Once seen mainly as a practical upgrade for growing families, 5-room HDB flats have increasingly become one of the most sought-after flat options in recent years as a first home, in spite of their higher prices.
As the largest flat type, they offer a generous amount of space for families, and for projects located in mature estates, access to a wide array of amenities. As lifestyles evolve and work-from-home (WFH) becomes more common, the demand for space has taken centre stage, pushing 5-room flats into the spotlight and driving strong competition and prices across both mature and non-mature estates.
Speaking of 5-room flats, two notable transactions took place just recently in the resale market: a 5-room in Clementi which was sold for $1.5m, and another 5-room flat in Geylang for $1.3m. Though in different locations, both share a similar attribute: they each have just become the record holders for being the most expensive HDB flat in their respective estates. Here are all the deets:
5-room flat in Clementi sets record at $1.5M
Image credit: Google Maps
The first notable transaction involves a 5-room resale flat located at Blk 445B Clementi Avenue 3, otherwise known as Clementi Crest. Located between the 34th to 36th storeys, it has a remaining lease of just over 94 years, indicating that it was probably sold by its first-time owners. Of course, its long remaining lease is also a contributor to its high asking price.
What makes this sale so noteworthy? Well, at a cool $1.5m, it has just set the new price record for being the most expensive flat not only within Clementi Crest, but also the entire Clementi estate.
Image credit: HDB
Its original owners would have also secured a decent profit as well. During its launch, 5-room flats at Clementi Crest were sold at a starting price of around $576,000 before grants, up to $725,000. It was the priciest BTO project during its launch, and its premium prices could be attributed to its location in Clementi, a popular mature estate where new BTO projects are hard to come by.
Plus, newer BTO projects in Clementi such as Clementi Emerald, which was launched in July last year, would be classified as Plus or even Prime projects, which means they will be tied up in hefty sales restrictions such as a 10-year MOP and a subsidy clawback.
Image credit: HDB
As you can see, 5-room flats at Clementi Crest have consistently performed pretty well in the resale market. Prior to this $1.5m sale, the previous record holder for the most expensive 5-room flat was at $1.49m, which is just a little less than this latest transaction. This, after the handful of sales trending upwards from $1.39m over the past 6 months.
According to data online, since hitting its MOP in June 2025, Clementi Crest has recorded around 14 5-room and 27 4-room resale transactions. Of these sales, there was only one transaction which fell below the $1m price tag by a mere $20k.
It is certainly no coincidence either. In fact, Clementi Crest was the most popular BTO project during its sales exercise back in May 2015, with an application rate of around 13.1 for 5-room flats. In other words, over 2,047 applicants were bidding for one of 156 units.
There are a couple of reasons why flats in Clementi Crest have been commanding pretty high asking prices of late. Located just a couple of minutes’ walk from the nearby Clementi MRT Station, you get easy access to the East-West Line as well as the future Cross Island Line. It’s also right next to Clementi Mall, which is a heartland mall that offers a decent mix of retail and F&B outlets, as well as amenities.
Clementi Crest is also fairly close to recreational facilities such as Clementi Sports Hall and Clementi Swimming Complex, which are just across the road. Clementi Stadium, currently undergoing redevelopment, is also in the vicinity. For families with children, there are several primary schools within a 1km radius, including Clementi Primary, Nan Hua Primary, Pei Tong Primary, and Qifa Primary Schools.
Image credit: 99.co
If you were interested, a check online shows a couple of 5-room flats at Clementi Crest available for sale. As you would expect, prices are quite high, but remember that you’re paying a premium for a very favourable location, as well as potential for higher capital appreciation.
5-room flat in Geylang sets record at $1.3M
Image credit: Google Maps
Elsewhere, another recent notable transaction was clocked in Geylang, at 7 Pine Close. Sold for $1.375m, this is the most expensive 5-room flat ever sold in Geylang, surpassing the previous record holder of $1.31m, which was located at 28 Cassia Crescent━just a short walk away from 7 Pine Close.
Located between the 19th and 21st storeys, the flat has a remaining lease of just over 73 years.
Image credit: HDB
In the last six months, there have been a couple of 5-room flat transactions at Pine Close, which are moderately priced. Up until now, the most expensive 5-room flat at Pine Close was sold for $1.3m back in September 2025. According to data online, 71 5-room flats in Geylang were sold last year, and of all the transactions, only four were sold for upwards of $1.3m.
In terms of location, the flat is fairly central, which could have contributed to its price tag. Though it’s classified under Geylang, it is in reality located closer to the Mountbatten area, not too far from the famous Kallang McDonald’s or Mountbatten MRT Station. Several highlights of the area include the iconic Old Airport Road Food Centre, Mountbatten Square, and several markets in the vicinity. There are also several schools in the area, such as Kong Hwa School, Broadrick Secondary School and Dunman High School.
Similar to Clementi, Mountbatten hasn’t had a lot of new BTO launches in recent years, which means there is a limited supply of flats in the market. In fact, the latest BTO project in Mountbatten was Dakota Crest, which launched back in February 2022 and oversubscribed by more than 6.3 times.
The good news is that according to the URA’s Master Plan 2025, several sites in the area have been gazetted for future residential developments, so we can probably expect some future BTO projects here. Though, you can probably expect any future BTOs in this vicinity to be classified as Plus or even Prime estates, which is probably why buyers are moving to resale flats here in order to circumvent the sales restrictions of future flats.
Image credit: 99.co
Interestingly, we could only find one listing at Pine Close: a 4-room flat being listed for $1m.
What does this signal for the HDB market?
It’s only been two weeks into the new year, and we’re already headed down the same narrative as last year of record-high transactions in the resale market, most notably for 5-room flats. It’s no surprise that 5-room flats will be the most expensive flats, but it is pretty remarkable how high prices can be pushed, coupled with buyers willing to fork out such high amounts to secure these flats.
One undeniable concern moving forward will be the affordability of resale flats. Will buyers continue to be priced out of their comfort zones, and forced to pay exorbitant amounts for public housing?
Well, this will depend on how the market reacts to some pretty significant shifts this year. For instance, over 13,400 HDB flats will be hitting their MOP this year. With a higher supply of flats bolstering the volume of homes available for sale, we will hopefully see some cooling of resale flat prices, as sellers face pressure to temper their prices downward. The supply of newly MOP-ed flats is expected to grow to over 18,900 units in 2027, and nearly 21,400 in 2028, increasing the supply of flats on the market, and hence driving prices down.
The government will also look at introducing more BTOs in the future to ramp up supply in the market. At a media doorstop on 8th January 2026, Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat shared that the government is prepared to further ramp up the supply of new BTO flats beyond its current target of 55,000 flats between 2025 and 2027, to meet strong demand. Having a strong supply will make BTO flats more accessible, and will help to moderate resale flat prices by diverting some demand away from the resale market.
Of course, any market reaction to these shifts won’t happen overnight, and will likely take some time to have an effect on the market. Still, with these shifts, hopefully we’ll be able to see more affordable resale flat prices in the near future.
Read more of our articles here:
- Singapore’s Arwaa Mansion is owned by the prince of Brunei
- How we bought a million-dollar HDB resale flat at 26
- HDBs that can pass off as condos
Cover image adapted from: Google maps
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