What does a 726-unit Tanah Merah condominium look like nine years past TOP, with its 99-year lease entering year 13 and a Keppel-Vanke covenant still legible on the asset (as of 2026-05)? The Glades is one of the cleanest tests in District 16 Tanah Merah and Bedok of whether MRT-walkable connectivity, Changi Business Park tenant flow, and a credible developer pairing can outweigh sheer absorption depth and a lease decay clock that has now started ticking in earnest. Delivered in 2017 by Sherwood Development — the Keppel Land and China Vanke joint venture — on a 99-year leasehold from 2013, the project sits roughly five minutes' walk from Tanah Merah MRT on the East-West Line. We pressure-test the bull case (station proximity, Changi BP rental catchment, ~86 years of lease) against the bear case (726-unit resale supply, year-13 lease year, EWL noise and pre-departure announcements) for buyers and investors underwriting a 2026 entry.
Project profile and the Keppel-Vanke covenant (as of 2026-05)
The Glades was launched in 2013 and obtained its Temporary Occupation Permit in 2017. The development sits on New Upper Changi Road in District 16, comprising 726 units across mid-rise residential blocks on a 99-year leasehold from 2013 — leaving approximately 86 years remaining as of 2026 (run a unit-level projection via the lease decay calculator). The developer entity, Sherwood Development, is the Singapore joint venture between Keppel Land and China Vanke — a pairing that combined Keppel's mature Singapore execution playbook with Vanke's mainland-scale residential delivery discipline. The covenant remains a credible signal in the secondary market: well-resourced developer JVs typically translate into tighter strata management, more disciplined sinking-fund accumulation, and fewer deferred-maintenance surprises in years 8 through 15 — exactly the window The Glades is now entering.
The pipeline ahead is well defined for a 2017 TOP project at this scale. The 726-unit resale market has now traded through nearly a decade of cycles, including the 2018 cooling measures, the 2021-22 reflation, and the 2023-24 ABSD-driven recalibration. Listing depth has matured, ask discipline has hardened, and the project now competes on fundamentals — station walkability, Changi BP rental capture, and lease optics — rather than launch-era novelty. The next legible inflection is broader: the East Coast intensification narrative, sustained Changi Business Park tenant demand, and the Thomson-East Coast Line stage-four extension reshaping nearby connectivity through Bayshore and Bedok South stations (verify the network plan on the URA Master Plan map).
Overview & Key Facts
The Glades is a 726-unit condominium on Bedok Rise in District 16, completed in 2017 on a 99-year lease from 2013. Developed by Keppel Land and China Vanke through their joint venture Sherwood Development Pte Ltd, The Glades marries two of Asia’s most respected residential developers — Keppel Land, Singapore’s flagship property arm known for Reflections at Keppel Bay and Corals at Keppel Bay, and Vanke, China’s largest homebuilder. The result is a development that punches well above its OCR price bracket in build quality and design ambition.
Spread across a generous 343,000-square-foot site with nine blocks of 10 to 12 storeys, The Glades is defined by three signature Sky Pods — towering tree-like sculptural structures inspired by the Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay — that illuminate the grounds at night and give the development a resort identity unlike anything else in the Tanah Merah corridor. The architecture by P&T Consultants, landscaping by Peridian Asia, and interiors by Index Design created a development that earned recognition at launch for its lifestyle-forward approach.
At a current average of $1,144,112 per unit ($1,720 psf over the trailing twelve months) with a gross rental yield of 3.56% supported by an exceptional 1,060 recorded rental transactions, The Glades delivers a compelling combination: direct MRT-adjacent living at an East-West Line interchange that is being upgraded for the Thomson-East Coast Line, Keppel Land finishing quality, and one of the most active rental markets in D16. With 86 years of lease remaining and steady PSF appreciation from $1,530 to $1,738 over recent years, the trajectory is encouraging.
Location & Connectivity
The Glades occupies what is arguably the most MRT-accessible address in District 16. Tanah Merah MRT (EW4) — a major interchange station on the East-West Line — is just 280 metres away, connected via a sheltered pedestrian walkway from the development’s side gate. This is not merely a neighbourhood station: Tanah Merah is the interchange point where the EWL branches to Changi Airport (two stops) and the main east-west trunk line running through Paya Lebar, City Hall, and Jurong East. Critically, Tanah Merah is being modified into a TEL interchange, with preparatory works ongoing since 2016 to add Thomson-East Coast Line connectivity. When completed, residents will have dual-line access from a single station.
