10 Feb 2025
River Valley Green (Parcel B) Draws Five Bidders
Property Insight

The River Valley Green (Parcel B) Government Land Sales (GLS) site, designated for residential with commercial at the first storey, attracted five bidders. This marks the highest level of participation for a site in the vicinity in recent times, underscoring developers' confidence in its potential.

GuocoLand, through GLL B Pte. Ltd., emerged as the top bidder with a $627.8 million bid, translating to $1,420 per square foot per plot ratio (psf ppr). This exceeded the second-highest offer by 8.9%, reinforcing market optimism for well-located plots. Other bidders included Sing Holdings Residential Pte. Ltd. ($1,303 psf ppr), Sing-Haiyi Garnet Pte. Ltd. ($1,280 psf ppr), Garden Estates (Pte.) Limited ($1,252 psf ppr), and Kingsford Huray Development Pte. Ltd. ($1,251 psf ppr).

The strong interest in this site contrasts with earlier tenders—River Valley Green (Parcel A) had only two bidders, Zion Road (Parcel B) also saw two bidders, while Zion Road (Parcel A) attracted a single bid. This underscores the strategic appeal of River Valley Green (Parcel B), which benefits from excellent connectivity and a desirable residential district near the Singapore River.

Market Context and Demand Trends

Private home sales in the Core Central Region (CCR) in 2024 moderated, with 378 units sold compared to 1,454 units in 2023. The slowdown was largely due to the limited number of new launches earlier in 2024. However, 2025 is expected to see a turnaround, driven by an increase in new project launches. Upcoming developments like Marina View Residences and Aurea are anticipated to reignite buyer interest and provide a diverse range of housing options.

Prime Location and Competitive Positioning

Situated within the River Valley Planning Area, the site is highly coveted due to its proximity to the Singapore River, Robertson Quay, and Great World MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line. This location provides seamless access to the Central Business District (CBD), Marina Bay, Orchard Road, and key expressways.

The site’s prime positioning makes it attractive to local and international buyers, particularly with lifestyle and recreational amenities such as Great World City and Robertson Quay's riverside dining and nightlife. Additionally, River Valley Primary School enhances the site’s family appeal.

Price Projections and Market Resilience

The non-landed price index in the CCR saw a 4.5% increase in 2024, up from 1.9% in 2023. 4Q2024 recorded a 2.6% increase, rebounding from a -1.1% dip in 3Q2024. The luxury segment remained resilient, with marginal growth in high-value transactions ($10 million and above), reinforcing demand for prime district properties.

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Prepared By:

Mohan Sandrasegeran

Head of Research & Data Analytics

Email: mohan@sri.com.sg  

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Property Insight
18 May 2026
New Home Sales Rise in April 2026 Amid Strong Launch Momentum

Singapore’s new home market maintained its positive momentum in April 2026, extending the strong recovery observed in March as buyer activity continued to gain traction across the primary market. Developer sales rose to about 1,548 units in April, up from around 1,300 units in March, reflecting sustained interest from homebuyers amid a fresh wave of launches. 

The increase in transaction activity was largely supported by the launch of key projects such as Tengah Garden Residences and Vela Bay, which collectively accounted for approximately 74.3% of total monthly sales. Their strong performance highlights how buyer demand continues to be closely anchored to fresh launches that are strategically positioned in terms of location, pricing and long term value proposition.

Tengah Garden Residences emerged as the best performing project of the month, recording 855 units sold at a median price of about $2,111 $psf, while Vela Bay followed with 370 units transacted at a median price of approximately $2,865 $psf. Tengah Garden Residences reportedly achieved a take up rate of over 99% during its launch weekend, marking a significant milestone for Tengah as the precinct’s first fully private condominium development. The project’s strong reception reflects growing buyer confidence in Tengah’s longer term growth trajectory, supported by future infrastructure such as the Jurong Region Line and its increasing connectivity to major employment nodes.

Similarly, Vela Bay’s healthy sales performance reinforces the attractiveness of first mover projects within emerging precincts. Positioned within the evolving Bayshore area and located near Bayshore MRT station, the project benefited from buyers seeking early entry opportunities within a precinct that is expected to undergo progressive transformation over the coming years. The project’s waterfront orientation and proximity to the East Coast corridor further enhanced its appeal, particularly amid longer term coastal transformation plans.

Overall, the April results continue to reinforce a broader market trend where projects located within emerging residential clusters are able to generate strong demand when backed by clear infrastructure visibility and transformation narratives. Buyers appear increasingly willing to commit to developments that offer future growth potential, especially when entering at an earlier stage of a precinct’s evolution. At the same time, the market continues to transition towards a more balanced and sustainable phase, where sales performance is increasingly dependent on the quality, positioning and timing of individual launches rather than broad based exuberance. 

