Singapore is small. Land reclamation has its limits. So where does land for new condo launches actually come from?
1. Government Land Sales (GLS)
This is the primary, planned pipeline. The government releases land parcels for sale via the GLS Programme, run twice yearly (1H and 2H).
Land is sold on a 99-year leasehold basis. Sites are zoned by URA, and Technical details are shared with Developers so they know upfront what they can build (residential, commercial, mixed, and the authority’s design concept for the place.)
This is how URA controls supply, pacing, and how growth linears to — think recent Tengah (Tengah Gardens Residences), Bayshore (Vela Bay), Media Circle (Hudson Place Residences), Lentor (Lentor Gardens Residences), Jurong Lake District (Lucerne Grand) and Bukit Timah Turf City transformation (Dunearn House & Amberwood at Holland).
GLS is essentially the government’s steering wheel for shaping where Singapore grows next.
2. En Bloc (Collective) Sales
This is the private, owner-driven route. Owners of an ageing private development collectively agree to sell the entire site to a developer.
Requires minimum consent thresholds — generally 80% of share value and unit count for developments over 10 years old. Tenure depends entirely on what the original development was — freehold sites that go en bloc stay freehold; leasehold sites going en bloc typically get a fresh 99-year lease upon redevelopment.
Such redevelopment often unlocks underused plot ratios, increasing far more units than the original development held. En bloc sales allows genuinely new freehold land to re-enter the market.
Why the Distinction Matters to Buyers
GLS sites may be new masterplanned town areas, and could benefit from long term transformation, coordinated infrastructure, and amenities (new MRT lines, parks, community and town centres).
En bloc sites are choice location in mature, established estates with existing amenities and schools already built up around them
One to Watch: Thomson Reserve
A great upcoming example of the en bloc pipeline in action — Thomson Reserve, redeveloped from the former Thomson View Condominium along Bright Hill Drive in District 20. The S$810 million collective sale was one of the largest seen in recent years, and the site is being jointly developed by UOL Group, SingLand, and CapitaLand. With its central Upper Thomson address, proximity to Upper Thomson MRT station and Ai Tong School, as well as the future North-South corridor convenience, this project is already drawing significant attention ahead of its expected September or October 2026 preview.
It’s a useful case study for understanding how an older, well-located estate can be transformed into a substantially denser, modern development through the en bloc process.
Another recent big-ticket residential real estate deal is Loyang Valley at S$880 million in April 2026, led by a SingHaiyi consortium. This stock is likely to enter the market in Q2/3 2027.
Something to Note
Have you heard about leasehold residential developments on freehold land? What are the hurdles towards en bloc?