Bukit Merah tops October BTO demand with over 5,000 four-room bids

The wider exercise drew 31,095 applicants vying for 9,144 flats.

Bukit Merah emerged as the biggest draw in October’s Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise, with all three major property agencies—Huttons, PropNex, and Realion—identifying the estate as a key demand driver.

Prime projects Berlayar Residences and Redhill Peaks attracted outsized interest despite stricter resale conditions and higher subsidy clawbacks.

Realion’s Christine Sun highlighted that 4-room flats in Bukit Merah alone received 5,111 applications—the highest across all towns and flat types—pointing to first-mover advantage, limited resale options, and proximity to MRT stations as likely factors.

The wider exercise drew 31,095 applicants vying for 9,144 flats, translating to an average application rate of 3.4 times per unit, based on final application figures as of 5pm, 22 October 2025.

This marks a 34.3% jump in demand compared to July, even though October’s launch featured a significantly larger supply.

Beyond Bukit Merah, other centrally located Prime projects also performed strongly. Bishan Terraces saw 2,058 applications for its 538 units (3.8×), whilst Mount Pleasant Crest (Toa Payoh) drew 4,698 applications for 1,348 flats (3.5×).

Huttons reported over 3,000 applications for 4-room flats at Mount Pleasant Crest, citing immediate MRT access as a key attraction. PropNex noted a slightly softer response here due to the estimated 59-month waiting time and fewer nearby amenities.

Outside Prime locations, standard estates like Yishun and Jurong East drew strong interest—particularly for larger units. Yishun’s two projects (Chencharu Grove and Yishun Glade) garnered 5,257 applications for 1,395 flats, with 5-room types especially popular.

Huttons and PropNex credited this to proximity to Khatib MRT, a relatively short 31-month wait, and the availability of spacious layouts. In Jurong East, Teban Heights also attracted attention for its size and access to Pandan Reservoir MRT.

Second-timer families faced intensified competition. Huttons reported median application rates of 14.8 for 3-room and larger flats—up from 11.7 in July—driven by more generous second-timer quotas and high-demand locations.

First-timer families fared slightly better, with a median rate of 1.7. PropNex identified pockets of higher success odds for first-timer families in towns like Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Jurong East, and Toa Payoh, where some 3- and 4-room units had first-timer application rates below 1×.

Demand from singles remained elevated, particularly for 2-room Flexi units. PropNex noted 10,560 applications for 2,923 flats (3.6×)—the highest since October 2024.

Huttons reported a median rate of 7.0×, with top projects seeing rates up to 18.6×. Realion observed that first-timer singles’ application rates exceeded 14× in towns like Bedok, Bishan, and Jurong East, suggesting unmet demand for affordable, smaller units.

In contrast, Community Care Apartments saw weak response, with application rates falling below 1.

Looking ahead, PropNex noted that the upcoming February 2026 BTO launch will feature around 4,620 flats across six projects in Bukit Merah, Sembawang (two), Tampines (two), and Toa Payoh.