Developers are always on their toes when the Government Land Sales (GLS) Programme comes out because they know what an opportunity it is. Every six months, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announced a list of land sites for sale in what is known as the Government Land Sales Programme.
The GLS program is a great way to stay up-to-date with upcoming real estate developments, not only for developers but also for potential private home-buyers. It provides insight into what’s coming and when, so you can plan ahead for your home purchase or sale.
Continue reading to find out the overview of the newest GLS sites announced for the first half of 2022, as well as a beginner guide of the GLS program and why is it important for Singapore homebuyers.
Government Land Sales (GLS) Programme: What is it & How does it work
As you probably already know, Singapore is a small country with limited land.
The government of Singapore owns over three-quarters (75%) of the land in the country. In order to better utilize this property, Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) plans and designs residential usage for cities including housing projects as well zoning regulations on what can go where based on current needs or future goals that may change things up completely.
The Singaporean government is always looking for ways to create more housing opportunities.
One of their most recent plans is where the GLS Programme (Government Land Sales) comes in. It enables private developers like CapitaLand, Oxley Holdings, or Keppel Land – among many others to purchase land from them through an auctioning process before developing houses on it; this way we can all benefit.
Government Land Sales (GLS) sites announced: Twice a year
The government will release State Land for tender through the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) sites. Upcoming URA GLS locations can be viewed on their website here.
As mentioned, interested developers can acquire the State Land for residential development. For example, condominiums. Developers who want to build new condos have a chance of winning land through an open tender. They will bid for it and the one with the highest offer gets their desired plot.
Following the close of tenders, URA will provide a full list and detailed pricing information for developers who were awarded sites. The developers who have been awarded development sites are listed with an accompanying price tag so that Singaporeans can monitor progress closely.
Below is a photo of what the media statement looks like which also includes the top bidders.:
Government Land Sales (GLS)- 1H2022
Now that we have cleared up GLS, let’s look at the newest or latest release of GLS sites.
On 16 December 2021, URA and HDB have announced thirteen sites for this year’s GLS Programme. Five of these will be on the Confirmed List while eight others are Reserve lists, which can total to 6500 private residential units as well 90 thousand sqm gross floor area (GFA) or commercial space with 530 hotel rooms in all.
The 2H2021 Reserve List includes six residential sites, two White locations, and one hotel. These will be brought forward into the GLS program to make room for all future developments that are needed.
Below is a table of the Confirmed List sites for 1H2022 according to the Ministry of National Development (MND).:
| Location | Site Area/ Estimated no. of units | Gross Plot Ratio | Status/ Estimated Launch date |
| Pine Grove (Parcel A) | 2.25 (520) | 2.1 | February 2022 |
| Dunman Road | 2.52 (1035) | 3.5 | March 2022 |
| Lentor Central | 1.34 (470) | 3.0 | May 2022 |
| Lentor Hills Road (Parcel B) | 1.08 (265) | 2.1 | May 2022 |
| Bukit Batok West Avenue 5 (EC site) | 1.66 (495) | 3.0 | June 2022 |
- Pine Grove (Parcel A)
This 99-years leasehold site in District 21 can yield about 520 units and has a site area of 2.25ha, which makes it an ideal location for residential development with the closest MRT stations being Clementi and Dover on East-West Line (EWL).
Besides, residents will enjoy having their children walking distance away from Henry Park Primary School.
- Dunman Road
The Dunman Road site can yield 1,035 units with an area of 2.52ha and it is right next to Dakota MRT station giving residents access not only to themselves but also another train line-the Circle Line which will take them all around downtown Singapore quickly without having too much trouble finding their way. Many reputed schools are nearby including Kong Hwa School, Dunman High School, Chung Cheng High School (Main), Tanjong Katong Secondary School, and Tanjong Katong Girls’ School.
In addition, new BTO flats will spring up around the Mountbatten/Dakota area, including the Feb 2022 Geylang BTO launch.
- Lentor Central
The site at Lentor Central can yield about 470 units and has a land area of 1.34ha, which is next to several other sites in the neighborhood released by developer MRCB throughout 2019-2021 as well as two stops away from Cross Island Line (CRL).
Residents will also be four kilometers saved when traveling on Circle Train via TEL crossing over into downtown Singapore CBD – ideal if you’re looking for more space or better connectivity than what’s offered closer upfront.
- Lentor Hills Road (Parcel B)
It seems that the Lentor area is finally getting some much-needed attention. Not only have we seen two new development sites announced, but they’re located just minutes away from each other.
Both sites are due to be launched in May 2022 with an estimated 265 units that can be yielded from the 1.08ha site.
- Bukit Batok West Avenue 5 (EC Site)
The development site at Bukit Batok West Ave 5 can yield 495 units with a total area of 1.66ha, which is not too far away from an MRT station; Bukit Gombak.
GLS Programme- Reserve List VS Confirmed List
Well, there are two different types of lists on URA’s website. “Confirmed List” and “Reserve list”. As their names suggest these are exactly what they say; confirmed or reserve respectively.
Confirmed List– They are confirmed in that they will definitely go on sale on a pre-determined date listed on the URA website.
Reserved List– They won’t be available until there is enough demand to fill them in order of preference or when there is a successful developer application.
The government will put up a site for tender if interested developers submit an application. The price must be agreed upon between the developer and government before any work can begin on developing it, but once that’s done then anyone is free to take over management of its development as they see fit.
Below is the table of the Reserve List sites for 1H2022.:
| Location | Site Area (ha)/ Estimated no. of units | Proposed Gross Plot Ratio | Status/ Estimated Launch Date |
| Hillview Rise | 1.03 (335 residential units) | 2.8 | Available |
| Pine Grove (Parcel B) | 2.50 (565 residential units) | 2.1 | Available |
| Tampines Street 62 (Parcel B EC) | 2.80 (700 residential units) | 2.5 | Available |
| Lentor Gardens | 2.18 (535 residential units) | 2.1 | May 2022 |
| Bukit Timah Link | 0.41 (140 residential units) | 3.0 | June 2022 |
| Kampong Bugis | 8.29 (1000 residential units and 10,000m2 of commercial space) | – | Available |
| Woodlands Avenue 2 | 2.75 (440 residential units and 78,000 m2 of commercial space) | 4.2 | Available |
| River Valley Road | 1.02 (530 hotel rooms and 2000m2 of commercial space) | 2.8 | Available |
How is Government Land Sales (GLS) relevant to homebuyers?
Home-buying is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in your lifetime, which makes it all that much more crucial to do research and due diligence before making a purchase. But with so many variables at play (location/market demand), how can someone be expected to know what they’re getting themselves into? That’s where GLS sites come into play. They provide access not only to current listings but also to previous sales data as well.
Making a hasty property purchase can be regretful, especially if you find out there is more residential land available after buying your new home.
In addition, by the URA Space tool, you can also check out all the GLS sites (upcoming, current, and past) on a map.
To sum up, if you’re looking for your first or next home, check out URA’s GLS sites. The recently launched projects can be found here and past ones are also available on their site.
You can find the newest launched GLS sites here and the past sites here. Alternatively, you can also check out the URA Space to view GLS sites that have been released and sold in the past.