District 9, home to Orchard Road and River Valley, is one of Singapore’s most exclusive addresses. But exclusivity doesn’t always mean better returns, especially when it comes to smaller units. In recent years, one- and two-bedders here have raised questions: are these compact units still in demand, when decentralisation has made even heartland neighbourhoods convenient for tenants? And given the higher prices of even one and two-bedders in D9, are they really profitable? In this piece, we’ll look at how older and newer one- and two-bedders here performed over the past decade, and why the answer isn’t as straightforward as it seems:
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A quick note on newer versus older
We use 20 years or younger for newer (not new, mind you, but just newer) because most projects in Singapore last 19 to 24 years – so it’s a good middle point. It’s also generally accepted in the market (by convention and no particular authority) that the 20+ age range is when most condos are referred to as “older.”
That said, let’s start by looking at the overall performance of resale condos in D9:
| Year | D9 | All non-landed private properties |
| 2014 | $1,975 | $1,215 |
| 2015 | $1,892 | $1,197 |
| 2016 | $2,107 | $1,248 |
| 2017 | $2,003 | $1,293 |
| 2018 | $2,299 | $1,323 |
| 2019 | $2,258 | $1,346 |
| 2020 | $2,095 | $1,280 |
| 2021 | $2,198 | $1,354 |
| 2022 | $2,208 | $1,473 |
| 2023 | $2,241 | $1,595 |
| 2024 | $2,277 | $1,681 |
| Annualised | 1.43% | 3.30% |
On an annualised basis, D9 prices grew at just 1.43 per cent, compared to 3.3 per cent for the broader market. Performance aside, this is not surprising, as D9 is home to luxury condos with very high quantums. The high base price makes percentage growth look slower compared to the wider market.
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