SINGAPORE: Build-to-Order (BTO) projects with shorter waiting times in Sembawang North were undersubscribed as of 5pm on Wednesday (Jun 24), with an application rate of less than one for first-timer families across all flat types.
This means that most first-timer families for Sembawang Portico and Sembawang Brook were virtually guaranteed a chance to pick a unit. Both are classified as Standard projects.
Meanwhile, Prime projects at Berlayar Rise at Bukit Merah and Lakeview Cascadia at Bishan drew strong demand, accounting for about 65 per cent of total applicants in this exercise.
In total, around 6,900 Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats were launched across seven projects in Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Bukit Merah, Sembawang and Woodlands.
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Of these, over 2,500 flats across three projects in Sembawang and Ang Mo Kio had wait times of around 3 years or less. The two projects in Sembawang are classified as shorter-waiting time projects.
The second BTO exercise of the year began on Jun 17 and runs until 11.59pm on Jun 24. The final number of applications received will be published at 2pm on Thursday.
In total, there were 22,634 applicants vying for 6,952 BTO flats, translating to an application rate of 3.3.
Standard projects in Sembawang were undersubscribed among first-timer families, despite having waiting times of under three years.
Sembawang Portico will have a wait time of two years and seven months, while Sembawang Brook will have a wait time of two years and nine months.
The application rate for first-timer families for three-room, four-room and five-room/3Gen flat types was 0.7, 0.6 and 0.4, respectively, meaning that fewer than one applicant was vying for each flat.
For two-room flexi flats, the application rate was 4.4 for first-timer singles and 2.3 for seniors.
In total, the Sembawang projects had 2,574 applicants for 2,035 units, translating to an application rate of about 1.3.
An artist's impression of Woodgrove Acres. (Image: HDB)
The lower demand is in contrast with the shorter waiting time projects in Tampines during the February BTO exercise. Two-room flexi flats at Tampines Nova had especially high demand, with about 111 first-timer singles competing for each flat as of 5pm on the last day of applications.
Mr Lee Sze Teck, senior director of data analytics at Huttons Asia, said the longer distance of the projects from an MRT station is a “big minus” for applicants.
Both projects are over 2km from Sembawang MRT, according to estimations from Google Maps.
Mr Lee added that the price difference between these two BTO projects and Woodgrove Acres in Woodlands is close. Prices for Woodgrove Acres are slightly higher across flat types.
As such, applicants looking for a flat in the north may have chosen to apply for Woodgrove Acres, which is in an established area with more amenities, he said.
Woodgrove Acres, a Standard project with an estimated waiting time of 3 years and 6 months, was oversubscribed across all flat types, with an application rate of between 2.3 and 3.9 for first-timer families for three-room and bigger flats.
Its two-room flexi flats had the highest application rate among first-timer singles, with about 18 people competing for each flat.
An artist's impression of Berlayar Rise. (Image: HDB)
Four-room flats at Berlayar Rise drew 5,023 applicants for 988 units – the highest across all flat types and towns. This translates to an application rate of 3.2 for first-timer families.
Demand for the 816 two-room flexi units was also high among first-timer singles, with an application rate of 7.5.
Ms Christine Sun, chief researcher and strategist of Realion (OrangeTee & ETC) Group, said the results were within expectations, as it was anticipated that this project would be the most popular during this sales exercise.
“Buyers were probably keen to snag a new flat in the area, given its strong locational attributes and capital appreciation potential. Moreover, resale flat options remain limited, while purchasing a private condominium would likely cost more than S$2 million (US$1.5 million),” she said.
Lakeview Cascadia at Bishan had the second-highest number of applicants overall. The project’s two-room flexi units had an application rate of 7.3 among first-timer singles, while the four-room units had an application rate of 3.7 among first-timer families.
Ms Sun said the high demand could be attributed to the limited supply of new flats in Bishan, which is traditionally a popular housing estate among young couples.
“Given that the new flats are within walking distance of an MRT station and are close to a few top schools, the project will be a huge draw for families with school-going children prioritising convenience,” she said.
Demand for these projects was high despite restrictions under the Prime classification, which comes with a 10-year minimum occupation period (MOP) and higher subsidy clawbacks. This means that homeowners must pay back a percentage of a flat's resale price or valuation to the government when first selling their homes.
Berlayar Rise and Lakeview Cascadia have a subsidy clawback of 14 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.