The immediate surroundings of The Glades are relatively quiet — the development fronts low-rise landed housing to the south, providing unblocked views and breezes for south-facing units. This has historically been both a strength and a weakness: the landed estate preserves privacy and sightlines, but it means there are limited walkable retail and dining options in the immediate vicinity. This gap is being addressed by Sceneca Residence, the mixed-use development directly across the road that introduces ground-floor commercial space including a supermarket — a genuine game-changer for daily convenience.
The school catchment is exceptionally strong. Fengshan Primary School is a remarkable 50 metres from The Glades — effectively at the doorstep, making it one of the closest school-to-condo proximities in Singapore. Ping Yi Secondary (290 m) and Bedok Green Primary (300 m) are also within comfortable walking distance. For families with primary-school-age children, the Fengshan Primary proximity alone is a compelling reason to shortlist The Glades, as it falls well within the 1 km priority enrolment band. Bedok Mall, one stop away on the MRT, provides comprehensive retail, dining, and supermarket options, while East Coast Park and Bedok Reservoir Park are both accessible within a short drive or cycle ride.
Schools & Education
4 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Fengshan Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Ping Yi Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Bedok Green Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Bedok View Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Yu Neng Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Bedok North Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Casuarina Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Bedok South Secondary School | secondary | ~1.1 km |
Facilities
The Glades’ facilities are designed around the “resort living” concept that Keppel Land has refined across its portfolio, and the execution here is genuinely impressive for a mid-range D16 development. The centrepiece is a 50-metre Grand Pool that winds its way through the length of the development, complemented by a children’s pool, multiple jacuzzi spa pools (one large, one medium, and two smaller ones), and a hydrotherapy rain shower area. The aquatic facilities alone would be noteworthy; combined with the three iconic Sky Pods — each housing its own spa pool at elevation — the swimming experience is closer to a boutique resort than a suburban condominium.
The three Sky Pods deserve special mention. These towering tree-like structures, each standing several storeys tall, are illuminated at night and create a visual signature that is instantly recognisable. They function as elevated relaxation decks with spa pools, offering panoramic views and a sense of escape from ground-level living. The effect after dark is genuinely atmospheric — multiple residents describe the evening ambience as “feeling like being in a holiday resort.”
Sporting and fitness amenities include a tennis court, an outdoor fitness station, a yoga deck, and an aqua gym. The fully equipped gymnasium and clubhouse with function room (fitted with TV, refrigerator, cooking area, and WiFi) serve as communal gathering spaces. Children are catered for with a dedicated play zone and adventure slides. BBQ pavilions and a dining pavilion complete the entertaining amenities. The landscaping throughout is lush and well-maintained, with forest spa areas and zen gardens creating pocket retreats within the grounds.
“The facilities are fantastic — the pool is huge and the Sky Pods are genuinely special, especially at night when everything lights up. There are quite a number of jacuzzi spa pools throughout the development. The function room is well-equipped with a full cooking area, which is great for hosting. The whole place feels like a resort on weekends when you’re lounging by the pool.”
— Owner-occupier, two-bedroom, since 2017 (PropertyGuru)
The primary facility shortcoming is scale relative to population. With 726 units sharing a single tennis court, court availability during peak hours is a genuine constraint. The gymnasium has been described by multiple residents as “small by most condo standards” and can feel congested during evening hours. These are the inevitable trade-offs of a development that prioritised aquatic and lifestyle amenities over sporting infrastructure. Maintenance fees run approximately $362 per month for a two-bedroom unit — slightly above average for the area, reflecting the cost of maintaining the elaborate landscaping, Sky Pod lighting, and extensive water features.
Unit Sizes & Layout
The Glades offers one of the most diverse unit mixes in D16, with 104 distinct floor plan types across 726 units ranging from 452 to 2,594 square feet. The breakdown spans one-bedroom units (103), one-bedroom SoHo (55), two-bedroom compact (105), two-bedroom standard (198), two-bedroom SoHo (33), three-bedroom compact (68), three-bedroom standard (118), four-bedroom (20), four-bedroom dual key (10), and 16 penthouses. Three commercial spaces complete the development. This diversity means buyers can find configurations from studio-style pied-à-terre to expansive family penthouses within a single estate.
The standout innovation is Keppel Land’s patented SLIM (Sliding Integrated Multi-function) wall system, featured in the one- and two-bedroom convertible units. This movable partition system (Singapore patent application 201305381-4) allows residents to reconfigure their living space according to need — opening up the bedroom to create a larger living area for entertaining, or closing it off for privacy. The walls double as storage units, keeping the home uncluttered. It was an ahead-of-its-time flexible-living concept that presaged the “smart space” trend now common in new launches.
