28 Imperial Residences
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Overview & Key Facts
28 Imperial Residences is a compact 99-year leasehold boutique development tucked along Lorong 26 Geylang in District 14 — squarely in the Rest of Central Region (RCR) but with distinctly heartland Geylang character. Developed by MJM Capital Pte Ltd and completed in 2016, it holds just 42 units across a single block — placing it firmly in boutique-condo territory.
The development sits in a stretch of Geylang that has quietly gentrified over the past decade, with a mix of old shophouses, 24-hour supper spots, newer boutique condos, and the rapidly evolving Paya Lebar commercial cluster a short drive away. For buyers who understand Geylang’s dual identity — a hawker-food paradise and heritage neighbourhood by day, with certain lorongs carrying a nightlife reputation after dark — 28 Imperial Residences offers a well-located, low-density address at prices that remain accessible relative to neighbouring mega-developments.
With 99 years of lease commencing from around 2013, approximately 89 years remain as of 2026 — effectively a “fresh” leasehold profile that places no immediate constraints on CPF usage or bank financing. Transactional activity is thin given the small unit count: just 11 sales transactions on record, with a healthy rental pool of 97 leases reflecting its appeal to tenants working in the Paya Lebar–Kallang corridor.
Location & Connectivity
Location is arguably 28 Imperial Residences’ strongest card. Aljunied MRT is approximately 550 metres away, and Dakota MRT on the Circle Line is a similar 580 metres — giving residents walkable access to two different MRT lines. This dual-line accessibility is rare for a boutique development at this price point and translates into a ShiokNest walkability score of 80/100.
Mountbatten MRT is a third option at roughly 680 metres, while Paya Lebar interchange (East-West and Circle Lines) sits about 1.15 km away — reachable on foot in around 14 minutes or via a short bus ride. For drivers, the KPE, PIE, and ECP are all within a few minutes, and the CBD is under 15 minutes off-peak.
The immediate neighbourhood is food-heavy in a way few Singapore districts can match. Sims Vista Market & Food Centre, Old Airport Road Food Centre, and the legendary Geylang Serai Market are all within a 10-minute drive or short bus ride. Paya Lebar Quarter (PLQ) and Paya Lebar Square deliver mall-grade retail, supermarkets (FairPrice Finest, Cold Storage), and office-worker lunch options one MRT stop away.
Families should factor in the education profile carefully. Geylang Methodist Primary sits just 170 metres from the front gate, with Geylang Methodist Secondary at 350 metres and One World International School (Mountbatten) at 380 metres — effectively a cluster of schools at walking distance. Kong Hwa School, a popular choice, is 720 metres away.
Schools & Education
2 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Geylang Methodist School (Primary) | primary | Within 1 km |
| Geylang Methodist School (Secondary) | secondary | Within 1 km |
| One World International School (Mountbatten) | international | Within 1 km |
| Kong Hwa School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Haig Girls' School | primary | ~1.2 km |
| Tanjong Katong Primary School | primary | ~1.5 km |
| Tao Nan School | primary | ~1.6 km |
| Macpherson Primary School | primary | ~1.7 km |
Facilities
As a 42-unit boutique development, 28 Imperial Residences does not pretend to compete with the mega-condo facilities arms race. The offering is deliberately pared back: a lap pool, a modestly sized gym, a BBQ pavilion, and landscaped common areas. There is no tennis court, no function room cluster, no clubhouse, and no water-play zone — features buyers should not expect at this scale.
What boutique living does deliver, however, is exclusivity and low contention. Residents consistently note that the pool and gym are almost always available, a stark contrast to the 1,000+ unit neighbours (Parc Esta, Sims Urban Oasis) where peak-hour facility booking can feel like a competitive sport. Maintenance fees are correspondingly lower, typically landing in a more palatable band than mid-to-large developments with extensive amenity stacks.
Security is a single-entrance setup with 24-hour guard and basic access-card control — adequate for the scale, though without the layered guard-house-plus-lobby protocols common in larger projects. For tenants and owners seeking a “lock-and-leave” profile — young professionals, dual-income couples, or investor landlords — the facilities footprint is well-matched to actual usage patterns.
Unit Sizes & Layout
28 Imperial Residences offers a compact unit mix weighted towards 1- and 2-bedroom configurations — typical for a boutique RCR project targeting the investor and young-professional tenant pool. Typical 1-bedroom units sit in the 450–550 sqft range, while 2-bedroom layouts extend into the 650–750 sqft band. A small number of larger 3-bedroom and penthouse-style units round out the stack.
Transacted PSF has trended firmly upwards, with data moving from around S$1,199 psf in earlier-year transactions to S$1,631 psf in the most recent print — roughly a 36% climb across the recorded window. Median transacted price sits at approximately S$800,000, with the sales spread concentrated on smaller unit types that suit entry-level buyers and landlords alike.
Finishings are functional rather than luxurious — developer-grade kitchen cabinetry, standard sanitary ware, and homogeneous tile flooring throughout. For tenanted use, this is an advantage (easier to maintain, cheaper to refresh between tenancies). Owner-occupiers should expect to spend on a refresh to lift the interior feel to match current market expectations.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 BR | 6 | $1,669 | $740,000 |
| 1 BR | 4 | $1,468 | $891,750 |
| 2 BR | 1 | $1,144 | $850,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 11 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $700,000 to $957,000, averaging $805,182.