The strong take-up for both projects shows that buyers remain willing to accept tighter resale conditions where new flats are affordable and well located, said Mr Eugene Lim, key executive officer at ERA Singapore.
He added that the relative affordability of four-room flats at both projects likely made them a “palatable entry point” for first-time buyers.
An artist's impression of Lakeview Cascadia. (Image: HDB)
The two Plus projects in Ang Mo Kio – Kebun Baru Ridge and Kebun Baru Breeze – drew measured demand.
Three-room and four-room flats had an application rate of 1.3 among first-timer families, while two-room flexi flats at Kebun Baru Breeze had an application rate of 3.8 among first-timer singles.
Ms Sun said it was surprising that demand for Woodgrove Acres was stronger than Kebun Baru Ridge and Kebun Baru Breeze, given the more favourable locations of the latter two projects.
She added that the Ang Mo Kio projects are within walking distance of an MRT station and near the CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School.
“Perhaps buyers were deterred by the long MOP for the two Ang Mo Kio projects, while their prices are substantially higher than Woodgrove Acres,” she said.
“Families who are prioritising cross-border accessibility may be keen to stay near Woodlands which is close to Malaysia.”
An artist's impression of Kebun Baru Breeze. (Image: HDB)
Overall, an application rate of 3.3 is similar to the application rate during the February 2026 exercise and slightly lower than in October 2025.
The lower-than-average application rate implies that competition for flats has eased and the ramp-up in BTO supply is meeting current housing demand, said Ms Sun.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said the overall median application rate for three-room and larger BTO flats remained stable at 1.3 times for first-timer families.
“For subsequent BTO sales exercises, the government will continue to provide a robust supply of flats and a good mix of housing options for various groups of Singaporeans with different budget and needs,” he said, adding that they remain focused on “building more and building faster”.
This includes about 20,000 two-room flexi flats to be launched from 2026 to 2028 to meet the strong demand from seniors and singles.
In the upcoming sales exercise in October 2026, home buyers can look forward to about 7,960 flats across Bedok, Geylang, Sembawang, Tengah, Toa Payoh and Yishun, he said.
The sixth Community Care Apartment project will also be offered in Toa Payoh at Caldecott.
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This means that most first-timer families for Sembawang Portico and Sembawang Brook were virtually guaranteed a chance to pick a unit. Both are classified as Standard projects.
Meanwhile, Prime projects at Berlayar Rise at Bukit Merah and Lakeview Cascadia at Bishan drew strong demand, accounting for about 65 per cent of total applicants in this exercise.
In total, around 6,900 Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats were launched across seven projects in Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Bukit Merah, Sembawang and Woodlands.
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Show More Show Less
Of these, over 2,500 flats across three projects in Sembawang and Ang Mo Kio had wait times of around 3 years or less. The two projects in Sembawang are classified as shorter-waiting time projects.
The second BTO exercise of the year began on Jun 17 and runs until 11.59pm on Jun 24. The final number of applications received will be published at 2pm on Thursday.
In total, there were 22,634 applicants vying for 6,952 BTO flats, translating to an application rate of 3.3.
MIXED DEMAND FOR STANDARD PROJECTS
Standard projects in Sembawang were undersubscribed among first-timer families, despite having waiting times of under three years.
Sembawang Portico will have a wait time of two years and seven months, while Sembawang Brook will have a wait time of two years and nine months.
The application rate for first-timer families for three-room, four-room and five-room/3Gen flat types was 0.7, 0.6 and 0.4, respectively, meaning that fewer than one applicant was vying for each flat.
For two-room flexi flats, the application rate was 4.4 for first-timer singles and 2.3 for seniors.
In total, the Sembawang projects had 2,574 applicants for 2,035 units, translating to an application rate of about 1.3.
An artist's impression of Woodgrove Acres. (Image: HDB)
The lower demand is in contrast with the shorter waiting time projects in Tampines during the February BTO exercise. Two-room flexi flats at Tampines Nova had especially high demand, with about 111 first-timer singles competing for each flat as of 5pm on the last day of applications.
Mr Lee Sze Teck, senior director of data analytics at Huttons Asia, said the longer distance of the projects from an MRT station is a “big minus” for applicants.
Both projects are over 2km from Sembawang MRT, according to estimations from Google Maps.
Mr Lee added that the price difference between these two BTO projects and Woodgrove Acres in Woodlands is close. Prices for Woodgrove Acres are slightly higher across flat types.
