Bridging Loans in Singapore: The Complete 2026 Guide

What is a bridging loan?

A bridging loan is a short-term loan secured against property, designed to cover a funding gap between a payment you must make now and money you will receive later. The most common case is buying a new property before an existing one is sold. In Singapore, bridging loans run from a few months up to about two years and are repaid in one exit event: a sale completing, a mortgage refinance, or funds arriving.

Because the loan is underwritten against the security property and the exit rather than monthly income, the assessment centres on the asset and your plan, not on lengthy income documentation.

How bridging loans work in Singapore

Every bridging facility has three parts:

1. The security. A first (or sometimes second) charge over Singapore property: condominiums, landed homes, GCBs, shophouses, offices, or land. The stronger and more liquid the asset, the better the terms.
2. The advance. Up to 70% of the property's value, from S$1M to S$50M and above. Valuation is instructed early; our process issues an indicative term sheet within 24 hours of the first conversation.
3. The exit. How the loan is repaid: completion of a sale, a bank refinance, or a liquidity event. A credible exit is the single most important factor in pricing and approval.

Interest can be serviced monthly or rolled up, meaning capitalised and settled at the end of the term, so the facility requires zero monthly servicing while it runs. That structure suits borrowers whose wealth is in assets rather than salary income.

For a worked example, see how we funded a prime residential bridging loan on Holland Road.

Bridging loan interest rates in Singapore

Private bridging loan rates in Singapore start from 0.4% per month. Pricing on any given facility depends on four things:

• Loan-to-value: lower LTV, lower rate.
• The asset: prime, easily-sold property prices tighter than specialist or part-built assets.
• The exit: a signed sale with a completion date beats an open-market listing.
• Structure: first charge, serviced interest and shorter tenure all reduce the rate; roll-up and second charges price higher.

There are no hidden charges: expect the rate, a facility fee, and your own legal and valuation costs. We set out every number in the term sheet before you commit. See our lending services for facility types.

Bank vs private bridging loans

Singapore banks such as DBS, UOB and OCBC offer bridging products, usually tied to the sale of an existing home and capped at the sale proceeds. They are the right tool for a straightforward upgrade with a confirmed sale: the rate is lower and the product is standardised.

Private bridging exists for everything the standard product cannot do:

• Speed: indicative terms in 24 hours and completion in about two weeks.
• TDSR: banks must apply the 55% Total Debt Servicing Ratio to your declared income. A private lender underwrites the asset and the exit, so TDSR-blocked, asset-rich borrowers are not shut out.
• Larger and more complex deals: S$1M to S$50M+, corporate borrowers, commercial property and foreign-owned structures, auction purchases, decoupling and ABSD timelines.
• Flexible structures: rolled-up interest, bespoke tenures from 3 to 24 months, exits built around your actual liquidity event.

For the full breakdown, including when the bank is the right choice, read our bank vs private bridging loan comparison.

Who uses bridging finance in Singapore

The typical Rikvin Capital borrower is asset-rich and time-poor: private property owners upgrading or decoupling, business owners unlocking equity in commercial premises, family offices moving on time-sensitive acquisitions, and foreign investors buying Singapore property through structures a bank cannot underwrite quickly. Auction purchases, where completion deadlines are fixed at the fall of the hammer, are a natural fit for auction bridging loans.

How fast can you get a bridging loan?

From first call to term sheet: 24 hours. From term sheet to funds: around two weeks, driven by valuation access, title review and legal completion. The five stages, from enquiry through indicative terms, valuation and legal to drawdown, are set out step-by-step in our application process. As a direct lender we make credit decisions in-house; there is no external committee cycle.

Eligibility: what we look at

• The property: Singapore residential, commercial, landed (including GCB), shophouse or land, owned personally or through a company or trust.
• The numbers: facility of S$1M or more at up to 70% LTV.
• The exit: sale, refinance or liquidity event within 3 to 24 months.
• The borrower: individuals, corporates and foreign owners are all fundable; income documentation is not the gating factor.

If those four line up, talk to us and you will have indicative terms within a day.