The Ebony
Overview & Key Facts
The Ebony is a 32-unit freehold condominium tucked along Lorong Marican in District 14 — a compact boutique development completed in 2013 by Bravo Building Construction Pte Ltd. At an average transacted price of around S$628,000, it stands out as one of the most accessible entry points into freehold D14 real estate, a district that otherwise commands significant premiums through larger projects such as Parc Esta and Penrose.
What the development lacks in scale and facilities it compensates for with an unusually strong investment case. Seventy-eight rental contracts recorded across just 32 units — more than two rental engagements per unit on average — signals a tenant-active address where landlord yield is demonstrably real rather than theoretical. At 4.59% gross yield, The Ebony sits comfortably above the district average and well above most newer 99-year launches in the OCR. For a buyer who wants freehold land, a proven rental stream, and sub-S$700K quantum, The Ebony is a name worth knowing.
The development comprises a single residential block on a modest freehold land parcel. With only 32 units, the community is tight-knit by necessity — residents frequently cite the quiet, low-traffic character of the compound as one of its principal day-to-day virtues. The unit mix skews toward 1- and 2-bedroom formats, which aligns naturally with the profile of the tenants who occupy the development and the singles or couples who form its owner-occupier base.
Location & Connectivity
The Ebony sits on Lorong Marican, a short residential road that connects to the broader Kembangan neighbourhood. The nearest MRT is Kembangan station on the East-West Line at approximately 490 metres — a comfortable five-to-seven minute walk through low-rise residential streets. Eunos MRT, also on the East-West Line, sits around 620 metres in the opposite direction. Having two East-West Line stations within walking distance is a genuine convenience for commuters: one in each direction, allowing riders to board against the crowd flow depending on their destination and time of day.
Changi Airport and the CBD are both well-served by the East-West Line from Kembangan. Orchard is reachable in roughly 20 minutes; City Hall in around 25. Drivers benefit from proximity to the Pan Island Expressway and the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway, with straightforward access to Tampines, Paya Lebar, and the city fringe. Paya Lebar Quarter — the closest major commercial and dining hub — is under three kilometres away by car or around 10 minutes by MRT via a quick two-stop hop to Paya Lebar interchange.
Day-to-day errands are covered in the immediate vicinity: Kembangan Plaza and Siglap Centre are within a short drive for supermarket shopping, while the Bedok Food Centre and a cluster of kopitiams near Eunos are accessible on foot. The Geylang Serai Market — one of Singapore’s most storied wet markets — is around two kilometres away and worth the occasional trip for Malay cuisine and traditional produce.
One address consideration worth addressing honestly: Lorong Marican is in the southern fringe of the Kembangan neighbourhood, and some buyers associate the broader D14 postal district with the Geylang corridor. The Ebony’s immediate streetscape is residential and quiet — it is not in or near the Geylang entertainment belt — but buyers unfamiliar with the micro-geography sometimes conflate these distinct neighbourhoods. In practice, residents describe Lorong Marican as a calm, family-friendly street, and the walkability score of 75 reflects genuine day-to-day convenience rather than urban density.
Schools & Education
1 primary school within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Canossa Catholic Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Telok Kurau Primary School | primary | ~1.0 km |
| Tanjong Katong Girls' School | secondary | ~1.6 km |
| Canadian International School (Tanjong Katong) | international | ~1.6 km |
| Broadrick Secondary School | secondary | ~1.7 km |
| EtonHouse International School (Broadrick) | international | ~1.7 km |
| Chung Cheng High School (Main) | secondary | ~1.8 km |
| Haig Girls' School | primary | ~1.8 km |
Facilities
Facilities at The Ebony reflect the scale of the development: at 32 units, there is a swimming pool, gymnasium, and landscaped grounds, but no tennis courts, clubhouse, function rooms, or multi-zone amenity clusters. Boutique freehold developments of this size in D14 invariably prioritise land cost and unit quantum over amenity breadth — The Ebony is no exception. Residents who require resort-style facilities are better served by larger nearby developments. The practical upside is that pool and gym access is rarely contested; for a working household that uses the pool once or twice a week, the experience is considerably more pleasant than sharing with 1,000 neighbours.
“Small development, so the pool is never crowded. Honestly prefer it that way — feels like a private pool most mornings. Location is the real draw though, Kembangan MRT is a short walk and the neighbourhood is quiet.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
Maintenance fees at a 32-unit freehold development are worth factoring into the holding-cost equation. With a smaller pool of contributions, per-unit fees can be higher relative to mega-developments; buyers should verify the current management corporation (MCST) fee schedule before committing. The low unit count does, however, mean that maintenance decisions move quickly and management committees tend to be responsive — a practical advantage that larger developments with drawn-out AGM processes cannot always match.
Unit Sizes & Layout
The Ebony’s unit configuration is oriented toward compact, high-yield formats — the 1- and 2-bedroom sizes that make up the bulk of the development are the same formats that drive the 78-rental-contract track record. A 2013 completion date places the build in a cohort that pre-dates the most aggressive size compression of recent years, meaning layouts are generally functional without the micro-unit squeeze that characterises post-2016 new launches. That said, buyers comparing against new-build 2-bedrooms should not expect the generous squarefootage of a 1990s or early-2000s development — this is a contemporary compact format, not a spacious heritage unit.
