# Savills bets on scale, automation to reach 100,000 managed units by 2030

- **Source:** EdgeProp Singapore
- **Published:** 2026-09-25T01:00:00.000Z
- **Author:** Cecilia Chow
- **Original:** https://www.edgeprop.sg/property-news/savills-bets-scale-automation-reach-100000-managed-units-2030
- **Topics:** Private Residential, Transactions & Deals, Sustainability & PropTech

## Featured rationale

Its expansion into integrated services and automation may help estates contain costs that have risen more than 20% since the Covid-19 pandemic.

## AI summary

Savills Singapore aims to manage 100,000 strata units by 2030, up from 71,793 units across 226 strata developments currently.

## Original article

Managing a luxury condo is no longer just about keeping the lifts running, facilities well-maintained, gardens manicured and common areas clean.

Increasingly, concierge services are expected to match those of five-star hotels. “Residents expect white-glove service,” says Savills Singapore CEO Marcus Loo, and the pricier the home, the higher the bar.

Take the 54-unit, ultra-luxury Park Nova by Shun Tak Holdings, completed in 2024, which Savills manages. In January 2025, the developer sold its largest penthouse, a 5,899 sq ft five-bedroom unit, for $38.888 million ($6,593 psf). Based on caveats lodged, that is the second-highest psf price ever paid for a condo unit in Singapore.

Read also: PLP Architecture evolves brand alongside newly structured senior leadership team

Residents paying such prices expect service to match. “They want best-in-class, uniformed staff — those who have excellent customer service, preferably former Singapore Airlines stewardesses who can communicate well and have technical know-how,” says Loo. “It’s very difficult to find a single individual with such qualities.”

At large suburban estates, the challenges are different. Savills was recently appointed managing agent of the 2,203-unit Treasure at Tampines, Singapore’s largest private condo by number of units.

Managing a development of that scale inevitably generates a high volume of feedback from residents, on everything from maintenance issues to landscaping, says Loo. The managing agent, he adds, needs both “technical know-how” and “service excellence.”

Whether in luxury or mass-market estates, residents now expect more from their managing agents. That adds to the pressure on an industry already grappling with one of its biggest challenges: finding and retaining experienced staff amid rising labour costs.

Building scale, bringing services in-house

For Savills, the response has been to build scale, bring more building services in-house, and increasingly deploy technology and robotics as it works towards a target of 100,000 strata units under management by 2030.

It currently manages 71,793 units across 226 strata developments, or 249 projects including non-strata properties.

Read also: Lessons learnt from last year’s most unprofitable condos

The portfolio has more than doubled since August 2011, when Savills acquired a 51% stake in CKH Asset Management. At the time, the Singapore-based property management firm had 300 employees and managed close to 30,000 units across about 100 strata developments, primarily condos, as well as retail, office and industrial assets.

More recently, in September 2022, Savills Singapore acquired Absolute Maintenance Services, adding cleaning as well as mechanical and electrical (M&E) capabilities to its property management platform.

Savills further expanded its property and integrated facilities management (IFM) business in December 2025 by acquiring a 70% stake in Alpina Holdings, with an option to take full ownership in 2030.

Alpina provides building services, M&E, and alteration and addition works, mainly for government and public-sector clients.

The rationale is that more clients, including government agencies, are moving towards IFM, where a single provider takes responsibility for multiple building services.

Increasingly, clients prefer to appoint a single IFM company, says Loo. “They ideally do not wish to deal with multiple contractors — the M&E, cleaning services or the landscape companies.”

Read also: More luxury condos breach $6,000 psf in 2025

Bringing these functions in-house, rather than coordinating multiple external contractors, could eventually allow Savills to capitalise on economies of scale. Each estate would keep a leaner on-site team, supported by roving teams deployed across clusters of nearby developments.

Running a sizeable portfolio also requires back-office support and a manpower pool deep enough to deploy staff when needed, not just property managers on the ground, Loo adds.

Low barriers to entry fuel competition

Most managing agents are appointed for one to three years, and Loo estimates that, at any given time, about half of management councils are looking to switch. That churn keeps Savills busy. “We participate in almost 20 tenders every month,” he says.

Barriers to entry are also low. “There are a lot of new property management companies who break into the market by slashing prices despite the fact that they are making a loss,” says Loo. “That is not sustainable and, ultimately, it is the estate that loses.” Some estates that left Savills for cheaper rivals have since returned, he adds.

