Proptech in Singapore: how tech money and law are reshaping real estate

By Sanjiv Purushotham, Founder & CEO, Bridge Solutions “Singapore has always been a city that plans ahead. Now, it is applying that forward-thinking mindset to real estate. What we call PropTech — property technology — is no longer a niche add-on but part of the operating fabric of Singapore’s property market. My first experience of Singapore’s amazing focus on technology-first for real estate was when I joined an owners’ management committee of a condominium complex. It had detailed 30-year projections on a massive spreadsheet for every conceivable aspect of the buildings and green areas. Planned obsolescence, preventative maintenance, cost inflation considered, state-of-the art security and so on. It’s not surprising that complexes over forty years old still look new.  

To understand how deeply these changes run, it helps to see them as a connected framework rather than isolated initiatives.”

1. Smart Building Management: From Bricks to Data

Buildings today are no longer just concrete and steel — they are data platforms. Sensors capture everything from temperature and air quality to energy use and security. A central Building Management System (BMS) links these inputs, while estate-wide platforms like the JTC-GovTech Open Digital Platform integrate multiple buildings into a single digital ecosystem.

For residents, apps like Habitap make this technology visible: mobile access cards, visitor passes, facility bookings, and even smart-home integrations. For operators, AI-powered dashboards deliver insights into energy efficiency and predictive maintenance.

2. Digital Rent Collection: From Cheques to Clicks

The way rent is collected tells you a lot about a market. In Singapore, cheques and manual logs are giving way to automation. Platforms like CardUp, ipaymy, and RentHero allow tenants to pay by card while landlords are paid via bank transfer. At the institutional level, enterprise systems like Yardi Payments automate invoicing, reminders, and reconciliation.

The impact is striking: case studies from PropTech providers such as Yardi, MRI, Buildium, and CardUp show late payments can fall by up to 70%. That means steadier cash flows for landlords and less hassle for tenants.

3. Integrated Home Finance: Mortgage Meets Marketplace

Singapore is leading the way in making the property buying journey digital end-to-end. On the public housing side, the HDB Flat Portal integrates eligibility, grants, and housing loans in one place. Buyers now secure an HFE Letter before even shortlisting a property.

Private-sector innovation is equally strong. Portals like PropertyGuru Finance let buyers search for properties and compare mortgage options in the same flow. With MyInfo and Singpass APIs, banks can instantly verify data — turning what was once weeks of paperwork into a matter of minutes.

4. Legal & Regulatory Rails: Trust in the System

In high-value markets like Singapore, trust is non-negotiable. The government has invested heavily in digitising the legal framework that underpins property transactions.

• IRAS e-Stamping has replaced paper-based stamp duty.

• The SLA Digital Conveyancing Portal (launching progressively) will bring lawyers, banks, and buyers onto one secure digital platform.

• The SAL Conveyancing Money Service (CMS) ensures that client funds are protected in specially managed accounts, eliminating the risk of misappropriation.

These rails make sure that technology does not just make transactions faster — it makes them safer.

How It All Connects: The Property Techstack

The real value comes when these elements don’t just exist, but connect. Imagine the stack:

• At the top, Resident Apps simplify daily living.

• In the middle, Payment & Finance APIs handle rent, mortgages, and settlements.

• At the base, Legal & Registry Systems ensure everything is valid and secure.

• And at the foundation, Estate OS & Data quietly runs the entire ecosystem.

The Key Players

None of this would be possible without the companies building and scaling these tools. From JTC and GovTech’s Open Digital Platform, to Habitap on the consumer experience side, to CardUp and ipaymy in payments, and the PropertyGuru Finance and HDB Flat Portal in home finance — the ecosystem is rich and diverse.

And holding it together are the legal and regulatory systems like the SLA Digital Conveyancing Portal, IRAS e-Stamping, and SAL CMS.

Closing Thoughts

Singapore’s PropTech story is not about gadgets. It is about integration. By aligning smart estates, digital payments, finance APIs, and legal safeguards, the country is showing what a truly digital property ecosystem can look like.

It is also a lesson for other markets: the transformation only works when technology, money, and law are designed to work together.