Why being a 'late mover' in Lentor could work in buyers' favour
With more amenities open and launches almost fully sold, Lentor offers buyers clearer signals on demand, pricing and liveability. (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
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Lentor is no longer a new-launch story built mainly on future potential.
Since Lentor Modern was launched in 2022, five other projects have been rolled out in the area, bringing the total to six developments and 2,954 units (see Map 1).
The early launches have established Lentor as a new private residential enclave, while offering subsequent buyers clearer references on pricing and location.
The area has also become more established on the ground. Homeowners have moved into their new units at the Lentor Modern mixed-use development, after the residential component obtained its temporary occupation permit in August 2025.
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Lentor Modern's mall has introduced retail amenities and direct MRT connectivity into the estate. (Photo: Albert Chua/The Edge Singapore)
The new mall at Lentor Modern is also open, adding retail, F&B, lifestyle and other daily conveniences to the connectivity already provided by an MRT station, to which the condo’s residents have direct access.
For anyone weighing a purchase in the precinct today, that adds up to a neighbourhood that looks considerably different from the one that buyers first saw several years ago.
Map 1: Lentor's eight GLS sites, including the upcoming Lentor Gardens Residences:
Source: EdgeProp LandLens
What's already up and running
Lentor Modern mall opened this January, with a 90,000 sq ft retail podium directly linked to Lentor MRT Station on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL).
Its key tenants include CS Fresh, Mulberry Learning preschool, Tim Hortons, KFC and Anytime Fitness.
For residents in the broader Lentor neighbourhood, that means a supermarket, childcare, F&B and fitness amenities are already operating within walking distance — not years away.
For residents in the broader Lentor neighbourhood, a supermarket, childcare, F&B and fitness amenities are already operating within walking distance. (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
Rail connectivity in the area has also strengthened since the first plot in Lentor was launched in 2021 under the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme.
TEL, which offers convenient commutes to the city and the east, is almost complete (see Map 2), and now benefits more households.
The line began opening in phases from 2020. As part of the second stage, Lentor MRT Station welcomed commuters in August 2021, linking the precinct with the Thomson corridor and Caldecott.
The Lentor MRT Station on TEL, photographed on a weekday afternoon, with the mall in the background. (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
The third stage of TEL opened for passenger service in November 2022, expanding the line to key nodes such as Orchard, Great World, Outram Park, Shenton Way, Marina Bay and Gardens by the Bay.
Next, the fourth stage commenced service in June 2024, extending TEL farther east to areas such as Tanjong Rhu, Tanjong Katong, Marine Parade, Siglap and Bayshore.
As a result, Lentor is now connected by MRT to a wider range of employment, retail and lifestyle hubs, including Orchard, the CBD, Marina Bay and the East Coast.
The fifth and final stretch of TEL, comprising the upcoming Bedok South and Sungei Bedok stations, is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026.
Map 2: Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL):
Source: Land Transport Authority
For later buyers entering the Lentor residential market, this presents a stronger commute and lifestyle proposition than what had been available during the earlier phases in the precinct’s launch cycle.
How land costs in Lentor compare
Developers’ bids for GLS sites in Lentor (see Table 1) offer a useful reference for how the market has valued different sites in the precinct over time.
The first land plot, which became the Lentor Modern mixed-use development, drew a top bid of $784.1 million, or about $1,204 psf per plot ratio (psf ppr), when it was awarded in 2021. It is zoned for residential use with commercial use on the first storey.
Subsequent sites have drawn a range of winning land rates, including about $1,060 psf ppr for the site for Lentor Hills Residences in 2022, and $982 psf ppr for Lentor Central Residences in 2023.
The land rates for the most recently awarded GLS sites sit at opposite ends of the range.
A site awarded in April last year, where the upcoming Lentor Gardens Residences will rise, received a top bid of $429.23 million. That translates to $920 psf ppr — the lowest land rate among the Lentor GLS sites thus far (see Table 1).
The Lentor Gardens site can yield about 500 units, and is expected to comprise low- and mid-rise blocks of up 16 storeys. It marks Chinese developer Kingsford Group’s first foray into the Lentor Hills estate.