Interior finishing quality reflects the Keppel Land standard: marble flooring throughout, luxurious bathrooms with rain showers and built-in storage, and premium brand appliances. Several residents have highlighted the “spacious, bright and airy corridors” — uncommon in modern condominiums where corridor space is typically minimised. The double-volume ceiling in selected four-bedroom and penthouse units creates a dramatic sense of space. One-bedroom units at 452–527 square feet are compact but efficiently laid out; the two-bedroom standard units at 667–914 square feet offer genuinely liveable proportions; three-bedroom units at 990–1,248 square feet are spacious by current market standards.
Higher-floor south-facing units benefit from unblocked panoramas over the landed estate, with sea breezes from the East Coast. The 10–12 storey height is lower than many competing developments but sufficient to clear the surrounding low-rise housing. The 16 penthouses (1,916–2,595 sqft) offer the most expansive living in the development, with generous outdoor terraces and views extending toward the coastline.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 BR | 49 | $1,661 | $777,855 |
| 1 BR | 90 | $1,619 | $1,019,394 |
| 2 BR | 45 | $1,567 | $1,245,033 |
| 3 BR | 37 | $1,613 | $1,695,159 |
| 4 BR | 5 | $1,433 | $2,103,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 226 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $655,000 to $2,500,000, averaging $1,146,561 (~$1,713 psf).
Rents range from $1,500 to $8,200 per month across 1083 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 3.6%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 18.5% (from $1,460 to $1,731 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
In the Tanah Merah–Bedok corridor (District 16), The Glades ($1,720 psf, 99-year from 2013, ~86 years remaining) occupies a strategic middle ground between value-oriented older stock and premium new launches. Sceneca Residence ($2,084 psf, 99-year from 2022) is the obvious premium comparison — a brand-new mixed-use development directly across the road from The Glades with integrated Tanah Merah MRT access, ground-floor retail including a supermarket, and a fresh 99-year lease. At a 21% premium to The Glades, Sceneca offers 13 more years of lease and new-build appeal, but delivers just 268 units on a far smaller site with correspondingly fewer facilities. The Glades’ counter-argument is proven: its Sky Pod resort facilities, 1,060 rental track record, and Keppel Land build quality are known quantities rather than promises.
Grandeur Park Residences ($1,807 psf, 99-year from 2016) near Tanah Merah MRT is the closest new-vintage competitor, trading at a 5% premium with similar MRT proximity and a marginally fresher lease. Urban Vista ($1,492 psf, 99-year from 2014, ~87 years remaining) near Tanah Merah offers a 13% discount with comparable lease length but lacks The Glades’ distinctive facilities and direct sheltered MRT walkway. ECO ($1,442 psf, 99-year from 2012, ~85 years remaining) on Bedok South Avenue 3 is the value alternative at a 16% discount, offering a quieter location away from MRT tracks but sacrificing the doorstep MRT access that defines The Glades’ rental appeal.
At the other end, The Bayshore ($1,227 psf, 99-year from 1996, ~66 years remaining) offers resort-scale facilities that dwarf The Glades — a driving range, putting green, four tennis courts — at a 29% discount, but carries 20 fewer years of lease and the accelerating depreciation that accompanies a sub-70-year leasehold. The Glades’ competitive position is clear: it is the MRT-adjacent, quality-built, rental-proven choice for buyers who prioritise connectivity and tenant demand over either maximum value (The Bayshore, ECO) or maximum newness (Sceneca).
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE GLADES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2013 | 2017 | 726 | $1,713 |
| PINERY RESIDENCES | 99 years leasehold | — | — | $2,550 |
| VELA BAY | 99 years leasehold | — | — | $2,869 |
| SCENECA RESIDENCE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2021 | 2023 | 268 | $2,084 |
| THE BAYSHORE | 99-year leasehold | 1996 | 1,038 | $1,232 |
| ECO | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2012 | 2017 | 714 | $1,447 |
Lease Decay Analysis
The 99-year lease runs from 2013, meaning approximately 13 years have already been consumed. Roughly 86 years remain — still comfortably within the range where most banks will offer full financing without restrictions.
| Year | Lease remaining | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (now) | ~86 years | Full bank financing available |
| 2043 | ~69 years | CPF usage still unrestricted for most buyers |
| 2052 | ~59 years | Approaching 60-year threshold — CPF limits begin for some |
| 2072 | ~39 years | Significant financing restrictions for next buyer |
| 2112 | Expiry | Lease reverts to state |
For a buyer purchasing today with a 10-year horizon (exit around 2036), the lease situation is essentially a non-issue — you’d be selling a property with ~76 years remaining, which is still very bankable. The risk profile changes for longer holds.
