Wealth flows into Singapore as Chinese invest in property

SINGAPORE: As the demand for safe havens ramps up amid global instability, there has been an uptick in investment from companies in mainland China, as well as high-net-worth individuals, into Singapore’s real estate market.

The transparency of regulations in Singapore, in addition to its reputation as a financial haven, is drawing more Chinese developers. The Singapore Economic Development Board recently said that investors from mainland China made up around 21% of total fixed-asset investment in 2025. In comparison, this figure had only been at 2.5% the year before.

China has already overtaken the United States as a leading investor in Singapore, marking a significant change in global capital flows.

What has also helped is a growing familiarity. “Chinese developers who have had experience in Singapore are now familiar with the rules, regulations and market behaviour and are expected to continue bidding to replenish their landbanks,” a report in the South China Morning Post quoted Alan Cheong, the executive director for research and consultancy at Savills Singapore, as saying.

The report cited recent acquisitions, such as a Dover Drive lot spanning almost 145,500 sq ft, purchased by CNQC Realty (Prime), Forsea Residence, and Jianan Realty Investments for S$951 million. The property is expected to be the site for 625 residential units.

The China-based developer Kingsford Group bought a 147,350 sq ft plot on Telok Blangah Road for S$918.3 million and a 222,161 sq ft plot called Lentor Gardens for S$429.23 million. SingHaiyi Group and Haiyi Holdings acquired a parcel on Bayshore Road and bought a 112,992 sq ft property for S$658.9 million that is likely to accommodate 515 units.

The focus on Singapore’s residential sector shows how the developers are putting investments into projects that are expected to move relatively quickly.

Reuters has also highlighted how, over recent years, Singapore has seen “massive inflows of mainland Chinese wealth,” in large part due to political stability and tax advantages, as well as economic uncertainty in China. This has meant an even greater demand for high-end real estate and family offices specifically for managing Chinese capital.

Aside from residential projects, firms from China are also showing interest in commercial real estate, although this is happening at a slower pace. Reuters reported last August that a consortium that involves the property arm of JD.com, one of the biggest comprehensive e-commerce companies in China, looked into launching a Singapore-based real estate investment trust worth US$1 billion. /TISG

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