Should You Buy A Brand New Or Resale Property Today?
- Stuart Chng
- Dec 16, 2025
- 4 min read
An evergreen question among property buyers is whether going for a new launch with a 4–5-year waiting period, or a resale home with immediate occupation availability, is the better choice.
Would it make a difference to your investment returns, and what are the specific pros and cons of each route?
Let's examine both.
Pros and Cons of New Launch Condominiums
Pros | Cons |
New and modern facilities and design | A longer waiting period |
Entry price is similar to other buyers | Will require a place to stay or rent in the meantime, incurring rental costs |
Lower risk of price dipping below purchase price | Lack of rental returns for investors until TOP |
Availability of choice units | |
Progressive payment doesn’t require immediate full down payment and mortgage instalments. | |
Deferment of high-interest-rates impact. | |
Higher capital growth potential | |
Pros and Cons of Resale Condominiums
Pros | Cons |
Immediate move-in is possible | Dated design and facilities |
Savings on rent can be significant | Might not have premium-facing units available |
Possible to have back-to-back moves for those selling their current homes and moving into a new one | Less margin of safety as buying at a higher price than original buyers |
Immediate rental cashflow | If leasehold and older, could face stagnation or decline and limited growth potential (more on this below) |
Usually larger units | Renovation costs may be incurred |
Wider choice of locations | Immediate impact of high interest rates |
Viewing of actual unit for sale prevents surprises | Usually higher quantum |
Another category of homes falls between brand new and resale: the subsale market, where original buyers sell their units close to the TOP date.
Let's take a look at them too.
Pros and Cons of Subsale Condominiums
Pros | Cons |
Shorter or immediate waiting time to move in | Usually higher in price, as subsale sellers would price in a profit |
A seamless move may be possible for owners selling their current home and moving into the new one | If remaining developer units are available (not subsale), prices may be marked up by TOP due to higher holding costs and profit loading toward the tail end of the launch |
Savings on rent can be significant | |
Suitable for retiree investors looking for rental cash flow sooner | |
One important distinction between new and resale homes is their growth rate.
Over the last decade, we have seen new launches outperform resale homes by a wide margin.
New Launch vs Resale Price Growth
Performance over last 10 years
New launches: +72.3% Resale Homes: +24.6%
It is a fact that new-launch buyers have seen larger capital appreciation and profits over the recent decade compared to resale buyers.
Buyers generally prefer new homes due to the rising trend of smaller households and regulations such as TDSR, which put newer homes within easier reach.
*Growth Rates For 99 Years Condos At Various Age Groups (2014-2023)
It is important to note that the steep price growth in 2021 and 2022, caused by COVID-related construction delays, is not representative of normal market conditions. Under normal circumstances, growth across all age groups would likely have been lower.
Over the decade ending 9 February 2023, the best-performing 99-year leasehold condominiums were in the 36–40-year and 31–35-year age segments (likely due to en-bloc speculation and affordability during COVID delays), followed by new launches.
The years in between saw the highest growth in the 11–15-year segment.
As a rule of thumb, investors should measure property returns against the benchmark risk-free rate of 2.5% — the annual return from your CPF Ordinary Account in both good and bad markets.
Property investments carry risks and should therefore reward investors with returns higher than 2.5%.
Ideally, we recommend that home buyers consider properties less than 15 years old, as these have a higher likelihood of exiting with a profit.
In Summary
While investment returns generally favour new launches, individual situations and priorities ultimately determine whether a new or resale home is more suitable.
A purely investment-focused buyer should take a closer look at new launches, unless a well-priced undervalued opportunity presents itself in the resale market.
Families prioritising fewer disruptions and the inconvenience of moving may find resale homes more palatable.
There is no absolute "best" segment between the two.
For those looking to balance both needs, a discussion with your property wealth planner about options and priorities could open up new areas worth considering.
Need an opinion on your property investment plans, the best buys available or help marketing your properties?
Get a 1-time free 30-Min Property Wealth Planning consultation with Stuart and his team of Property Wealth Planners. Schedule one right now.
A PWP consultation includes:
- An in-depth financial affordability assessment and timeline planning
- Highly relevant investment insights
- A clear and customised investment road map
- A curated list of best buys in today's market with good growth potential & minimal risks
- Selecting units with the highest potential in a new launch project
- Has your property stagnated in price? What options do you have?
- Marketing plan and getting an optimum offer for your property
Stuart Chng, Executive Group District Director of Huttons Asia, is a renowned leader and personality in the real estate industry. He adores music and can play a few instruments decently without upsetting his neighbours. When not doing so, he enjoys pillow fighting with his son and coming up with silly puns which barely amuses his wife. Professionally, he is a licensed real estate agent, an avid stocks, options and real estate investor, multiple businesses owner, team leader, speaker and columnist for several property newsletters and blogs and is often quoted in media interviews on 938FM, Channel 8, PropertyReport, PropertyGuru and other publications. Throughout his career, he has helped many clients grow their wealth through selecting great property investments and managing their portfolios actively. Read his clients' reviews here. Stuart has also coached many top million dollar producing agents from top real estate agencies in Singapore. Read his agents' reviews here. Relevant Articles
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