DTZ Research PROPERTY TIMES Singapore residential demand Q4 2014 Increased demand from other nationalities in Q4 Although transactions of private homes held up quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) in Q4, they fell by about 38% compared to the same period last year. For the whole of 2014, private residential transactions amounted to about 12,200 units, comprising 6,700 units (55%) in the primary market and another 5,500 units (45%) in the secondary market. The fall in primary market transactions was more pronounced, declining by 54% year-on-year (y-o-y). Besides the weakened buying sentiment, the significant slowdown in primary market sales was also a result of the cut back in private home launches in the year. As the overall number of new launches fell in 2014, the share of private home purchases by Singaporean buyers comprised only 71% of all sales for the year. This was 4.0 and 6.0 percentage-points lower than their shares recorded in 2013 and 2012 respectively. In contrast, the proportion of purchases by Singapore Permanent Residents (PRs) increased by 3.0 percentage-points to18% in 2014, while the proportion of purchases by foreigners remained relatively unchanged y-oy, recording a 9% share for both 2013 and 2014. In Q4, about 78% of all transactions by non-Singaporeans were attributed to the top-four buyer groups from mainland Chinese, Malaysians, Indonesians and Indians). This was 4.0 percentage-points lower than their collective share in Q3. Instead, the quarter recorded increased activity by other nationalities, namely from United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK) and other nationalities in South East Asia (SEA). Unlike the USA and UK nationals, slightly over 50% of purchases by these SEA nationals in Q4 were concentrated in District 1 (Figure 1). The proportion of buyers with HDB addresses increased by 3.0 percentage-points to 47% in 2014. The overall number of purchases by HDB addressees was boosted by the 2,315 primary market sales in H1 2014 compared to the 1,368 units purchased in H2. Major projects launched in H1 were located in suburban areas and had between 60% and 83% of purchases by buyers with HDB addresses. On the other hand, for most of the major projects launched in H2, the bulk of buyers had private addresses. 9 March 2015 Contents Transactional overview 2 Buyer’s profile By residential status 3 By nationality 4 By buyer address 6 Outlook 7 Figure 1 Contacts Lee Nai Jia Associate Director, Research [email protected] Ong Choon Fah Head of Consulting & Research, SEA [email protected] Private home purchases by nationality and postal district (Q4 2014) 40 35 30 20 18 15 10 Dominic Brown Head of South East Asia and Australia New Zealand Research [email protected] 16 25 5 5 7 0 USA District 1 14 19 4 1 United Kingdom Prime districts (9, 10 and 11) SEA* Non-prime districts Source: URA REALIS, 17 February, DTZ Research **These countries include Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. www.dtz.com Property Times 1 Transactional overview Figure 2 Private residential transactions based on caveats The fall in primary market transactions was evident throughout the whole of 2014, where only about 6,700 units were transacted (Table 1). This was less than half of the 14,640 transactions recorded for 2013. The drastic slowdown in primary market sales was reflective of the cautious attitude by buyers brought on by the several rounds of cooling measures and the implementation of the Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR) framework in June 2013. Amidst the weakened buying sentiment, developers have also cut back or staggered the pace of new launches, which contributed as well to the lower primary transaction volume as well. 12,000 Avg 8,059 units Avg 8,882 units per quarter per quarter Avg 5,601 units per quarter 10,000 Avg 3,052 units per quarter 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 Q4 14 Q3 14 Q2 14 Q1 14 Q4 13 Q3 13 Q2 13 Q1 13 Q4 12 Q3 12 Q2 12 Q1 12 Q4 11 Q3 11 0 Q2 11 Proxied by caveats lodged, there were 2,804 private home 2 transactions in Q4, comprising 1,363 units sold in the secondary market and 1,441 units in the primary market (Figure 2). The primary market caveats in Q4 was about 4.7% 3 higher than the1,376 units sold by developers based on developers surveys . Although total transaction volume in Q4 2014 was fairly steady on a q-o-q basis, it was 38.0% lower than the transaction volume recorded in the same period last year. Compared to Q4 2013, primary sales fell stronger, declining by about 54.0% while secondary sales volume only declined by a marginal 1.2%. 