After many months of eager anticipation, the July 2025 BTO and SBF sales exercise was finally launched yesterday. This marks the second BTO launch of 2025, and it’s one many have been waiting for, thanks to a wide range of estates and some solid picks. In total, HDB launched 10,209 flats for sale today, offering plenty of options for those hunting for a new home.
For the BTO side of things (pun intended), there are 5,547 flats up for grabs across 8 projects in Bukit Merah, Bukit Panjang, Clementi, Sembawang, Tampines, Toa Payoh, and Woodlands. Of these, four are Standard projects, while the other four—Bukit Merah, Clementi, and Toa Payoh—are Prime projects. No Plus projects this time!
As part of our coverage on the July 2025 BTO sales exercise, we take a look at Clementi Emerald, one of the Prime projects for this sales exercise, and how it might actually be a hidden gem amongst the other Prime projects.
Clementi Emerald: a hidden gem in the West
Image Credit: HDB
Located at the junction of Clementi Avenue 6, Commonwealth Avenue West, and Clementi Close, Clementi Emerald will offer 753 units across 4 blocks. These include 222 2-Room Flexi flats, 111 3-Room flats, and 420 4-Room flats.
What sets Clementi Emerald apart from the other Prime projects is its shorter waiting time (SWT) of just 34 months. That’s much faster than the 41 to 56 months for other Prime projects, making it an attractive option for those eager to get their flat sooner.
Image Credit: HDB
There will also be a 7-storey Multi-Storey Car Park (MSCP) next to the residential blocks, which will house convenient amenities such as a mini-mart, a preschool, and an eating house. The top of the MSCP will also feature a rooftop garden with fitness stations and a jogging track that residents will be able to utilise, alongside other facilities such as children’s playgrounds, fitness corners for adults and the elderly, and sheltered resting areas.
In our earlier piece on the overview of the July 2025 BTO sales exercise, we predicted that Clementi would be classified as a Plus project owing to its proximity to two MRT stations and being in a fairly well-populated housing estate but not quite as central or upscale as Queenstown or Bukit Merah.
Looks like we were wrong! Quite surprisingly, Clementi was classified as Prime this time around, probably because of how the value of existing Clementi HDBs have surged in recent times. Most notably, earlier this month a newly-MOPed 4-room flat at Clementi Crest sold for an all-time high of $1.28M, meaning that the original homeowner could have enjoyed a staggering $800K in realised profit. Even though Clementi Emerald would come with a 10-year MOP, the promise of a decent profit might just make it all the more worth the wait.
Eco-friendly and smart home features
Like all modern HDB BTO projects, Clementi Emerald will include a range of eco-friendly features designed to promote sustainable living. These green initiatives are common across all new BTO developments and include:
- Separate chutes for recyclable waste
- Regenerative lifts to reduce energy consumption
- Bicycle stands to encourage cycling as an environmentally-friendly form of transport
- Parking spaces to facilitate future provision of electric vehicle charging stations
- Use of sustainable products in the project
- Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters design features to clean rainwater and beautify the landscapes
- Smart-Enabled Homes with provisions for smart home solutions
- Smart Lighting in common areas to reduce energy usage
Great location with convenient MRT access
Image Credit: HDB
Location-wise, Clementi Emerald might just have one of the best locations among all the BTO projects on offer for this sales exercise.
The highlight is essentially public transport connectivity. As seen from the map above, Clementi MRT station is just a short 5-minute walk away, giving you access to the East-West Line. Clementi MRT will also be an interchange station in the future, connecting you with the upcoming Cross Island Line, which will bring you to other areas in Singapore such as King Albert Park, Hougang, and Pasir Ris. The main Commonwealth Avenue West is also served by up to 11 bus services, making commuting extremely easy.