The potential market is substantial. According to Building and Construction Authority data published on data.gov.sg, there were 3,806 active Management Corporation Strata Title (MCST) developments across residential, commercial, mixed-use and industrial properties as at April 6.

Savills is betting that its in-house capabilities will give it an edge. “We offer our clients a one-stop-shop solution to manage key MCST services at lower cost to the estate due to economies of scale,” says Loo.

Rising costs drive automation

Costs are a pressure point for MCSTs. Loo estimates that property management costs have increased by more than 20% since the Covid-19 pandemic, driven by higher wages and foreign worker levies.

Winnie Wong, Savills Singapore senior managing director of property management, points to a broader set of pressures facing the sector, including increasingly complex regulatory requirements, higher operating and maintenance costs, and the challenges associated with ageing developments.

Addressing these issues will require both greater digitalisation and continued investment in workforce development, she says. That includes upskilling property management professionals and making the industry more attractive as a career.

For Loo, greater automation is inevitable. Cleaning and M&E services are the two largest cost components in managing an estate, followed by security and landscaping, he says.

Attitudes towards robot cleaners have also shifted. About five years ago, council members were wary of robotics, fearing the machines would not meet cleaning standards, says Loo. “So they still preferred the cleaning company to provide physical labour.”

Today, Absolute Maintenance Services is running demonstrations of robot cleaners at several estates. There are limits, however. “The thing about robot cleaners is that they need level ground,” he says. “The challenge with a lot of the estates is that they generally do not have flat surfaces.”

The machines are therefore deployed mainly in lobbies and common areas of apartment blocks, where they can clean at regular intervals around the clock. This has helped some councils cut manpower costs, Loo adds.

Automation is also changing how estates manage access. QR codes and facial recognition allow visitors and vehicles to enter and exit more smoothly.

Ageing estates: En bloc versus rising upkeep costs

On Sept 8, Parliament passed the Land Titles (Strata) (Amendment) Bill 2026, introducing a tiered reduction in collective-sale consent thresholds based on building age, and stricter procedural safeguards.

Under the changes, the consent threshold will be lowered to 70% from 80% for developments aged 40 to 59 years, and to 65% for those aged 60 years and above. It remains at 80% for developments aged more than 10 to 39 years, and at 90% for those 10 years or newer.

“I think in the next six to 12 months, because of this announcement, there may be a knee-jerk reaction by some of these estates who are trying to explore a collective sale,” says Loo. Savills has already received several enquiries from estates wanting to assess whether a sale makes sense. But Loo is unsure whether it will lead to a surge in en bloc sales.

There are a few factors at play. One is the Government Land Sales (GLS) Programme, which continues to offer developers a steady pipeline of sites. “They have many options in terms of GLS sites,” he says.

With that alternative, an en bloc site must offer enough upside to justify the extra cost. “The main reason developers would buy an old estate en bloc, pay for demolition costs and other additional costs, is that they can increase the number of units in the development, from 300 to 600, for example, or up to 1,000 units.”

Savills has first-hand experience managing older strata developments that have explored or completed collective sales. It has managed Roxy Square since July 1995. The freehold mixed-use development in Katong was put up for collective sale at $1.25 billion in 2024 and relaunched at a reduced $1.115 billion in 2025.

Loo says long-standing property management relationships can also generate referrals within Savills when a development begins exploring a collective sale.

For instance, Savills’ investment sales team handled the collective sales of two long-standing management clients: Delfi Orchard, sold to City Developments for $439 million in May 2024; and Concorde Hotel & Shopping Centre, acquired by Hotel Properties for $821 million in November that year. Savills had managed both since October 1995.

Meanwhile, for owners who stay put, maintaining an ageing condo can become increasingly expensive. Loo says major components such as lifts may need to be upgraded or modernised when developments reach their 20th to 25th year, failing which they become more prone to breakdowns.

But if an estate defers upgrades and cuts maintenance spending, upkeep suffers. Over time, Loo argues, that can affect not only the development’s image but also its value.

“If you want to stay in a condo, you must be prepared to pay to ensure the upkeep of the estate,” he says. “If there's a failure to maintain the estate, it inevitably affects the value of your property, and ultimately, the residents suffer."

