NSAR, you pay CREA fees too.
NSAR also shapes what a listing holds. In 2024, it added new size fields. They cover door and hallway widths, the turning radius of kitchens and bathrooms, and the types of entries into the home. NSAR says it was "the first MLS® System in the country to make these measurement fields mandatory in June 2024."
These rules come from NSAR's published MLS® Rules and Regulations, version dated March 25, 2025. They bind the member who owns the site. That stays true when a plugin shows the data. Breaking them can cost you: under Rule 8.09, the MLS® Committee chair may "levy a fine of $75.00 for each violation".
Write "the NSAR MLS® System" on your site. CREA says: "MLS® must never be used as a synonym for a database." Rule 5.01: only REALTORS® may show the MLS® marks.
The MLS® number, list price, full address and Seller's Brokerage. At least the first 1,000 characters of the overview. For Sale, For Rent or For Lease. Thumbnails need the MLS® number, price, address and Seller's Brokerage.
Show the Seller's Brokerage on every listing, thumbnails too. Use the same font and size as the other details. No click needed to see it. Rule 2.07 also requires the Seller's Brokerage name on any use of MLS® data.
On another brokerage's listing, keep your contact details clearly apart from the listing. That listing's thumbnail and body show no contact details or branding but the Seller's Brokerage. Yours may be larger than the listing text.
Each page with MLS® listings shows the brokerage name, plus the MLS® logo, the letters MLS® or the MLS® number. For many listings, this line can be used: "All properties listed on the NSAR MLS® System unless otherwise stated".
Every page with listings carries two lines: "NSAR IDX Reciprocity listings are displayed in accordance with NSAR's IDX Agreements and property information is provided under copyright © by the Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS®" and "The above information is from sources deemed reliable but it should not be relied upon without independent verification."
A search may show 500 results at most. If more match, the visitor sees only the first 500. Then they must narrow the search.
Never show MLS® data that is more than 24 hours out of date. MLS Import checks for changes every hour by default.
You may filter the listings you show only by location, list price, property type and property features (such as waterfront).
You may format the data. You may not change or hide it. Never claim the site gives full access to the MLS® System. Your firm's own exclusive listings may mix in if they are clearly marked.
If NSAR sends a notice, fix the site within five business days. Rule 6.04 adds: no part of the IDX data may go to a third party for any use outside Section 2 of the rules.
Rules change. Before you build, confirm the current version with NSAR. Then test your site against this list before you launch.
Your website counts as public marketing (Rule 3.08). Rule 3.08 says a listing must go on the NSAR MLS® System within three calendar days of public marketing. Rule 3.08(a) spells out what counts. It names "brokerage website displays (including IDX and VOW)". It also names flyers, yard signs, email blasts and social media posts. So when your own new listing shows up on your site, the clock starts. You then have three calendar days to enter it on NSAR. Two kinds of listings are exempt under 3.08(b). One is commercial property. The other is new construction in projects with many homes or units. This rule is about the listings you market yourself. Check it before you add your own listings to the site.
Sold prices need two permissions (Rule 5.10). The rule is short: "The Sold price can only be advertised with the written permission of both the Buyer and the Seller." Three more rules cover any Sold ad. Rule 5.08: show the month and year it sold. Rule 5.09: you can't call it Sold after the closing date, or after the brokerage contract ends, without the Buyer's written consent. Whichever comes first counts. Rule 5.11: a Buyer's representative needs the Seller's Brokerage's OK to call a home Sold. The ad must also say they were the Buyer's representative.
In Cape Breton, Highland and South Shore, the sale price "is not available for viewing in the MLS® System until the close date" (Rule 4.03(b)). MLS Import can import sold listings and keep them on your site. But you can only show what the MLS allows. Ask NSAR which statuses reach your feed.
Claims and lists (Rules 2.08 to 2.10). Do you post market stats? Rule 2.08 says the ad must show the time period it is based on. It must also carry this line, or one very close to it: "Based in whole or in part on MLS® Data owned by the Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS®, covering the period____________(date) through ________________(date)." Rule 2.09 bans building lists of names or addresses from MLS® data to sell or hand out. Rule 2.10 goes further. Selling or giving MLS® data in any format to any third party without NSAR's written consent "is strictly prohibited."
You must give real estate services to buyers or sellers. You must be a Member of NSAR. And you must be licensed with the Nova Scotia Real Estate Commission (NSREC).
NSAR's rule: "The only way members can have an IDX website is that the employing Firm Member must be contributing its listings to the program."
A broker is part of the IDX program. It stays in unless it tells NSAR in writing that it does not want to take part.
NSAR's public rules give no feed to a non-member. Affiliate members: ask NSAR.
Yes. The rules plan for it. Rule 6.02 says an IDX Subscriber "may provide the Listing Content to a Technology Provider who [is] operating a Website on their behalf but the IDXS is responsible for the conduct of any Technology Provider they use."
So a developer or a plugin can build and run the site. You, the member, still own the duty to follow the rules. The five-day fix rule falls on you, too.
