Market Reports

March property sales up in still-cautious market

THE DOMESTIC property market is expected to remain cautious even after an increase in sales and launches last month. Some 322 private residential units were sold in March, a 70-per-cent increase from the 189 in February, according to data released yesterday by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. A total of 642 new units were offered for sale by developers last month, up 87.17 per cent from 343 in...

Private home sales leapt 80% in March from February

There are signs the property market in Singapore might be making an about-turn following its muted start to the year. Figures released by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) show that the number of private homes sold in March leapt 80 per cent from the month before, signalling improved buyer sentiment. And developers were even more positive. They launched more than 600 units for sale in March - about...

Property investment sales up at S$8.36b in Q1 but still off 2007 peak

Property investment sales rose nearly 3 percent to S$8.36 billion in the first quarter compared to the previous three months. But this was still 36.6 percent below the peak of S$13.2 billion worth of sales amassed in the third quarter last year. This is according to latest figures from property consultants Colliers International. Colliers said with the exception of the commercial and industrial sectors,...

En bloc market suffers double whammy as investors look elsewhere

En bloc sales have been slowing down over the past few months, but it’s not just due to the recent tightening of the rules governing such transactions. Amid the global credit crunch, property watchers said foreign investments have pulled back, and the overall downturn is pushing developers to look at other moneymaking options. But they also noted that fundamentals remain strong in Singapore, and the...

Analysts say private home sales have peaked

Sales of private properties have been sliding amid a standoff between buyers and sellers, say market watchers. In February, sales for new launches were only one tenth of the record numbers seen in August last year. Analysts also say that residential property prices may have finally peaked, although the fundamentals still support long-term growth. URA's latest flash estimates showed private home prices...

Minister Mah assures there is no shortage of housing in Singapore

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan has said there is no shortage of housing in Singapore. He said, "Based on all the BTO (Build-To-Order) projects that we've had so far, (for) all of the projects, all of the developments for the last year - except one - there've always been flats left over, even after everybody in the queue has been offered." Mah Bow Tan (file pic)But some home buyers often...

HDB, private apartment rentals set to rise

Rentals for HDB and mass market private apartments are set to rise in the coming years, with more foreign workers heading for Singapore. Property agents expect rents to climb by about 10 percent this year. They say HDB flat-owners could gain from the spike in demand. Singapore’s two integrated resorts will be ready in the next two years. Besides attracting more tourists, they are also expected to...

Singapore home prices rise at slower pace in first quarter

Prices of HDB resale flats rose 3.4 percent in the January to March period over the previous three months, according to flash estimates released by the HDB. The increase was lower than the 5.7 percent pace in the fourth quarter. The slower rise in resale flat prices comes as no surprise to industry watchers who attribute it to the cautious sentiment in the overall property market. They say buyers are not...

First signs of housing market slowdown

AFTER property fever hit euphoric levels last year, flash estimates from the Housing and Development Board and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) show the growth in real estate is slowing down significantly. The index for the private home market showed prices rose 4.2 per cent in the first three month, down from the last quarter’s 6.8 per cent growth. And looking ahead, some property watchers are...

HDB and private property prices up in Q1 flash estimates

Private residential property prices in Singapore rose 4.2 percent in the first quarter this year, according to the latest preliminary estimates from the Urban Redevelopment Authority. The pace was slower than the 6.8 percent clip recorded in the fourth quarter of last year. On a quarter on quarter basis, the biggest rise in property prices for non-landed properties came from the central districts just...