14,000 Q1 11 This report provides an update on the profiles of the buyers of private residential properties in Singapore in both the primary and secondary markets in Q4 2014. The demand analysis is 1 based on caveats lodged for both primary and secondary sales. Secondary sales refer to both resales and sub-sales. Sold in primary market Sold in secondary market No. of launched units Source: URA REALIS, 17 February, DTZ Research Table 1 Primary and secondary sales based on caveats Type of sale Q4 2014 Q3 2014 Q4 vs Q3 2014 change (%) y-o-y change (%) Primary 1,441 1,285 12.1% 6,697 -54.2% Secondary 1,363 1,528 -10.8% 5,509 -29.1% Resales 1,236 1,377 -10.2% 4,944 -25.8% 151 -15.9% 565 -48.6% 2,813 -0.3% 12,206 -45.5% Sub-sales 127 Total 2,804 Source: URA REALIS, 17 February, DTZ Research Meanwhile, secondary sales transactions over the whole of 2014 were less adversely affected, registering a softer y-o-y decline of 29.1%. In fact, in the number of private homes transacted in the secondary market actually increased by 10% in H2 2014 compared to the first half of the year, from 2,618 units to 2,891 units. With a total of 12,206 units transacted in both primary and secondary markets in 2014, quarterly sales for the year averaged 3,052 units. This was 46% and 66% lower than the quarterly average recorded in 2013 and 2012 respectively. 1 Caveats were downloaded from URA REALIS on 17 February 2015. Some caveats may not be lodged immediately after an option is exercised. Records in the transaction database are therefore incremental over time. Hence q-o-q/y-o-y declines are best proxies for maximum declines while q-oq/y-o-y increases may reflect minimum increases. 2 Caveats lodged are used as a proxy for sales transactions, thus the terms “transactions” and “caveats” are used interchangeably in this report. 3 The total number of units sold be developers is based on regular surveys carried out by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) www.dtz.com Property Times 2 Buyer’s profile Figure 3 The buying patterns of foreign buyers shifted accordingly with the new launches in the private residential market. In Q4, the proportion of purchases by foreigners in the CCR increased to 40% (Figure 5). This was due to the launch of Marina One Residences in the last quarter of the year. Of the 107 units purchased by foreigners in the CCR in Q4, 51 units originated from sales at Marina One Residences. The last time the proportion of purchases by foreigners in the CCR reached close to 40% was in Q4 2013. This corresponded with the launch of residential units at DUO Residences. www.dtz.com 1% 3% 2% Singaporeans Singapore PR Foreigners Source: URA REALIS, 17 February, DTZ Research Q4 14 Q3 14 Q2 14 Q1 14 Q4 13 Q3 13 Q2 13 Q1 13 Q4 12 Q3 12 Q2 12 0.0 Companies Figure 4 Profile of purchases by residential status by year 1% 6% 7% 4% 2% 3% 2% 1% 1% 2% 6% 9% 9% 11% 11% 13% 11% 9% 12% 18% 16% 15% 18% 12% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 100% 80% 60% 40% 76% 70% 76% 72% 67% 77% 75% 71% 66% 72% Singaporeans Singapore PR Foreigners Source: URA REALIS, 17 February, DTZ Research 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 0% 2007 20% Companies Figure 5 Foreign purchases by market segment based on caveats 800 60% 600 40% 400 20% Q4 14 Q3 14 Q2 14 Q1 14 Q4 13 0 Q3 13 200 Q2 13 Proportion of purchases by foreigners in the Core Central Region (CCR) peaked in Q4 1% 2% 0.2 Q1 13 On the other hand, the proportion of purchases by foreign buyers ranged between 8% and 11% per quarter in 2014. Unlike the other buyer groups, the proportion of purchases by foreigners remained relatively unchanged y-o-y, recording a 9% share for both 2013 and 2014. 