Are you a developer working for a brokerage? Bridge's docs say to put the brokerage name and contact details in your application.
What if you leave NSAR or lose your licence? Then you would no longer meet Rule 6.02. On Bridge, access can show as Suspended or Revoked. NSAR's public pages show no rule for what happens to a live site in that case.
NSAR's public rules cover IDX. For VOW sites, Rule 6.03 has one line: "Brokerage display requirements also apply to VOW's." Ask NSAR about VOW feeds. Before you buy anything, read our requirements before you buy.
NSAR runs all real estate licensing courses in the province. It does this through an agreement with NSREC. NSREC is the regulator of real estate in Nova Scotia. (Source: NSAR's 25-year story.)
Questions? Email [email protected]. Were you a member before, or licensed in another province? Email [email protected] about your fees.
Pass the exam and get your temporary licence. Pass the real estate exam (70.4%, per NSAR's Become a REALTOR® page). Get your temporary NSREC licence. NSAR says: "Please ensure you have your temporary license with NSREC before joining NSAR."
Use the join wizard. Open NSAR's online join wizard at nsrealtors.ca/portal. Sign in with the username and password you used to buy your licensing course.
Pay the join fees. You pay them to NSAR, in Canadian dollars.
1. You are 19 years of age.
2. You have a high school diploma or the same level.
3. You can work in Canada by law.
4. You finish the Salesperson Licensing Course.
5. You give a criminal record check NSREC accepts.
6. You show good character and English skills.
These are NSAR's join fees for 2026, in Canadian dollars. You pay them to NSAR. They are separate from the MLS Import subscription that we bill.
January 2026 $117.25
February 2026 $78.17
March 2026 $39.09
April 2026 $117.25
May 2026 $78.17
June 2026 $39.09
July 2026 $117.25
August 2026 $78.17
September 2026 $39.09
October 2026 $117.25
November 2026 $78.17
December 2026 $39.09
January 2026 $77.50
February 2026 $51.67
March 2026 $25.83
April 2026 $77.50
May 2026 $51.67
June 2026 $25.83
July 2026 $77.50
August 2026 $51.67
September 2026 $25.83
October 2026 $77.50
November 2026 $51.67
December 2026 $25.83
January 2026 $372.00
February 2026 $341.00
March 2026 $310.00
April 2026 $279.00
May 2026 $248.00
June 2026 $217.00
July 2026 $186.00
August 2026 $155.00
September 2026 $124.00
October 2026 $93.00
November 2026 $62.00
December 2026 $31.00
January 2026 $78.00
February 2026 $71.50
March 2026 $65.00
April 2026 $58.50
May 2026 $52.00
June 2026 $45.50
July 2026 $39.00
August 2026 $32.50
September 2026 $26.00
October 2026 $19.50
November 2026 $13.00
December 2026 $6.50
January 2026 None shown*
February 2026 $150.00
March 2026 $137.50
April 2026 $125.00
May 2026 $112.50
June 2026 $100.00
July 2026 $87.50
August 2026 $75.00
September 2026 $62.50
October 2026 $50.00
November 2026 $37.50
December 2026 $25.00
January 2026 $2,248.98
February 2026 $2,286.57
March 2026 $2,161.65
April 2026 $2,258.75
May 2026 $2,133.84
June 2026 $2,008.92
July 2026 $2,106.02
August 2026 $1,981.11
September 2026 $1,856.19
October 2026 $1,953.29
November 2026 $1,828.38
December 2026 $1,703.46
NSAR joining fee: $786.00. CREA joining fee: $500.00. Errors & Omissions joining fee: $100.00. Each total also has an HST (14%) line.
Joining at the end of the month costs the same as joining at the start. Monthly invoices start on the first day of the month after you join. Quarterly dues and insurance come with them, when they apply.
Your first total runs from $1,703.46 (December) to $2,286.57 (February). That is about $583 apart, so the month you join matters. The insurance charges drop month by month through the year.
NSAR's public pages show no data-feed fee. Bridge says it does not charge service fees. But its docs say data providers "may require you to execute data license agreements, pay fees or do compliance testing." Ask NSAR.
$49 USD/mo for one MLS, or $504 USD/yr. Both start with a 30-day free trial. MLS Import bills this, not NSAR. See MLS Import pricing.
Rejoining, or moving here from another province? Not all of these fees apply. Email [email protected].
Fees can change. Confirm on NSAR's Join Fees page.
In its 25-year story, NSAR lists "Bridge Interactive" among the tools and services it "currently offers" (NSAR's 25-year story). Per Bridge's docs, access "is typically initiated by the MLS".
So you start with NSAR, not Bridge. MLS Import imports Bridge Web API feeds.
Start at NSAR. Contact NSAR and start the request. Complete the agreement NSAR asks for. Use your real domain, since the agreement records where the listings will show.
Sign up at Bridge. Register or sign in at bridgedataoutput.com. Set up your API application once the agreement is signed.
Ask for the data. In the API application, open Data Access. Request access to the NSAR data set.