Given the freehold status and location between two MRT stations, units at The Ebony function well as either own-stay or investment purchases. Investors particularly value 1-bedroom units for their lower entry quantum and high rental velocity — the average rental at S$2,392 per month, applied against an average purchase price of S$628,000, produces the 4.59% gross yield that makes the development stand out against competing leasehold options in the district. Buyers intending own-stay for a small household or single professional will find the unit proportions adequate; families of three or more will likely find 2-bedroom units tight over the medium term.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 BR | 5 | $1,676 | $580,600 |
| 1 BR | 1 | $1,289 | $888,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 6 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $515,000 to $888,000, averaging $631,833.
Rents range from $1,600 to $4,000 per month across 78 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 4.6%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2024, the average PSF has appreciated by 22.5% (from $1,566 to $1,918 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The Ebony’s most direct freehold comparison in D14 is Urban Treasures (freehold, 582 units, averaging around S$1,600+ psf) — a mid-size development that offers more facilities and greater liquidity, but at a meaningfully higher quantum. Against the district’s dominant leasehold projects, the value gap is stark: Parc Esta (99-year, 1,399 units, ~S$2,182 psf) and Penrose (99-year, 566 units, ~S$1,928 psf) both command S$300–600 psf premiums over The Ebony despite non-freehold tenure — a differential that reflects their superior facilities, larger unit counts, and stronger new-launch branding, but which inverts conventional freehold-over-leasehold pricing logic. For a buyer prioritising yield and land title over amenity, that differential is the opportunity.
EuHabitat (99-year, 697 units, ~S$1,326 psf) offers a lower entry PSF but at the cost of leasehold tenure and a 2010 TOP date with an aging lease clock. Sims Urban Oasis (~S$1,760 psf, 99-year) provides better facilities and a higher profile address near Aljunied, but at nearly double The Ebony’s transacted quantum for comparable unit types. The Ebony wins on total cost of entry and freehold permanence; it concedes on scale, branding, and facilities depth to virtually every competing project.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE EBONY | Freehold | 2013 | 32 | — |
| PARC ESTA | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 1,399 | $2,182 |
| SIMS URBAN OASIS | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2014 | 2020 | 1,024 | $1,760 |
| 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 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates THE EBONY across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Very convenient for commuting — I use Kembangan MRT every day and the walk is easy, about 7 minutes. The neighbourhood itself is quiet and safe. Not the flashiest condo, but everything works and the pool is practically private.”
— Resident review via EdgeProp
“Good rental yield — I’ve had tenants in continuously since I bought. The small size of the development means the management is easy to deal with and maintenance issues get sorted quickly. Would not suit a family needing space, but for an investment unit it does the job well.”
— Owner review via 99.co
“Location is the main selling point. Two MRT stations within walking distance and close to Paya Lebar. The development itself is basic — don’t expect Parc Esta-level facilities — but at this price for a freehold unit in D14, I think it’s fair value.”
— Buyer review via PropertyGuru
Across review sources, the recurring themes are consistent: residents value the MRT proximity and neighbourhood quiet, while acknowledging that facilities are minimal and the development is better suited to singles, couples, and investors than to families with children who need space to spread out. No significant management complaints surface in publicly available reviews, which for a 32-unit freehold development is a meaningful signal of functional MCST governance.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure in D14 — permanent land title at sub-S$700K average
- Dual MRT access: Kembangan 490m + Eunos 620m (both East-West Line)
- Exceptional rental track record — 78 rental contracts across 32 units
- 4.59% gross yield, among the strongest in the D14 sub-market
- Quiet, low-traffic residential street with 75/100 walkability score
- PSF appreciated from S$1,503 (yr3) to S$1,918 (yr4) — positive momentum
- Uncrowded pool and gym — boutique scale means near-private amenity use
- Low entry quantum (~S$628K avg) relative to comparable D14 freehold options
- Responsive MCST governance typical of small freehold developments
- Minimal facilities — pool and gym only, no tennis courts or clubhouse
- Only 6 recorded sales transactions — thin price discovery, low liquidity
- Lorong Marican address carries unwarranted Geylang perception discount
- 32 units means higher per-unit maintenance fees than mega-developments
- Not suited to families requiring 3-bedroom+ space
- No nearby primary school within 1 km — Canossa Catholic at 850m is the closest
- Limited resale pool — small development means fewer buyers at any given time
- No investment-grade facilities (no tennis, function rooms, BBQ pits) to justify top-end PSF
Verdict
The Ebony occupies a specific and underappreciated niche: it is one of the most affordable freehold entry points into a D14 postal district that is otherwise dominated by large leasehold projects asking S$1,700–S$2,200 psf. At around S$628,000 average transaction price with freehold tenure and a proven 4.59% gross yield, it suits the investor who wants land title, genuine rental income, and a quantum that does not require a second property to be sold first. The dual MRT access at Kembangan (490m) and Eunos (620m) adds a commuter-friendly dimension that many boutique freehold developments in the district cannot match.
The limitations are real and should not be glossed over. Thirty-two units means minimal facilities, and buyers who want a tennis court, function room, or resort-scale pool will need to look elsewhere. The Lorong Marican address carries a perception discount among buyers unfamiliar with the sub-neighbourhood, even though the immediate environment is quiet and residential. And with only six recorded sales transactions, price discovery is thin — a motivated seller or an off-market deal can move the average meaningfully in either direction, making precise valuation more art than science.
For the right buyer — a single professional, a couple, or an investor building a yield-oriented portfolio — the calculus is compelling. Freehold land in District 14 at sub-S$700K quantum with above-average rental yield is a profile that rarely emerges in the current market. The development’s low transaction volume means opportunities arise infrequently; buyers who fit the profile should track it actively rather than waiting for a moment of urgency.