How to Sell a Condo in Singapore: Step-by-Step Guide

Here's how to sell a condo in Singapore. Check if Seller's Stamp Duty applies. Work out the cash you'll really take home. Price from real sales. Decide on an agent. Prepare the unit. Run viewings and take offers. Grant the Option to Purchase. Then complete the sale with your lawyer, about 8 to 12 weeks later. One rule changed in July 2025, and many websites still get it wrong.

Most people call me Chan, and I'm a professional condo selling agent in Singapore. My licence is with OrangeTee & Tie. I've spent over 20 years in this market. Below is the whole condo selling process, step by step, in plain words. And I'll point out where sellers lose money.

Step 1: Will You Pay Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD)?

You pay Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD) only if you sell too soon. It's a tax on selling a home within a set time after you bought it. If you bought on or after 4 July 2025, that time is 4 years. Earlier purchases get 3 years.

That rule is new. Before July 2025, everyone had 3 years. Some websites still say so. Check the date on your own purchase, not the date on the article.

These are the IRAS rates.

SSD is worked out on the higher of your sale price or the market value. And you owe it even if you sold at a loss. Here's what that looks like. On a $1,500,000 condo, 16% is $240,000. And 4% is $60,000. Your lawyer usually pays it from your sale money.

Chan's Take: If you're close to the end of the period, a few weeks can save you a lot. I'll check your date first. Then we plan the sale around it.

Step 2: How Much Cash Will You Really Take Home?

Your sale price isn't your cash. The bank gets its loan back first. CPF gets its money back next. Costs come off after that. What's left is yours. Work this out before you list.

• Your bank loan. Most banks want 2 to 3 months' written notice to repay. Send it early. Late notice can mean extra interest or a fee. Check your loan for a lock-in period too.
• Your CPF refund. If you used CPF to buy the condo, you pay it back into your CPF account. That includes the interest it would have earned. Your lawyer works out the exact figure.
• Your costs. Agent fee, legal fees and SSD (if it applies). On completion day, small bills also come off. Think management fees, property tax and utilities. I break these down in my post on condo selling costs in Singapore.
• Your next home. Buying again? Plan both deals together. ABSD or a bridging loan might come into play.

Here's a simple example. Say you sell for $1,500,000. Your loan balance is $600,000. Your CPF refund, with interest, is $300,000. That leaves $600,000. Agent fee, legal fees and other costs come off that. These are example numbers, so use your own.

Chan's Take: Many owners guess their take-home. Please don't. I work it out with you before we list. If anything changes the numbers, you hear it from me first.

Step 3: What Is Your Condo Really Worth?

Your condo is worth what buyers have actually paid for similar units. It isn't what your neighbour is asking. Look at sales that closed in your development. Focus on your stack and similar floors. Then adjust for your own unit.

Your stack means the units above and below yours, in the same line. Asking prices are hopes. Sold prices are facts. URA shows recent sold prices, so start there.

Next, your own unit moves the number:

• Floor
• View
• Layout
• Renovation
• Remaining lease, and whether it's freehold or 99-year

I adjust for each one and show you how. You get an honest range, not the number you hoped for. Then we pick an asking price together. Want the full method? Read how I value a condo.

Chan's Take: If your hoped-for price is off, I'll say so. Better to hear it before we list than after weeks with no viewings.

Step 4: Should You Sell by Yourself or Use an Agent?

You can sell by yourself. No rule says you must hire an agent. But you'd handle everything alone. That means pricing, enquiries, viewings, negotiation and paperwork. And a pricing mistake costs real money.

If you sell alone, you:

• Set the price yourself
• Answer every enquiry, including the time-wasters
• Host every viewing in your own home
• Negotiate every offer and chase the paperwork

If you sell with me, I:

• Price it from real sales on your stack
• Screen every enquiry for you
• Host the viewings myself
• Weigh each offer and coordinate with your lawyer and the buyer's side

If you hire any agent, check that they're registered with CEA. Get the fee in writing. And ask who will really do the work.

As a Professional Condo Specialist in Singapore, I put my fee in writing before I start. And you deal with me from the first message to the keys. If you want a professional condo selling agent in Singapore who runs the sale personally, that's what I do.

Chan's Take: I'm not against selling alone. If you know your building and have the time, it can work. But the risk is price. Set it too low, and you lose money you never see.

Step 5: What Should You Fix Before You List?

Fix only what pays you back. Clean it. Declutter it. Repair small faults. Skip big renovations. Buyers want a tidy, bright home. They don't want to pay for your renovation taste.

Then tell buyers what matters to them. In Singapore, that's often the walk to the MRT, nearby schools, malls and the hawker centre. Take a small unit near the MRT. It needs a different pitch from a big family home near schools.

Good photos matter too. So does a clear listing description.

Chan's Take: I tell you what's worth fixing before we list, and what isn't. You won't spend money that buyers won't pay back.

Step 6: How Do Viewings and Offers Work?

Serious buyers view your home. Then they make an offer. You can accept it, counter it or say no. The aim is a handful of serious viewings, not a crowd of time-wasters.

