Higher strata office and retail transacted values in 1H2025: Knight Frank
According to Knight Frank, the Downtown Core and the Rochor planning locations found the greatest variety of deals. Caveats lodged show 44 units in the Downtown Core shifting hands for $471.1 million, though the company adds that the variety of actual packages may be higher, as some buyers decided on not to lodge signs.
In the strata retail market, there was an uptick in sales worth in 1H2025, in spite of a limited dip in volume. There were 113 strata retail deals in the very first half of the year, compared to 116 in 2H2024. “Just like strata office units, certain strata retail transactions might not have actually been captured as caveats were not lodged,” Knight Frank includes.
Among strata office buildings in the Downtown Core, Manhattan House on Chin Swee Roadway emerged, logging 27 deals in 1H2025. “A possible reason for the raised passion could be that clients were buying to make the most of a possibility for a prospective en bloc sale to happen,” the record includes.
The biggest strata office deal by absolute price in 1H2025 was the sale of numerous units at 20 Collyer Quay for $91.8 million in March, complied with by the sale of 3 units at Tokio Marine Centre in January for $67.5 million.
Looking in advance, the expectation for the strata commercial market continues to be tentative, in the middle of a background of escalating geopolitical strains, ongoing protectionist moves by the US and worsening worldwide conditions. In addition, the strata retail sector remains to be weighed down by rising operating expense and changing customer behaviour, prompting merchants to take on slow-moving development strategies, claims Knight Frank.
However, strata retail sales worth totalled $292.3 million in 1H2025, 35.5% greater than the $215.8 million in 2H2024. The increase was underpinned by a somewhat much higher range of bigger deals, says Knight Frank. While many deals in 2H2024 were smaller sized bargains of under $4 million, there were 10 in 1H2025 that were above $5 million, including four transacted at above $15 million.
Nevertheless, the firm notes that chances remain in both the strata workplace and strata retail markets. “Palatable and comparatively economical price quanta in these particular niche sections provide prompt and off-beat possibilities that can be attractive for cautious investors and end-users,” states Mary Sai, executive administrator for resources markets at Knight Frank Singapore.
Notable strata retail purchases in 1H2025 include the sale of units at Orchard Towers for $54.5 million, or $2,825 psf, in January. Typically, strata retail units negotiated at $3,004 psf in 1H2025, compared to $2,999 psf in 2H2025.
In the strata office market, a full of 189 deals were filed in 1H2025, higher than the 170 offers registered in 2H2024. Nevertheless, the average unit price of strata office real estates reselled slid, dropping from $2,878 psf in 2H2024 to $2,787 psf in 1H2025.
Therefore, overall strata workplace sales volume was partially higher than the 2nd half of previous year, inching up just 0.6% to $699.6 million in 1H2025.
Strata business contracts viewed stable energy in 1H2025, according to a research report by Knight Frank Singapore. Cautions lodged show that both the strata office and strata retail industry reported higher negotiated values in the first half of the year compared to the second half of last year.
