What’s Driving All the Buzz at Bukit Merah?
This October 2025 BTO exercise drew one of the strongest turnouts in recent years, 31,095 applications for just 9,144 flats across 10 projects. At the heart of the excitement were Bukit Merah’s two Prime projects, Berlayar Residences and Redhill Peaks, together pulling in 8,376 applications for 1,901 units. That’s an average of 4.4 times oversubscription.
Both projects sit within the upcoming Greater Southern Waterfront (GSW), a district poised to redefine Singapore’s southern coastline into a new live-work-play hub.
👉 Rozi’s Field Notes:
When buyers are willing to accept longer MOPs and higher clawbacks just to secure a unit, that’s not routine demand but visionary demand. People are buying into what the area will become, not what it is today.
Prime, Plus, or Standard? Are Buyers Getting the Hang of It?
This BTO round saw a mix of Standard, Plus, and Prime flats across towns from Ang Mo Kio to Toa Payoh. Yet, the performance was uneven. Prime projects like those in Bukit Merah and Bishan were oversubscribed, while Ang Mo Kio’s only Plus project attracted a muted response, just 1.4 times subscription.
Some buyers seem cautious about the Plus classification, stricter resale conditions without a truly prime location may not feel like an equal trade-off.
👉 Rozi’s Field Notes:
Singaporeans are smart, not speculative. Buyers are now learning to read the fine print, asking whether the price, location, and restrictions truly balance out. The classification system is maturing, and so are the buyers.
A Softer Battle for First-Timers
For first-timer families, the winds are shifting in their favour. Median application rates fell to between 1.1 and 1.7 in 2025, down from 1.6 to 2.6 in 2024. Minister Chee Hong Tat noted that many first-timers now have a “good chance” of securing a unit a direct result of the new classification rollout and steady BTO supply.
👉 Rozi’s Field Notes:
After years of fierce balloting, it’s refreshing to see first-timers finally getting breathing space. The key: knowing where to look. Non-Prime towns are no longer “second best”, they’re where opportunities live quietly.
Flexi and Family-Friendly, The New Faces of Demand
Two-room Flexi flats stole the spotlight once again, 10,560 applicants for 2,923 units, or about 3.6 times oversubscription. Policy tweaks such as allowing singles to apply in any location and the new Family Care Scheme (parents and children jointly applying for two units in the same project) have widened access significantly.
👉 Rozi’s Field Notes:
The demand for Flexi units is a social signal, independence and intergenerational living are evolving side by side. Singapore’s housing aspirations are diversifying beyond the nuclear family.
2️⃣ Medium-Term — The Greater Southern Waterfront Factor
The GSW transformation — spanning from Pasir Panjang to Marina East — will bring new jobs, parks, and waterfront lifestyle nodes.
As the Berlayar and Redhill projects take shape, resale flats within the southern fringe could ride the wave of renewed attention.
👉 Rozi’s Field Notes:
This is the “Dawson effect” all over again. When new HDB towns modernise an area, older estates around them suddenly feel refreshed and resale prices follow that sentiment trail.
Looking Ahead to February 2026
HDB’s next BTO launch is set for February 2026, with about 4,600 flats across Bukit Merah, Sembawang, Tampines and Toa Payoh, plus 3,000 Sale of Balance units.
👉 Rozi’s Field Notes:
If you’re eyeing Bukit Merah or Toa Payoh again, now’s the time to prepare your CPF, loan eligibility, and application strategy. The next wave could be even more competitive.
Final Thoughts, Beyond Ballots and Ballpark Prices
The October 2025 BTO results reveal two powerful truths:
First, location still reigns supreme, the pull of the city fringe remains irresistible.
Second, Singapore’s public housing market is stabilising into a more strategic, long-view environment.
👉 Rozi’s Field Notes:
What we’re witnessing is not just housing demand, it’s housing confidence.
Buyers are thinking generationally, planning for life milestones, and balancing affordability with aspiration. If you’re holding property in these southern zones, it may be time to strategise your next move before everyone else connects the dots.