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for the full report:

Prepared By:

Mohan Sandrasegeran

Head of Research & Data Analytics

Email: mohan@sri.com.sg

Property Insight
18 May 2026
New EC Policy Changes Aim to Strengthen Owner Occupation and Market Stability

The latest recalibration of the Executive Condominium (EC) scheme represents one of the most significant policy shifts for the segment in recent years, with the measures largely aimed at strengthening genuine owner occupation, improving accessibility for first timer households and supporting more sustainable market dynamics over the longer term. Broadly, the changes also appear aligned with the Government’s wider housing policy direction in recent years, where stronger emphasis has increasingly been placed on longer term occupation and moderating speculative activity across the residential market.

One of the most notable changes involves the extension of the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) for newly launched ECs from 5 years to 10 years. Under the revised framework, EC owners will now need to occupy their units for a longer duration before they are allowed to sell their homes on the open market. Foreigners and corporate entities will only be eligible to purchase these ECs after the 10th year. The move signals a clear shift towards positioning ECs more firmly as owner occupied housing rather than shorter term investment assets. At the same time, the longer holding period may also moderate near-term speculative demand and reduce rapid turnover within the EC segment.

Another key measure is the tightening of foreigner access to EC resale units. Under the revised framework, foreigners will only be allowed to purchase privatised ECs after 15 years instead of the current 10 years. This effectively lengthens the transition period before ECs fully enter the unrestricted private residential market. The adjustment may help preserve the original social objective of ECs by ensuring that the housing type continues to primarily serve local households for a longer duration.

The Government has also enhanced support for first timer households through changes to allocation quotas and priority schemes. The quota for first timer families purchasing new ECs has been increased from 70% to 90%, reinforcing the intention of preserving EC accessibility for genuine owner occupiers and HDB upgraders. In addition, the priority period for second timer buyers has been extended from 1 month to 2 years, further strengthening the opportunities available for first timer applicants during the initial launch phases.

At the same time, the Deferred Payment Scheme (DPS) for new EC purchases will be removed for future EC Government Land Sales sites. The removal of DPS is likely intended to encourage more prudent financial planning and reduce highly leveraged purchases. While this may result in slightly higher upfront financial commitments for some buyers, it also helps reinforce financial prudence within the market.

Collectively, the measures suggest a broader repositioning of the EC scheme towards longer term home ownership and social support for first timer households. While some moderation in investor driven demand may emerge over time, underlying owner occupier demand within the EC segment is likely to remain supported, particularly from HDB upgraders seeking a transitional pathway into private housing. Over the longer term, the revised framework may contribute towards a more stable and sustainable EC market that remains aligned with its original policy intent.

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Prepared By:

Mohan Sandrasegeran

Head of Research & Data Analytics

Email: mohan@sri.com.sg

Property Insight
18 May 2026
Holland Plain GLS Tender Closes at $1,491 psf ppr with Sole Bid by Sim Lian

The Holland Plain GLS site closed with a sole bid of $454.0 million, translating to approximately $1,491 psf ppr, submitted by Sim Lian Land Pte Ltd and Sim Lian Development Pte Ltd. While the tender attracted only 1 bidder, the outcome should not necessarily be interpreted negatively. Instead, it reflects the increasingly disciplined and selective approach developers are adopting towards land acquisition amid a market environment where future supply visibility has become more pronounced across the Holland Plain and Turf City precincts. 

The latest tender result is particularly notable as Sim Lian had previously secured the earlier Holland Link GLS site within the same broader precinct in 2025 at approximately $1,432 psf ppr. The latest bid therefore came in moderately above the earlier benchmark, suggesting that the developer continues to hold longer term confidence in the transformation potential of the Holland Plain and Turf City corridor. The ability to secure multiple sites within the same emerging precinct may also allow for greater continuity in product positioning, branding and launch strategy over time. 

Recent GLS tenders within the broader Turf City and Holland Plain area have progressively shaped pricing expectations within the precinct. The earlier Dunearn Road GLS sites had attracted stronger participation levels, with the first parcel, expected to be developed into Dunearn House, drawing 9 bidders at $1,410 psf ppr, while the second Dunearn Road parcel secured a top bid of $1,625 psf ppr with 6 bidders. Against this backdrop, the moderation in bidder participation for Holland Plain may partly reflect growing supply visibility within the area, alongside broader considerations such as financing conditions, construction costs and existing developer pipeline exposure. 

The Holland Plain GLS site itself presents a relatively rare opportunity within the Bukit Timah and Holland vicinity. Located close to established landed housing enclaves and surrounded by greenery, the site is expected to appeal to developers seeking to create a more boutique and higher end residential development. The land parcel is expected to yield around 280 residential units, offering a manageable project scale at a time when developers remain cautious and increasingly risk aware. Its proximity to the future Turf City transformation, coupled with its low rise residential character, further enhances its long-term positioning within the precinct. 

Click

here

for the full report:

Prepared By:

Mohan Sandrasegeran

Head of Research & Data Analytics

Email: mohan@sri.com.sg