Every six months, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announces a list of land sites for sale, known as the Government Land Sales (GLS) Programme. When this happens, developers’ eyes widen, their breathing intensifies and they will stop whatever they’re doing to pay attention.
But it’s not just developers who should listen up. If you’re a potential private home buyer, you should also pay good attention whenever URA announces GLS sites. That’s because like the URA caveat and URA Masterplan, the GLS Programme provides great insight into upcoming real estate developments, which are likely to come in handy.
Here’s an overview of the latest GLS sites announced for the first half of 2022, as well as a beginner-friendly guide of the GLS Programme and why it is meaningful for homebuyers in Singapore.
Government Land Sales (GLS) Programme: What Is It and How Does It Work?
As you probably already know, Singapore is a small country with limited land. Of the land we have, over three-quarters is owned by the government (State Land).
In order to better utilise the land for urban planning, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) plans and designs land usage for purposes including residential land-dwelling, township designs and zoning of land. Put simply, the URA plans where new buildings go, be it for new condos, sports complexes, shopping malls and even hotels.
For us, the most relevant are the GLS sites allocated for residential developments. Before private property developers (e.g. CapitaLand, Keppel Land, Oxley Holdings, etc.) can develop houses, they will first need to buy land from the government.
That’s where the GLS Programme come in, where the government sells usable land to private developers through a tendering process.
Long story short, developers will purchase land from the government in a land-bidding war.
Government Land Sales (GLS) Sites Are Released Twice a Year
Prior to the start of each half of the year, the government will release State Land for tender through the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) sites. Upcoming URA GLS sites can be viewed on the URA website.
As mentioned, interested developers who wish to acquire the State Land for residential development (e.g. to build new condominiums) will then bid for the land through an open tender. The land will (usually) be awarded to the developer that puts in the highest bid in the open tender.
Upon closing of the tender, URA will release a media statement on the GLS sites and the developers who were awarded the site. Then, a separate media statement will be released to show the public the list of developers that have tendered for the site and the price quoted in their tender.
Here’s what the media statement looks like, which includes the top bidders :
Source: URA
Government Land Sales (GLS) for 1H2022
Now that we’ve explained the GLS in a nutshell, let’s take a look at the latest release of GLS sites.
On 16 December 2021, URA and HDB announced thirteen sites, five on the Confirmed List and eight on the Reserve List for the GLS Programme for 1H2022. Together, the sites can yield an estimated “6,500 private residential units, 90,000 sqm gross floor area (GFA) of commercial space and 530 hotel rooms”.
On the 2H2021 Reserve List, six residential sites, two White sites and one hotel site remain. These sites will be brought forward and included in the 1H2022 GLS Programme.
Here’s an overview of the Confirmed List sites for 1H2022, according to the Ministry of National Development (MND):
| Location | Site area (ha) / estimated number of units | Gross plot ratio | Status / estimated launch date |
| Pine Grove (Parcel A) | 2.25 (520) | 2.1 | February 2022 |
| Dunman Road | 2.52 (1,035) | 3.5 | March 2022 |
| Lentor Central | 1.34 (470) | 3.0 | May 2022 |
| Lentor Hills Road (Parcel B) | 1.08 (265) | 2.1 | May 2022 |
| Bukit Batok West Avenue 5 (EC site) | 1.66 (495) | 3.0 | June 2022 |
1. Pine Grove (Parcel A)
The 99-years leasehold site in District 21 can yield about 520 units and has a site area of 2.25ha.
Zoned as residential, the closest MRT stations to the site are Clementi and Dover on the East West Line. Residents with school-going children will be happy to note Henry Park Primary School is a short walk away.
Related article: 5 Best Neighbourhoods in Singapore for Families with Young Children (2021)
Browse properties for sale near Pine Grove on PropertyGuru.
2. Dunman Road
The Dunman Road site can yield 1,035 units with a site area of 2.52ha. It is right next to Dakota MRT station, giving residents access to the Circle Line. Many reputed schools are nearby including Kong Hwa School, Dunman High School, Chung Cheng High School (Main), Tanjong Katong Secondary School, and Tanjong Katong Girls’ School.
There are a bunch of new BTO flats springing up around the Mountbatten/Dakota area, including the Feb 2022 Geylang BTO launch.
Browse properties for sale near Dakota MRT station on PropertyGuru.
