Straits Trading aims to address an underserved market for seniors: life before assisted care

[SINGAPORE] Straits Trading – a 138-year old company listed on the Singapore Exchange – already has a formidable portfolio of some S$2 billion in property assets as at Dec 31, 2025, in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, China, Australia and the UK.

For its next stage of growth, the company is looking towards the megatrend of ageing.

Straits Trading has identified the senior living sector as offering potential to deliver sustainable and scalable growth for shareholders.

The approach it is taking starts with considering the fundamentals for leading a fulfilled life in one’s senior years, group chief operating officer Eric Teng told The Business Times.

Indeed, ageing well is a topic close to the company’s heart.

“This is something that our executive chairman Chew Gek Khim and I have been talking about for a long time,” said Teng.

Chew has been involved for many years in the charitable sector, including at the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation established by its eponym, her grandfather. 

Charting a new path

But while Straits Trading has a substantial property portfolio, assisted living and nursing homes are not on the cards.

Teng reckons that in Singapore, the government already has met most needs, with extensive infrastructure to support ageing in place, including amenities such as supermarkets and active ageing centres.

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There are established players already in the nursing home space, as well as those with experience in the assisted living sector. 

“We think that where we can contribute is helping our seniors lead a fulfilled life,” said Teng. “Seniors, they could be anywhere from 55 years and older. This is why we started The Silver Movement, a supportive community for seniors where we have friends and have fun.”

The services that Straits Trading will be offering are planned around four areas: learning and personal enrichment; travel and unique experiences; accommodation and lifestyle services; and investing, subject to regulations.

In other words, Straits Trading is looking to create an integrated independent living value chain across property, operations and services.

Teng shared, as an example, his plans for the Thursday Makan Club, where members can come together and enjoy social dining with one another.

Apart from dining, discounted prices for other entertainment such as movies could be offered to members. Over time, this could be expanded to unique travel experiences overseas.  

Learn as you grow

Learning is another important way to keep the brain active as one ages.

Teng said that Straits Trading is exploring how to offer learning opportunities to members, and has reached out to the School of Continuing and Lifelong Education (Scale) at the National University of Singapore to explore a tie-up, along with volunteerism and other community activities.

Associate Professor Chai Kah Hin, the school’s dean, is supportive of such moves. He told BT that there are “fewer options that speak directly to the interests and aspirations of seniors, even though learning helps them stay current, engaged, healthy and mentally active”.

Scale offers a Distinguished Senior Fellowship Programme designed for senior leaders who want to ensure a purposeful and impactful third phase of life.

Prof Chai added that the school is developing other forms of programmes, as learning “can give us a sense of purpose, keep us active, and help us remain vital even as the professional demands of life taper off”.

More practically, Straits Trading has not ignored the fact that seniors will likely need home services, for example, for something as basic as plumbing. 

“No, we are not in the business of being a concierge,” said Teng. “But home services are important for seniors, and this is one area where we think we can possibly add value. We have identified several trusted providers that we rely on for the upkeep of our own properties and this can be also made available to our seniors.”

He envisages a Web-based, artificial intelligence-assisted application that empowers independent living for seniors. 

A place in the market

These proposals were unveiled at the Shareholders Club get-together in December 2025, with another session held in February this year. Teng said that many of the shareholders are 50 and above; the concerns about ageing well resonate with them.  

Such a venture will generate a stream of recurring income given that members will pay a fee to join The Silver Movement. However, in the immediate future, the venture into the senior living space is unlikely to be a major moneyspinner. 

The potential for further growth will be tied to property. Given its tin-mining heritage, Straits Trading has substantial legacy assets in Malaysia which could be developed into homes, including accommodation for The Silver Movement in Ipoh and Penang.

These properties could be rented out to retirees. With The Silver Movement as the manager, this would make it fuss-free for tenants. Another residential destination could even be Desaru, where The Silver Movement could take the master lease of several properties, Teng noted.

On financing, one relevant feature of many older property owners in Singapore is being asset-rich and cash-poor. Many have already downgraded, given Singapore’s robust property market where landed prices rose by over 7 per cent across 2025. 

What could be in the works – and only for accredited investors – would be property fractionalisation.

For a property owner, they could monetise up to 50 per cent of their home with Straits Trading. This would free up liquidity in a more timely fashion, to provide adult children with the downpayment for a private property, for example. 

Straits Trading plans to trial The Silver Movement offerings with a group of 500 participants as an initial pilot, before scaling the initiative over time.

“We are confident we have a strong offering,” said Teng, given that a large portion of the market comprises those 55 and older.

“The Silver Movement reflects a fundamental shift in how we approach ageing, as people live longer, healthier and more active lives,” he said.

“It addresses a distinct life stage before assisted care. It represents a strategic extension for Straits Trading into a high-growth, underserved segment – one that can deliver sustainable recurring income while enhancing the value of our existing assets.”