The additional buyers’ stamp duty hike (ABSD), as well as the decline of 71 per cent in condo sales by foreigners, has dampened demand.

From April 27 to May 2023 (as per April 27), only 306 units of condos were bought by international buyers after the ABSD rate increased from 30% up to 60%.

The foreign buyers of condo units accounted for 5,4% of condo sales from May 2022 until April 2023. This figure decreased to 1.8 percent between May 2023 and April 2024.

Analysts reported that the drop in foreign purchases was greater in the CCR (core central region), which usually attracts a higher level of interest from investors and foreigners.

In the year leading up to ABSD, foreign purchasers accounted approximately 14 percent of condos sold in CCR. This fell to just 6 per cent during the last year.

Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) statistics showed that the number of units sold decreased after ABSD was raised. Sales volume decreased by 36.6% in the CCR, from 4 215 to 2672 units.

The CCR saw a drop in luxury apartments over $10 million, from 73 sold units in 2020 to 50 sold units in 2030, though the average unit cost of such units was relatively stable at $3.800 per square feet.

Many investors possess financial power and are not in a hurry to sell. They would rather lease their property than to do so at a reduced price. The prices of properties have not fallen despite a decrease in the number of transactions.

Grand Dunman

Luxury home sales have also likely slowed, possibly due to the longer sales processes and stricter due diligence checks performed by financial institutions when purchasing large-ticket items.

Recently, more foreigners that are exempted of paying the ABSD (60%) have inquired or made commitments about purchasing luxury non landed private residential property here.

Quite a number are of South Asian ancestry but have US citizenship. Most foreigners who buy luxury non-landed properties prefer to get the best deal possible, instead of paying more for emotional reasons.

ABSD does not apply to buyers from the US (including residents of Iceland, Liechtenstein Norway or Switzerland) and their first Singapore residential home.

After the ABSD rise, Chinese buyers have significantly decreased in the luxury sector.

Chinese nationals topped both the lists of foreign buyers and sellers of condos at the CCR for 2020 and 20, with 112 – and 155 – caveats respectively. PropNex Research, URA data indicated that this fell to 113 units in 2022 and only 93 units in 2023.

A caveat registered with the Singapore Land Authority ensures that the buyer is protected when purchasing a home.

American buyers have now topped the list of the foreign buyers who lodged caveats with the CCR. There were 110 in 2023 compared to 91 in 2010 and 59 in 2010.

URA’s data from the 26th of April showed that in the three months leading up to 2024, private residential sale volume had fallen by 2,4%. It was the second consecutive quarter with a decline.

Read more: Leedon Green

From January 2024 to March 2020, 43 transactions took place with foreigners. 22 of these were US buyers. For the 11 remaining transactions, we still do not know who bought them.

In the period January to march 2024, foreigners accounted for 1,2 % of new and resale units. This is down significantly from 1.7 percent in the last quarter of 2023. It also represents the lowest level since 1995. As foreign demand drops, local buyers will drive home sales.