As of January 1, 2026, Singapore‘s Real Estate Investment Market has shown evidence of being very active. The total volume sold in Q1 2026 amounted to S$15.4 billion, which is a 10% increase from Q4 2025 and an astronomical 166.5% increase from Q1 2025, as per Knight Frank Singapore. The continued momentum created in the second half of 2025 has carried over into Q1 of 2026 and gained additional momentum.
This acceleration of the market has not just taken place in isolation; as shown in Knight Frank’s most recent Investment Market Update, the Singapore property market began 2026 in a significant position from late 2025, with strong investor appetite. However, during this time, the market did experience some turbulence. The conflict in the Middle East which erupted in March introduced another layer of uncertainty; however, the Singapore investment market’s long history as a safe harbour for investment capital will contribute to continued investor interest. However, the firm also warned that capital deployment will be targeted more by asset-type preference and expected yields.
Asia Square Tower 1 was injected into the Singapore Central Private Real Estate Fund (SCPREF) managed by Hongkong Land for a price estimated at $4.1 billion, which was the largest deal of the quarter and made headlines. The second-biggest deal was the sale of a mixed-use commercial and residential Government Land Sales (GLS) parcel on Hougang Avenue 10/Hougang Central for $1.5 billion. Taken together, they confirm that the real estate market is active today with investors willing to commit large amounts of money to assets with scale and long-term positioning.
In the residential sector, total sales amounted to $4.4 billion, consisting of $3.2 billion from public land sales, while the total commercial sales achieved during the quarter were $6.3 billion. The most significant transactions included the sale of 78 Shenton Way (estimated value of between $600 million and $630 million), Bukit Panjang Plaza (sale price of $428 million), and a portfolio of 11 retail properties sold by Mercatus (estimated value of between $280 million and $281 million). The volume and price of these core commercial assets and land parcels suggest that serious capital will continue to be directed to the real estate sector despite ongoing uncertainty in the global economy.
The expansion of the industrial property area has contributed considerably to the growth experienced during the quarter. The value of investments through the segment increased by $3.1 billion due to the new public listing of UI Boustead REIT ($1.3 billion), as well as various acquisitions made by CapitaLand Ascendas REIT for 25 Loyang Crescent and The Ascent ($749.2 million). Additionally, there was a portfolio sale-and-leaseback by Standard Chartered Bank involving two properties within Changi Business Park (valued at $183 million), which highlights the breadth of demand in both industrial and commercial park categories.
The quarter also exhibited significant activity outside the primary property sector in collective sales and transcontinental investment. The collective sales market recorded two non-residential transactions: the rear portion of The Centrepoint was acquired by Frasers Property (for $391.9 million), and Kewalram House was acquired by Soon Hock Enterprise Holding Limited (for $120.5 million). Additionally, outbound investment from Singapore grew 7.8% quarter-over-quarter to $10.3 billion, reflecting a growing trend of Singapore-based investors pursuing diversification and access to stable offshore markets. Knight Frank has maintained a total forecast of approximately $30 billion in investment sales through the end of 2026, indicating confidence that the strong start to the year may have more upside potential than originally anticipated.
The basic premise of this view is very much a straightforward and powerful one. That is, in a finite capital market (i.e., no new investment capital will be created in this market) and in a rapidly changing global environment, the factor of timing is very important.
As Knight Frank’s CEO Galven Tan states: vendors who bring well located assets to market early will have the opportunity to benefit from first-moving advantage and obtain funding from capital sources that may otherwise have been expended on other investment Opportunities.
Singapore’s property market has begun the year 2026 with both strength and strategy; it has been marked by a record year of sales, with a limited supply of capital, thus creating a Safe Haven Market.
