Property Agents Step In as Parents Plan for Primary 1, and the 2027 Rule Changes Complicate the Formula

When her daughter was three, property agent Linda Sim started planning for primary school. She wanted the girl to attend Nanyang Primary School, a popular co-ed school in Bukit Timah that is regularly oversubscribed. Her husband became a grassroots volunteer, which gave them a route into Phase 2B. They also bought a S$2.46 million condominium unit in Duchess Avenue, putting them within 1km of both Nanyang and Raffles Girls’ Primary School, their second choice. Their daughter missed out at Nanyang after a ballot but clinched a place at RGPS in Phase 2C in 2026.

Sim, 41, is among a group of property agents who have folded primary school choice into their work with families. Some market themselves as Primary 1 strategists or consultants. Others produce school maps, while some advise clients on school options as part of a broader property consultation. The advice is free. The agents earn their commissions when families eventually buy, rent or sell property through them.

Ronald Lam, 43, an Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) alumnus whose eldest son attends the school, built an online map combining years of Primary 1 registration data, historical balloting records and nearby property information. “When I became a realtor, I realised a school decision quickly became a property decision,” he said.

Denise Tan, 41, who describes herself as a Primary 1 and property strategist, said parents may approach her with five or six schools in mind. She looks at the registration phases the family may qualify for, historical balloting data and how competitive each school has been. She may also discuss other routes, such as parent volunteering or becoming an active community leader. Tan said clients are often prepared to pay more for homes within 1km of their preferred school, describing a “1km halo effect” on surrounding properties.

The minimum number of Phase 2C places will go up from 40 to 60 at most primary schools, in a move to widen access and improve social mixing.

At 12 schools where public housing makes up less than 40 per cent of homes within 2km, the 2C places will also be split into two tranches. Half are initially reserved for children living within 2km, and half for those living farther away. Within each track, there is no further priority based on the distance between home and school.

The changes mean that at these 12 schools, living as close as possible will no longer confer the distance advantage in Phase 2C that it did before.

Property agents said reactions so far have been mixed, with some parents reconsidering the need to pay a premium to live near a preferred school. But they noted it is too early to tell whether purchasing behaviour will change.

“A lot of people are excited because previously, a 1km radius was more limiting, especially for families with no affiliation,” said Lam. “Now, they have a better chance of getting a more suitable location and maybe not having to pay so much.” He has also sensed a little dread among alumni parents worried about greater competition, and said demand for popular schools is unlikely to disappear simply because the rules have changed, as perceptions have been built up over time.

Vincent Chua, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology, said some property agents have built a business around helping families pursue two goals at once: improving their child’s chances of entering a sought-after school while buying a property that could appreciate in value.

The latest changes could initially drive more parents to seek advice as they try to decode the new system. But over time, he said, the two-track scheme could blunt the formula these services rely on, by reducing the certainty that comes from living closer and making property-based strategies less predictable.

Jacqueline Ho, an assistant professor of sociology at Singapore Management University, said the two-track scheme introduces more of a luck factor into Phase 2C at the 12 schools. Moving closer is now less of a guarantee, as half the places are initially set aside for children living beyond 2km.

Chua said two forms of resources are at play. The first is financial, the ability to buy or rent a home close to a sought-after school. The second is informational, having the knowledge and support to calculate balloting probabilities, weigh options and put back-up plans in place.

“Some parents know a lot more than others about the registration process and how to navigate it,” Ho said, noting this can depend on social networks and how much time and headspace they have. She likened the emergence of Primary 1 advisory services to the tuition industry around the PSLE, industries that develop around systems parents regard as high-stakes.

IT consultant Stephane Lim, 37, moved his family from Bukit Panjang to the King Albert Park area in June 2025, paying about S$1.7 million for a home within 1km of Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School. Living within 1km allowed him to apply to become a parent volunteer, giving his son a chance to enter through Phase 2B while retaining Phase 2C as a backup. His son eventually secured a place at Pei Hwa in Phase 2C.

Jolene Pang, 39, moved with her family from Queenstown to one-north and signed a two-year lease at S$4,500 a month to live within 1km of Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) in Dover. She chose to rent for more flexibility if plans did not work out. Part of the appeal was the school’s affiliation with Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary).

Annuari Van Nieuwenhove, 37, moved with her family from Henderson Road in Redhill to Joo Chiat partly to be nearer CHIJ (Katong) Primary, her alma mater. She paid about S$1.8 million for the family’s new home, about 1.1km from the school, and said the move made sense because Joo Chiat also suited the lifestyle her family wanted.

Agents said most families who approach them already intend to move, either to upgrade or to be closer to schools. Resale value is another consideration, with some weighing whether the home could later appeal to other parents, what agents call an exit strategy.

Property agent Jason Chew, 46, said families should consider whether the property works for them beyond Primary 1 registration. “Don’t just try to buy a school and forget to buy a home,” he said.

Former teacher Prab Nathan, 37, now a property agent, said he hopes the latest changes will take some pressure off families considering a housing move primarily because of a school. He has seen clients make substantial compromises. One family with two children moved from a five-room HDB flat to a two-bedroom condominium largely to be closer to Nanyang Primary, and he had cautioned them about whether the purchase made financial sense and whether the smaller space would fit the family long term.

The property industry has also played a part in reinforcing the connection, Prab said, pointing to advertisements that highlight homes within 1km of sought-after schools. Discussing schools with clients is not an issue, but he thinks it is problematic when families are led to believe they need to buy a particular property or risk their child missing out on educational opportunities.

“A property is a huge, illiquid financial commitment,” said the father of two. “The home must make sense for the family’s finances, space requirements and longer-term plans first. School proximity can absolutely be one consideration, but I don’t think it should automatically override everything else.”

His own family took a different approach. When choosing Junyuan Primary School in Tampines for their older daughter, Prab and his wife, a primary school teacher, prioritised teacher well-being and school culture over academic reputation. “We weren’t going to buy a property to chase a school,” he said. “We chose a school we were comfortable with in an area where we already wanted to live.”