HDB’s November 2026 Build-to-Order (BTO) exercise had drawn 31,776 applications for 7,964 flats by our midday check on 10 November 2026. That works out to about four applications per flat across the seven projects, with one more day to apply.
Table of contents
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How demand compares across the six towns
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First-timer singles face the most competition for 2-room Flexi flats
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Toa Payoh leads among first-timer families applying for 4-room flats
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Toa Payoh Hillside largely lived up to expectations
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Plantation Dew stood out among the Standard projects
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Bayshore attracted the most applicants, with strong competition for 3-room flats
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Chencharu Acres saw strong demand for larger flats, while Merpati Meadow recorded more moderate interest
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Which flats were still undersubscribed?
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What can you expect from the February 2027 BTO launch?
How demand compares across the six towns
| Town and project | Flats | Applicants | Applicants per flat overall |
| Tengah – Plantation Dew (Standard) | 710 | 4,426 | 6.2 |
| Toa Payoh – Toa Payoh Hillside (Prime) | 1,432 | 8,757 | 6.1 |
| Yishun – Chencharu Acres (Standard) | 1,582 | 6,692 | 4.2 |
| Bedok – Bayshore Sails and Bayshore Oasis (Plus) | 2,492 | 9,191 | 3.7 |
| Geylang – Merpati Meadow (Plus) | 438 | 1,308 | 3.0 |
| Sembawang – Sembawang Anchor (Standard) | 1,310 | 1,402 | 1.1 |
| Total | 7,964 | 31,776 | 4.0 |
All six towns received more applications than the number of flats available. Bedok attracted the most applicants, although demand was spread across two projects, which together offered the largest supply in the launch. Tengah, on the other hand, received fewer than half as many applications as Bedok, but its smaller supply meant it had the highest overall application rate.
For buyers, the overall figures only tell part of the story. To get a better sense of your chances, it’s worth looking at the application rate for your specific flat type and applicant group.
First-timer singles face the most competition for 2-room Flexi flats
| Town and project | Flats | Applicants | Seniors | First-timer families | First-timer singles | Second-timer families |
| Bedok – Bayshore Sails and Bayshore Oasis | 1,237 | 3,869 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 5.2 | 0.3 |
| Geylang – Merpati Meadow | 167 | 571 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 7.3 | 0.6 |
| Sembawang – Sembawang Anchor | 333 | 652 | 1.8 | 0.1 | 3.0 | 0.5 |
| Tengah – Plantation Dew | 178 | 1,473 | 5.9 | 1.4 | 16.8 | 2.2 |
| Toa Payoh – Toa Payoh Hillside | 592 | 2,899 | 5.3 | 0.2 | 7.0 | 0.3 |
| Yishun – Chencharu Acres | 392 | 1,975 | 4.7 | 0.5 | 7.7 | 1.3 |
| Median application rate | 3.7 | 0.3 | 7.2 | 0.6 | ||
Competition was strong among first-timer singles across all six towns, including Sembawang Anchor, which recorded 3.0 applicants per flat in this category. Plantation Dew in Tengah saw the highest application rate at 16.8, more than double the next highest rate of 7.7 at Chencharu Acres in Yishun. Tengah also recorded the highest application rates among seniors and both family groups for 2-room Flexi flats.
For first-timer families, however, demand was much more moderate. Application rates for 2-room Flexi flats remained below one applicant per flat in five of the six towns, with Tengah being the only exception at 1.4.
Meanwhile, Toa Payoh Hillside‘s Community Care Apartments (CCAs) were assessed separately. HDB received 451 applications for 256 units, translating to 1.8 applicants per apartment. This was also the first CCA launch since the minimum eligibility age was lowered from 65 to 55.
Toa Payoh leads among first-timer families applying for 4-room flats
| Project | Flat type | Flats | Applicants | First-timer families | Second-timer families |
| Bayshore Sails | 3-room | 90 | 637 | 2.5 | 48.3 |
| Bayshore Sails and Bayshore Oasis | 4-room | 1,165 | 4,685 | 2.8 | 15.1 |
| Merpati Meadow | 4-room | 271 | 737 | 2.0 | 9.7 |
| Sembawang Anchor | 3-room | 96 | 163 | 0.9 | 4.9 |
| Sembawang Anchor | 4-room | 464 | 406 | 0.6 | 3.2 |
| Sembawang Anchor | 5-room | 417 | 181 | 0.3 | 2.1 |
| Plantation Dew | 3-room | 84 | 416 | 2.4 | 15.8 |
| Plantation Dew | 4-room | 168 | 1,102 | 5.0 | 21.4 |
| Plantation Dew | 5-room / 3Gen | 280 | 1,435 | 3.5 | 20.1 |
| Toa Payoh Hillside | 4-room | 584 | 5,407 | 6.1 | 38.3 |
| Chencharu Acres | 3-room | 84 | 504 | 2.1 | 22.4 |
| Chencharu Acres | 4-room | 462 | 1,713 | 2.4 | 15.9 |
| Chencharu Acres | 5-room | 644 | 2,500 | 2.4 | 17.1 |
| Median application rate | 2.4 | 15.9 |
Toa Payoh Hillside largely lived up to expectations
As the only Prime project in the November launch, Toa Payoh Hillside was expected to attract strong interest, particularly given its location next to Caldecott MRT interchange and the established amenities in Toa Payoh.
The application figures reflected this demand. Toa Payoh Hillside received 5,407 applications for its 584 4-room flats, the highest number of applications for any town and flat-type category in HDB’s figures. Competition was especially strong among second-timer families, with 38.3 applicants per flat, compared with 6.1 among first-timer families within their respective allocations.
However, the overall application rate needs a little context. Toa Payoh’s 6.1 applicants per flat includes its Community Care Apartments (CCAs), which fall under a separate housing category.
