Property · Our pick in Singapore
Buying in Singapore: the back story
The back story
About Buying in Singapore: the back story
Buying a home in Singapore is tightly regulated and well documented. Every estate agent must be licensed by the Council for Estate Agencies; stamp duty, including the Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty, is set out by IRAS; and the Singapore Land Authority decides which foreign buyers may own landed homes. The neighbourhoods people choose range from Nassim and Tanglin to Sentosa Cove and the towers of Marina Bay.
Agents and licences
Estate agencies and salespersons in Singapore are licensed and registered by the Council for Estate Agencies (cea.gov.sg). Check your agent on the CEA Public Register before you view.
Stamp duty
Buyers pay Buyer’s Stamp Duty and, depending on their profile, Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD). For purchases on or after 27 April 2023, IRAS sets ABSD for foreigners at 60% on any residential property; Singapore Permanent Residents pay 5% on a first home, 30% on a second and 35% on a third and beyond; Singapore Citizens pay nothing on a first home, 20% on a second and 30% on a third and beyond. Nationals of some Free Trade Agreement countries may be treated as citizens (iras.gov.sg). Rates change, so check IRAS before you budget.
Use a CEA-registered agent and an independent lawyer, and read IRAS and SLA, not the headlines.
Foreign buyers
The Singapore Land Authority says a foreign person who wishes to buy landed residential property in Singapore, including at Sentosa Cove, must seek approval under the Residential Property Act; applications are assessed case by case (sla.gov.sg). Condominium apartments are the usual choice for foreign buyers.
Good Class Bungalows
URA lists 39 Good Class Bungalow Areas, shown on its Designated Landed Housing Area Plan (ura.gov.sg). Nassim and Cluny are among the best known.
Where people buy
Our property guide compares Nassim and Tanglin, Orchard and River Valley, Newton and Novena, Bukit Timah, Sentosa Cove and Marina Bay. Homes are measured in square feet.
Before you sign
Take independent legal advice from the start, and ask about maintenance fees and the remaining lease where a property is leasehold.
Our advice: view at different times of day, and walk to the nearest MRT station yourself.
Why it's on our list
- Agents and licences
- Stamp duty
- Foreign buyers
- Good Class Bungalows
- Where people buy
- Before you sign
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Buying in Singapore: the back story before you go.