Table 1: GLS sites within Lentor and their land rates
Source: URA, EdgeProp Research (data as at June 16, 2026)
To be sure, a lower land rate does not necessarily translate to lower selling prices. Actual pricing will depend on construction costs, financing costs, unit mix and market conditions.
Nonetheless, lower land rates can generally give developers more flexibility in pricing different unit types and quantum ranges for a wider pool of buyers.
Meanwhile, a separate Lentor Central site recently set a new land-price benchmark for the area in March, with a top bid of $657.1 million, or nearly $1,278 psf ppr, placed by a GuocoLand-led consortium.
That bid reflected the site’s attributes, including its more central location within the precinct, the proximity to Lentor MRT Station and Lentor Modern mall, as well as its ability to support taller residential towers. Most of the units are also expected to have unblocked views.
GuocoLand has indicated that it plans to develop the site into three residential towers of about 27 storeys, with up to 562 units.
The area has become more established on the ground, with existing amenities. Some homeowners have also moved into their new units. (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
Earlier Lentor stock absorbed; first subsales show gains
Six projects have been launched in Lentor to date, comprising 2,954 units (see Table 2).
Of these, four are fully sold: Lentor Modern, Lentor Hills Residences, Lentor Mansion and Lentor Central Residences.
The remaining unsold units are at Hillock Green and Lentoria, with nine and 23 units left, respectively.
That means nearly 99% of the total supply has been taken up at time of writing. The market has absorbed most of the launched stock, despite initial concerns over a concentration of new supply.
Buyers assessing demand in the precinct can now draw on actual transaction numbers rather than projections.
Table 2: Most launches in Lentor have been fully sold
Source: URA, EdgeProp Research (data as at June 16, 2026)
Moreover, when it comes to the earlier launches — namely Lentor Modern and Lentor Hills Residences — activity in the secondary market may also provide later buyers with a track record to reference.
For the 605-unit Lentor Modern, 34 profitable subsale transactions have been recorded between October 2025 and June 2026.
These sellers' gains ranged from $53,440 to $504,250, with an average profit of about $313,600 (see Table 3). Annualised returns ranged from 0.9% to 6.3%, averaging 4.3%.
The strongest profits generally came from larger units. Three-bedroom units accounted for 21 of the 34 profitable transactions, with an average gain of about $349,200 and an average annualised return of 4.9%.
As for four-bedders, the three transactions reaped a gain of about $477,900 on average.
Table 3: Top 10 most profitable subsale transactions for Lentor Modern
Source: URA, EdgeProp Research (data as at June 16, 2026)
As for Lentor Hills Residences, there has been one subsale transaction, going by caveats lodged.
A 958 sq ft, three-bedroom unit at 33 Lentor Hills Road was sold on Oct 3, 2025, for $2,276 psf, after being purchased in July 2023 at $2,049 psf.
The seller of that unit made a profit of $217,000, translating to an annualised gain of 4.8% over 818 days.
These figures might point to early signs of capital appreciation in the Lentor precinct, though buyers should note that subsale activity remains limited to two projects, and past gains are not an indicator of future performance.
What this might mean for the precinct's next launch
The next private residential project to debut in this more established version of Lentor will be Kingsford’s Lentor Gardens Residences.
The site for the Lentor Gardens Residences project, which can yield about 500 units. The land rate was $920 psf ppr — the lowest among Lentor GLS sites thus far. (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
The project will not be entering an untested location. The earlier launches in the neighbourhood have been largely taken up, the first completed project has recorded substantial profitable subsales, while a newer, centrally located site has attracted a record land bid.
That changes what is on the table for buyers eyeing the upcoming launch of Lentor Gardens Residences.
In short, buyers no longer have to rely mainly on future plans. The MRT station is operational, a mall has opened, and earlier project launches are providing clearer references on pricing and buyer demand.
Against this backdrop, Lentor Gardens Residences offers access to a maturing Lentor address, supported by existing amenities and clearer market benchmarks, while starting from the lowest land cost among the Lentor GLS sites so far.
If Lentor Gardens Residences — for which pricing has yet to be announced — is priced and designed around that position, the project could appeal to buyers who want the benefits of the Lentor area, but at a more measured entry point than the more centrally located plots.
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