Property prices in Singapore.

Abstract

Over the past few years, the housing market in Singapore, especially the private market, has been growing by leaps and bounds. The number of private housing and condominium projects are on the rise, with land parcels trading at way above bench-mark prices. This express demand has also fuelled the rise and volume of HDB resale flats. Everyone seems to be eyeing a piece of private property, hoping to benefit from a possible capital appreciation.

The purpose of this study is to identify the possible supply and demand factors, both quantitative and qualitative, that could have caused this price increase. The statistical significance of the causal factors is tested by estimating a simple regression model.

There have been numerous studies of the determinants of property prices in Singapore. However, none has tried to incorporate property prices with changes in the stock market (SES index), and the buying trends of housing among Singaporeans today. This study attempts to determine if these two factors should be included as fundamentals.

It is our hope that our efforts to identify the key determinants of property prices will assist prospective buyers. In particular, we hope that our work will assist first time buyers in making an informed decision.