As such, applicants looking for a flat in the north may have chosen to apply for Woodgrove Acres, which is in an established area with more amenities, he said.
Woodgrove Acres, a Standard project with an estimated waiting time of 3 years and 6 months, was oversubscribed across all flat types, with an application rate of between 2.3 and 3.9 for first-timer families for three-room and bigger flats.
Its two-room flexi flats had the highest application rate among first-timer singles, with about 18 people competing for each flat.
An artist's impression of Berlayar Rise. (Image: HDB)
STRONG DEMAND FOR PRIME PROJECTS
Four-room flats at Berlayar Rise drew 5,023 applicants for 988 units – the highest across all flat types and towns. This translates to an application rate of 3.2 for first-timer families.
Demand for the 816 two-room flexi units was also high among first-timer singles, with an application rate of 7.5.
Ms Christine Sun, chief researcher and strategist of Realion (OrangeTee & ETC) Group, said the results were within expectations, as it was anticipated that this project would be the most popular during this sales exercise.
“Buyers were probably keen to snag a new flat in the area, given its strong locational attributes and capital appreciation potential. Moreover, resale flat options remain limited, while purchasing a private condominium would likely cost more than S$2 million (US$1.5 million),” she said.
Lakeview Cascadia at Bishan had the second-highest number of applicants overall. The project’s two-room flexi units had an application rate of 7.3 among first-timer singles, while the four-room units had an application rate of 3.7 among first-timer families.
Ms Sun said the high demand could be attributed to the limited supply of new flats in Bishan, which is traditionally a popular housing estate among young couples.
“Given that the new flats are within walking distance of an MRT station and are close to a few top schools, the project will be a huge draw for families with school-going children prioritising convenience,” she said.
Demand for these projects was high despite restrictions under the Prime classification, which comes with a 10-year minimum occupation period (MOP) and higher subsidy clawbacks. This means that homeowners must pay back a percentage of a flat's resale price or valuation to the government when first selling their homes.
Berlayar Rise and Lakeview Cascadia have a subsidy clawback of 14 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.
The strong take-up for both projects shows that buyers remain willing to accept tighter resale conditions where new flats are affordable and well located, said Mr Eugene Lim, key executive officer at ERA Singapore.
He added that the relative affordability of four-room flats at both projects likely made them a “palatable entry point” for first-time buyers.
An artist's impression of Lakeview Cascadia. (Image: HDB)
MEASURED DEMAND FOR PLUS PROJECTS IN ANG MO KIO
The two Plus projects in Ang Mo Kio – Kebun Baru Ridge and Kebun Baru Breeze – drew measured demand.
Three-room and four-room flats had an application rate of 1.3 among first-timer families, while two-room flexi flats at Kebun Baru Breeze had an application rate of 3.8 among first-timer singles.
Ms Sun said it was surprising that demand for Woodgrove Acres was stronger than Kebun Baru Ridge and Kebun Baru Breeze, given the more favourable locations of the latter two projects.
She added that the Ang Mo Kio projects are within walking distance of an MRT station and near the CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School.
“Perhaps buyers were deterred by the long MOP for the two Ang Mo Kio projects, while their prices are substantially higher than Woodgrove Acres,” she said.
“Families who are prioritising cross-border accessibility may be keen to stay near Woodlands which is close to Malaysia.”
An artist's impression of Kebun Baru Breeze. (Image: HDB)
OVERALL APPLICATION RATE
Overall, an application rate of 3.3 is similar to the application rate during the February 2026 exercise and slightly lower than in October 2025.
The lower-than-average application rate implies that competition for flats has eased and the ramp-up in BTO supply is meeting current housing demand, said Ms Sun.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said the overall median application rate for three-room and larger BTO flats remained stable at 1.3 times for first-timer families.
“For subsequent BTO sales exercises, the government will continue to provide a robust supply of flats and a good mix of housing options for various groups of Singaporeans with different budget and needs,” he said, adding that they remain focused on “building more and building faster”.
This includes about 20,000 two-room flexi flats to be launched from 2026 to 2028 to meet the strong demand from seniors and singles.
In the upcoming sales exercise in October 2026, home buyers can look forward to about 7,960 flats across Bedok, Geylang, Sembawang, Tengah, Toa Payoh and Yishun, he said.
The sixth Community Care Apartment project will also be offered in Toa Payoh at Caldecott.
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