The Tate Residences
Overview & Key Facts
The Tate Residences occupies one of the tightest slivers of prime District 9 real estate — a 35-storey freehold tower at 28 Claymore Road, tucked between the Orchard Road shopping belt and the embassy-lined Claymore/Ardmore enclave. Developed by Hong Leong Holdings and designed by DP Architects, it was completed in 2010 with just 85 exclusive apartments across its vertical footprint. In a segment where neighbouring projects routinely top 400 units, the Tate’s low density is its opening statement.
The positioning is unambiguously ultra-luxury. Unit sizes start at around 1,800 sqft for 3-bedrooms and stretch to roughly 3,000 sqft for 4-bedroom configurations — no shoebox studios, no compact 2-bedrooms. Every stack faces Orchard Road, the Good Class Bungalow belt, or the skyline toward Marina Bay. Current market data shows an average PSF of about S$3,171 over the past 12 months, with recent transactions clustering between S$5.2 million and S$9 million and rentals ranging from S$9,000 to S$35,000 per month.
Its buyer profile skews heavily toward Singaporean UHNW owner-occupiers, long-term PR families, and a minority of foreign residents holding via trust or prior ABSD regimes. The result is a building that behaves less like a typical condo and more like a vertical townhouse cluster — quiet lift lobbies, familiar faces in the carpark, and a management culture that emphasises discretion over amenity theatre.
Location & Connectivity
Location is the single strongest argument for The Tate Residences. The development sits ~490m from Orchard MRT (North-South and Thomson-East Coast Lines) and ~620m from Orchard Boulevard MRT on the TEL — roughly an 8-minute walk through the Claymore Connect / Far East Plaza axis. Napier MRT (0.88km) offers a second TEL option toward the Botanic Gardens and UNESCO belt, and Newton MRT (1.02km) provides Downtown Line access. For a freehold enclave of this calibre, triple-MRT walkability is genuinely uncommon — our walkability score of 88/100 reflects that density of transit plus retail.
On foot, residents reach Delfi Orchard, Forum The Shopping Mall, ION Orchard, and Wisma Atria within 5–10 minutes. The Marriott, Hilton, Goodwood Park, and St Regis are all within a kilometre — a practical benefit for residents who host often or rely on concierge-adjacent services. For drivers, the CTE is a two-minute slip via Stevens Road, and the CBD is 8–10 minutes off-peak. Takashimaya’s basement food hall and Tanglin Mall’s Cold Storage cover the daily grocery run.
Schools within 1 km read like an international-family shortlist: ISS International School (Preston) at 0.35 km, ISS International (Paterson) at 0.37 km, St. Anthony’s Primary at 0.38 km, and Chatsworth International (Orchard) at 0.55 km. Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) and Methodist Girls’ School sit just inside the 1 km P1 priority ring at 0.96 km — a meaningful advantage for Singaporean families willing to pay ultra-prime psf for balloting proximity to two of the most sought-after local primary schools.
Schools & Education
2 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| ISS International School (Preston) | international | Within 1 km |
| ISS International School (Paterson) | international | Within 1 km |
| St. Anthony's Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Chatsworth International School (Orchard) | international | Within 1 km |
| Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) | primary | Within 1 km |
| Methodist Girls' School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Methodist Girls' School (Primary) | primary | ~1.1 km |
| Singapore Chinese Girls' School (Primary) | primary | ~1.1 km |
Facilities
The Tate Residences takes a deliberately restrained approach to facilities — the opposite of the mega-condo “everything included” model. The amenity deck hosts a 25m swimming pool with reflective water feature, a separate wading pool, a tennis court (rare for an 85-unit building on a constrained Claymore plot), a fully-equipped gymnasium, BBQ pavilions, a reflexology walking path, a children’s playground, and 24-hour concierge-style security with covered drop-off. There is no clubhouse with karaoke rooms, no onsen, no function halls — and residents uniformly prefer it that way.
“It’s not a resort condo. You’re buying a quiet building five minutes from ION where the lifts are almost always empty. That’s the point.”