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates THE GLADES across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Lots of facilities to enjoy on weekends, nice interior with modern luxurious finishing and the best brand appliances. Huge common compound and greenery. The ambience at night feels like being in a holiday resort with the Sky Pods all lit up. Luxurious bathroom with rain shower and storage, plus marble flooring throughout the unit which is easy to clean. Spacious, bright and airy corridors which is unusual for a condo these days.”
— Owner-occupier, two-bedroom (PropertyGuru, 9/10 rating)
“I was a little anxious before I collected my keys as many people told me about track noise for condos near MRT stations. But to my pleasant surprise, nothing heard from my unit. That could be because I chose a unit facing the landed houses. Location is very convenient, just steps away from the MRT exit. I don’t even need a cab when travelling to and from the airport now, and it’s actually faster! The pool is amazing and the Sky Pods at night really do feel special.”
— Owner-occupier, south-facing unit (SingaporeExpats, 9.5/10 rating)
“One of the best around the area — fantastic resort-like facilities and MRT right at the doorstep. There are quite a number of jacuzzi spa pools within the vicinity. The function room is well-equipped with TV, fridge, cooking area and WiFi. My only gripe is the gym is a bit on the small side for 726 units and there’s only one tennis court, which can be hard to book on weekends. But the trade-off is worth it for the lifestyle.”
— Tenant, three-bedroom (PropertyGuru)
“I rent out my two-bedder to an airline crew member at $3,400 a month and have had near-zero vacancy over five years. Tenants love the Tanah Merah MRT access — two stops to Changi Airport is a huge draw for aviation professionals. The rental demand here is genuinely strong and consistent. At $1,720 psf the yield works, and with the TEL coming to Tanah Merah I expect both capital and rental values to have more room to run.”
— Investor-owner, two-bedroom, since 2018 (EdgeProp)
Pricing snapshot and yield mechanics (as of 2026-05)
Pricing in the Tanah Merah submarket has tracked the URA Property Price Index for non-landed Outside Central Region, with MRT-walkable cohort stock trading at a measurable premium to interior D16 inventory. Three-bedroom resale units at The Glades clear at price-per-square-foot levels in the mid-S$1,600 to high-S$1,800 band (as of 2026-05), placing the project at a discount to Sceneca Residence's launch-fresh pricing and at a modest premium to the older Bedok Residences cohort on a like-for-like layout basis. Use the condo comparison tool to model the spread directly against the Tanah Merah-adjacent cohort.
Rental yield is where the Changi Business Park proximity earns its keep. Three-bedroom monthly rents clear in the S$5,200 to S$6,000 band, with two-bedroom layouts pulling proportionally harder on the expat single-and-couple tenant pool that anchors Changi BP. Gross yields land in the 3.4 to 3.8 percent band before strata maintenance, vacancy, and property tax — model the net figure through the rental yield ROI calculator. The Glades benchmarks favourably against district averages on the rental yield heatmap and outperforms most non-station-adjacent D16 stock on rental capture, driven primarily by the ten-minute drive or two-stop MRT hop to Changi BP's tenant pool of finance, technology, and shared-services firms.
Location anchors — Tanah Merah MRT, Bedok Mall, Changi Business Park (as of 2026-05)
The defining connectivity anchor is Tanah Merah MRT station on the East-West Line, approximately a five-minute walk depending on the block within The Glades. The station is also the EWL terminus interchange for the Changi Airport branch, which means residents tap into both the Changi Airport spur and the full east-west spine into Bugis, City Hall, Raffles Place, and Tanjong Pagar. Verify your own door-to-desk timing through the commute time map; live resolved arrivals run roughly 25 minutes to Raffles Place and roughly 35 minutes to Orchard via City Hall transfer.