Another draw is the presence of several schools within the all-important 1km radius, which many families would be looking out for. Right next to Clementi Emerald is Clementi Primary School, and slightly further away, you have Nan Hua Primary, Pei Tong Primary, and Qifa Primary. In addition, you have Clementi Town Secondary, New Town Secondary, Nan Hua High School, and Singapore Polytechnic not too far away.
For amenities, residents can look to the closest shopping malls at Clementi Town Centre: Clementi Mall, Grantral Mall @ Clementi, and 321 Clementi. These malls offer multiple dining options, retail shops, and essential services, which will more or less meet the needs of Clementi residents. There will also be an upcoming Clementi Polytechnic being built right next to Clementi Emerald.
In short, the location of Clementi Emerald undeniably makes it a very favourable pick, and the provision of amenities and schools in the area makes it a viable long-term stay for families. This certainly would make the 10-year MOP a lot more palatable.
What are the prices of flats available?
Image Credit: HDB
Sans grants, here are the indicative price ranges for the various unit types at Clementi Emerald:
- 2-Room Flexi (Type 1): $74,000 – $289,000 (lowest $74K is the starting price for short 15-year lease, $289K is the ceiling for 99-year lease)
- 2-Room Flexi (Type 2): $89,000 – $351,000 (same parameters as above for short lease and full 99-year lease)
- 3-Room: $420,000 – $518,000
- 4-Room: $547,000 – $775,000
Remember too that Prime projects are subject to a subsidy clawback when the flat is eventually sold. In short, flat owners will be required to pay HDB a percentage of the resale or valuation price (whichever is higher) of the flat upon selling it, after meeting the 10-year MOP. For Clementi Emerald, this percentage is 12%, which is the highest among all the Prime projects in this sales exercise. To put that into perspective, the recent $1.28M sale would have translated to a $153K clawback!
New changes for July 2025 BTO sales exercise
It’s also worth noting that HDB has introduced a slew of changes to the BTO process for this sales exercise, which should ideally help more people secure a home of their choice.
For instance, the new Family Care Scheme will help married couples or singles with priority access to BTO flats when they buy one near or with their parents. The allocation quota for second-timer (ST) families buying 3-room and larger BTO flats will be increased by 5 percentage points to support their upgrading and right-sizing plans.
There will also be an enhancement to the Deferred Income Assessment (DIA) scheme, where only one of the two parties needs to be a recent or current full-time student or National Serviceman. Previously, both parties needed to meet this requirement.
In addition, the Fresh Start Housing Grant will be increased by $25,000 to $75,000 to support eligible second-timer families in purchasing a new 2-room Flexi or 3-room Standard BTO or SBF flat on a shorter lease.
Clementi Emerald July 2025 BTO launch
With proximity to an MRT station, a shorter waiting time, and plenty of schools and amenities nearby, Clementi Emerald might actually give the likes of Alexandra Peaks and Alexandra Vista a run for their money. We’ve already seen a surprise with how Clementi now ranks among the top prime estates in Singapore, and we might very well see it become the most oversubscribed BTO project this launch.
In case you didn’t already know, you can monitor the status of applications through HDB’s Flat Portal. The application rates for each BTO project will be updated regularly throughout the 8-day application window, so you’ll be able to gauge the popularity of projects.
And if you’re more or less set on Clementi Emerald—or any other BTO project, for that matter—just remember to put in an application by 30 July 2025, Wednesday, 11:59 pm. As always, remember that you’ll need to have a valid HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter, plan your finances carefully, and select a suitable flat based on your budget and needs. All the best!
Read about the other BTO project launches this July 2025:
- Alexandra Peaks & Alexandra Vista prime flats in Bukit Merah
- Toa Payoh Ascent: July 2025 BTO prime flats from $528K
For more articles about properties in Singapore:
- 2025 BTO MOP calendar: 9 HDBs that will enter resale market this year
- 7 New condo launches coming in 2025
- Alexandra Peaks & Alexandra Vista prime flats in Bukit Meraha
Cover image adapted from: Street Directory, HDB
Drop us your email so you won't miss the latest news.
