Auction listings up by 7.1% q-o-q in 1Q2025, mortgagee sale listings likely to continue growing: Knight Frank

Four of the properties were cost their respective opening prices: A three-bedroom residence at Scotts Square brought $4.1 million; a HDB shophouse in Serangoon was cost $1.9 million; a retail outlet at The Commerze @ Irving brought $637,000; and a manufacturing facility unit at T99 changed controls for $635,000.

One more real estate, a two-bedder apartment in D’Ecosia, was knocked down at $1.7 million– a 14.7% premium to its initial price of $1.5 million. Meanwhile, a factory unit at In-Space and a one-bedder at Le Wood were brought $1.9 million and $ 1 million respectively, translating to discount rates of 3.8% and 2.9% from their first costs.

The Singapore property auction industry viewed a sum total of 136 public auction listings (including repeat lists and excluding real estates offered beyond public auction) in 1Q2025, up 7.1% q-o-q contrasted to the previous quarter, based on data compiled by Knight Frank Singapore.

Whilst initial buyer interest was monitored in 1Q2025, Knight Frank anticipates buyers to re-adopt “a cautious wait-and-see position” amid the expanding uncertainty. That said, with more rate of interest cuts expected, the firm notes that there could be a restored interest from property investors looking for to capitalise on the boost in mortgagee sale home listings.

Chuan Park Kingsford Development Pte Ltd & MCC Land(s) Pte Ltd

Knight Frank connects the higher success rate to even more customer interest, as US interest rate cuts since September 2024 have encouraged buyers to keep an eye out for chances. The properties effectively auctioned in 1Q2025 had a total gross sale worth of $11.9 million.

The sell-off sector also saw a higher success rate in 1Q2025. Seven lists were knocked down last quarter, reflecting a success price of 5.1%. This is dramatically more than the 1.6% success rate reported in 4Q2024. The 7 listings consist of five mortgagee sales and 2 proprietor sales.

According to the agency, the increase was “unexpected”, as it coincided with Chinese New Year festivities that usually result in a break in auction event.

Mortgagee sales represented 83 home listings in 1Q2025, up 23.9% q-oq from 67 listings in the previous quarter. Knight Frank attributes the quarterly increase to the postponed effect of high rates of interest all throughout 2023 and 2024, which triggered a rise in troubled assets to go into the auction market.

“While there was no significant rise in listings in 1Q2025, this might be the calmness before the storm of cleaning global tariffs and an impending trade battle hits,” says Sharon Lee, head of public auction and sales at Knight Frank Singapore.

In regards to real property kind, residential properties comprised 45.6% (62) of overall listings, up from the 46 residential listings in the last quarter. Industrial properties composed 38 (28%) listings, making up 36 retail units and 2 office units, contrasted to 36 retail units and six offices listed in 4Q2024. Industrial real estates composed 23.5% (32) of the overall listings, up by one listing contrasted to the last quarter. There were additionally two shophouse listings in 1Q2025, contrasted to five in the past quarter.

Generally, Knight Frank is anticipating a success rate of around 5% for the entire of 2025, in line with the typical yearly auction growth price of 5.1% spanning the last ten years.

Looking ahead, Knight Frank anticipates the uptick in mortgagee sale listings to continue throughout the year, as more distressed properties happen as a result of the prolonged high rate of interest in 2023 and 2024. In addition, the widespread tariffs revealed by the Trump management might result in a dampening effect on the property sector.

Proprietor sale lists clocked in at 43, going down 23.2% q-o-q from 56 listings recorded in 4Q2024. The remaining ten auction postings were for other sorts of sales– five non commercial units listed as sheriff sales, three liquidator sales of manufacturing facilities, a financial institution sale of a commercial unit, and an estate sale of a non-landed house.