16 Sep 2024
August 2024 Developer Sales: OCR Shines Despite Hungry Ghost Festival Dip
Property Insight

In August 2024, developers sold a total of 208 units, excluding Executive Condominiums (ECs), marking a significant month-on-month decline of 63.6% from July's 571 units. This drop in sales aligns with the Hungry Ghost Festival, a period traditionally associated with reduced home-buying activity due to cultural beliefs. The sales volume during this month was the lowest since February 2024, when only 153 units were sold during the Chinese New Year period. Year-on-year, new home sales in August 2024 reflected a 47.2% drop from the 394 units sold in August 2023.

Despite the overall decline, the Outside Central Region (OCR) remained a bright spot, contributing 59.1% of the total sales. Projects such as Hillock Green, Lentor Hills Residences, and Hillhaven were among the key contributors. The Rest of Central Region (RCR) accounted for 31.3% of sales, while the Core Central Region (CCR) made up 9.6%. The OCR's continued strong performance highlights the demand for more affordable housing in non-central locations, attracting a mix of first-time homeowners and upgraders.

Tembusu Grand, located in the RCR, led the sales in August with 30 units sold at a median price of $2,455 per square foot (psf). Its strong performance was supported by the upcoming launch of Emerald of Katong, which boosted the neighborhood's profile. Enhanced connectivity due to new Thomson-East Coast Line stations further improved the attractiveness of the area.

The luxury property market, despite the broader market moderation, demonstrated resilience. The most notable transaction in August was a $14.7 million sale at 32 Gilstead, which was also the highest transacted freehold condominium in the first eight months of 2024. This transaction underscored the continued demand for prime properties among high-net-worth individuals, even during typically quieter periods.

Looking ahead, the market is expected to likely rebound with the conclusion of the Hungry Ghost Festival and several new project launches. Developers are strategically timing these launches to capture demand, and upcoming projects like 8@BT, Norwood Grand, and Meyer Blue are poised to drive interest. Additionally, a potential Federal Reserve rate cut could further ease global interest rates, including those in Singapore, potentially boosting buyer sentiment and market activity.

In conclusion, while August 2024 saw a slowdown in developer sales due to seasonal factors, the OCR and luxury property segments remained resilient. Upcoming launches and favourable economic conditions are expected to bolster the market in the coming months.

Click here for the full report  

Prepared By: 

Mohan Sandrasegeran 

Head of Research & Data Analytics  

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Property Insight
02 Nov 2026
Orchard Boulevard GLS Site Attracts 5 Bids, Top Bid Reaches $1,755 psf ppr

The GLS tender for the Orchard Boulevard residential site attracted 5 bids, with the highest bid of $181.9 million ($1,755 psf ppr) submitted by Intrepid Investments Pte. Ltd. and TID Residential Pte. Ltd., comprising Hong Leong Holdings and TID.

The top bid represents an approximately 8.5% premium over the $1,617 psf ppr achieved for the neighbouring GLS parcel, which has since been developed into UpperHouse at Orchard Boulevard. This reflects continued developer interest in well located residential development opportunities within Singapore's Core Central Region (CCR).

The relatively smaller scale of the Orchard Boulevard GLS parcel, which is expected to yield approximately 110 residential units, could have contributed to developer participation. Compared with the neighbouring UpperHouse development, which comprises 301 units, the latest site offers a more manageable development scale, potentially translating into a lower overall capital commitment and reduced inventory exposure.

This could make the site particularly attractive to developers seeking opportunities within the CCR while maintaining greater flexibility in project positioning and inventory management.

Furthermore, the encouraging sales performance of UpperHouse at Orchard Boulevard, which has achieved a take up rate of approximately 83%, might have provided developers with additional confidence in the underlying demand for new private residential developments within the immediate vicinity.

The strong sales performance suggests that there remains a pool of buyers willing to commit to new homes in the Orchard Boulevard area, supported by its established residential character, connectivity and proximity to the Orchard Road shopping and lifestyle belt.

The boutique scale of the future development could also complement the character of the surrounding luxury residential market. Rather than competing purely on development size, developers could potentially position the project as a more exclusive residential offering, capitalising on its Orchard Boulevard address and accessibility to Orchard Boulevard MRT station.

The land parcel is situated within a well-established residential neighbourhood, offering convenient access to the extensive shopping, dining and lifestyle amenities along Orchard Road. These attributes could further strengthen the appeal of the eventual development among prospective buyers seeking convenience and connectivity.

