Attitude At Kim Yam
Overview & Key Facts
Attitude at Kim Yam occupies a quiet stretch of Kim Yam Road in District 9 — a short walk from the Robertson Quay waterfront and sitting squarely within the CCR’s most accessible price tier. With just 33 units spread across a boutique footprint, it is a study in contrast: premium address, modest scale, and a 999-year lease that dates to an 1841 Crown grant — placing it effectively on par with freehold in any practical ownership horizon.
The development was marketed to investors and owner-occupiers seeking a CCR foothold without the S$2,500–S$3,200 PSF entry point of the area’s newer 99-year launches. At a median price of S$775,000 and a trailing 12-month PSF of S$2,035, it sits roughly 25–36% below comparable new launches — while carrying a lease that will comfortably outlast every buyer alive today. The 98 rental transactions recorded against just 6 resale transactions speak plainly: this is a property held for yield, not churn.
The boutique scale comes with the tradeoffs inherent in all 33-unit developments: limited on-site amenity depth, a small management committee, and a unit mix that skews toward studio and one-bedroom configurations suited to the rental market. What it offers in return is the rarity of a D9 CCR address, near-permanent tenure, and a gross yield of 4.03% that would be difficult to replicate among the freehold and 999-year stock in the surrounding streets.
Location & Connectivity
Kim Yam Road threads through one of Singapore’s most walkable urban neighbourhoods. Great World MRT (Thomson-East Coast Line) is 540 metres away — a comfortable seven-minute walk that connects residents directly to Orchard (one stop north) and the future TEL extensions south and east. Somerset MRT (North-South Line) sits at 570 metres, offering a second line with direct access to City Hall and Raffles Place. Fort Canning MRT (Downtown Line) at 670 metres adds a third option, while Dhoby Ghaut interchange — serving both Circle and North-South lines — is 830 metres on foot. Three lines within a seven-minute walk is exceptional connectivity by any Singapore standard.
The immediate neighbourhood is anchored by Great World City mall, which underwent a major rejuvenation in 2021–2022 and now houses Cold Storage, a curated F&B mix, Cathay Cineplexes, and a children’s indoor play zone. Robertson Quay’s riverfront restaurant and bar strip is a ten-minute walk. Tiong Bahru Market — arguably Singapore’s best-known hawker centre — is accessible within a fifteen-minute bus or MRT ride. For day-to-day groceries and banking, Great World City provides a self-contained solution within walking distance.
Families with school-age children are well served. Fairfield Methodist Primary School is just 220 metres away — effectively at the doorstep — making Phase 2C P1 registration proximity almost irrelevant for residents of this address. Kheng Cheng School is 510 metres, Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) is 1.10 km, and Singapore Management University is 1.22 km. The concentration of educational institutions within walking distance is unusual even by CCR standards.
Schools & Education
2 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) | primary | Within 1 km |
| Kheng Cheng School | primary | Within 1 km |
| ACS (Junior) | primary | ~1.1 km |
| Singapore Management University | tertiary | ~1.2 km |
| Outram Secondary School | secondary | ~1.4 km |
| Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts | tertiary | ~1.5 km |
| School of the Arts | jc | ~1.5 km |
| St. Anthony's Primary School | primary | ~1.6 km |
Facilities
At 33 units, Attitude at Kim Yam offers the facilities one expects from a boutique CCR development — a swimming pool, gymnasium, and common lounge — without the resort-scale amenity depth that comes with a 300-unit or 500-unit development. This is a deliberate trade-off that most buyers in this segment accept: the draw is the address, the tenure, and the yield profile, not the lap pool or the badminton court. Modern CCR boutique specifications typically include quality fittings, smart home features, and floor-to-ceiling glazing — fixtures that age well in the rental market where tenants compare against serviced apartment alternatives.
“For a boutique of this size, the pool and gym are exactly what you need — well-maintained and never crowded. I never have to wait for a machine. The real selling point is stepping outside to Robertson Quay for dinner instead.”
— Resident review via EdgeProp
The practical reality for most residents is that Great World City’s retail amenities, the Robertson Quay dining strip, and the Kim Yam road park connector effectively extend the “facilities” beyond the development boundary. A 33-unit development can never match the amenity breadth of The Sail or Marina One, but for tenants and owner-occupiers in this sub-market, the neighbourhood itself is the amenity. Management fees are typically lower than larger developments, which partially offsets the reduced on-site facility depth.
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 6 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $718,000 to $950,000, averaging $789,481 (~$2,035 psf).
Rents range from $1,750 to $3,500 per month across 98 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 4.0%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has declined by 12.3% (from $2,188 to $1,919 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The most instructive comparison is against the newer 99-year launches in the same planning area. River Green (524 units, 2024 launch, ~S$3,135 PSF) and The Avenir (376 units, freehold, ~S$3,190 PSF) represent the premium end of the Robertson Quay/Kim Yam corridor — both offering superior facilities depth, larger units, and developer-fresh specifications. Irwell Hill Residences (540 units, 99-year from 2020, ~S$2,726 PSF) sits in the mid-tier. Against all three, Attitude at Kim Yam’s S$2,035 PSF represents a 25–36% discount — but the 999-year vs 99-year tenure gap is the key variable that a simple PSF comparison obscures.
