The ultimate list of executive condos in Singapore: Here's where to find all 76 of them

With new launches currently averaging over $2,000 psf, even HDB upgraders may find themselves priced out. This is where the Executive Condominium (EC) may come in handy as a stepping stone.

For families that need three or four-bedder units, ECs may be one of the few (new) options where prices can still fall below $1.5 million. This is especially the case with resale ECs, where some real bargains might still be found. Here’s the full list of options currently on the market:

1. Visionaire

The Visionaire's performance will be closely watched, as it has long been the subject of debate. Parc Canberra, The Brownstone, and The Visionaire are all ECs, and they're all within walking distance of each other.

This led to buyers, realtors, and other market watches arguing over whether there's too much competition, and whether "which comes first" would be a factor. (Let's not forget Provence Residence is another upcoming EC just across the road).

Of the three, the Visionaire is the second to reach MOP (The Brownstone reached MOP in 2022, while Parc Canberra only just reached TOP this year.) It will be interesting to see if The Brownstone ends up with a noticeable first-mover advantage, and how Visionaire performs as the "middle child" of the area. 

That aside, Visionaire is also one of the rare ECs that's close to an MRT station. It's roughly an eight-minute walk to Canberra MRT (NSL), and this station is next to Canberra Plaza. Canberra Plaza isn't exactly a full-fledged mall but it comes close; it's a "new generation" neighbourhood centre.

Think of a community centre, but more high-end (there's an A&W, an air-con food court, and other such amenities besides the usual childcare centre, clinic, library, etc.) This makes things convenient for Visionaire residents, even though they don't technically have a mall nearby.

Bus 167, from opposite Canberra Drive, also provides fast access to Bukit Canberra for Visionaire residents. This is a sports and community hub, with an 800-seat hawker centre.

Canberra seems to be a testing ground for these types of "multipurpose" neighbourhood facilities, where hawker centres, shops, recreational facilities, etc. are all coming under one roof. If it works out, it will be to the benefit of Visionaire, The Brownstone, and Parc Canberra.

2. Sol Acres

Located across the road from Keat Hong LRT, Sol Acres partially makes up for its distance to the MRT station. From here residents can get to Choa Chu Kang station (NSL), which is also next to Lot One. This is the largest heartland mall servicing Choa Chu Kang.

Teck Whye Shopping Centre, an HDB-run retail/food centre, is borderline walkable from here. It's about 12 minutes on foot, and apart from the coffee shop, we're told the small grocers here are among the cheapest in Singapore for fresh produce. 

The most distinct feature of Sol Acres is likely to be its size. This EC easily counts as a mega-development, with 1,327 units. The condo has a massive land area of over 350,000 sq ft, with accordingly lavish facilities (there are three swimming pools, and even a music plaza for performances and events.) It's not common to find ECs of this size; and while a bigger unit count means less privacy, it can also mean lower maintenance fees. 

Another point of appeal might be the proximity of ITE West: the institute is directly across the road from Sol Acres, and very convenient for students. 

3. The Criterion

The Criterion was the earliest arrival on the resale market for 2023, reaching MOP in February. This EC was marketed on the strength of its views, and as a project for nature lovers. 

For those in the know, this is usually a code for "ulu location," but it's not really so bad. There's a bus stop at the nearby Shaughnessy, for example, where service 117 can take you directly to Yishun MRT. In addition, crossing Yishun Street 41 will take you into an HDB enclave, where you can find coffee shops, convenience stores, and the usual heartland amenities. It's certainly not close enough to the nearest MRT station to walk daily (Khatib MRT), so if you need a more convenient connection this may not be right for you.

As a tradeoff for needing a bus connection, The Criterion gives you an excellent view: it's positioned to take advantage of Lower Seletar Reservoir, so you have both greenery and a waterfront view. The EC even has rooftop dining areas to take advantage of the scenery. 

(Mind you, the developer also included balconies to further emphasise the view; but we know some of our readers loathe balconies, so we won't outright call it a good thing.)

Another unplanned bonus is the proximity of The Wisteria, a mixed-use project with a mall component. There's an NTUC FairPrice located here, as well as some other eateries and enrichment schools. You can get here on foot quite quickly if you cut underneath the HDB blocks at Acacia Breeze.

If you want to be near a major mall or within a neighbourhood hub though, you should look somewhere else. 

4. Treasure Crest

Here, we have another situation similar to Visionaire above. Treasure Crest is between The Vales and Bellewaters, and Ola is also nearby. Treasure Crest comes hot on the heels of Vales and Bellewaters, reaching MOP in 2022. Ola will be the last of the batch to reach MOP, having just been completed this year. 

As with Visionaire, it’s always a matter of concern when ECs are packed so close. Unlike fully private condos, their main distinction — a lower price — is meaningless when the neighbours are just as affordable. A buyer’s pick will likely come down to unit layouts, and subjective preferences for the facilities. 

Treasure Crest is about a seven-minute walk to Cheng Lim LRT, from where you can get to Sengkang MRT (NEL). Compass One, next to the MRT station, is the largest heartland mall in the immediate area. The surrounding area also has a lot of heartland facilities, from childcare centres to coffee shops (just cross Anchorvale Street into the HDB enclave.)

One potential drawback — which also impacts neighbours like Ola — is the presence of Sengkang General Hospital. Some home buyers may worry about the noise from ambulance sirens, whereas others simply have taboos against it. 

We think it can provide a great place to find tenants, if you’re renting out! Hospitals tend to employ quite a lot of foreign staff.

5. Parc Life

Parc Life is almost within walking distance of Sembawang MRT (NSL), and a bit over 10 minutes. You can also take bus 962, close to this condo, to get to Sun Plaza; this is just next to the MRT. So overall, we'd say Parc Life is not as far from MRT access as many ECs.

The main selling point of this EC is in the name: it's next to a park (Canberra Park to be precise), and the landscaped areas of the condo blend seamlessly into the public park. That's… okay we guess? We don't know if the notion of connecting the EC's park to a public park is exciting to every homeowner. We recall some buyers commenting that the advantage of this isn't clear. Design-wise, it is innovative though. 

We'd say the advantage is actually across the park. The HDB enclave on the other side of Canberra Park has coffee shops, a supermarket, and is a truly great place to chill in the evenings; swing by and you'll see a lot of people gathering at the fringe of the park, to chat or people-watch. 

The nearby Sun Plaza, which has an NTUC FairPrice and a Guardian, can also provide most of the day-to-day amenities for residents. What's lacking is recreation and more heavy-duty retail, for which you may need to venture out of Sembawang. All in all, this is a pleasant EC in an idyllic spot; if there's any complaint it's just that this location can be a bit dull.

ALSO READ: 30 upcoming HDB BTO projects reaching MOP in 2024/25: Here's where to find them

This article was first published in Stackedhomes.