3,800 BTO flats with shorter wait times will be offered in 2025, largest Sale of Balance exercise in February

3,800 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats with shorter waiting times will be offered in 2025, said Minister for National Development Desmond Lee.

These new flats will have wait times of less than three years.

This is an increase from the 2,876 shorter waiting-time flats offered in 2024 and more than the committed annual supply of 2,000 to 3,000 shorter waiting-time flats.

25,000 new flats to be launched in 2025

They are part of 25,000 new flats that will be launched in 2025, comprising around 19,600 BTO flats across three sales exercises and more than 5,500 Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) in one SBF sale exercise.

Minister of National Development Desmond Lee shared that with the planned offer of 19,600 BTO flats in 2025, the government is on track to launch 102,300 BTO flats from 2021 to 2025.

This exceeds their commitment to launch 100,000 new flats from 2021 to 2025.

The minister said that HDB will continue to put out a steady pipeline of flats to meet housing demand in the next few years.

HDB expects to launch more than 50,000 flats from 2025 to 2027,

February 2025 sales exercise

In February 2025, more than 10,000 new flats will be offered under the BTO and SBF exercises.

HDB will offer about 5,000 BTO flats in Kallang/Whampoa, Queenstown, Woodlands and Yishun.

At the same time, HDB will hold the SBF exercise, offering more than 5,500 flats across various towns/estates.

This will be the largest-ever SBF exercise, said HDB.

About four in 10 flats to be offered in the SBF exercise are completed units.

The remaining units are in various stages of construction, with expected completion dates from 2025 to 2028.

"HDB is committed to providing affordable and accessible housing options to buyers and will continue to monitor the housing demand closely, making adjustments where necessary."

Higher chance

With the increase in BTO supply, the application rates for BTO flats have reduced.

As such, flat applicants now stand a higher chance of being invited to book a flat.

In addition, Lee said that, on average, nine in 10 first-time parents and married couples who receive first priority under the Family and Parenthood Priority Scheme and applied for a 4-room or smaller flat in non-mature estates were invited to book a flat in the BTO sales exercises.

Under the first-timer parents and married couples priority category, first-timer parents and married couples receive priority under the Family and Parenthood Priority Scheme when they apply for a four-room or smaller standard BTO flat.

In addition, married couples and families with young children will receive one additional ballot chance for their BTO/SBF flat applications.

As such, they will receive three ballot chances when they apply for any flat type in any estate.

Lee shared that since the rules for non-selection of new HDB flats were tightened after the October 2023 BTO exercise, the proportion of BTO flat applicants who did not book a flat when invited has been halved from 40 per cent to 19 per cent.

This has allowed flat buyers to secure their flats more quickly.

With the lower non-selection rate, applicants now book almost all flats within the first 200 per cent of the flat supply.

Lee said:

"From the February 2025 sales exercise onwards, HDB will shortlist applicants up to 200 per cent of the total flat supply instead of 300 per cent. This change will improve system efficiency, enabling HDB to serve shortlisted applicants faster."

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