The final sales exercise of the year for Build-To-Order (BTO) flats has drawn strong interest. As of 5pm on Wednesday (11 November), the Housing and Development Board (HDB) had received 35,603 applications. The total is expected to be the highest in two years, since the October 2024 sales exercise.

Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said in a Facebook post on Wednesday evening that the BTO projects launched in this exercise had attracted strong interest. Among first-timer families applying for three-room and larger flats, the median application rate was 2.6 applicants per flat, up from 1.4 in the previous sales exercise in June this year.

“This increase is not unexpected, given that more Singaporeans are now eligible to apply for BTO flats following the raising of income ceilings.”

Chee also noted that demand varied across projects. For example, four-room flats at Toa Payoh Hillside in Toa Payoh and Plantation Dew in Tengah were particularly popular among first-timer families, with application rates of 6.7 and 5.3 respectively. Application rates for three-room to five-room flats at Sembawang Anchor in Sembawang were lower, at 1.0 and below.

The first Community Care Apartment project launched in Toa Payoh attracted 2.0 applicants per flat, higher than the rates of 0.7 and 0.9 for earlier projects in Sengkang and Geylang respectively.

On housing demand from singles, Chee noted that the 2,899 two-room Flexi flats offered in this exercise accounted for more than a third of the flats launched. “Even with the increased supply, demand from first-timer singles remained strong, with a median application rate of 8.2, comparable to the application rate of 7.8 for the previous sales exercise in June.”

About 5,000 balance flats to be offered alongside next February’s BTO exercise

The next BTO sales exercise will be held in February next year, when HDB will launch about 4,300 flats in Bishan, Tampines, Toa Payoh and Tengah. A concurrent Sale of Balance Flats exercise will offer about 5,000 flats.

Chee said: “We will continue doing our best to offer a robust supply and good mix of public housing options, so that more Singaporeans can achieve their housing aspirations.”