HDB resale prices declined by 0.3% in the second quarter of 2026, following a 0.1% drop in the first quarter, marking the first consecutive quarterly decrease in almost seven years, the Housing Development Board reported on July 1 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The volume of resale flat transactions also slipped, with 6,268 flats sold in Q2 2026, down 10.2% from 6,981 in the same period last year [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The price falls affected more than half of HDB towns, with Serangoon, Marine Parade, and Geylang seeing the steepest declines of 7.9%, 7.6%, and 6.9% respectively [3, 5]. Median resale prices for common flat types dropped as well, with three-room flats falling 0.5% to S$442,888 and five-room flats down 0.9% to S$738,000 in Q2 2026 [5].
Several experts linked the softening resale market to a cautious buyer sentiment amid an uncertain job market. Christine Sun of Realion said the "softer job market and structural layoffs may instill greater prudence in homebuyers, as any changes can impact buyers’ financial confidence and borrowing capacity" [3]. She added that slower employment growth and higher retrenchments earlier in the year likely prompted buyers to be more cautious, resulting in fewer transactions and price falls [5]. Lee Sze Teck of Huttons noted buyers were wary in their offered prices and inclined to try their luck on Build-To-Order (BTO) flats especially in prime locations [3].
BTO flats have attracted interest due to more options and shorter waiting times compared to resale flats. Mohan Sandrasegeran of Singapore Realtors said "more flats with shorter waiting times – meaning less than three years – could also have helped redistribute demand to the BTO market" [4]. This shift contributed to weaker resale demand and longer selling times, which now average two to three months [3, 5].
Private residential property prices continued to rise but slowed to 0.5% growth in Q2 2026, down from 0.9% in Q1 [3, 4].
Looking ahead, HDB plans to launch about 7,960 flats in October 2026 across Bedok, Geylang, Sembawang, Tengah, Toa Payoh, and Yishun districts [1, 2, 3, 4]. Among these, assisted living community care flats with senior-friendly features will be introduced in Toa Payoh [1, 2]. The deadline to apply for HDB Flat Eligibility letters for the October sales exercise is September 15, 2026 [1, 2].