— Long-term resident, via Singapore Expats directory
With just 85 units sharing the facilities, usage pressure is negligible — the tennis court is bookable on-demand, pool lanes are almost never contested, and the gym rarely has more than two people in it at any time. This is materially different from the experience at larger D9 freehold projects like The Avenir (376 units) or even boutique-ish Ardmore Three (84 units), where amenity scheduling can matter during school holidays. Landscape design is understated rather than showy: mature palms, a linear reflecting pool, and stone walls that soften the tower’s vertical mass at the pedestrian approach.
Unit Sizes & Layout
There are only two unit typologies here, both genuinely large by Singapore standards. 3-bedroom units range from approximately 1,800 to 2,300 sqft, with either 3 or 4 bathrooms depending on stack. 4-bedroom units cluster around 3,000 sqft, with 4–5 bathrooms and dedicated helper quarters. There are no 1-bedroom or 2-bedroom units, no dual-key layouts, and no penthouses in the duplex sense — the top floors are simply larger single-level 4-bedrooms with private rooftop terraces. The absence of small formats is a deliberate filter: it excludes the pied-à-terre investor profile and keeps the owner base concentrated in genuine residential use.
Layout efficiency is high. The 3-bedroom stacks feature rectangular living-dining spaces with floor-to-ceiling glazing, an enclosed yet well-sized kitchen with wet/dry separation, and a private lift lobby opening directly into each unit on most floors. The 4-bedroom formats add a family room, full-sized dining capable of seating 10, and walk-in wardrobes in the master. Ceiling heights are a generous 3m in living areas, with marble flooring as standard. Brand fixtures included Gaggenau appliances and Villeroy & Boch sanitaryware at handover — the level of fit-out that neighbouring newer projects ask S$4,000+ psf for.
Against the current prime-district launch cohort, the Tate offers something increasingly scarce: freehold tenure, large floor plates, and an established strata community at a psf that looks reasonable once you normalise for unit size. At roughly S$3,171 psf, a 2,000 sqft 3-bedroom transacts in the mid-S$6m range — comparable on absolute dollars to much smaller 99-year leasehold units at The Avenir or Irwell Hill Residences.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 BR | 3 | $2,616 | $4,956,667 |
| 5 BR | 10 | $2,967 | $8,570,800 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 13 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $4,620,000 to $10,100,000, averaging $7,736,769 (~$3,144 psf).
Rents range from $8,000 to $34,000 per month across 119 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 1.8%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 19.7% (from $2,626 to $3,144 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The Tate’s natural peer set is the small cohort of D9 freehold, low-density, large-format towers within 600m of Orchard MRT. Ardmore Three (freehold, 84 units, ~S$3,800–4,200 psf) is the closest structural match — and demonstrates the premium that a slightly more prestigious Ardmore address commands. Nassim Park Residences and Gramercy Park operate in a still higher psf bracket (S$3,900–4,500) with larger land plots and garden-style layouts. Twentyone Angullia Park offers similar freehold pedigree closer to ION at S$3,700+ psf. Against this set, the Tate is the value entry point to the ultra-prime Orchard freehold club.
Against the newer 99-year leasehold launches in the immediate vicinity — The Avenir (freehold, 376 units, S$3,190 psf), Irwell Hill Residences (99yr from 2020, S$2,726 psf), River Green (99yr from 2024, S$3,134 psf), Kopar at Newton (99yr from 2019, S$2,512 psf) — the Tate trades higher psf for genuine freehold tenure, materially lower unit count, and a building already 16 years post-TOP with known management and wear patterns. For owner-occupiers optimising for inheritance horizons, that bundle is usually worth the premium. For shorter-hold investors focused on rental yield, the newer leaseholds often look more attractive on cashflow.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE TATE RESIDENCES | Freehold | 2010 | 85 | $3,144 |
| IRWELL HILL RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2020 | 2021 | 540 | $2,728 |
| RIVER GREEN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 524 | $3,138 |
| RIVER MODERN | 99 years leasehold | — | — | $3,239 |
| THE AVENIR | Freehold | 2021 | 376 | $3,190 |
| KOPAR AT NEWTON | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2019 | 2021 | 378 | $2,511 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates THE TATE RESIDENCES across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“What I pay for is the quietness. Eighty-five units means I know every face in the lift. The pool is empty at 7am. After 15 years in larger condos, this feels like a private home.”