From a development perspective, the modest number of residential units could also help minimise inventory risks while allowing developers to introduce a differentiated luxury residential product that caters to the preferences of buyers within the CCR.

Click

here

for the full report:

Prepared By:

Mohan Sandrasegeran

Head of Research & Data Analytics

Email: mohan@sri.com.sg

Property Insight
26 Oct 2026
HDB Resale Transactions Rise 19.5% in 3Q2026 as Prices Continue to Stabilize

Singapore's HDB resale market recorded stronger transaction activity in 3Q2026, with 7,645 resale flats changing hands, representing a 19.5% increase from the 6,396 transactions in the preceding quarter. This marked the highest quarterly resale transaction volume since 3Q2024, when 8,142 transactions were registered. On a yearly basis, resale transactions increased by approximately 5.9%.

The stronger activity suggests that underlying demand for HDB resale flats remains relatively healthy despite a more measured pricing environment.

One contributing factor could be the absence of a Build To Order (BTO) sales exercise during the quarter, encouraging some prospective buyers to explore resale options. The growing pipeline of flats reaching their Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) is also expected to progressively expand resale housing availability, providing buyers with greater choice across locations, flat types and price points.

HDB resale prices moderated by 0.1% quarter on quarter in 3Q2026, marking the third consecutive quarter of price adjustments.

Cumulatively, resale prices declined by 0.5% over the first nine months of 2026, compared with a 2.9% increase over the corresponding period in 2025. This represented the weakest first nine month performance since 2018.

The moderation suggests that the resale market is gradually transitioning towards a more balanced environment following several years of sustained price appreciation.

Importantly, stronger transaction activity alongside moderating prices indicates that buyer interest remains relatively healthy, supported by improving housing availability and more measured price expectations.

Click

here

for the full report:

Prepared By:

Mohan Sandrasegeran

Head of Research & Data Analytics

Email: mohan@sri.com.sg

Property Insight
26 Oct 2026
Private Property Market Remains Resilient in 3Q2026 as Prices Rise 1.4%

Singapore's private residential market continued to demonstrate resilience in 3Q2026, with stronger price growth and relatively stable resale activity, despite a more measured pace of new home sales. The moderation in primary market transactions was largely attributable to a quieter new launch calendar rather than a fundamental weakening in underlying buyer demand.

Developers sold 1,183 new private residential units (excluding executive condominiums) in 3Q2026, compared to 2,141 units in the preceding quarter.

A total of 1,140 new private residential units were launched during the quarter, representing a 36.1% decline from 1,783 units in 2Q2026. This marked the lowest quarterly launch volume since 2Q2024. The quieter launch environment was influenced by the Hungry Ghost Festival and September school holidays, with some prospective buyers potentially deferring purchasing decisions in anticipation of upcoming developments.

Despite fewer launches, newly introduced projects continued to attract buyer interest. Lentor Gardens Residences emerged as the bestselling development with 304 transactions, followed by Dunearn House with 237 units. Together with Amberwood at Holland, these three projects accounted for approximately 47.8% of quarterly new home sales.

The private residential resale market recorded 3,801 transactions in 3Q2026, marginally below the 3,813 transactions in 2Q2026. The Outside Central Region (OCR) remained the largest contributor, accounting for approximately 52.4% of resale transactions. Both the OCR and Rest of Central Region (RCR) registered marginal increases in transaction volumes, collectively representing 82.2% of total resale activity.

This reflects continued demand for resale properties, particularly among owner occupiers, HDB upgraders and households seeking to right size their housing needs.

Private residential prices increased by 1.4% quarter on quarter in 3Q2026, compared to 0.5% in the preceding quarter, marking the strongest quarterly increase recorded so far in 2026. Cumulatively, prices increased by 2.8% over the first nine months of 2026, marginally exceeding the 2.7% growth recorded during the corresponding period in 2025.

Notably, homes priced between S$2 million and below S$5 million accounted for 68.2% of new private home transactions, compared to 49.2% in 2Q2026. This shift reflects the composition of available housing options and continued demand for properties offering desirable locations, sizes and overall value.

Click

here

for the full report:

Prepared By:

Mohan Sandrasegeran

Head of Research & Data Analytics

Email: mohan@sri.com.sg

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