I screen every enquiry and host every viewing myself. So you don't rearrange your week or meet strangers at the door.

A low offer is not the end. Compare it with recent sales first. Then look past the price. Check the completion date and the option period too. A slightly lower price with better terms can beat a higher price with problems.

When one of my sellers needed a buyer in a tough market window, I found one.

Chan's Take: My rule: don't fold on a low offer. I compare it with recent sales and explain what it means. Then you decide.

Step 7: What Is an Option to Purchase (OTP)?

An Option to Purchase (OTP) gives a buyer the right to buy your condo at an agreed price. They pay you an option fee to get it. On a private condo, that's usually 1% of the price.

The buyer then has a set time to decide. It's usually 14 days, but you can negotiate it. To go ahead, the buyer pays a further 4%. That makes a 5% deposit, and the sale becomes binding.

Here's what that looks like on a $1,500,000 condo:

• Option fee (1%): $15,000
• Further payment when the buyer goes ahead (4%): $60,000
• Total deposit (5%): $75,000

If the buyer walks away, the option lapses and you keep the 1%. While the option is open, you can't give another buyer an OTP. So the terms matter. The fee, the option period and the completion date can all be negotiated. Your lawyer comes in at this stage.

Chan's Take: I go through every term with you before the OTP goes out. If you're timing your next move, the completion date matters as much as the price.

Step 8: What Happens Between OTP and Completion?

Your lawyer and the buyer's lawyer handle the legal transfer. Completion usually comes 8 to 12 weeks after the buyer exercises the option. That's the day you hand over the keys and get your money.

Here's what happens on completion day:

1. Your bank loan is paid off, and the title is released.
2. Your CPF refund goes back to your CPF account.
3. Other costs are settled. Think legal fees, management fees, property tax and utilities.
4. What's left comes to you, usually as cashier's orders.
5. Ownership passes to the buyer.

The buyer usually checks the unit one last time before completion. From the OTP to handover, I coordinate with the buyer's side and your lawyer. So nothing slips.

Chan's Take: My work doesn't end at the OTP. Clients say I still answer promptly, even years after the sale.

How Long Does It Take to Sell a Condo in Singapore?

Some parts are easy to count. Selling time isn't. That depends on your price and demand.

Once you grant the OTP, count on roughly 10 to 14 weeks until you get your cash. For the marketing stage, I won't make up a number. I'd rather see your unit first.

What Mistakes Do Condo Sellers Make?

Here are six easy ones to avoid.

1. Using the old 3-year SSD rule. Newer purchases have 4 years.
2. Pricing from asking prices. Sold prices are what count.
3. Sending the loan notice late. It can cost you extra interest or a fee.
4. Leaving out the CPF refund. Your take-home looks bigger on paper than it is.
5. Taking the first offer without checking the terms. Price is only one part of it.
6. Having no plan for the next home. Poor timing means costs you didn't plan for.

How to Sell a Condo in Singapore: Does Your Area Matter?

The steps are the same across the island. But buyers aren't. A buyer in Orchard or River Valley wants different things from a buyer in Bishan or Tampines. So I price every unit on its own numbers. Freehold or 99-year, older or newer, big project or small.

I sell condos across Singapore:

• Central (D1, D2, D3, D4, D9, D10, D11): Orchard, River Valley, Newton, Novena, Bukit Timah, Tanglin, Marina Bay, Tanjong Pagar, Tiong Bahru, Queenstown
• East (D14, D15, D16, D18): East Coast, Marine Parade, Katong, Tanjong Rhu, Paya Lebar, Geylang, Bedok, Tampines, Pasir Ris, Simei
• North-East (D19, D20, D28): Serangoon, Kovan, Hougang, Sengkang, Punggol, Ang Mo Kio, Bishan
• North (D12, D13, D25, D26, D27): Toa Payoh, Balestier, Thomson, Yishun, Woodlands, Sembawang
• West (D5, D21, D22, D23, D24): Clementi, Holland Village, Buona Vista, Bukit Batok, Jurong, Bukit Panjang, Choa Chu Kang

If your condo is in one of these areas, or anywhere else, message me.

Who Is Chandra Das?

Most people call me Chan. Over 20 years in Singapore property taught me how condo stacks hold their value. It also taught me how buyers behave and how deals really close. My licence is with OrangeTee & Tie, CEA Reg No: R032484E.

As an Expert Real Estate Consultant in Singapore, I take on only a few sellers at a time. That's how each one gets my full attention. And some clients first rented with me, then bought, then sold. They come back because the advice stays honest.

If you're hunting for the best condo selling consultant in Singapore, here's my pitch. I tell you the truth about price, even when it isn't what you hoped to hear.

Ready to See Your Real Numbers?

Now you know how to sell a condo in Singapore, step by step. Start with your SSD date and your take-home number. Then look at what has really sold on your stack. Message me the building, the unit type and what's driving the sale. I'll come back with real transacted numbers and an honest view. That's before you spend any more time or money.

Chat with Chan on WhatsApp

FAQs

Rates and rules in this post are current as of October 2026. Check your own situation with your lawyer before you sign.