En Bloc Fever Is Back. And the Government Might Just Make It Easier.
If you own a unit in an ageing condo, you’ve probably had that conversation at least once. The one where someone in the lift lobby casually drops, “Eh, you think our place can en bloc or not?”
In 2026, that conversation is getting a lot more serious.
The big deals on the table
Serenity Park just went to tender at $505 million. It’s a freehold, 179-unit development off Yio Chu Kang Road sitting on 248,173 sq ft of land. The tender closes March 26, literally days from now. At that price, owners are looking at roughly $2.8 million each. Not bad for a 30-year-old condo in the suburbs.
The site could be redeveloped into about 380 units. For developers hungry for freehold OCR land (and there are many), this is one of the more compelling picks in a market where GLS sites are predominantly leasehold.
Then there’s Tan Boon Liat Building at 315 Outram Road, relaunched at $1 billion after a 13% price cut from its earlier $1.15 billion asking. And parts of The Centrepoint on Orchard Road went up for $418 million, a rare partial en bloc in the prime retail corridor.
But the real headline act? Braddell View. The massive 918-unit HUDC estate is eyeing a $2 billion-plus price tag. With 1.124 million sq ft of land and 63 years left on the lease, it would be the biggest residential en bloc in Singapore’s history if it goes through. That’s a big “if.”
Why now?
A few things are lining up.
Developers need land. Unsold inventory is at a 15-quarter low of 14,859 units. The GLS programme is pumping out sites, but they’re mostly leasehold and increasingly suburban. For developers who want freehold land, or land in established neighbourhoods, en bloc is really the only game in town.
Interest rates are cooperating too. With SORA sitting at 1.12%, the cost of acquiring and holding large sites has dropped meaningfully from the 3-4% days of 2023.
And the new launch market is white hot. River Modern sold 90% on opening weekend. Narra Residences moved 25% at launch. Developers are seeing strong demand and thinking: we need more product.
The government review that changes everything
Here’s the part that could really blow the doors open.
The Ministry of Law is reviewing the consent thresholds under the Land Titles (Strata) Act. Right now, you need 80% agreement (by share value and strata area) for buildings 10 years or older, and 90% for newer ones. Those thresholds haven’t changed since 1999.
The review is looking at possibly introducing a new tier: 70% consent for developments over 50 years old.
Think about what that means. Pine Grove, which has failed multiple en bloc attempts despite a $1.86 billion reserve price, has 660 units across a massive site. Getting 80% of owners to agree is herding cats. At 70%, you need about 462 owners instead of 528. That’s 66 fewer holdouts you need to convince.
For mega-developments like Braddell View with nearly a thousand units, the math shifts even more dramatically.
The catch (there’s always a catch)
More tenders doesn’t automatically mean more successful sales. Developers still need the numbers to work. And right now, construction costs remain elevated at $350-400 psf. Land acquisition via en bloc means paying a premium over GLS prices because you’re also paying for the existing owners’ profit expectations.
The 60% ABSD on foreign buyers hasn’t gone away either. That limits the buyer pool for any redeveloped project, especially in the CCR. Marina One owners learned this the hard way, with 30 unprofitable transactions in 2025 alone.
And here’s the thing nobody likes to talk about: en bloc is stressful. The process takes 2-3 years minimum. You deal with fractious committees, holdout owners, legal costs, and the emotional weight of leaving a home. I’ve seen communities torn apart over it. The money’s good when it works. When it doesn’t, you’ve just burnt through years of neighbourly goodwill for nothing.
What owners should actually do
If your condo is 30+ years old, freehold, and sitting on a decent plot ratio, your en bloc potential is real. Especially now.
But don’t get caught up in the fever. Here’s what matters:
Land rate. Developers care about the price per square foot per plot ratio (ppr). If your asking price translates to a land rate that’s higher than recent GLS tenders in the same area, it’s probably dead on arrival.
Site size. Developers want sites that yield at least 200-300 units. Smaller sites aren’t worth the hassle of navigating LTSA requirements.
Lease remaining. If you’re 99-year leasehold with less than 60 years left, you’re in a weird spot. The differential premium to top up the lease eats into the developer’s margin. Freehold sites are always easier to move.
Timing. With the threshold review potentially lowering consent requirements, there’s an argument for waiting. But there’s also an argument that developer appetite is peaking right now, with low unsold inventory and strong sales momentum. Timing the en bloc market is like timing the stock market. Mostly luck.
The bigger picture
Singapore needs urban renewal. A lot of older condos and HUDC estates are sitting on prime land that could house 2-3x more people. The government knows this. That’s why they’re reviewing the thresholds.
But the tension is real: property rights vs urban planning needs. Lowering the threshold means some owners will be compelled to sell against their wishes. That’s a hard pill for a country that treats property ownership as almost sacred.
My read? The 70% tier for 50-year-old buildings will probably happen. It’s a measured move that targets the oldest stock without upending the broader market. And it’ll unlock a fresh wave of sites that have been stuck in en bloc limbo for years.
For owners of ageing condos, 2026 might be the year the math finally works in your favour.
Just don’t spend the windfall before the tender closes.