1% 79% 78% 76% 75% 73% 78% 75% 73% 70% 74% 69% 70% Q4 12 Meanwhile, as the proportion of purchases by Singaporeans declined in 2014, those by Singapore Permanent Residents (PRs) increased to 18%. This was the highest yearly proportion of purchases by Singapore PRs since data was first collected in 1995. This could be linked to the mandatory three-year wait period for newly minted Singapore PRs before being eligible to buy a resale public flat. The rule which came into effect in Q3 2013 could have shifted some demand to the private housing market. Indeed, the proportion of private home purchases by Singapore PRs began to increase from Q3 2013. This was even despite the Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) payable on a first private home purchase for Singapore PRs which was implemented in January 2013. For the whole of 2014, the proportion of purchases by Singapore PRs for each quarter ranged between 17% and 19%. 0.4 Q3 12 Proportion of purchases by Singapore PRs reached new record in 2014 1% 1% 0.6 2006 The overall number of new launches and primary market transactions fell in 2014, the share of private home purchases by Singaporean buyers comprised only 71% of all sales for the year (Figure 4). This was 4.0 and 6.0 percentage-points lower than their shares recorded in 2013 and 2012 respectively. 1% 7% 7% 7% 10% 8% 9% 9% 11% 8% 9% 10% 15% 15% 16% 16% 17% 14% 15% 16% 19% 17% 19% 18% Q2 12 Out of the 2,804 units that transacted in Q4 alone, about 70% (1,973 units) were purchased by Singaporeans. This proportion was similar to Singaporean’s share of purchases for both Q1 and Q3 2014 (Figure 3). In Q2 2014 however, in line with the larger number of private residential launches for the quarter, the proportion of purchases by Singaporeans was higher at 74% (2,992 units). Generally, Singaporean buyers are more active in the primary market. 0.8 ABSD TDSR 1% Q1 12 Share of private homes purchased by Singaporeans declined in 2014 1.2 ABSD 1% 1.0 5% 2005 As the number of private home transactions declined y-o-y, several changes in transaction patterns were observed across the different buyer groups. Profile of purchases by residential status by quarter Q1 12 By residential status 0% Core Central Region (CCR) Rest of Central Region (RCR) Outside Central Region (OCR) % of foreign purchases in the CCR (RHS) Source: URA REALIS, 17 February, DTZ Research Property Times 3 By nationality Figure 6 Profile of non-Singaporean purchasers by nationality In absolute terms, only private home purchases by mainland Chinese increased q-o-q in Q4 to 229 units, while purchases by Malaysians, Indonesians and Indians decreased. Private home purchases by Indian buyers declined the most q-o-q, by 18.0% from 99 units in Q3 to 73 units in Q4. Of the top-four non-Singaporean buyers, Indian buyers were least active in the primary market, recording only 12 transactions in Q4 (Table 2). Instead, the bulk of purchases by Indian buyers (61 units) in Q4 were in the secondary market. Meanwhile in Q4, of the top-four non Singaporean buyers, Malaysians were most active in the primary market, recording slightly 131 transactions. The bulk of these buyers could have been from the launch of Marina One Residences. The project, which is a joint development between the Malaysian and Singapore governments (M+S Pte Ltd), saw a substantial amount of interest from Malaysian buyers. Chinese buyers were close behind with 125 units transacted in the primary market, while Indonesian buyers had 73% of their purchases (66 units) concentrated in the primary market. 25% 80% 12% 60% 26% 20% 19% 19% 22% 11% 11% 8% 9% 29% 25% 29% 18% 23% 22% 22% 30% Indonesia Malaysia China India Q4 14 12% Q3 14 14% Q2 14 28% Q1 14 29% Q4 13 Q3 13 Q2 13 Q1 13 Q4 12 Q3 12 Q2 12 Q3 11 16% 0% Q1 12 21% 20% Q4 11 40% Q2 11 A total of 776 units were purchased by non-Singaporeans 4 buyers in Q4, similar to the 787 units purchased in the previous quarter. In Q4 about 78% of non-Singaporean purchases were attributed to the top-four non-Singaporean buyer groups, comprising mainland Chinese (30%), Malaysians (28%), Indonesians (12%) and Indians (9%). This, however, was 4.0 percentage-points lower than their collective share in Q3 and was also their lowest proportion recorded since Q2 2011 (Figure 6). 