Are Condos In Singapore With The Number “8” More Prosperous? 

In Asia, few numbers are more emblematic of prosperity than the iconic “8.” In Mandarin, “8” (“ba”) sounds similar to “fa,” which means wealth—a linguistic coincidence that has made “8” a symbol of abundance. So we’ve decided to put this lucky number to the test in real estate. We rounded up a selection of condos with “8” in their names, that achieved notable average gains. 

The big question: can this really help you “fa”?

Note: We've focused on condos with the number "8" in their names and the buy/sell transactions that occurred within the past 10 years. This approach helps us avoid highlighting older condos where owners have held on for 20+ years and benefitted simply from the long holding period.

Top 18 Projects with “8” in the Name

Project	Tenure	Completed	No. of Units	District	Avg Gains (Total)	Avg Gains (%)	Avg Holding Period	No. of Buy/Sell
BOULEVARD 88	Freehold	2022	154	10	$2,225,320	23%	3.6	5
UNIT 8	Freehold	1984	8	10	$1,800,000	37%	5.2	1
18 SHELFORD	Freehold	2010	19	11	$880,000	29%	7.2	1
THOMSON 800	Freehold	2000	390	11	$681,321	37%	5	11
DRAYCOTT EIGHT	99-year Leasehold	2006	136	10	$622,836	15%	5.5	6
BUCKLEY 18	Freehold	2009	49	11	$554,000	20%	4.1	3
RESIDENCES AT 338A	Freehold	2004	46	9	$518,250	26%	5.3	4
BUTTERWORTH 8	Freehold	2004	216	15	$500,850	28%	4.1	6
BISHAN 8	Freehold	2000	200	20	$434,400	31%	4.7	10
NOVA 48	Freehold	2012	48	12	$430,500	35%	5.4	4
GILSTEAD 38	Freehold	2001	23	11	$420,000	29%	8.6	1
UBER 388	Freehold	2015	95	16	$420,000	27%	3.5	2
GALLERY 8	Freehold	2004	32	15	$410,000	26%	3.5	1
28 SHELFORD	Freehold	1994	36	11	$400,000	32%	6.4	2
SOPHIA 98	Freehold	2002	16	9	$392,000	27%	6.6	1
HILLVIEW 128	999-year Leasehold	2001	90	23	$371,528	38%	5.5	4
8 NAPIER	Freehold	2010	46	10	$363,600	6%	5.8	1
LAGUNA 88	99-year Leasehold	2000	88	16	$360,270	35%	5.4	7
WILKIE 87	Freehold	2004	21	9	$348,000	23%	4.1	2
EAST VIEW 18	Freehold	2002	7	15	$328,888	31%	7	1
GRANDEUR 8	99-year Leasehold	2005	579	20	$287,000	23%	5.2	18

We’ve decided to highlight 18 entries - there’s no hidden reason behind the number (though it does flow nicely with other auspicious digits). 

Just keep in mind that this is a fun, festive piece rather than a strict apples-to-apples comparison - the projects understandably range from diverse profiles. 

Still, from the figures alone, here are a few interesting points:

1. Premium addresses in prime neighbourhoods

It's not entirely a coincidence - there is a benefit for the developers to name the condo after the street name since it brings a sense of prestige. This is probably more apparent in Districts 9, 10, and 11. It’s not a hard-and-fast rule, of course, but many of these developments benefit from its prime locations.

Take Boulevard 88, Gilstead 38, and Thomson 800 as examples. For Boulevard 88, the average holding period is just 3.6 years, yet the average gains clock in at an impressive $2,225,320—or about 23 per cent of the average sale price.

That said, the “prime” label isn’t a prerequisite for upside potential. Projects like Bishan 8 (D20) and Hillview 128 (D23) have also delivered notable returns, so it may be that the “8” factor can work just as well outside the Core Central Region—though good connectivity, established amenities, and proximity to schools are likely the real driving forces here.

It’s also worth mentioning that Boulevard 88, Gilstead 38, and Thomson 800 feature generously sized floorplans. Naturally, the larger quantum of these units could have played a big role in the hefty absolute gains, which is something to keep in mind when comparing across projects.

2. Better price stability for established larger developments

Unit count is an important factor that can influence a project’s performance. The properties on this list range from boutique developments with just four units to larger-scale ones with 579 units, covering quite a broad spectrum.

In general, larger developments tend to offer more stable and consistent resale activity. With a higher volume of transactions, prices are more likely to stabilize over time. These projects also typically feature a full suite of facilities and more unit configurations, making them appealing to a broader pool of buyers.

One example is Thomson 800. With 390 units, it has a recorded average gain of 37 per cent across 11 transactions. Bishan 8, slightly smaller at 200 units, saw a strong 31 per cent gain across 10 transactions. 

Meanwhile, Grandeur 8 with 579 units, delivered a respectable 23 per cent average gain over 18 transactions.

While these aren’t especially big developments, their relative size within this group is significant. With more transactions, these projects tend to achieve steadier performance compared to boutique developments, where individual transactions can skew averages.

As another example, let’s look at Unit 8. 

With just eight units in total, it posted a high gain, but this is based on a single transaction—hardly enough to reflect the project’s overall performance. If you’re unlucky, one low transaction in the months before can put a drag on your property value.

3. Is freehold better based on the table?

If you look at the table, most of the developments except for Laguna 88 are freehold (or almost freehold) in tenure.

It's tempting to think that freehold condos thus outperform here. However, it's worth noting that of our 75 condos that were shortlisted, only 10 are truly leasehold in the practical sense. These are:

Name	Tenure
8 @ MOUNT SOPHIA	103 yrs from 28/11/2002
PASIR RIS 8	99 yrs from 05/07/2021
LAGUNA 88	99 yrs from 06/11/1995
BISHAN 8	99 yrs from 09/10/1996
EIGHT RIVERSUITES	99 yrs from 11/07/2011
WOODSVILLE 28	99 yrs from 15/10/2007
GRANDEUR 8	99 yrs from 16/07/2002
EIGHT COURTYARDS	99 yrs from 20/09/2010
8@WOODLEIGH	99 yrs from 22/09/2008
DRAYCOTT EIGHT	99 yrs from 24/10/1997

In this case, Laguna 88, Grandeur 8 and Draycott Eight did make it to at least one of the top 18 list of gains, which is decent given there were only 10 condos to begin with.

We've also made comparisons on who made more - those who bought freehold vs leasehold new launches in the past couple of years, and leasehold seemed to have an edge. In this case, our data spans many older freehold condos (not just new launches), so the gains could be telling that freehold condos of the older variety could be outperforming freehold new launches - a topic for us to explore further.

We don’t take the number “8” thing too seriously, and you probably shouldn't either. 

But here’s the final takeaway - some of your future buyers may care. It’s likely why certain developers go out of their way to include the number “8” in their project names. After all, it does lend an air of auspiciousness to the property, doesn’t it?

So, what do you think? Does the number “8” make you “Fa?”