— Owner-resident, via EdgeProp
“Very walkable to Orchard. I don’t drive during weekdays at all. ION, Ngee Ann City, Paragon — all under 10 minutes on foot. For an ultra-prime address the psf is actually quite reasonable versus Ardmore.”
— Tenant review, via PropertyGuru
“The finishes are still holding up well after more than a decade — Gaggenau kitchen and marble floors in good condition. Management is discreet and responsive. Only gripe: MCST fees are on the higher side given the small unit count spreads the cost.”
— Long-term owner, via Singapore Expats
Resident sentiment is consistent across the major review platforms: low-density, building discretion, and Orchard walkability are the recurring praise points. The only material complaint — and it surfaces reliably — is MCST fee intensity. Because the cost of operating a 35-storey tower (lifts, pool plant, 24-hour concierge) is divided across just 85 strata lots, per-unit maintenance fees sit materially above the District 9 average. For buyers of 3,000 sqft 4-bedrooms this is rarely a deal-breaker; for 1,800 sqft 3-bedroom owners it is a line item worth modelling carefully.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure in prime District 9 — rare within 500m of Orchard MRT
- Triple-MRT walkability: Orchard (~490m), Orchard Boulevard (~620m), Napier (~880m)
- Ultra-low density — only 85 units across 35 storeys
- Large floor plates only (3BR 1,800–2,300 sqft, 4BR ~3,000 sqft)
- Gaggenau / Villeroy & Boch fit-out retained from developer handover
- Four international schools within 550m (ISS x2, Chatsworth, St. Anthony's)
- ACS Primary and MGS Primary both inside 1km P1 balloting ring
- Walk-to-Orchard lifestyle: ION, Paragon, Takashimaya all under 10 minutes on foot
- Private lift lobby on most floors — townhouse-grade arrival experience
- Demonstrably cheaper psf than Ardmore Three, Gramercy Park, Nassim Park peers
- Gross rental yield low at ~1.81% — not a cashflow asset
- MCST fees high per unit due to 85-unit spread over full-facility tower
- No 1-bedroom or 2-bedroom options — entry ticket is S$5m+
- Amenity suite is restrained — no clubhouse, function rooms, or indoor sports halls
- 2-year PSF volatility (2024 dip to $2,832 from $3,224 peak) reflects CCR cyclicality
- Limited liquidity — only 12 sales in the last 12 months across 85 units
- Some east/south stacks exposed to Orchard Boulevard road noise on lower floors
- Ultra-luxury buyer pool narrows re-sale timeline during ABSD-heavy years
Verdict
The Tate Residences is a specialist proposition. If your requirement list reads “freehold, Orchard walkability, large units, quiet building, no compromise on address,” there are perhaps a dozen buildings in Singapore that tick every box — and the Tate is one of them at a demonstrably more accessible psf than Ardmore Three, Nassim Park Residences, or Twentyone Angullia Park. Gross yield of ~1.81% is low in absolute terms, but it reflects a market that prices this kind of asset for capital preservation and lifestyle, not cashflow.
The question, as always, is compared to what? Against The Avenir (freehold, 99% larger unit count, S$3,190 psf), the Tate wins on density and loses on facilities breadth. Against Irwell Hill Residences (99-year, 540 units, S$2,726 psf), the Tate costs more psf but buys you freehold tenure and a fraction of the neighbours. Against Ardmore Three or Gramercy Park, the Tate is 25–35% cheaper psf while sitting on essentially the same MRT walkshed. The trade-off is unit-mix flexibility — if you need a 2-bedroom or a studio, the Tate simply does not offer one.
Investment-wise, our model returns 68/100 — solid but not top-quartile, reflecting the thin rental yield and modest 3-year price change (the 2-year PSF dip from $3,224 to $2,832 before recovering to $3,171 shows the CCR’s cyclicality). For buyers measuring in decades rather than quarters, freehold D9 large-format units have historically been among the most stable stores of wealth in Singapore residential property. For short-horizon rental-yield investors, this is the wrong building.