100% Q1 11 Proportion of purchases by top-four nonSingaporean buyer groups fell in Q4 Others Source: URA REALIS, 17 February, DTZ Research Table 2 Purchases by top-four non Singaporean buyers China Malaysia Indonesia India Q4 2014 Primary 125 (55%) 131 (61%) 66 (73%) 12 (16%) Secondary 104 (45%) 84 (39%) 24 (27%) 61 (84%) Primary 122 (57%) 118 (54%) 68 (62%) 12 (12%) Secondary 92 (43%) 102 (46%) 42 (38%) 87 (88%) Q3 2014 Source: URA REALIS, 17 February, DTZ Research Indonesian buyers more active in the primary market Figure 7 Purchases by Indonesian buyers by sale type 100% 80% 50% 53% 59% 71% 69% 2014 46% 2011 20% 2010 40% 2013 60% 2009 0% Primary sales 2012 For Indonesian buyers alone, it was observed that the average proportion of their purchases in the primary market had increased in the past two years. Between 2013 and 2014, about 70% of their transactions were concentrated in the primary market (Figure 6). However when compared to the past four-year annual average (2009-2012), only 52% of their transactions were primary sales. This could be reflective of the increased efforts by marketing firms in launching new residential projects overseas, in particular in Indonesia. It also suggests a widening demographic of Indonesian buyers for Singapore properties. In previous years, the bulk of Indonesian buyers were high income earners and thus were more inclined to stick to prime districts 9, 10 and 11 for residential purchases. However, a growing proportion of middle-income buyers from Indonesia are buying properties in Singapore and these groups are willing to purchase residential units in the suburban areas from the primary market. Secondary sales Source: URA REALIS, 17 February, DTZ Research 4 Across the different residential statuses, Singapore PRs and foreigners constitute the nonSingaporean buyers. www.dtz.com Property Times 4 Increased purchases by other nationalities in Q4 Figure 8 As the proportion of purchases by the top-four nonSingaporeans fell in Q4, the quarter recorded increased activity by other nationalities, namely from USA, UK and from some countries in the South East Asian (SEA) region (excluding Malaysia and Indonesia). These buyer groups recorded 30, 19 and 37 transactions respectively in the last quarter of the year. For the full year, there were 119 and 58 purchases by USA and UK nationals while buyers from SEA contributed with a total of 127 purchases. Out of these buyer groups, only USA nationals are exempted from paying the ABSD on their first private home purchase. USA nationals are accorded with the same treatment as Singaporeans under the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with foreigners. Private home purchases by nationality and postal district (Q4 2014) While USA and UK nationals were more active in the secondary market in Q4, purchases of those in the SEA region were concentrated in the primary market in Q4 (Table 3). For these buyers, 28 out of 37 units purchased in the quarter were bought directly from developers. 40 30 16 20 18 10 5 14 7 4 1 USA United Kingdom 0 District 1 Prime districts (9, 10 and 11) 19 SEA* Non-prime districts Source: URA REALIS, 17 February, DTZ Research *These countries include Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Figure 9 Bulk of purchases by SEA buyers in District 1 Unlike the USA and UK nationals, slightly more than half of purchases by other nationalities in SEA were concentrated in District 1, where Marina One Residences is located. On the other hand, purchases by USA and UK nationals were more dispersed across the different postal districts. While buyers from USA purchased 7 units in District 1 in Q4, a larger proportion of their purchases were scattered around the island in the non-prime districts. Separately, it was also observed that the bulk, or 70%, of American purchasers in Q4 were foreigners while only 30% held PR status. In contrast, for both English and other SEA buyers, a larger proportion purchases were made by individuals who were PRs (Figure 9). Proportion of purchases by nationality and residential status (Q4 2014) 100% 32% 80% 60% 40% 20% 46% 70% 68% 54% 30% 0% USA Singapore PR UK SEA* Foreigner Source: URA REALIS, 17 February, DTZ Research *These countries include Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Table 3 Private home purchases by other nationalities in (Q4 2014) USA UK SEA Region* Primary 13 6 28 Secondary 17 13 9 Total 30 19 37 Source: URA REALIS, 17 February, DTZ Research *These countries include Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. www.dtz.com Property Times 5 By buyer address In Q4, the proportion of purchases by buyers with HDB addresses declined by 1.0 percentage-point q-o-q to 43% to comprise 1,217 units. This was the lowest quarterly proportion recorded for the year. About 55% (674 units) of these transactions were in the primary market, while the remaining 45% (543 units) were secondary sales. Increased transactions in the secondary market in H2 however were limited to only a few areas across Singapore. In particular, postal districts, 5, 12, 15, 19 and 20 saw more secondary sales in the second half of the year. Table 4 Private home purchases by buyer address (2014) Buyers with HDB addresses less active in the primary market in H2 Primary Secondary Primary Secondary H1 2014 2,315 (71%) 941 (29%) 1,656 (50%) 1,677 (50%) H2 2014 1,368 (56%) 1,083 (44%) 1,358 (43%) 1,808 (57%) 2014 3,683 (65%) 2,024 (35%) 3,014 (46%) 3,485 (54%) Source: URA REALIS, 17 February, DTZ Research Figure 10 Primary market transactions of major launches in 2014 Launch period: Q1 14 Some postal districts saw increased secondary in market activity in H2 Even though buying sentiment remained weak throughout the year, private home purchases in the secondary market increased by 10.4% to 2,891 units in H2 2014. Under the slow market conditions, the increased number of transactions suggests that sellers are willing to take bigger discounts to move their properties. It could also be a result of the financing difficulties from the lower achievable monthly rents which had forced owners to sell off their properties. According to DTZ Research, islandwide private home rents fell by up to 10% in 2014. This was largely due to the increased competition from new housing completions in the year. www.dtz.com 60% 65% Q2 14 41% 59% 68% 32% Q3 14 86% 14% Marina One Residences 35% Q4 14 Buyers with HDB address Buyers with private address Source: URA REALIS, 17 February, DTZ Research *Seventy Saint Patrick’s was launched for sale in Q3 2014, but the caveats for transactions were only recorded in Q4 2014 Figure 11 Breakdown of private home purchases by buyer address 40,000 80% 30,000 60% 20,000 40% 10,000 20% 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 For the whole of 2014, the proportion of buyers with HDB addresses increased to 47% (Figure 11). This is 3.0% percentage-points higher than the proportion recorded 2013 and is also the highest share by buyers with HDB addresses since 2003. The overall number of purchases by buyers with HDB addresses was largely driven by the 2,315 primary market sales registered in the first half of 2014. 67% 40% *Seventy Saint Patrick's 83% 33% Highline Residences 66% 17% Lakeville 34% Commonwealth Towers 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Coco Palms In contrast, at least 90% of all units sold at Coco Palms, Commonwealth Towers, Lakeville, The Panorama, The Santorini and Waterfront@Faber were below $1.5m. These developments are all located in suburban areas and had between 60% and 83% of purchases stem from buyers with HDB addresses (Figure 10). Type of sale The Santorini Indeed for most of the major launches in H2, such as Seventy Saint Patrick’s and Marina One Residences, the majority of new sales were by buyers with private addresses while buyers with HDB addresses had a lower share. About 70% to 90% of the units sold at Marina One Residences and Seventy Saint Patrick’s were transacted above $1.5m. Buyers with private addresses The Panorama Buyers with HDB addresses are typically more active in the primary market. However, with the decline in new residential launches in Q4, buyers with HDB addresses had a smaller proportion of their purchases stem from the primary market. Furthermore, as a large proportion of buyers with HDB addresses tend to be HDB upgraders – these buyers are more inclined to purchase from the mass market segment. However, the bulk of new launches towards the end of 2014 were targeted at the mid- to high-end bracket. As a result, the proportion of primary market purchases by buyers with HDB addresses declined by 15.0 percentage-points in H2 to comprise only 56% of their transactions (Table 4). Buyers with HDB addresses 