Looking at just the project’s 2-room Flexi and 4-room flats, Toa Payoh Hillside received 8,306 applications for 1,176 flats, working out to approximately 7.1 applicants per flat. This was higher than Plantation Dew’s overall rate of 6.2, making Toa Payoh Hillside the more competitive of the two when CCAs are excluded.
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Plantation Dew stood out among the Standard projects
Plantation Dew in Tengah also attracted strong interest, with its shorter waiting time and optional White Flat layouts likely contributing to its appeal.
The project recorded 5.0 first-timer family applicants per 4-room flat, the second-highest rate after Toa Payoh Hillside. Competition was also notable for its combined 5-room and 3Gen category, which saw 3.5 first-timer family applicants per flat, while its 2-room Flexi flats drew strong interest as well.
Plantation Dew was also the only project in the launch to offer 3Gen flats, alongside Singapore’s first 5-room White Flats. These options may have appealed to families looking for more space and flexibility in how they design their homes. However, HDB’s application figures do not distinguish between White Flat and conventional layouts, or between 5-room and 3Gen applications, so it’s difficult to tell which options attracted the most interest.
The relatively limited supply of 168 4-room flats may also have contributed to the higher application rate, with more buyers competing for fewer units.
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Bayshore attracted the most applicants, with strong competition for 3-room flats
The two Bayshore projects received a combined 9,191 applications, making Bedok the most popular town in the November launch. The strong response was largely expected, given the projects’ proximity to Bayshore MRT station and East Coast Park.
Among first-timer families, the combined application rate for 4-room flats was 2.8 applicants per flat, slightly above the median of 2.4 for 3-room and larger flats. However, with 1,165 4-room flats available across both projects, buyers had more units to choose from than at Toa Payoh Hillside or Plantation Dew.
Competition was particularly intense for Bayshore Sails‘ 90 3-room flats, the only 3-room units offered in Bayshore. The application rate among second-timer families reached 48.3 applicants per flat, the highest recorded for 3-room and larger flats in the November exercise.
Before the launch, Bayshore Oasis was expected to attract more interest than Bayshore Sails, partly due to its shorter waiting time and potential views. However, HDB combined the application figures for both projects’ 2-room Flexi and 4-room flats, so it’s not possible to determine which development attracted more applicants for these flat types.
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Chencharu Acres saw strong demand for larger flats, while Merpati Meadow recorded more moderate interest
Chencharu Acres in Yishun attracted strong interest for its 5-room flats, receiving 2,500 applications for 644 units, the largest supply of this flat type in the November launch.
Among first-timer families, the application rate stood at 2.4 applicants per flat, while competition was considerably stronger among second-timer families at 17.1. Despite offering the largest flat supply among the Standard projects, Chencharu Acres recorded an overall application rate of 4.2, higher than those in Bedok and Geylang.
Meanwhile, Merpati Meadow in Geylang saw more moderate demand, despite its proximity to Mattar MRT station and the established amenities nearby. Its 4-room flats recorded 2.0 first-timer family applicants per flat, below the exercise median of 2.4 for 3-room and larger flats. Demand among first-timer singles was closer to the median, with 7.3 applicants per 2-room Flexi flat, compared with the corresponding median of 7.2.
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Which flats were still undersubscribed?
Sembawang Anchor saw the lowest demand in the November BTO launch, with its 4-room and 5-room flats being the only flat types to receive fewer applications than available units overall.
HDB recorded 406 applications for 464 4-room flats and 181 applications for 417 5-room flats. Its 3-room flats attracted slightly more interest, with 163 applications for 96 units. However, the application rate among first-timer families remained below one at 0.9 applicants per flat. Despite the lower overall demand, all three larger flat types were still oversubscribed among second-timer families, who had smaller allocations.
The softer response was broadly in line with expectations. Sembawang had already seen substantial BTO supply in February and June 2026, which may have reduced demand for another launch in the town. Even with a relatively short waiting time of two years and 10 months, Sembawang Anchor recorded the lowest overall application rate of 1.1 applicants per flat.
Across the November exercise, the overall application rate of approximately 4.0 applicants per flat reached the upper end of pre-launch forecasts of 3.5 to 4.0. The launch also marked the first BTO exercise under the higher income ceilings of S$16,000 for eligible families and S$8,000 for eligible singles. While the revised limits were expected to allow more households to qualify, the application figures do not show how many applicants became eligible specifically because of these changes.
What can you expect from the February 2027 BTO launch?
HDB plans to launch about 4,300 BTO flats across five projects in Bishan, Tampines, Tengah and Toa Payoh. At the same time, a Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise will offer another 5,000 flats, bringing the combined supply to approximately 9,300 homes.
The upcoming launch will offer several options worth looking out for.
In Bishan, the Sin Ming project is expected to have a waiting time of less than three years, making it an attractive option for buyers hoping to move into their new homes sooner. Tampines will see two projects, including one near Upper Changi MRT station offering 5-room flats. The other, at Tampines Street 11, will introduce the town’s first Community Care Apartments (CCAs).
Read more: February 2027 BTO launch: Around 4,300 flats in Bishan, Tampines, Tengah and Toa Payoh
Meanwhile, Tengah’s Brickland project is expected to offer around 440 5-room flats, providing more options for families looking for larger homes. Over in Toa Payoh, another BTO project will launch at Mount Pleasant, this time beside the future Mount Pleasant MRT station.
Eligible first-timer families with children or expecting a child can also look forward to additional ballot chances in both the BTO and SBF exercises, which may improve their chances of securing a flat.
If you’re planning to apply, make sure you have a valid HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter. HDB encourages prospective buyers to apply early and submit all required documents by 15 December 2026.
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