Kopar at Newton (~S$2,512 PSF, 99-year, 2019, 378 units) is perhaps the most direct comparable in terms of unit size and investor appeal. Kopar offers better facilities and a larger community, but its 99-year lease from 2019 means it will hit the 60-year lease-decay threshold in 2079 — a consideration that will affect re-financing and resale to the next generation of buyers. Attitude at Kim Yam’s 999-year tenure eliminates this concern entirely. For long-hold investors who plan to pass the asset to heirs, the tenure differential justifies a meaningful premium — and Attitude at Kim Yam is currently priced at a discount, not a premium, to its 99-year competition.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATTITUDE AT KIM YAM | 999 yrs lease commencing from 1841 | — | 33 | $2,035 |
| IRWELL HILL RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2020 | 2021 | 540 | $2,726 |
| RIVER GREEN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 524 | $3,135 |
| RIVER MODERN | 99 years leasehold | — | — | $3,237 |
| THE AVENIR | Freehold | 2021 | 376 | $3,190 |
| KOPAR AT NEWTON | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2019 | 2021 | 378 | $2,512 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates ATTITUDE AT KIM YAM across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Location is unbeatable. I walk to Great World MRT in seven minutes and have Robertson Quay restaurants five minutes the other way. For a compact unit the layout is well thought out — no wasted corridor space. The building is quiet despite being so central.”
— Resident review via EdgeProp
“Good investment property. Tenants are easy to find — usually rented out within two to three weeks of listing. The 999-year tenure was the deciding factor for me over other D9 options. Facilities are basic but the management keeps everything clean and in working order.”
— Owner review via PropertyGuru
“The unit is smaller than I expected but the location more than compensates. Fairfield Methodist is literally at the end of the road — my daughter walks to school unaccompanied. I’ve had two tenants back-to-back without any void period. Only gripe is the gym could use a cable machine upgrade.”
— Resident review via 99.co
The pattern across review platforms is consistent: residents and landlords cite the multi-line MRT walkability, the Robertson Quay lifestyle proximity, and the near-zero void period rental experience as the standout positives. The compact unit sizes and modest on-site facilities are acknowledged trade-offs rather than surprises. The 98 rental transactions on record confirm that the tenant demand story is not anecdotal — this is among the highest rental-transaction-to-unit ratios for boutique CCR developments in District 9.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- 999-year lease from 1841 — ~814 years remaining, functionally equivalent to freehold
- Three MRT lines within 700m: Great World TEL (540m), Somerset NS (570m), Fort Canning DT (670m)
- Fairfield Methodist Primary at 220m — near-doorstep P1 balloting advantage
- D9 CCR address at S$2,035 PSF — 25–36% below comparable new 99-year launches
- 4.03% gross yield — exceptional for a CCR 999-year asset; proven by 98 rental transactions
- Robertson Quay dining and riverfront lifestyle within 10-minute walk
- Great World City mall (rejuvenated 2021–22) walkable for daily errands
- No lease-decay risk — 999-year tenure insulates against the 60-year financing cliff
- Boutique 33-unit building — quiet, low-traffic common areas, near-zero wait for pool/gym
- Low void periods — rental demand from D9 CCR expatriate market consistently strong
- Small unit sizes (~380 sqft average) — compact by CCR standards, not suitable for families needing space
- Limited on-site facilities — pool and gym only; no tennis, function rooms, or resort-scale amenities
- Only 6 resale transactions on record — thin secondary market, price discovery challenging
- PSF softening trend: S$2,188 → S$1,919 over recent quarters — capital appreciation headwinds near term
- Boutique MCST risk — 33-unit management committee has limited scale to absorb major repair costs
- No large carpark stack — limited parking for car-owning households in a CCR location
- Compact layout limits family use — better suited to couples or singles than 3-person+ households
- No concierge or 24-hour security at the scale of larger CCR developments
Verdict
Attitude at Kim Yam is one of the purest yield plays in the CCR. The case is direct: D9 address, 999-year tenure, three MRT lines within 700 metres, Fairfield Methodist Primary at 220 metres, 4.03% gross yield, and a median price of S$775,000 that is 25–36% below new 99-year launches in the same planning area. For an investor running a Singapore property portfolio with an eye on rental income rather than speculative capital appreciation, very few alternatives in the CCR tick as many boxes at this price point.
The caveat is honest: this is not a development for buyers seeking space, facilities, or the prestige of a landmark address. At ~380 sqft average, units are functionally efficient rather than comfortable for two-person living. The boutique management committee model introduces idiosyncratic risk that a MCST in a 300-unit development largely absorbs through scale. And the PSF softening trend — S$2,188 to S$1,919 over recent quarters — warrants attention: it suggests that while rental demand is robust, resale capital values are drifting rather than rising. The 999-year tenure insulates against the lease-decay discount that will eventually compress 99-year CCR properties, but buyers should hold realistic expectations on capital appreciation in the near term.
For the right buyer profile — an investor seeking long-dated, yield-generating CCR exposure at a sub-S$900K entry point, ideally with a planning horizon of ten-plus years — Attitude at Kim Yam offers a combination of address quality, tenure permanence, and yield depth that is genuinely scarce in today’s Singapore market. The Great World TEL opening has structurally improved the connectivity story; the P1 school proximity adds a secondary demand driver for family tenants. These are durable fundamentals that compound over the ownership horizon.