3. Lentor Central
The site at Lentor Central can yield about 470 units and has a site area of 1.34ha. It is right next to several Lentor Central GLS sites released in 2021 as well as the Lentor MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL). Residents will be two stops away from the Cross Island Line (CRL), four stops from the Circle Line (CCL), and six from the Downtown Line (DTL).
Browse properties for sale near Lentor MRT station on PropertyGuru.
4. Lentor Hills Road (Parcel B)
Again, we’re seeing another site released in the Lentor area. The Lentor Hills Road (Parcel B) site is a stone’s throw away from the Lentor Central site. Both sites are due to be launched in May 2022. An estimated 265 units can be yielded from the 1.08ha site.
Browse properties for sale near Lentor MRT station on PropertyGuru.
5. Bukit Batok West Avenue 5 (EC site)
The EC site at Bukit Batok West Ave 5 can yield 495 units with a site area of 1.66ha. Like many ECs, the site is not near an MRT station; the closest station is Bukit Gombak.
Related article: 7 Executive Condos (ECs) in Singapore That Are Within Walking Distance (500m) To The MRT
Browse properties for sale in Bukit Batok West on PropertyGuru.
GLS Programme “Reserve List” vs “Confirmed List”: What Is the Difference?
If, at this point, you’re confused about the Confirmed and Reserve GLS sites, let us explain. There are two types of “lists” on URA’s website: “Confirmed List” and “Reserve List”.
They’re pretty much as their names suggest:
Confirmed Lists are confirmed in that they will definitely go on sale on a pre-determined date listed on the URA website.
This is not the same for the Reserve List sites, which aren’t released for tender immediately. Instead, they are released only when there is a successful developer application or sufficient market demand for it.
Developers who are interested in the sites on the Reserve Lists have to put in an application for them. When any of the interested developers have indicated a minimum price that is accepted by the government, the site will then be put up for tender.
Here’s an overview of the Reserve List sites for 1H2022:
| Location | Site area (ha) / estimated number of units | Proposed gross plot ratio | Status / estimated launch date |
| Hillview Rise | 1.03 (335 residential units) | 2.8 | Available |
| Pine Grove (Parcel B) | 2.50 (565 residential units) | 2.1 | Available |
| Tampines Street 62 (Parcel B (EC) | 2.80 (700 residential units) | 2.5 | Available |
| Lentor Gardens | 2.18 (535 residential units) | 2.1 | May 2022 |
| Bukit Timah Link | 0.41 (140 residential units) | 3.0 | June 2022 |
| Kampong Bugis | 8.29 (1,000 residential units and 10,000m2 of commercial space) | – | Available |
| Woodlands Avenue 2 | 2.75 (440 residential units and 78,000m2 of commercial space) | 4.2 | Available |
| River Valley Road | 1.02 (530 hotel rooms and 2,000m2 of commercial space) | 2.8 | Available |
How Is the Government Land Sales (GLS) Programme Relevant to Home Buyers?
You might be thinking, “That’s interesting and all, but how is this relevant to me as a home buyer?”
Well, for starters, the GLS sites indicate the upcoming development areas for residential properties. Thus, it makes sense that for those currently shopping for property to know which areas are up for development in the near future.
As they say, knowledge is power.
When it comes to home buying, each decision you make is literally worth a million bucks. That’s why keeping up with data from GLS sites (upcoming, current and past) will provide you with an information advantage that puts you ahead of the curve.
The last thing you want is to make a hasty property purchase, only to find that a more suitable residential project is up for grabs afterwards.
Pro tip: Using the URA Space tool, you can also check out all the GLS sites (upcoming, current and past) on a map.
In conclusion, those shopping for a first (or next) home should definitely check out URA’s GLS sites. You can find the recently launched GLS sites here and the past sites here. Alternatively, you can also check out the URA Space to view GLS sites that have been released and sold in the past.
More FAQs about Government Land Sales Programme
What is the Government Land Sales Programme?
GLS Programme is where the government sells usable state land to developers through a bidding process.
Who Owns Land in Singapore?
According to the Land Law, all land belongs to the State, and other persons can only own an estate or some lesser interest in the land.
What is a Reserve Site in Singapore?
A reserve site is marked yellow in the URA Master Plan, and basically means that the land use has not been determined.
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