Rents range from $1,700 to $4,300 per month across 98 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 4.1%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2024, the average PSF has appreciated by 36.1% (from $1,199 to $1,631 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
Against the D14 peer set, 28 Imperial Residences plays a very specific role: the affordable, MRT-proximate boutique option. Parc Esta (~S$2,182 psf, 99 years from 2018, 1,399 units) is the gold-standard Eunos alternative — newer, larger, more facilities — but requires meaningfully more capital. Sims Urban Oasis (~S$1,760 psf, 99 years from 2014, 1,024 units) offers facility breadth at Aljunied MRT. Penrose (~S$1,928 psf) and The Antares (~S$1,833 psf) occupy the premium end.
EUHABITAT at ~S$1,326 psf is the closest PSF-level comparable and a useful reference point for what older D14 leasehold stock transacts at. The practical takeaway: 28 Imperial Residences trades at a ~25–40% PSF discount to the district’s newer mass-market developments while offering comparable (arguably superior) MRT access. That price gap is the entire investment thesis — buyers receive less amenity and a Geylang address, and are compensated with a materially lower entry ticket and strong cash yield.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 IMPERIAL RESIDENCES | 2016 | 42 | — | |
| PARC ESTA | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 1,399 | $2,184 |
| SIMS URBAN OASIS | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2014 | 2020 | 1,024 | $1,762 |
| PENROSE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2019 | 2021 | 566 | $1,928 |
| EUHABITAT | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2010 | 2016 | 697 | $1,326 |
| THE ANTARES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 265 | $1,833 |
Lease Decay Analysis
The 99-year lease runs from 2016, meaning approximately 10 years have already been consumed. Roughly 89 years remain — still comfortably within the range where most banks will offer full financing without restrictions.
| Year | Lease remaining | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (now) | ~89 years | Full bank financing available |
| 2046 | ~69 years | CPF usage still unrestricted for most buyers |
| 2055 | ~59 years | Approaching 60-year threshold — CPF limits begin for some |
| 2075 | ~39 years | Significant financing restrictions for next buyer |
| 2115 | 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 ~79 years remaining, which is still very bankable. The risk profile changes for longer holds.
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates 28 IMPERIAL RESIDENCES across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Location is unbeatable — Aljunied MRT is a five-minute walk and I’m in the CBD in fifteen. The unit is small but well-laid-out, and maintenance fees are reasonable for what I actually use.”
— Tenant review summarised from PropertyGuru
“Yield has been consistent. Tenants turn over predictably but never a long vacancy — working professionals at Paya Lebar love the commute. Just don’t expect resort facilities.”
— Landlord review via EdgeProp
“Be honest about Geylang. By day it’s foodie heaven, at night some lorongs are livelier. The development itself is quiet and secure, but don’t skip the night-walk before buying.”
— Owner review via 99.co
The resident feedback pattern is unusually consistent for a boutique project: praise for location, transit access, and rental yield; measured acceptance of the facilities footprint; and a recurring note that Geylang’s character is something buyers must self-select into. Few complaints about build quality or management — aided by the small scale, which keeps management overhead low and accountability high.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Excellent dual-MRT access — Aljunied (550m) + Dakota (580m)
- Fresh 99-year lease — ~89 years remaining as of 2026
- Strong gross rental yield at ~4.05% (vs ~3.0% market average)
- Boutique scale (42 units) — low facility contention, low maintenance fees
- Geylang Methodist Primary just 170m — walk-to-school families
- Significant PSF discount (25–40%) vs newer D14 peers
- Paya Lebar commercial cluster drives consistent tenant demand
- Food paradise on doorstep — Old Airport Rd, Geylang Serai, hawker culture
- Strong recent price appreciation (~36% across recorded transactions)
- RCR classification — no ABSD penalty versus CCR alternatives
- Geylang location carries nightlife reputation buyers must self-select into
- Minimal facilities — no tennis, function room, or clubhouse
- Thin transaction history (11 sales) limits price discovery confidence
- Unit sizes compact — 1-BRs in 450–550 sqft range
- Developer-grade finishings may require refresh for own-stay buyers
- Boutique scale offers less liquidity on exit than mega-condo peers
- Street-facing units exposed to Geylang Road noise and foot traffic
- En-bloc potential limited (39/100 score) given small land parcel
- Lower investment score (43/100) reflecting thin transaction depth
Verdict
28 Imperial Residences is a textbook “location first” boutique condo. The proposition is straightforward: pay a reasonable RCR entry price, get dual-MRT access within 600 metres, capture a steady tenant pool from the Paya Lebar office cluster, and accept the trade-off of a pared-back facilities footprint and a location that carries Geylang’s complicated reputation. At a gross yield of around 4.05% — well above the Singapore condo average of roughly 3.0–3.5% — the rental-investor case is mathematically strong.
Comparisons sharpen the picture. Parc Esta next door transacts at roughly S$2,182 psf with vastly superior facilities and a newer lease but demands significantly more capital. Sims Urban Oasis offers similar mass-market positioning at S$1,760 psf. Penrose and The Antares both sit well above 28 Imperial’s recent PSF range. For a buyer who prioritises entry price and rental math over prestige and amenities, 28 Imperial looks cheap on paper — but buyers must sanity-check the location fit in person.
ShiokNest’s composite scoring puts 28 Imperial at 51/100 overall — a pragmatic, middle-of-the-pack result that reflects the strong walkability (80) and yield profile offset by a moderate en-bloc score (39) and an investment score (43) dragged by the thin transaction history and boutique scale. For own-stay buyers who love the neighbourhood’s food and transit, it can be a genuinely compelling home. For investors prioritising cash yield in a well-connected RCR location, the numbers add up.