The Resale Flat Listing (RFL) service seeks to create a transparent, reliable and trusted marketplace for the listing and transactions of HDB resale flats
Flat owners or their property agents can list flats for sale and complete their resale transactions on the HDB Flat Portal
Flat buyers can browse and compare new and resale flat options on a single platform
The soft launch of the RFL service starts on 13 May 2024; official launch will be later this month

With HDB’s new Resale Flat Listing (RFL) service, HDB flat owners will soon have the additional option to list and market their flats for sale independently on the HDB Flat Portal or appoint their property agent to do so on their behalf. The RFL service will be rolled out in two phases, with the soft launch on 13 May to provide early access to eligible flat sellers and their appointed property agents to familiarise themselves with the features, and the official launch later this month when prospective flat buyers will also be able to use the RFL service.

2 The RFL service’s list of HDB flats on the open market for sale will be integrated with existing information on the HDB Flat Portal, including new BTO flats, a one-stop loan listing service, customisable financial calculators, as well as information on the HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter. With comprehensive information shared on a one-stop platform, both flat sellers and buyers will enjoy a more convenient and seamless way to sell and buy HDB flats:

Flat sellers and their appointed property agents can list their flats and carry out their resale transactions on a single platform.
Flat buyers can consider new and resale flat options holistically and make more informed decisions on their flat purchase.

3 To access the full suite of features on the RFL service when it is officially launched, flat sellers will need to have a valid Intent to Sell, and buyers will need a valid HFE letter. This will improve user experience and ensure transparency as the RFL service aims to become a trusted listing marketplace for genuine buyers and sellers. With the RFL service, listings are verified and non-duplicative. This enhances the accuracy and reliability of the listing service. Coupled with access to the HDB Flat Portal via Singpass for all users’ interaction, the RFL seeks to create a more secure and conducive marketplace for sellers and buyers of HDB flats to transact, with or without the facilitation of property agents.

4 Besides providing a wide range of HDB flat options for buyers, and several customised features for both buyers and sellers, the RFL service also has an automatic built-in feature where sellers will be prompted if their listing price exceeds the highest transacted price of nearby units of the same flat type in the past 6 months by 10% or more. Sellers can therefore make a more informed decision on the listed price for their unit, which also makes for a more sustainable property market in the long run.

Leveraging Technology to Improve Customer Experience and Support the Transformation of the Real Estate Industry

5 The RFL service is the latest enhancement to the HDB Flat Portal and will be free of charge for the time being. Launched in 2021, the HDB Flat Portal is a single integrated platform that streamlines and simplifies the process of buying and selling HDB flats. It is also part of HDB’s ongoing efforts to leverage technology to improve customer service experience and support the transformation of the real estate industry. (please refer to Annex A for more details).

6 The RFL service was developed in collaboration with members of the public and industry stakeholders, including real estate agencies and property portals. We have enhanced the user experience and added features to benefit both flat sellers and buyers based on the feedback gathered through focus group discussions and testing. Some of the suggestions incorporated include improvements to the user experience, and the display of property agents’ information.

Features for Flat Sellers

7 With the RFL service, flat sellers with a valid Intent to Sell can choose to:

appoint a property agent on the HDB Flat Portal to manage their flat listing on their behalf; or
list and market their flat on the HDB Flat Portal on their own.

The listing process is simple and streamlined, with key flat details such as the address, flat type and floor area automatically populated using HDB’s data. Sellers only need to upload photos and descriptions of their flat for marketing purpose. Once listed, sellers can create viewing appointments for interested buyers to book. Each seller can only post one flat listing to ensure that there is no duplicative listing for the same flat.

