The first quarter of 2025 saw several new condo launches hit the property market, in both young and old estates alike. As you can probably surmise from recent property news, condos continue to be a very popular property asset class, offering a slice of luxurious living as well as possessing decent potential to appreciate in value over time.
One of the most exciting times when purchasing a condo is actually during the opening weekend itself… and it can get pretty manic! If you’ve never been to one, picture a showflat room filled with tons of people, frantically submitting cheques, nervously anticipating ballot results, and of course, the emotions that come with either a successful or unsuccessful application.
Join us as we round up 4 newly launched condos that performed extremely well during their opening weekends and what made them such popular picks amongst homebuyers.
Aurelle of Tampines EC—90% sold on launch day
Image credit: Aurelle of Tampines EC
Based on available data, the top-performing condo of 2025 so far is actually an Executive Condo (EC) – Aurelle of Tampines, which sold a whopping 90% of its 760 units on launch day, 8 March 2025. The average transacted price was around $1,766 psf, and it attracted strong interest from first- and second-time homebuyers, with 4- and 5-bedroom units completely sold out.
How remarkable is this feat? Well, according to property organisation PropNex, the $1,766 psf price tag set a new benchmark in the newly launched EC market, and its 90% sold-out rate is the highest since Hundred Palms Residences, which was launched in 2017.
So what made Aurelle of Tampines so popular?
Well, for one, it is the first EC launch of 2025. Unlike its private condo counterparts, ECs tend to be more affordable, and applicants get to enjoy a small but nonetheless welcome Housing Grant of up to $30,000 from the HDB.
Furthermore, only Singaporean citizens and PRs are eligible to purchase ECs, and so this reduced competition pool, in a way, enhances its attractiveness for those looking for a new home to live in. You can probably expect a fair number of applicants to be those who missed out on Tenet, which was the first EC in Tampines North, launched in 2022.
In addition, location is a key factor for Aurelle of Tampines. It is situated in Tampines North, a new and upcoming township carved out from the existing Tampines region.
A highlight of its location is that it is just a short walk from the upcoming Tampines North Integrated Hub, which will feature a shopping mall, hawker centre, bus interchange, community club, and Tampines North MRT station, which sits along the future Cross Island Line. There are also plenty of schools and educational institutions nearby, coupled with easy accessibility to the rest of Tampines or other parts of Singapore.
Homebuyers are also likely to be looking to secure that first-mover advantage in Tampines North. It is a new and upcoming township—there isn’t much there now other than IKEA, Giant, and Courts—but with the integrated development and other amenities sprouting up in the future, it will have everything you need for enjoyable living.
Parktown Residence—87% of units sold out on launch weekend
Image credit: Parktown Residence
Speaking of Tampines North, another condo that achieved some pretty spectacular sales on its opening weekend was Parktown Residence. After its launch weekend on 22 February 2025, 1,041 units (or around 87%) of its 1,193 units were sold out, at an average price of $2,360 psf. Unlike Aurelle, the hotter units were the smaller 1- and 2-bedroom units.
There are a few things to unpack here.
If you compare Parktown Residence with Aurelle, you’ll find that they both actually serve different markets, and so there isn’t much of a competition effect between them per se. For instance, the more popular units for Aurelle were the larger 4- and 5-bedroom units. Why? That’s because of the 5-year MOP rule for ECs, meaning that buyers would likely be looking to stay in their homes and then look forward to longer-term price appreciation.
On the other hand, there is no such rule for private condos. As such, buyers tend to favour the smaller 1- and 2-bedroom units—not to stay in, but to seek rental yield and capital appreciation in the short term.
Another key difference is that Parktown Residence is set to be a mega integrated development. Remember what we mentioned earlier about the integrated hub with the bus interchange, MRT station, and mall? That will all be part of the condo development, right at your doorstep. Such integrated condos are growing in popularity, as seen from the high take-up rates for units at other similar developments such as Pasir Ris 8 and Lentor Modern.
