LinkTown Residences vs Riverfront Residences: New Launch or Hougang Resale?
Riverfront Residences or a new launch at Hougang Central? A neutral comparison of location, MRT access, age, lease, size and price per sq ft, with what your budget buys in each.
Riverfront Residences is one of the best-known names in Hougang. It is large, recently completed and sits along Sungei Serangoon, so it comes up in almost every conversation about a Hougang condo for sale. From early 2027, buyers will have another option in the same town: LinkTown Residences (Hougang Central Residences), the new launch planned directly above Hougang MRT.
This comparison is for buyers weighing the two: a completed resale condo you can move into now, versus a new integrated development you would wait several years for. It is based on publicly reported information and is meant to be neutral. Both can be the right choice for different households.
Riverfront Residences at a glance
Based on publicly reported information:
- Location: Hougang Avenue 7, District 19, fronting Sungei Serangoon.
- Size: 1,472 units, made up of 1,451 apartments and 21 strata landed homes, in nine 17-storey blocks.
- Tenure: 99-year leasehold from 2018.
- Completion: 2023.
- Developer: a consortium of Oxley Holdings, KSH Holdings, SLB Development and Apricot Capital, which bought the former Rio Casa estate en bloc in 2017.
- Nearest MRT: Hougang (NE14). Listing portals give roughly a 10–13 minute walk, depending on the block.
Head-to-head comparison
| Riverfront Residences | LinkTown Residences | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Completed 2023; resale | New launch; sales expected early 2027 |
| Tenure | 99 years from 2018 | 99 years (GLS site awarded Jan 2026) |
| Units | 1,472 | About 830 (reported) |
| MRT | Hougang NE14, roughly 10–13 min walk (portal estimates) | Directly linked to Hougang NE14; future NEL–CRL interchange (~2030) |
| On-site retail | Not integrated with a mall | Integrated ~300,000 sq ft mall (CICT), bus interchange, town plaza |
| Setting | Riverside, residential | Town centre, above a transport hub |
| Avg psf | ~S$1,736 (last 12 months, mid-2026) | ~S$2,500–2,600 (analyst estimate; no official prices) |
| Move-in | On completion of purchase | Expected completion 2030/2031 |
Riverfront figures are based on publicly reported information and transaction data; LinkTown pricing is an analyst estimate, not an official price.
Location: riverside estate vs town centre
The two projects feel different even though they are in the same town. Riverfront Residences is a large, self-contained residential estate by Sungei Serangoon. The appeal is space, greenery along the river and a quieter setting away from the town centre. Daily errands usually mean a walk or bus ride to Hougang Central or nearby neighbourhood shops.
LinkTown Residences sits at the other end of the spectrum: in the middle of Hougang Central, integrated with the new bus interchange and a mall set to be the largest in Hougang. Hougang Mall is about a two-minute walk away, and Punggol Park, Hougang Sports Centre and Punggol Community Club are nearby. You trade some quiet for convenience. Our location page covers the surroundings.
MRT access: the biggest practical difference
For Riverfront residents, Hougang MRT is a reasonable walk, and many will use a bus for part of the trip in wet weather. For LinkTown Residences, the station is downstairs. When the Cross Island Line Phase 1 opens, targeted for around 2030, Hougang becomes an interchange, adding direct rides east to Pasir Ris and west to Ang Mo Kio. Both projects benefit from the CRL, but the directly linked one benefits most on a day-to-day basis.
Riverfront Residences price vs LinkTown’s expected price
Based on reported transaction data, Riverfront Residences averaged about S$1,736 psf over the 12 months to mid-2026. Analysts expect LinkTown Residences to average around S$2,500–2,600 psf. That is roughly 44–50% more per square foot. No official LinkTown prices have been released; see our price estimate and the price page for the reasoning.
Another way to see the gap is what a fixed budget buys at each average:
| Budget | Riverfront (~S$1,736 psf) | LinkTown @ S$2,500 psf (est.) | LinkTown @ S$2,600 psf (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| S$1.7m | ~979 sq ft | ~680 sq ft | ~654 sq ft |
| S$2.0m | ~1,152 sq ft | ~800 sq ft | ~769 sq ft |
| S$2.5m | ~1,440 sq ft | ~1,000 sq ft | ~962 sq ft |
Illustrative arithmetic using average psf only. Actual prices depend on unit size, floor, facing and stack; smaller units often transact at higher psf.
Put simply: at a similar budget, Riverfront generally gets you more space. LinkTown gets you a newer lease and the integrated hub. Neither is automatically “better value”; it depends on which you would use more.
Age, lease and resale considerations
Riverfront’s lease began in 2018, while the Hougang Central site was awarded in 2026, so LinkTown starts with roughly eight more years on the clock. That gap is modest now but matters more decades out, when banks and CPF rules look at remaining lease. Our guide on leasehold vs freehold explains why.
With 1,472 units, Riverfront has a large pool of owners, so there are usually several listings to choose from, which is good for buyers comparing stacks. Future sellers there also compete with many similar units. LinkTown, at around 830 homes, is smaller, and its integration is unusual within Hougang.
Payment and timing
- Riverfront (resale): you pay the full price at completion, take the full loan at once and can live in or rent out the unit soon after.
- LinkTown (new launch): you pay progressively over construction, with interest only on the amount drawn. See the progressive payment guide. You would wait until around 2030/2031 to move in.
HDB upgraders who need a place to live soon, or who want to avoid a long overlap, may find resale simpler. Those who can stay put while their home is built often prefer the staged payments.
Who each suits
| You might lean towards Riverfront Residences if… | You might lean towards LinkTown Residences if… |
|---|---|
| You need to move in within a year | You can wait until about 2030/2031 |
| Space per dollar is your priority | Direct MRT, mall and bus access is your priority |
| You prefer a quieter riverside setting | You like living in the town centre |
| You want to see the actual unit before buying | You want a fresh lease and progressive payments |
Other Hougang condos to compare
Riverfront is one of several Hougang benchmarks. Our LinkTown vs nearby Hougang condos guide adds The Florence Residences and Sengkang Grand Residences, and the new launch vs resale guide walks through the wider trade-offs.
Next steps
If you are choosing between a Hougang condo for sale today and the upcoming launch, shortlist a few Riverfront stacks you like and compare them against the LinkTown site plan and prices when they are released. Register your interest and we will send the LinkTown Residences details as soon as they are announced.
Comparison based on publicly reported information and transaction data as at Sep 2026. Verify project details and prices with URA data, the developers and your own inspection. LinkTown Residences prices, unit mix and completion date are not yet announced.
Comparing other resale options nearby? See LinkTown Residences against Kingsford Waterbay and The Minton.
