Starting May 13, owners of Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats and their property agents will have the option to list their homes for sale directly on the HDB Flat Portal. This latest enhancement aims to simplify the flat buying and selling process, providing secure transactions and improved services.

Ensuring Genuine Listings

To maintain the integrity of the listings, sellers must register an intent to sell before posting their homes on the portal. Buyers, on the other hand, will need an HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter. This letter confirms their eligibility to purchase a flat, receive grants, and access financing options, and is required to schedule viewings.

“This will improve user experience and ensure transparency as the resale flat listing service aims to become a trusted listing marketplace for genuine buyers and sellers,” said HDB. 

Free of Charge Launch

For now, the service is free of charge. Buyers will be able to view listings and initiate transactions with sellers when the service officially launches later in May. Currently, real estate agents can only list properties on major property portals like PropertyGuru which involve fees. Other platforms, such as Propertyforsale, allow homeowners to list for free.

Streamlined Listing Process

The HDB Flat Portal will auto-fill listing details, including address, flat type, floor area, and floor plan from HDB’s database. Each seller can post only one listing to prevent duplicates. Sellers will receive prompts if their listing price is significantly higher or lower than recent transactions of similar units nearby, helping them make informed pricing decisions and promoting market sustainability.

HDB has the authority to remove listings with unrealistic prices or misleading information. They may also seek clarifications from sellers or their agents to ensure market stability.

Ensuring Market Stability

The government will not tolerate disruptive behaviors by sellers or agents. HDB will collaborate with the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) to investigate and take action against professional misconduct.

Recently, the Ministry of National Development, HDB, and CEA flagged two HDB flats listed for S$2 million as misleading and unrealistic. A listing for two adjacent five-room flats in Sengkang marketed as a jumbo flat and a five-room flat in Toa Payoh with an unrealistic asking price were highlighted.

Comprehensive Services for Buyers

To make the HDB Flat Portal a comprehensive platform, the resale flat listing service will integrate financial calculators, loan listing services, and HFE letter information. Buyers can compare resale flat listings with new Build-To-Order flats in terms of price and remaining lease, aiding in more informed decision-making.

Seller and Agent Accessibility

Sellers or their agents can list homes and conduct resale transactions on a single platform. From May 13, eligible flat sellers will be contacted via email to gain early access to list their homes on the portal. They can also appoint property agents to list on their behalf. Transactions, however, will not be possible during the soft launch period.

Industry Collaboration

The service was developed with input from the public and industry stakeholders, including real estate agencies and property portals.

JT Chia, Managing Director of Propertyforsale, supports the service, stating it helps filter out non-genuine buyers and sellers. This requirement to register intent to sell will curb practices like placing advertisements to "test the market" and eliminate repeated or fake listings by agents fishing for clients.

Sellers could save on the two percent commission if they do not engage the service of a property agent to sell their HDB flat, he said.

Enhanced Transparency and User Experience

To enhance user experience and ensure transparency, the new listing service and its features will be accessible exclusively to buyers with a valid HFE (Housing Financial Eligibility) letter.

While any prospective buyer can browse the Housing Development Board's (HDB) listing service, only those with a valid HFE letter will have access to sellers' contact details and the ability to schedule viewing appointments.

Similarly, sellers must have a valid Intent to Sell to create a listing for their flats. Each seller is limited to one listing per flat to prevent duplicates, with HDB verifying each listing.

These measures ensure that only qualified individuals can use the listing services for buying or selling HDB flats.

Both buyers and sellers will receive information such as charts showing monthly transaction volumes and average prices for similar flats in the area over the past six months.

An "automatic built-in feature" will notify sellers if their listing price is at least 10 percent higher than the highest transacted price for similar nearby units in the past six months. Conversely, if the listing price is unusually low, a prompt will also be sent.

A resale flat listing will remain on its portal as long as the seller has a valid Intent to Sell. Sellers and their agents can deactivate their listing when they grant an Option to Purchase (OTP) to a buyer and reactivate it if the OTP is not exercised.

A listing will be automatically deactivated in two scenarios: when a buyer submits a valuation request after obtaining an OTP, or when the complete resale application is received through the HDB Flat Portal. 

These features ensure that listings on the portal are current.

Prospective buyers can browse listings for current and upcoming new flat launches and resale flats available on the HDB Flat Portal. They can filter search results by location, flat type, or remaining lease.

Buyers can also create a customised search profile to receive email alerts for new and resale listings that match their preferences.

Each flat listing includes detailed information such as flat attributes, floor plans, photos, recent transaction prices for nearby similar flats, and area amenities.

Only buyers with a valid HFE letter can book viewing appointments through the HDB Flat Portal. These buyers can also view personalised payment plans based on their approved housing grant and HDB loan amount, helping them accurately assess if the shortlisted flats fit their budget.

For Property Agents

Property agents will have access to a personalised dashboard offering an overview of their clients using HDB’s resale listing service. This tool will help agents provide value-added services such as budgeting advice and guidance on the next steps for their clients.

Conclusion

The new HDB Flat Portal marks a significant step towards a more streamlined and transparent process for buying and selling HDB flats, ensuring genuine transactions and enhancing the overall experience for both buyers and sellers.