Sellers only need to add in photos of their flat and a description of their flat when listing their flat on the RFL service

8 To improve user experience and enhance quality of the service provided, the RFL design seeks to give greater assurance to sellers that prospective flat buyers who approach them on the RFL service meet certain basic threshold such as being eligible to purchase an HDB flat. While any prospective flat buyer can browse the flat listings on the RFL service, only those with a valid HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter can obtain the sellers’ contact details and/or schedule viewing appointments through the HDB Flat Portal. Once the sellers have found a flat buyer who exercises the Option to Purchase (OTP), they can proceed to submit their resale application on the HDB Flat Portal.

Features for Flat Buyers

9 While any prospective flat buyer can browse the flat listings on the RFL service, only those with a valid HFE letter can obtain the sellers’ contact details and/or schedule viewing appointments through the HDB Flat Portal. Flat buyers can obtain information about current and upcoming new flat launches, as well as resale flats available on the HDB Flat Portal. They can filter searches by location, flat type, remaining lease, or based on their ethnicity and citizenship under the prevailing Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) and Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) quotas. For greater convenience, they may customise a search profile based on their preferences and be alerted via email when new and resale flat listings match their preferences.

10 Buyers will also be able to access information on the flat attributes, floor plan and photos of the flat, recent transacted prices of nearby flats of the same flat type, nearby amenities as well as the current month EIP and SPR quotas within one resale flat listing. To ensure quality and improved user experience, similar to sellers, buyers are assured that the resale flats listed are owned by sellers who are eligible to sell their flat, i.e. they have a valid Intent to Sell with HDB.

11 Prospective flat buyers can also compare flat attributes of shortlisted flats, as well as the preliminary payment plans such as monthly loan repayment amount and cash payment(s), if any. Flat buyers with a valid HFE letter will be able to view personalised payment plans based on their approved housing grants and HDB loan amount if eligible, and more accurately assess if the shortlisted flats are within their budget. After the flat buyers have exercised their Option To Purchase, they can submit their resale application through the HDB Flat Portal.

During sales launches, buyers can compare both new and resale flats (left),
as well as the payment plans for the shortlisted flats (right).
New flat information in screenshots is based on past sales launches and is for illustration only.

Buyers with a valid HFE letter can book viewing appointments for the flats they are keen on directly through the RFL service on the HDB Flat Portal

Feature for Property Agents

12 The RFL service provides an additional tool for property agents to better serve their clients. To facilitate their work, property agents can use the personalised dashboard on the HDB Flat Portal to manage their clients' activities. The dashboard gives them an overview of their clients and their role for each client. This helps them focus on providing value-added services for their clients, such as budgeting and advising them on the next steps.

Launch of the RFL Service

13 The RFL service will be launched in two phases:

The soft launch of the RFL service starts on 13 May 2024. HDB will progressively send email invitations to eligible flat sellers with a valid Intent to Sell, providing them early access to list their flat on the soft launch platform. Sellers may also appoint property agents to do so on their behalf. No transactions will be carried out on the RFL service during the soft launch period. Flat buyers will have to wait for the official launch to access the flat listings on the HDB Flat Portal.
The RFL service will be launched officially later this month, on a date to be announced. Once the RFL service is officially launched, flat buyers and their appointed property agents will be able to access the listings on the HDB Flat Portal and begin transactions with the flat sellers or their appointed property agents. Flat buyers with a valid HFE letter will also receive an email invitation from HDB to access the RFL service.

14 Flat sellers who are interested to use the RFL service may refer to the online user guide for more information, or the FAQs on the soft launch platform. A step-by-step instructional video will also be made available at the official launch of the RFL service.

15 HDB resale flat transactions are conducted on a "willing buyer-willing seller” basis, with prices negotiated and mutually agreed upon between flat sellers and buyers. The RFL service will support more transparency in listings and allow buyers to make informed decisions on their home purchase. With the HDB resale market showing signs of stabilising, buyers are encouraged to plan their budget carefully, considering their income and mortgage financing ability, and exercise financial prudence in their flat purchase to avoid overstretching themselves.

New Resale Flat Listing Service Enables HDB Flat Owners to List & Market their Flat on the HDB Flat Portal