Overall, the value proposition for Parktown Residence is quite substantial. According to UOL Group and CapitaLand Development—who are the developers of Parktown Residence—buyers were drawn to Parktown Residence’s “unique status as a fully integrated residential and lifestyle development, directly connected to a retail mall, the future Tampines North MRT station, a bus interchange, a green boulevard, a community club, and a hawker centre.”
Lentor Central Residences—93% sales rate on launch weekend
Image credit: Lentor Central Residences
Another up-and-coming estate that will attract plenty of buyers is Lentor, which borders the Ang Mo Kio, Yio Chu Kang, and Springleaf regions. It presently houses a landed property enclave, but the area has since seen major rehauls to open up more land sites for residential developments.
Amongst all the new condo developments that will be launched in the estate, one of the most popular projects has to be Lentor Central Residences. During its launch weekend on 8 March 2025 (yes, the same date as Aurelle), it achieved a spectacular 93% sales rate, with 445 out of 477 units sold, at an average price of $2,200 psf. According to news reports, the most popular unit types were 3- and 4-bedroom units, with buyers predominantly owner-occupiers.
Lentor is undeniably a top pick in terms of estates in Singapore to live in. You’re in a relatively central region of Singapore, and so zipping over to other parts of the island won’t be a hassle. Plus, with the likes of Lentor MRT station being on the Thomson-East Coast Line, you can easily commute to places like the CBD, Gardens by the Bay, or even the East Side. Being in an estate that features mostly private housing and little to no public housing, there is also that extra bit of luxuriousness and exclusivity that lends credence and prestige to properties in Lentor.
Other contributing factors would be the proximity to reputable schools like Anderson Primary, Mayflower Primary, and CHIJ St. Nicholas, as well as those who were already living in the area or in the older condos of Bullion Park, Castle Green, and Thomson Grove, and are looking to move into a newer condo development.
The Orie—86% sales rate on opening
Image credit: PropNex
Last but not least on our list is The Orie, which is a brand new condo development right in the heart of Toa Payoh and also the first new condo launch of 2025. After the dust had settled on its opening weekend on 18 January, 668 units out of its 777 units were sold, translating to an 86% sales rate. The average selling price was around $2,704 psf, with 2- and 3-bedder units being the most popular.
A key component of The Orie’s popularity is due to the pent-up demand for new homes in Toa Payoh. The last launch in the mature estate was Gem Residences all the way back in 2016, and so having a brand new condo right in the middle of a fairly mature estate is bound to generate some interest.
According to a press release by CDL (who are part of the consortium developing The Orie), the majority of buyers were families and HDB upgraders from the vicinity, first-time buyers attracted to the development’s convenient location, as well as former Toa Payoh residents returning to a familiar community.
Convenience and accessibility is the name of the game for The Orie. Apart from being a short 5-min walk away from Braddell MRT, residents at The Orie will also get to benefit from the many bus services that ply Toa Payoh.
Otherwise, there’s always Toa Payoh Bus Interchange, which has plenty of services to other parts of Singapore. For drivers, the PIE highway gives you great accessibility, and there are plenty of schools, lifestyle amenities, and more in close proximity, making it a great choice for families.
Condo prices in 2025—where do we go from here?
Given the very strong showing of new condo launches in the first quarter of 2025, it’s probably safe to say that there will be strong momentum going into the rest of 2025, and buyers can expect to see increasing prices.
That said, it’s never a certainty how new launch condos will perform, or how their prices will turn out. In the very same period that we’ve just gone through, other projects such as Aurora at Golden Mile and Bagnall Haus in East Coast were also launched; however, they did not attract the same level of interest as the four in our list. It seems that buyers are still discerning about what would be deemed a worthy investment, rather than just rushing in to snap up any new properties.
Nonetheless, these are still very interesting times for the property market, and with prices continuing on their upward trajectory, it remains to be seen if more cooling measures will be introduced to calm the market down.
Read more about the condos here:
- The Orie condo review
- Parktown Residence Tampines North Review review
- 3 upcoming executive condo projects in 2025
Cover image adapted from: Aurelle of Tampines EC, Lentor Central Residences
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