Three major property policy changes were announced today, affecting homebuyers, property developers and real estate agents in Singapore.
The announcements include the removal of the 15-month wait-out period for certain HDB resale buyers, longer Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) timelines for large redevelopment projects and a new minimum transaction requirement for property agents from 2027.
1. Minimum Transaction Requirement for Property Agents
Senior Minister of State for National Development Sun Xueling announced that property agents must complete at least three recognised property transactions over a three-year period to renew their registration from 2027.
Agents who do not meet the requirement may still renew their registration by passing a refresher examination. Those who meet neither condition and later wish to return to the industry will need to retake the Real Estate Salesperson examination.
The Council for Estate Agencies will also extend property agency licences and agent registrations from one year to three years, with the first cycle running from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2029.
Recognised transactions include the sale, purchase and rental of HDB flats, private homes, commercial and industrial properties, overseas properties and collective sales.
New agents will not need to complete a transaction during their first year. From their second year, they must complete at least two transactions over the remaining two years or pass the refresher examination.
The annual Continuing Professional Development requirement will remain, with agents required to complete 16 training hours each year. The new transaction requirement is intended to ensure agents remain active and familiar with current regulations, market conditions and transaction processes.
2. 15-Month HDB Resale Wait-Out Period Removed
National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat announced that private property owners and former owners no longer need to wait 15 months before purchasing a non-subsidised HDB resale flat. The change took effect immediately on 28 July 2026.
The measure was introduced in September 2022 to moderate demand during a period of rising HDB resale prices and housing supply disruptions.
Under the revised rules, private property owners may purchase a non-subsidised resale flat without taking an HDB housing loan. They must still sell all private residential properties owned in Singapore or overseas within six months of completing the HDB purchase.
The existing 30-month wait-out period continues to apply to buyers seeking subsidised housing, including BTO flats, resale flats purchased with housing grants, new executive condominiums and purchases financed with an HDB loan.
For homebuyers, the change provides greater flexibility for private homeowners looking to right-size or move into public housing without arranging temporary accommodation for 15 months.
3. Longer ABSD Timelines for Large En Bloc Redevelopments
The Ministry of Finance and Ministry of National Development jointly announced longer ABSD remission timelines for developers undertaking large-scale collective sale redevelopment projects. The changes take effect from 29 July 2026.
Licensed housing developers are generally subject to 40% ABSD when purchasing residential land. Of this, 35% may be remitted if they meet the required construction, completion and sales deadlines.
Projects yielding between 700 and 1,399 units will now receive six years to complete and sell all units, up from 5.5 years.
Projects yielding at least 1,400 units will receive seven years. However, developers must sell at least 50% of the units by the end of the sixth year to avoid a clawback of the remittable ABSD.
To qualify, redevelopment projects must produce at least 1.5 times the number of units in the existing development.
The longer timelines may make large en bloc sites more viable by giving developers additional time to build and sell a substantial number of homes, while supporting the redevelopment of older estates.
