Top Property Developers in Singapore
25 August 2020 • 7 mins read
For anyone purchasing or thinking about purchasing a property, know that you are on the verge of making a long-term commitment that you will be spending a huge bulk of your savings and future earnings paying for.
When browsing properties for sale, most home buyers have a checklist of items to consider such as price, floor area, transport accessibility and proximity to key amenities in the area. But one key consideration that many home buyers often overlook is the choice of property developer.
Since they are the ones behind the biggest financial commitment in your life, it makes sense to at least read up about the top property developers in Singapore, or if you already have a project in mind, Google the property developer in question. Picking a reputable developer will improve your chances of a smooth process, and hopefully, lower your chances of completion delays and defects in the project.
Top 10 Property Developers in Singapore
There are close to 100 residential property developers, each of them offering their own style and niche with a unique value proposition. Generally, residential property developers in Singapore are held to a high standard, but here are some of the leading names that stand out among the rest.
1. Allgreen Properties Limited
Allgreen Properties is the the real estate arm of The Kuok Group. It was incorporated in 1986, and was subsequently acquired by Brookvale Investments Pte Ltd (also part of the Kuok Group) in 2011. As one of the largest property groups in Singapore, Allgreen properties currently has 35 subsidiaries and 13 associated companies. In addition to residential properties, Allgreen Properties has a diversified portfolio of retail and office space properties, serviced apartments, and a hotel too.
Noteworthy residential projects by Allgreen Properties
The Cascadia
Fourth Avenue Residences
Juniper Hill
Amber Point
Yong An Park
Skysuites@Anson
2. Bukit Sembawang Estates Limited
Bukit Sembawang Estates began in 1967, making them one of the most established property developers in Singapore, but did you know that they actually started off as a rubber company in 1911? Today, Bukit Sembawang Estates focuses on property development, investment and other property-related activities.
Having built over 4,600 landed homes in Seletar Hills, Sembawang Hills, Luxus Hills and 1,800 residences units in District 9 and 10, Bukit Sembawang Estates has established themselves as a trusted and reliable property developer in Singapore. As they put it, their homes are "characterized by thoughtful planning, outstanding design, fine detailing and quality finishing". Additionally, Bukit Sembawang Estates has won multiple award accolades which are reassuring.
Noteworthy residential projects by Bukit Sembawang Estates
8 St Thomas
Luxus Hills
Skyline Residences
Paterson Suites
The Vermont
Mimosa Terrace
3. CapitaLand
CapitaLand is a nationwide household name that everyone living in Singapore should be familiar with. More than a property developer, CapitaLand has evolved into a real estate behemoth. Today, it is a real estate developer, investor, owner, and operator all in a single company. Their presence in Singapore is almost everywhere, from malls to office towers to residential properties. While a significant portion of its revenue now comes from property developments beyond the shores of Singapore (e.g. China, Vietnam), it still delivers properties in Singapore with a unique and luxurious touch.
Noteworthy residential projects by CapitaLand
One Pearl Bank
Orchard Residences
The Interlace
Cairnhill Nine
d'Leedon
4. City Development Limited
Another property giant in Singapore, City Development Limited (CDL) is second to only CapitaLand. Just like CapitaLand, CDL is also a well-diversified property developer with business in building and managing residential, commercial, hotel, and retail properties. Its operations span across 106 cities in 29 countries and regions around the world. Till date, CDL has over 50 years of solid industry experience of property development.
One defining factor that makes CDL stand out among the rest is its vision and belief in pioneering and championing green buildings in Singapore. For CDL, the ultimate goal is to deliver a better home for everyone to live in while aligning with its vision for sustainability.
Noteworthy residential projects by CDL Development
The Sail @ Marina Bay
St. Regis Residences
Nouvel 18
South Beach Residences
Haus on Handy
5. EL Development
Incorporated in 2007, EL Development is one of the youngest of the property developers that made it into this list. However, it was actually first founded as a small business unit within Evan Lim & Co. Pte Ltd, an established general building contracting firm in Singapore.
As a developer, EL Development has a vision to "be the property developer of choice in the region with an emphasis on the delivery of high-quality products, complete with well thought-out and highly efficient designs". Their mission is "to create optimized living and work spaces through constant innovation, efficient design, and delivery of high quality products so as to bring true value and satisfaction to (their) clients".
If you are looking for an affordable condo within the $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 range, you may consider keeping a lookout for EL Development's projects. They are also the ones behind Trivelis, which is a popular DBSS project by HDB.
Noteworthy residential projects by EL Development
Skysuites 17
Trivelis
Far East Organization is another established property developer that was founded way back in 1962, i.e. before Singapore even gained independence. They proudly identify as a Christian enterprise, with core values that are Business with Grace, Unity, Integrity, Love, Diligence.
With close to six decades of experience in designing and building real estate projects, Far East Organization has delivered more than 780 projects in Singapore, including 55,000 private homes. Far East Organization's accolades speak for themselves: the developer has many prestigious FIABCI World Prix D'Excellence awards under its belt, and is currently the only developer in the world to have won the title 10 times.
