Freehold / 999 years

Freehold or Leasehold Property (Singapore Real Estate)

Singapore properties are either freehold or leasehold. The common question is: which one is better?
Freehold properties in Singapore are termed as "Estate in Fee Simple" or "Estate in Perpetuity". They are in effect the same thing in layman terms.
Freehold lease condos are the most common types of tenure in Singapore. A freehold property simply means that the tenure of land or property can be held by the owner indefinitely while a leasehold property reverts to the state upon the expiry of its contracted lease.
Leasehold properties in Singapore are usually for 99 years or 999 years. Industrial buildings usually are 30-year leasehold. A 99-year leasehold means the property reverts to the government after 99 years. In Singapore, a leasehold property may be acquired under an enbloc sale to renew its lease and redevelop into a new building, usually with higher density.
Traditionally, freehold properties are favoured over leasehold properties due to perpetual ownership. However, with recent enbloc sales resulting home-owners pocketing a profit from the acquiring developers, leasehold properties are gaining popularity.
Furthermore, in the past, freehold properties tend to be in less central locations than leasehold properties. For example, any building near an MRT station would usually be leasehold. In terms of pricing, freehold tends to fetch a slightly higher price per square foot (PSF) than leasehold, although it may not be a like-for-like comparison due to the difference in location and other factors.
All new land plots released by the Singapore government now have a maximum of 99-years leasehold. There are still existing and new developments built on previously acquired land that are still freehold. But going forwards, the proportion of freehold properties in Singapore will decrease.