The HDB balloting system is the method that Singapore’s Housing & Development Board (HDB) uses to allocate flats (including BTO, Sale of Balance Flats, and Executive Condominiums) when demand exceeds supply.
Here’s how it works:
Buyers apply online during the sales launch period (usually 1–2 weeks).
Each household may apply for only one flat type in one project.
An application fee ($10 for BTO/SBF, higher for EC e-application like Coastal Cabana EC) is paid.
If there are more applicants than flats available, a computerised ballot (lottery) is conducted.
Every valid applicant gets a ballot number, which determines their queue position to book a unit.
The process is randomised, but priority schemes can improve chances.
HDB gives extra chances in the ballot for certain groups, for example:
First-Timer Households – higher allocation than second-timers.
Married Child Priority Scheme (MCPS) – for those applying near parents/children.
Multi-Generation Priority Scheme (MGPS) – for families applying together.
Elderly Priority Scheme, Parenthood Priority Scheme, etc.
These don’t guarantee success but increase probability.
Based on ballot number, applicants are invited to book a unit on a scheduled date.
Earlier numbers = more choices (unit types, floors, facing).
If flats run out before your turn, your application is unsuccessful.
For ECs, the developer (not HDB directly) uses a similar balloting system after the e-application stage:
Submit e-application with documents.
Developer conducts balloting to assign queue numbers.
Buyers with queue numbers attend booking day (first-come-first-served by queue order).
✅ In summary:The HDB balloting system is essentially a lottery-based queue system with some priority weighting, ensuring fairness and transparency when demand exceeds supply.