Bedok Mall and Bedok MRT sit one stop west, handling the full daily retail and food-court load — including a substantial NTUC FairPrice anchor and the refurbished Bedok hawker complex. Changi Business Park, the dominant rental demand driver, is a ten-minute drive or a two-stop EWL ride via Expo MRT, with tenant anchors including Standard Chartered, DBS, Citibank, and Credit Suisse-UBS regional shared services. Bedok Reservoir Park lies a short drive north for the running, kayaking, and waterfront amenity layer; Bedok Reservoir Park remains one of the more underrated lifestyle anchors in the district. Schools include Temasek Primary and Temasek Secondary within a one-kilometre radius; check the amenity heatmap layers for full catchment overlap.
Pros — Tanah Merah MRT, Changi BP rental pool, ~86yr lease, Keppel-Vanke covenant (as of 2026-05)
The bull case rests on four legs. First, Tanah Merah MRT proximity is the structural anchor — the five-minute walk to the station puts The Glades inside the connectivity premium band that URA's own transaction data consistently rewards on resale price-per-square-foot. Second, the Changi Business Park tenant catchment provides a depth and quality of rental demand that interior D16 stock simply cannot replicate; the gross yield differential is visible in live transaction data (preview the project's score profile on the walkability and investment score map).
Third, the lease year — 13 of 99, with approximately 86 years remaining — sits comfortably above all CPF usage and bank loan-to-value thresholds, meaning financing terms today are functionally identical to a freshly-launched leasehold for most buyer profiles. Fourth, the Keppel-Vanke developer covenant continues to support strata management quality in the critical year 8-15 window when sinking fund discipline separates well-run projects from problem ones. The URA Master Plan map reinforces the broader East Coast intensification narrative, with TEL stage-four bringing Bayshore and Bedok South online and the Changi Region 2040 plan continuing to deepen the business-park tenant pool. Few D16 projects at this entry price-per-square-foot can match that combination of station walkability, employer-driven rental demand, and credible developer governance.
Verdict — a Tanah Merah MRT-walkable Keppel-Vanke asset with Changi BP rental optionality (as of 2026-05)
The Glades sits in a specific and well-priced category: a mature, station-walkable 99-year leasehold project from a credible developer pairing, with rental demand anchored in a structural employer catchment, and with the lease still in its gentle-decay phase. The asymmetry favours owner-occupiers who value the five-minute MRT walk and the Changi Business Park commute, and investors who can hold through the 726-unit absorption noise to capture the East Coast intensification narrative through 2030 and beyond. It is not the right fit for short-hold flippers — the project trades on fundamentals now, not launch-era momentum.
Versus Sceneca Residence (launched 2023, lease from 2022, smaller boutique format at higher price-per-square-foot), The Glades offers a yield premium and a price discount, traded against the obvious lease-year and condition gap. Versus Bedok Residences (older, integrated with Bedok Mall and Bedok MRT), The Glades wins on Changi BP commute and underperforms on retail-podium convenience. For investors, the 3.4 to 3.8 percent gross yield is competitive against D16 peers but must be stress-tested against absorption risk and the medium-term lease curve. Run a total cost of ownership calculation and a cash flow projection before underwriting; if you are financing, the TDSR calculator and mortgage calculator will pressure-test serviceability. Investment-property buyers should layer in stamp duty implications, and households reshaping ownership structures may want to model a decoupling scenario. Buyers refinancing existing leverage can model rate-cycle exposure via the refinancing calculator, and first-time buyers stretching affordability should sanity-check the entry through the affordability calculator.
Risks — 726-unit absorption, lease year 13, Tanah Merah-EWL noise (as of 2026-05)
The risks compound on the other side. The Glades' 726-unit count means resale supply at any given moment is materially deeper than a 300-unit boutique — when sentiment turns, absorption stretches and ask prices compress visibly. Owners pricing a resale today should benchmark live listing depth on the price heatmap before locking an ask, and stack the offering against current new launches map inventory within the Bedok and Tanah Merah catchment.
The 99-year leasehold is at year 13 of decay (as of 2026-05), still inside the gentle-decay zone per SLA Bala curve approximations — typically less than 0.5 percent per year through year 30 — but buyers underwriting a 15- to 20-year hold should model the curve explicitly via the lease decay calculator. The third risk is acoustic and operational: blocks oriented closer to the Tanah Merah-EWL alignment carry low-frequency train noise and the periodic pre-departure announcement bleed from the station forecourt; auditioning a stack at peak hours is essential before committing. The fourth, more macro risk is the ongoing Government Land Sales pipeline in the broader East Coast intensification belt (track via the Government Land Sales map) — Sceneca Residence-adjacent parcels and Bayshore TEL-anchored sites will continue to draw competing 99-year inventory into the catchment through 2027-29.