Property agents bought up to 20% of some new condo launches: did ‘first dibs’ buying heighten Fomo?

[SINGAPORE] Just before new private property projects are publicly released for sale, a quiet queue already forms – not made up of the developers’ VIP clients, but property agents. Buried in the past year’s surge in demand is data showing a concerning statistic: that agents bought up to 20 per cent of units at certain “hot” launches.

While such activity does not breach regulations, some in the industry have voiced concerns that the “insider” buying crowds out the public, feeds into the fear of missing out (Fomo) and could encourage speculative activity.

Data disclosed to The Business Times shows the incidence of agent buying is, on the whole, low. Between September 2024 and October 2025, property agents purchased 635 units through priority queues – around 4.2 per cent of all new private homes launched in that period.