Property agents step in as parents plan for Primary 1

SINGAPORE – When her daughter was three years old, property agent Linda Sim started planning for primary school. She wanted the girl to attend Nanyang Primary School (NYPS), 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 $2.46 million condominium unit along Duchess Avenue, putting them within 1km of both NYPS and Raffles Girls’ Primary School (RGPS), which was their second choice.

Their daughter missed out on a spot in NYPS after a ballot, but clinched a place in RGPS in Phase 2C – for children without prior ties to the school – in 2026.

Sim, 40, whose Instagram reel in August about how she planned for her daughter’s Primary 1 journey drew considerable attention, is among a group of property agents who have folded primary school choice into their work with families.

Parents sometimes approach such agents years before their children are due to apply for Primary 1.

Observers said the rise of such services raises broader questions about which families have the time and information to plan ahead, and how unequal access to resources can shape the chances of getting into ideal schools.

Some agents explicitly 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.

The latest changes to the Primary 1 registration system from 2027 could make some of these decisions less straightforward, particularly for families considering moving near sought-after schools.

The minimum number of Phase 2C places will go up from 40 to 60 at most primary schools, in a move to widen access to schools 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 tracks: half initially reserved for children living within 2km, and half for those living farther away.

Within each track, there is no further priority based on home-school distance.

The changes mean that at these 12 schools, moving as close as possible will no longer hold the same advantage within Phase 2C as 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 that 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 property agent Ronald Lam. “Now, they have a better chance of getting a more suitable location and maybe not having to pay so much.”

But he has also sensed “a little bit of dread” among alumni parents worried about greater competition for places.

Lam 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 from NUS’ 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 to a school is now less of a guarantee of admission, as half the places are initially set aside for children living beyond 2km, she said.

Planning ahead

For parents navigating the Primary 1 system, information itself is a form of advantage.

“Some parents know a lot more than others about the registration process and how to navigate it,” Ho said.

This can depend on their social networks, as well as how much time and “headspace” they have to think about Primary 1 registration in advance.

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.

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 different options and put backup plans in place.

Lam, 43, an Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) alumnus whose eldest son currently attends the school, built an online map combining years of P1 registration data, historical balloting records and nearby property information.

“When I became a realtor, I realised a school decision quickly became a property decision,” said the father of three, who shared the map on Instagram in July.

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.

Agents said most families who approach them already intend to move, either to upgrade or because they have set their sights on a particular school. Their thinking is that they might as well buy a home near a school.

Resale value is another consideration, with some weighing whether the home could later appeal to other parents – what agents call an “exit strategy”.

Tan said clients are often prepared to pay more for homes within 1km of their preferred school, describing what she called a “1km halo effect” on surrounding properties.

IT consultant Stephane Lim, 37, moved his family from Bukit Panjang to the King Albert Park area in June 2025, paying about $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 at the school, 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 2B.

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

The strategic account manager, whose daughter will enter Primary 1 in 2027, had initially set her sights on NYPS, but concluded that securing a place there would be too difficult and changed her plans.

Pang said the process has been stressful, but rejected the suggestion that moving for a school made her a “tiger mum”.

Part of Fairfield’s appeal was its affiliation with Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary). She felt this could give her children a “head start” and potentially allow them to remain with the same friends as they grow up, which she considers important.

Anmari 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.

The marketing and communications professional, whose five-year-old daughter will register for Primary 1 in 2027, paid about $1.8 million for the family’s new home, about 1.1km from the school.

Van Nieuwenhove said the move made sense because she hopes her daughter will get into the school, and Joo Chiat suited the lifestyle her family wanted.

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 that you forget to buy a home,” he said.

A home, or a school?

Former teacher Prab Nathan, who is 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.

Prab, 37, has seen clients make substantial compromises on their homes. One family with two children, for example, moved from a five-room HDB flat to a two-bedroom condo largely to be closer to NYPS, he said, adding that he had cautioned them about whether the purchase made financial sense and if the smaller space would fit the family in the long run.

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.”

Since the latest changes, Prab has sensed some relief among parents who felt they had to move to get into a desired school.

Some are now asking whether they need to move at all, and whether homes farther away might offer better value.

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 or popularity. They felt a healthy staff culture would shape their daughter’s experience in the classroom.

“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.”