Check out the latest listings for Park Nova, Seascape, Reflections At Keppel Bay properties

## Chinese translation

> Translation model: grok_cli

### 第一太平戴维斯押注规模与自动化，力争到2030年管理单位达到100,000个

新加坡第一太平戴维斯希望到2030年将在管分层单位增至100,000个，高于目前近72,000个的水平。

管理豪华公寓，已不再只关乎电梯正常运行、设施维护良好、园林修剪整齐以及公共区域保持清洁。

礼宾服务正日益被期望达到五星级酒店的水准。“住户期望白手套式服务，”新加坡第一太平戴维斯首席执行官Marcus Loo表示，房价越高，标准也越高。

以信德集团（Shun Tak Holdings）开发、于2024年竣工、由第一太平戴维斯管理的54个单位超豪华项目Park Nova为例。2025年1月，发展商售出其最大的顶层公寓，一套5,899平方英尺的五房单位，售价为3,888.8万新元（每平方英尺6,593新元）。根据已提交的caveat（成交登记），这是新加坡公寓单位有史以来支付过的第二高每平方英尺价格。

另请阅读：PLP Architecture伴随新组建的高级领导团队演进品牌

支付此类价格的住户，期望服务与之相称。“他们想要一流的制服员工——具备卓越客户服务能力的人，最好是前新加坡航空空姐，既能良好沟通，又具备技术知识，”Loo表示。“很难找到一个同时具备这些素质的人。”

大型郊区小区面临的挑战则有所不同。第一太平戴维斯最近获委任为拥有2,203个单位的Treasure at Tampines的物业管理代理，该项目按单位数量计是新加坡最大的私人公寓。

Loo表示，管理如此规模的项目，不可避免地会引来住户大量反馈，议题从维修问题到园林绿化不一而足。他补充说，物业管理代理既需要“技术知识”，也需要“卓越服务”。

无论是豪华小区还是大众市场小区，住户如今都对物业管理代理期望更高。这进一步加大了行业压力，而这个行业本已在应对其最大挑战之一：在劳动力成本上升之际，寻找并留住有经验的员工。

扩大规模，将服务纳入内部

对第一太平戴维斯而言，应对之道是扩大规模、将更多楼宇服务纳入内部，并日益部署科技与机器人，以迈向到2030年管理100,000个分层单位的目标。

该公司目前管理遍布226个分层地契项目的71,793个单位；若计入非分层地契物业，则为249个项目。

另请阅读：从去年最不盈利的公寓中汲取的教训

自2011年8月第一太平戴维斯收购CKH Asset Management的51%股权以来，该组合规模已增长逾一倍。当时，这家总部位于新加坡的物业管理公司拥有300名员工，在约100个分层地契项目中管理接近30,000个单位，以公寓为主，同时也管理零售、办公和工业资产。

距今更近的是，2022年9月，新加坡第一太平戴维斯收购Absolute Maintenance Services，为旗下物业管理平台增添了清洁以及机械与电气（M&E）能力。

2025年12月，第一太平戴维斯通过收购Alpina Holdings的70%股权，进一步扩展其物业及综合设施管理（IFM）业务，并拥有在2030年取得全部所有权的选择权。

Alpina提供楼宇服务、M&E以及改建与加建工程，客户以政府及公共部门为主。

其理由是，包括政府机构在内的更多客户正转向IFM，由单一供应商负责多项楼宇服务。

客户越来越倾向于委任单一的IFM公司，Loo表示。“他们理想中并不希望与多个承包商打交道——无论是M&E、清洁服务还是园林公司。”

另请阅读：2025年更多豪华公寓突破每平方英尺6,000新元

将这些职能纳入内部，而非协调多家外部承包商，最终可能让第一太平戴维斯借助规模经济。每个小区将保留更精简的驻场团队，并由部署于邻近项目群的流动团队加以支持。

Loo补充说，运营规模可观的组合，还需要后台支持，以及足够深厚、可在需要时调配人员的人力储备，而不只是现场的物业经理。

低进入门槛加剧竞争

大多数物业管理代理的委任期限为一至三年，Loo估计，在任何给定时点，约有一半的管理理事会正考虑更换。这种更替让第一太平戴维斯保持忙碌。“我们每个月几乎参与20个招标，”他表示。

进入门槛也很低。“有很多新的物业管理公司尽管正在亏损，仍靠大幅削价打入市场，”Loo表示。“这并不可持续，最终受损的是小区。”他补充说，一些离开第一太平戴维斯、转投更便宜竞争对手的小区，此后已经回归。

潜在市场相当可观。根据建设局（Building and Construction Authority）在data.gov.sg发布的数据，截至4月6日，住宅、商业、综合用途及工业物业中，共有3,806个存续的分层地契管理法团（Management Corporation Strata Title，MCST）项目。