Noteworthy residential projects by Far East Organization
Cashew Green
Alana at Sunrise Terrace
Parksuites
7. Frasers Property
Frasers Property was first conceived as part of a property division of Cold Storage Limited in 1980. It first embarked on the property development journey when it built The Centrepoint, one of Singapore's most iconic shopping malls along Orchard Road. It was only in 1990 when Frasers Property became a wholly owned subsidiary of Frasers & Neaves Limited (F&N) and later spun off into a property developer on its own.
Since then, Frasers Property has been developing homes and managing a portfolio of shopping malls and commercial properties. It prides itself on a strong reputation for quality and expertise with carefully designed, high-quality living spaces that are carefully designed and delivered. From luxury condos to high-quality starter apartments, Frasers Property offers a variety of residential developments for home buyers in Singapore.
Noteworthy residential projects by Frasers Property
One Leicester
Boathouse Residences
8. GuocoLand
GuocoLand is another celebrated property developer with many awards from various organizations to its name. For instance, it won several EdgeProp awards for the Wallich Residence. It also won a FIABCI World Prix D'Excellence award for its Leedon Residence development.
Over the years, GuocoLand has built a reputation as a luxury property developer that is best known for lavish penthouses and condominiums. It has also built its reputation as an eco-friendly developer with many eco-friendly projects that have bagged the Green Mark Award by Building and Construction Authority (BCA) for its sustainability efforts.
Noteworthy residential projects by GuocoLand
Leedon Residence
Martin Modern
9. MCL Land Limited
Like some of its counterparts on this list, MCL Land was also first founded as a subsidiary. To be precise, it was the subsidiary of the Jardine Matheson Group and Hong Kong Land when it first started in 1963. MCL Land incorporates practical and smart home solutions in their projects, which span across Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. From starter condos to semi-detached houses, MCL Land is bound to have something in its portfolio that suits your needs.
Noteworthy residential projects by MCL Land
Hallmark Residences
Ripple Bay
Parc Esta
10. Oxley Holdings
Since its incorporation in 2010, Oxley Holdings has been dazzling home buyers in Singapore with affordable private housing for the past decade. Their diverse portfolio features not just compact and affordable options like shoebox apartments, but bigger yet reasonably-priced units as well. Oxley Holdings' residential developments like Affinity at Serangoon offer standard apartments, luxurious penthouses, and even landed houses on its premises.
Noteworthy residential projects by Oxley Holdings
Mayfair Gardens
Mayfair Modern
Kent Ridge Hill Residences
Affinity at Serangoon
Does The Property Developer Really Matter?
Now, you might be thinking, does the property developer really matter? It's not like you're purchasing a stake in the property developer... right?
Well, here are some reasons why you may want to include the property developer as a consideration when deciding which property to purchase.
Further reading: Check out the latest news about property developers on PropertyGuru
Although Singapore's property developments are pretty well regulated by the authorities like the Building & Construction Authority (BCA), it still doesn't discount the fact that each property development is a multi-year project where things can go wrong at the slightest oversight.
For example, if mismanaged, a property may suffer from undesirable defects due to a lack of checks or rushed timelines. If you are lucky, these defects can be dealt with without much effort. But in some unfortunate cases where the defects are too major, they can end up becoming an unwanted permanent feature in your home.
Minimised risk of delays
Apart from defects, another concern for property buyers is the risk of delay. For a major construction project like property development, it can be delayed for multiple reasons, from bureaucratic misalignment with the authorities to subpar contractors.
A delay in delivery of the property can disrupt your personal plans, especially for couples and families in urgent need of a home. For landlords-to-be, adelay in delivery of the property will likely mean a loss of rental income that could prove costly.
Given that time is a key concern when it comes to buying properties for Singaporeans, a good property developer minimizes the risk of delays. After all, they have years of experience dealing with the authorities and contractors that they know how to handle the unexpected without qualms.
Leverage on their experience
The same way you read customer reviews before 'checking out' on your online shopping, there are benefits to buying from an established property developer. Of course, we are not saying that younger, lesser known developers are definitely inferior - everyone starts somewhere right? - but it always helps to have a proven track record .
With years of experience under their belts, these top property developers know what it takes to design and build not just beautiful facades, but livable and practical properties in Singapore. The range of projects that they have built in the past is a testament to their proficiency as a property developer.
Most property developers have an area of niche
While property developers may appear to be the same on paper, not all property developers are made equal. Each property developer specializes in a specific market segment (i.e. luxury, mass market) so that they can offer a different value proposition to you as a property buyer.
For example, Bukit Sembawang has a heavy focus on luxurious freehold properties. Its freehold projects include the luxurious 8 St. Thomas, Luxus Hills and Mimosa. Allgreen Properties, subsidiary of the Kuok Group is another luxury property developer you might know of. They specialize in delivering luxury housing to home buyers with notable projects like Juniper Hill, Fourth Avenue Residences, and Queens.
On the other hand, there are others like EL Development that play in the mass market segment by building projects that are affordable yet reliable. Mass market developments like Parc Riviera, Trivelis, and Rhapsody are by EL Development. For affordable housing options, you might also want to look at residential projects from Oxley Holdings.
Are you looking for a new home? Use PropertyGuru's property search engine to narrow down the search for your dream home. Be sure to also check out the latest projects from Singapore's top property developers.
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