Table of Contents
TLDR: Return on Investment (ROI) measures total profit against total cash invested. Return on Equity (ROE) measures that same profit specifically against the downpayment, which tends to look much larger since it isolates the effect of bank leverage. Both numbers matter, but ROE especially shows why leverage is such a powerful part of property investing in Singapore.
Looking to invest in property and wondering whether the numbers you’re being promised are actually real? Fair question. That’s exactly why this page exists, not as a sales pitch, but as an honest, detailed property agent track record showing the actual profit, or loss, our clients have made working with James Lim at SG Luxury Condo.
Every case study below is a genuine transaction, with real purchase prices, real sale or valuation figures, and real timelines. Nothing here is guaranteed to repeat for the next buyer, past performance never is, but it does show the kind of thinking behind each purchase, entry price, timing, unit selection, and how those decisions played out.
Summary of Results
Case | Property | Profit | Growth | ROI | Annualised ROI |
1 | Lake Grande (HDB upgrade) | $267,000 | — | 28% | — |
2 | Treasure @ Tampines | $290,000 | — | 23.5% | 7.8% |
3 | Waterfront Isle | $178,475 | 20.4% | 98% | 24.5% |
4 | Sims Urban Oasis (1BR) | $141,234 | 22% | 111% | 36.8% |
5 | Centris | $1,050,000 | 108% | 540% | 54% |
6 | Sims Urban Oasis (Case A) | $108,000 | 17% | 119% | 40% |
7 | Sims Urban Oasis (Case B) | $186,000 | 21% | 106% | 26.5% |
8 | The Panorama (Client A) | $274,000 | 22.5% | 113% | 38% |
9 | Commonwealth Tower | $192,000 | 14.5% | 137% | 55% |
10 | The Panorama (Client B) | $218,000 | 17% | 118% | 39% |
Case 1: Lake Grande, HDB to Condo Upgrade
This client upgraded from an HDB flat to a 2-bedroom condo on my recommendation. Lake Grande TOP’d in 2020, so she waited roughly four years for the unit to complete. After living in it for two years, she decided to upgrade again to a bigger unit.
Applying our Property P.L.U.S System to guide the entry point and unit selection, she made an overall profit of $267,000 in six years, a 28% ROI. With a downpayment of $142,650, her ROE came in at 32% per annum.
Case 2: Treasure @ Tampines, Decoupling for a Second Investment Property
This couple decoupled specifically to free up capacity for a second investment property. They bought a 3-bedroom unit at Treasure @ Tampines, not directly next to an MRT station, but selected using our Property P.L.U.S System framework rather than location alone.
They bought a low-floor, pool-facing 3-bedroom for $1,230,000 in 2020, and upon TOP decided to sell and roll the proceeds into another investment property. Their sale price of $1,520,000 meant a $290,000 profit in three years. On a $307,500 downpayment, that’s a 23.5% ROI, or 7.8% annualised. Measured by Return on Equity, the investment netted 31.4% per annum.
Case 3: Waterfront Isle, Bedok Reservoir
This client bought an investment property at Waterfront Isle in Bedok Reservoir and sold it four years later for $1,050,000, a $178,475 overall profit, or 20.4% growth. With a downpayment of just $174,305, leveraging through the bank produced a 98% return on investment over four years, working out to roughly 24.5% ROI per annum.
Case 4: Sims Urban Oasis, First Investment Property at 26
This client was 26 years old and looking for his first investment property. After going through his finances together, we settled on a 1-bedroom unit, giving him the flexibility to either rent it out or move in himself if his circumstances changed.
When the property TOP’d in early 2018, he rented it out for six months before deciding to sell, freeing up capital to purchase a second investment property. With a downpayment of $127,753, he made an overall profit of $141,234, a 22% growth in value, translating to a 111% return on investment in three years, or roughly 36.8% ROI per annum.
Case 5: Centris, Boon Lay, Upgrading After Starting a Family
A young couple bought a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom unit at Centris, a mixed development in Boon Lay. After having a daughter, they decided to upgrade to a bigger condo. Selling for a profit of $1,050,000 in total, they achieved 108% growth on the property’s value, an 11% annualised gain. With a downpayment of only $101,000, leverage pushed their return on investment to a striking 540% over ten years, or 54% ROI per annum.
Case 6 & 7: Two More Sims Urban Oasis Results
Overall Profit: $108,000, 17% growth, 119% return on investment, 40% ROI per annum.
Overall Profit: $186,000, 21% growth, 106% return on investment, 26.5% ROI per annum.
Case 8 & 10: The Panorama, Two Friends, Same Recommendation
This client bought his unit primarily for own stay, while a close friend of his (Case 10 below) purchased a unit in the same development after we discussed both their needs together. Both wanted a place that felt right to live in while still offering solid growth potential.