Wait for NSAR. People at the MLS review each request. It is not automatic. Bridge says the MLS decides whether to approve, and what it needs.
Paste the token. Copy the Server Token from your Bridge credentials list. Paste it in MLS Import Settings and save. Then run the connection test.
Bridge says MLSs approve each request for a feed type. These are typically IDX, VOW, BBO or other data licences. Each type has its own rules for what data you get.
Bridge says the MLS can also choose if you may copy the data to your site, or only run live queries.
Bridge says not all MLSs show in the dashboard. If you are a member and can't see NSAR, write to Bridge support.
While you set up, don't limit the token to one IP address. That blocks the first check, even with a valid token.
1. Is there a fee for the IDX feed?
2. Who signs the agreement: the member, the broker or the vendor?
3. May I copy the data to my site?
4. How often does the feed refresh?
5. Do sold, expired and withdrawn listings come through?
6. Is the March 25, 2025 rules file still the current one?
RESO status: Passed Current. Does NSAR have a RESO Web API? NSAR's MLS passed RESO testing for Data Dictionary 1.7. It also passed for Web API Core 2.0.0. RESO lists both as "Passed", and the status line reads "Passed Current". These are passed tests. RESO does not list it as certified.
The RESO record is M00000699. It names no provider. You can look it up in the RESO directory or on the RESO certificates page.
Why does this matter to you? The Data Dictionary sets shared field names. MLS Import uses it to map common fields the same way from one MLS to the next. The Web API is how the data travels. MLS Import uses the RESO Web API.
Bridge and NSAR's member tools. NSAR lists Paragon, Paragon Connect and Bridge Interactive among its member tools. On Bridge, the MLS approves each data set for each person who asks. A request shows one of five statuses: Pending, Approved, Denied, Suspended or Revoked. Revoked means you "will need to reapply to regain access."
Bridge keeps photos on its own CDN. Bridge says that, typically, they are "the highest resolution media available from the MLS." MLS Import does not copy photos into your media library. It shows them from the source, so your site stays light.
Bridge also marks when each listing last changed. That one field is the best one to sync from. Rule 6.02 says the IDX database holds "only those fields of data designated by NSAR". So NSAR decides which fields the IDX data holds. The one freshness rule in print is also in Rule 6.02: no data more than 24 hours out of date. MLS Import checks for changes every hour by default.
NSAR covers all of Nova Scotia. Rule 4.03 names seven regions.
The 5,661 figure is from CREA's September 2026 report. It counts active home listings at the end of the month, up 13.4% on the year. That month, 929 homes sold, down 6.4% from September 2025.
Cape Breton is not a separate MLS. Its board merged into NSAR in 2000. RESO lists one Nova Scotia MLS record.
NSAR does not accept listings for property outside Nova Scotia.
Be an NSAR member licensed with NSREC, and your firm must share its listings. Contact NSAR and sign the agreement it asks for. Ask NSAR for a Bridge invite and feed approval. Once NSAR approves, paste your Server Token into MLS Import. Our step-by-step credentials guide has the details.
RESO lists NSAR as "Passed Current": its MLS passed RESO testing for Data Dictionary 1.7 and Web API Core 2.0.0. These are passed tests. RESO does not list it as certified. For the feed itself, ask NSAR. It lists Bridge Interactive among its tools.
Yes, if you are an NSAR member licensed with NSREC, your firm shares its listings, and NSAR approves your feed. Rule 6.02 lets a technology provider run the site for you. You stay responsible for the rules. MLS Import works with any WordPress theme and builds real listing pages on your own domain.
In 2026, the joining fees are $786 to NSAR, $500 to CREA and $100 for insurance. Quarterly dues, insurance and an HST (14%) line are added. Your first total runs from $1,703.46 (December) to $2,286.57 (February). Fees can change, so check NSAR's Join Fees page.
NSAR does. It runs one MLS® System for the whole province. NSAR says it formed on April 14, 2000, when regional boards merged. Only members can use the MLS® System. The public sees the listings on REALTOR.ca and on member websites.
IDX here means NSAR's own program. Its rules are in NSAR Rule 6, and you ask NSAR for the feed. CREA's DDF is a different route, with its own display rules set by CREA. Don't mix the two sets of rules. Our Canada MLS page explains the DDF route.
NSAR's rule says your firm must contribute its listings to the program. NSAR's public pages show no signer for the feed agreement, so ask NSAR. Are you a developer working for a brokerage? Bridge says to add the brokerage name and contact details to your application.
Yes. MLS Import costs $49 USD/mo or $504 USD/yr, after a 30-day free trial. We bill it, not NSAR. NSAR bills its own dues. NSAR's public pages show no data-feed fee, so ask NSAR if one applies.
Only with written permission from both the Buyer and the Seller (Rule 5.10). A Sold ad must also show the month and year of sale. In Cape Breton, Highland and South Shore, the sale price stays hidden in the MLS® System until the close date. Ask NSAR if sold listings reach your feed.
Joining NSAR is the first step to a feed for MLS Import.
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