Small families concentrate young buyer wealth

AI threat: Tech making migrant skills obsolete

Vers implementation possibilities

Could we see Generation Rent in future?

Gen Z/Millennials: Less desire to own property

Rising freeholds vs plunging ageing leaseholds

Why Singapore’s low fertility rate last year could really redefine real estate from 2050.

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with newsmakers.

Singapore is producing fewer babies. Its birth rate, measured by the total fertility rate (TFR), plunged to a record low of 0.87 in 2025, continuing the downtrend of 0.97 in 2023. 

The citizen population may start to shrink by the early 2040s. In February 2026, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong stressed the need to therefore have a “carefully managed immigration flow to augment our low birth rate”.

As the population shrinks, who would be the buyers in the property market in the future? To delve deeper into this, Lynda Hong hosts Mr Alan Cheong, executive director of consultancy at Savills Singapore. 

They also discuss how fewer buyers in the future would push the property market to be rental-based, rather than ownership-driven. They chat too, about the future of the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (Vers) and how rapid changing technology could change immigration policy. 

Highlights (click/tap above): 

7:54 How shrinking family sizes have concentrated wealth for young buyers

15:38 The AI threat also applies to immigrant skills

20:09 How Vers could be implemented

24:10 Why Singapore may be leaning towards Generation Rent in the future

25:28 Why youth of the future may not have the same desire to own property later on

27:25 The looming divide between appreciating freeholds and plunging ageing leaseholds

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v

Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg) 

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb

Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast 

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Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

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#inyouropinion

Why Singapore&rsquo;s low fertility rate last year could really redefine real estate from 2050. Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with newsmakers. Singapore is producing fewer babies. Its birth rate, measured by the total fertility rate (TFR), plunged to a record low of 0.87 in 2025, continuing the downtrend of 0.97 in 2023.&nbsp; The citizen population may start to shrink by the early 2040s. In February 2026, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong&nbsp;stressed the need to therefore have a &ldquo;carefully managed immigration flow to augment our low birth rate&rdquo;. As the population shrinks, who would be the buyers in the property market in the future? To delve deeper into this, Lynda Hong hosts Mr Alan Cheong, executive director of consultancy at Savills Singapore.&nbsp; They also discuss how fewer buyers in the future would push the property market to be rental-based, rather than ownership-driven. They chat too, about the future of the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (Vers) and how rapid changing technology could change immigration policy.&nbsp; Highlights (click/tap above):&nbsp;
7:54 How shrinking family sizes have concentrated wealth for young buyers
15:38 The AI threat also applies to immigrant skills
20:09 How Vers could be implemented
24:10 Why Singapore may be leaning towards Generation Rent in the future
25:28 Why youth of the future may not have the same desire to own property later on
27:25 The looming divide between appreciating freeholds and plunging ageing leaseholds
Read ST&rsquo;s Opinion section:<a href="https://str.sg/w7sH"> https://str.sg/w7sH</a>
Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: <a href="https://str.sg/Gm2v">https://str.sg/Gm2v</a>
Host: Lynda Hong (<a href="mailto:lyndahong@sph.com.sg">lyndahong@sph.com.sg</a>)&nbsp;
Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Ernest Luis &amp; Lynda Hong
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel:<a href="https://str.sg/w7Qt"> https://str.sg/w7Qt</a>
Apple Podcasts:<a href="https://str.sg/wukb"> https://str.sg/wukb</a>
Spotify:<a href="https://str.sg/w7sV"> https://str.sg/w7sV</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>
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Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wvz7" data-stringify-link="https://str.sg/wvz7" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://str.sg/wvz7</a>
Get more updates: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts" data-stringify-link="http://str.sg/stpodcasts" data-sk="tooltip_parent">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: <a href="https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast" data-stringify-link="https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast</a>&nbsp;
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Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store:<a href="https://str.sg/icyB"> https://str.sg/icyB</a>
Google Play:<a href="https://str.sg/icyX"> https://str.sg/icyX</a>
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#inyouropinion

A hard look at the social issues of the month in Singapore. Join ST journalists and other guests as they discuss with Lydia Wong.

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Executive producers: Ernest Luis &amp; Lynda Hong
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.