第一太平戴维斯押注，其内部能力将带来优势。“我们为客户提供一站式解决方案，管理关键的MCST服务；由于规模经济，小区所承担的成本更低，”Loo表示。

成本上升推动自动化

成本是MCST面临的压力点。Loo估计，自Covid-19疫情以来，物业管理成本已上升超过20%，推动因素为更高的工资以及外籍劳工征费。

新加坡第一太平戴维斯物业管理高级董事总经理Winnie Wong指出，该行业面临更广泛的一系列压力，包括日益复杂的监管要求、更高的运营与维修成本，以及与老化项目相关的挑战。

她表示，应对这些问题，既需要更大程度的数字化，也需要持续投资于劳动力发展。这包括提升物业管理专业人员的技能，并使该行业作为一份职业更具吸引力。

对Loo而言，更大力度的自动化不可避免。他表示，清洁和M&E服务是管理一个小区时最大的两项成本构成，其次是安保和园林绿化。

对清洁机器人的态度也发生了转变。大约五年前，理事会成员对机器人技术有所顾虑，担心机器达不到清洁标准，Loo表示。“所以他们仍然更希望清洁公司提供人力劳动。”

如今，Absolute Maintenance Services正在若干小区进行清洁机器人的演示。不过也存在局限。“清洁机器人的问题在于，它们需要平整的地面，”他表示。“许多小区面临的挑战是，它们通常没有平坦的表面。”

因此，这些机器主要部署在公寓楼的大堂和公共区域，可以全天候按固定间隔进行清洁。Loo补充说，这已帮助一些理事会削减人力成本。

自动化也在改变小区管理出入的方式。二维码和人脸识别使访客和车辆能够更顺畅地进出。

老化小区：集体出售与不断上升的维护成本

9月8日，国会通过了《2026年土地权属（分层）（修正）法案》（Land Titles (Strata) (Amendment) Bill 2026），按楼龄分档降低集体出售同意门槛，并引入更严格的程序保障。

根据这些变更，楼龄40至59年的项目，同意门槛将从80%降至70%；楼龄60年及以上的项目降至65%。楼龄超过10年至39年的项目仍维持在80%，楼龄为10年或较新的项目仍维持在90%。

“我认为，未来6至12个月，由于这项宣布，一些正试图探索集体出售的小区可能会出现应激反应，”Loo表示。第一太平戴维斯已收到若干小区的查询，这些小区希望评估出售是否合理。但Loo不确定这是否会导致集体出售激增。

其中有若干因素在起作用。其一是政府土地销售计划（Government Land Sales Programme，GLS），该计划持续为发展商提供稳定的地块供应。“他们在GLS地块方面有很多选择，”他表示。

有了这一替代选择，集体出售地块就必须提供足够的上行空间，才能证明额外成本合理。“发展商会以集体出售方式购入旧小区、支付拆除成本及其他额外成本，主要原因是他们可以增加项目的单位数量，例如从300个增至600个，或最高达到1,000个单位。”

第一太平戴维斯在管理那些曾探索或已完成集体出售的较旧分层地契项目方面拥有第一手经验。该公司自1995年7月起管理Roxy Square。这座位于加东（Katong）的永久地契综合用途项目，曾于2024年以12.5亿新元推出集体出售，并于2025年以调低至11.15亿新元的价格重新推出。

Loo表示，当一个项目开始探索集体出售时，长期的物业管理关系也可以在第一太平戴维斯内部产生转介。

例如，第一太平戴维斯的投资销售团队经手了两个长期管理客户的集体出售：Delfi Orchard于2024年5月以4.39亿新元售予City Developments；Concorde Hotel & Shopping Centre于同年11月被Hotel Properties以8.21亿新元收购。第一太平戴维斯自1995年10月起一直管理这两处物业。

与此同时，对于选择留下的业主而言，维护一栋老化公寓可能变得越来越昂贵。Loo表示，当项目进入第20至第25年时，电梯等主要部件可能需要升级或现代化改造，否则将更容易发生故障。

但如果小区推迟升级并削减维修开支，维护就会受损。Loo认为，久而久之，这不仅可能影响项目的形象，也可能影响其价值。

“如果你想住在公寓里，就必须准备好付费，以确保小区得到维护，”他表示。“如果小区维护不力，就不可避免地会影响你的房产价值，最终受苦的是住户。”

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