0% Purchasers with HDB addresses Purchasers with private addresses % purchasers with HDB addresses (RHS) Source: URA REALIS, 17 February, DTZ Research Property Times 6 This corresponded with the large number of new residential housing completions which could have created some excitement in surrounding developments. In 2014, 519 units (District 5), 646 units (District 12), 2,185 units (District 15), 1,467 units (District 19) and 333 units (District 20) had been completed. For the above postal districts, the bulk of secondary sale purchases were by buyers with private home addresses, while buyers with HDB addresses held a smaller share. In fact for almost all the separate postal districts, the increase in secondary sales transaction in H2 was largely attributable to an increase in purchases by buyers with private addresses (Figure 12). There were few districts where secondary sale transactions fell noticeably in the second half of 2014. These included districts 23, 26 and 1 (Figure 13). Figure 12 Increase in secondary sale transactions in H2 2014 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 139 82 54 28 67 38 35 34 46 66 47 H1 H2 H1 H2 H1 District 20 District 12 159 229 248 108 58 H2 District 5 HDB addressee 106 131 H1 H2 87 107 H1 H2 District 19 District 15 Private addressee Source: URA REALIS, 17 February, DTZ Research Figure 13 Decrease in secondary sale transactions by postal district Outlook 178 The overall number of transactions in 2014 fell to a new 10year low with a total of 12,206 purchases for the year. Not only have the effects of the earlier cooling measures and the TDSR framework slowed down buying activity, but the falling prices have also kept buyers waiting on the sidelines until conditions appear more sanguine. According to a basket of completed properties tracked by DTZ Research, private resale prices have fallen by up to 10% in the year. The global economic outlook for 2015 remains fragile. The slowdown in growth in China will directly affect markets around the world and the sovereign debt issues in Europe continue to present risk to the global economy. Furthermore, up to February 2015, the three-month SIBOR rose to 0.734%, almost double the rate a year ago. Coupled with the strengthening US dollar and higher interest rates, this could heavily affect mortgage-financing abilities of buyers. District 23 155 39 District 26 24 33 District 1 23 H1 2014 H2 2014 Source: URA REALIS, 17 February, DTZ Research th Nevertheless, with Singapore’s 50 birthday celebration in 2015, and the possibility of General Elections being called by the end of the year, there are hopes and speculation that some of the cooling measures in place on the private residential market may be tweaked in H2 2015. Therefore, until circumstances become more certain, the market is likely to remain subdued. At the same time however, the volume of mortgagee sales is expected to increase, especially in view of the weak rental market that would affect a borrower’s ability to finance their residential property. www.dtz.com Property Times 7 DTZ Business Contacts Stuart Roberts Chief Executive +61 (0)2 9492 8818 [email protected] Edmund Tie Executive Chairman +65 6393 2388 [email protected] Ho Tian Lam Chief Executive Officer +65 6393 2338 [email protected] Residential Edmund Tie +65 6393 2388 [email protected] Margaret Thean +65 6393 2383 [email protected] Resale Thomas Lee +65 6725 3989 [email protected] Eric Chan +65 6725 3818 [email protected] Disclaimer This report should not be relied upon as a basis for entering into transactions without seeking specific, qualified, professional advice. Whilst facts have been rigorously checked, DTZ can take no responsibility for any damage or loss suffered as a result of any inadvertent inaccuracy within this report. Information contained herein should not, in whole or part, be published, reproduced or referred to without prior approval. Any such reproduction should be credited to DTZ. To see a full list of all our publications please go to www.dtz.com/research © DTZ March 2015 Singapore Headquarters 100 Beach Road #35-00, Shaw Towers Singapore, 189702 phone +65 6393 3228 fax +65 6292 1633 email [email protected] www.dtz.com/research
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