He bought his unit for $1.216 million in 2016. He hasn’t sold, but today’s valuation sits at $1.49 million, a 22.5% growth. If he chose to sell now, he’d realise a $274,000 profit. With leverage factored in, that’s a 113% return on investment over the holding period, roughly 38% ROI per annum.
His friend, after our conversation, decided to buy in the same development. He purchased his unit for $1.282 million in 2016. Current valuation sits at $1.5 million, a 17% gain. If sold today, that would translate to a $218,000 profit, or a 118% return on investment with leverage, roughly 39% ROI per annum.
Case 9: Commonwealth Tower
This client, a single woman, was searching for a 2-bedroom private condo with genuine growth potential. She was initially drawn to a different project purely for its proximity to her workplace, but after discussing the trade-offs, she bought a 2-bedroom unit at Commonwealth Tower in 2017 instead.
With a current valuation of $1.51 million, she stands to make an overall profit of $192,000 over 2.5 years, a 14.5% growth. With leverage, selling now would put her return on investment at 137%, roughly 55% ROI per annum.
A Freehold Case Study: Finding Value Even Against the Grain
A close friend of mine wanted to invest in a freehold property. I advised against it at the time, given where the market cycle sat, but he had personal reasons for preferring freehold, so we worked within that constraint rather than against it. After scouting extensively across Singapore, we found a unit on the 8th floor priced $20,000 below the equivalent 9th floor unit in the same stack, and secured an auspicious unit number in the process.
What Actually Drives Results Like These
Across every case above, a few consistent principles show up again and again in how these purchases were approached:
- Understanding where genuine demand is strong and supply is limited
- Identifying undervalued properties relative to their actual location and fundamentals
- Assessing a location’s future growth potential before the wider market catches on
- Sticking to a disciplined entry price, rather than chasing whatever’s available
- Favouring properties with low to minimal risk exposure
- Weighing proven rental yield and rental demand alongside capital growth potential
If you’re curious how these principles apply to specific decisions, our guides on mixed developments, MRT proximity, new launch versus resale, en bloc potential, and freehold versus leasehold all go deeper into the reasoning behind these calls.
An Honest Note on Past Results
Every figure on this page reflects a real, individual transaction. None of it is a guarantee of what any future purchase will do, property markets move, and past growth in any specific project or district doesn’t predict future performance for a different buyer at a different entry price. What this property agent track record does show is a consistent, disciplined approach applied across very different situations, HDB upgraders, first-time investors, families, and long-term holders alike.
If you’d like to see how this approach applies to your own situation, you’re welcome to check our testimonials for what past clients have said directly, or reach out for a one-to-one consultation to talk through your own numbers.
A Word From SG Luxury Condo
Building this property agent track record over the years has really come down to the same discipline every time, entry price, timing, and matching the right property to each client’s actual goals, not a generic formula applied blindly. If you’re weighing your own property decision and want a second, honest opinion, SG Luxury Condo is happy to walk through it with you. Our property consultation sessions cover exactly this kind of planning, and you’re welcome to browse our full range of luxury condos for sale in Singapore whenever you’re ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the PropertyGuru Popularity Index?
It’s a score combining page views (40% weight) and enquiries (60% weight) for a specific listing or area, giving a quick measure of genuine buyer or renter interest beyond just casual browsing.
Why do enquiries count for more than page views in this index?
Because sending an enquiry shows real intent to act, while a page view could just be casual browsing. Weighting enquiries higher makes the score a better reflection of genuine interest.
How is search analytics different from looking at transaction data alone?
Transaction data shows what’s already happened. Search analytics shows what people are actively interested in right now, which can reveal demand building in an area before it shows up in completed sales.
Do sale-side and rental-side buyers search for different things?
Yes, quite differently. Sale-side searches tend to favour newer, more affordable OCR properties, even without MRT proximity, while rental searches skew heavily toward CCR and city-fringe locations near MRT stations.
Why does District 18 and 19 show up so often in this data?
Both districts contain a large concentration of HDB estates, and the strong search interest for nearby condos in these areas largely reflects HDB owners actively looking to upgrade rather than pure investors.
Should I only rely on search analytics to decide where to buy?
No, it’s best used alongside other research, developer track record, URA transaction data, and the Master Plan, rather than as a standalone decision-making tool.
How often does search interest data change?
It can shift meaningfully over months or quarters, so treat any specific ranking as a snapshot in time rather than a permanent fact, and check for updated data periodically.
Why weren't most top-searched sale condos near an MRT station?
Buyers searching for sale listings appear willing to trade MRT proximity for a lower price per square foot, which can mean a cheaper unit or more space for the same budget.
What does it mean if a project's search ranking is dropping?
It can signal cooling interest in that specific project, which is worth watching closely if you’re an owner considering your exit timing, since search interest sometimes moves ahead of actual price trends.
Can search analytics help me time my property purchase better?
It can offer useful early signals, a district climbing steadily in search rankings may be worth watching closely, but it should complement, not replace, fundamental checks like pricing, developer reputation, and future supply in the area.
