CommercialBUSINESS 1District 13 · Geylang

278b Macpherson Road

Reviewed by Nathan TangUpdated 8 November 2026Data through Jan 2002

Quick Summary

278b Macpherson Road is a commercial building in District 13 · Geylang, on land zoned BUSINESS 1 under the URA Master Plan with a gross plot ratio of 2.5. 1 transaction is on record since 1995, most recently in Jan 2002. 1 unit is currently listed for rent. ACRA records 4 live company registrations at this address.

The facts are here — now get the verdict on 278b Macpherson Road.

Ask PropKaki

What are the key facts about 278b Macpherson Road?

Key takeaway278b Macpherson Road is a commercial building in District 13 · Geylang, zoned BUSINESS 1.

Asset class: Commercial
Land-use zone: BUSINESS 1
Gross plot ratio: 2.5
Tenure: Not on record
District / Area: District 13 · Geylang
Address: 278b Macpherson Road
Land area: —
Completed: Not on record
Storeys: 3 (© OpenStreetMap contributors)
Submarket: City Fringe
Listed as: Office
Transactions on record: 1 (records start 1995)
Live listings: 1
ACRA registrations: 4

About 278b Macpherson Road

278B Macpherson Road is a commercial property in Geylang (District 13). It is located along Macpherson Road, Singapore 348603.

Under the URA Master Plan it sits on land zoned business 1 with a gross plot ratio of 2.5.

1 transaction has been recorded here, at a median of S$10 psf. The most recent was in January 2002.

6 businesses are currently registered at this address with ACRA.

The nearest MRT is Mattar MRT, 793 m away (about a 12-minute walk). The closest bus stop (Opp Cencon Bldg) is 47 m away (about a 1-minute walk).

What is 278b Macpherson Road zoned as?

Key takeaway278b Macpherson Road sits on land zoned BUSINESS 1 with a gross plot ratio of 2.5.

Land-use zone: BUSINESS 1
Gross plot ratio: 2.5

Run the full zoning report for this building →

What has 278b Macpherson Road sold for?

Key takeaway1 transaction is on record since 1995, most recently in Jan 2002 — too few to support a median, so the deals themselves are listed instead.

Date	Use	Price	Area	PSF
Jan 2002	Shop House	S$210k	20,954 sqft	$10

URA/JTC records from 1995 — that is where the record starts, not when the building was built. Strata and land deals can mix in one building's history; compare like with like. sqm ↔ sq ft converter

What does space at 278b Macpherson Road rent for?

Key takeawayNo rent is published for 278b Macpherson Road itself. On its street, Macpherson Road, retail space rented at a median of $4.26 psf a month in 2026Q3. That is not this building's own rent, and never a quote for a particular unit.

Retail space on Macpherson Road

Street level · 2026Q3

25th pct

—

— psm

Median

$4.26

$45.86 psm

75th pct

—

— psm

S$ per sq ft per month (median only published) · median -4.8% on a year earlier

2023Q4 · $55.13 psm2026Q3 · $45.86 psm median

URA's percentiles of RETAIL rents (shop, F&B, entertainment, health & fitness) across every lease stamped with IRAS on this STREET in the quarter — the street's figure, not this building's rent and never a unit's. Retail rent swings with floor and frontage, so the spread matters as much as the median. A median needs at least 2 buildings and 3 contracts (percentiles need 4); a blank means below that threshold, not zero.

Source: URA rental statistics by street (IRAS-stamped contracts).

Retail space — District 13 retail

Region band · 2026Q3

25th pct

$9.61

$103.41 psm

Median

$10.25

$110.37 psm

75th pct

$13.31

$143.25 psm

S$ per sq ft per month

A REGION BAND — URA's grid for the whole district or location, not this street or building. Say "across <district/location>, …", never that this building rents for it. The middle of URA's retail grid for District 13 across every floor and size band — a ground-floor shop and an upper-floor unit sit at very different points in it.

Source: URA REALIS retail rental analysis (district × floor × size grid).

Market context around 278b Macpherson Road

Key takeawayBrokers' retail figures for this part of Singapore — a broker's market figure, not this building's rent.

CBRE, 2Q 2026 (island-wide)

Islandwide: Rent S$28.15 psf/mth

Singapore Figures Q2 2026

Cushman & Wakefield, 2Q 2026

Other City Areas: Rent S$21.21 psf/mth · Vacancy 7.4% (1Q 2026) · Planned / under construction 0.73m sq ft

Singapore Retail MarketBeat Q2 2026

Official series (URA, 2026Q3): Retail vacancy rate (Whole Island) 6.5 (-0.4 pp on the year) · Retail rental index (Central Region) 81.2 (+1.4% on the year).

Brokers draw submarkets and grades differently; each figure is the broker's own, for its own area, cited to its report. Rents are per square foot per month.

How fast units move at 278b Macpherson Road

Key takeawayBased on listings we track, as of our last check on 28 Aug 2026: 1 unit for rent.

Rent: between 6 Aug 2026 and 28 Aug 2026, 0 new listings appeared and 0 came off (sold, let or withdrawn). Days on market: not enough history yet — we began tracking on 6 Aug 2026.

One count per unit, however many agents list it. Asking prices are not tracked over time, so price cuts are not shown.

What's been approved at 278b Macpherson Road?

Key takeawayThis is the building's planning history, not today's approved use of any unit: confirm a unit's approved use with URA before signing.

F&B and nightlife here

URA does not approve new eating houses (restaurants, coffee shops, cafes) here; an existing one's permission may be renewed.

Per URA circular DC23-08, Appendix A (2 Oct 2023: no new eating houses in shophouses on listed stretches). A planning guideline for the area, not a decision on any unit; it applies to new eating houses and bars, not to one already approved.

Source: URA planning decisions (URA Data Service), matched to this building by address or land lot. A past approval can lapse (a temporary permission) and belongs to the unit it names. The authoritative approved use of a unit comes from URA's Enquiry on Approved Use of Premises (S$54.50 per unit).

How does Macpherson Road price?

Strata sales on the street (5y)

Too few strata sales on this street to support a median — the count is shown without one.

Street figures cover strata deals only — land and strata PSF are not comparable.

What do commercial rents run near 278b Macpherson Road?

Key takeawayURA publishes contracted-rent percentile grids quarterly (latest: 2026Q3) — the benchmark evidence an asking rent should be weighed against.

Indicative area yield — District 13 retail

Gross yield (area)

7.9%

7.1% net of property tax

Rent side (median of bands)

$110.37 psm/mo

2026Q3

Price side (strata, 5y)

$1,558 psf

18 sales

An INDICATIVE AREA yield for District 13 retail — NOT this building's yield, and not any unit's. Commercial rents are published as a district percentile grid, so both halves describe the district.

Priced on STRATA sales only: rent is quoted per unit of lettable area, and commercial land PSF runs far above strata — mixing them would shift the ratio sharply.

Net deducts the 10% non-residential property tax ONLY — not vacancy, maintenance, agent fees, financing, or the 9% GST on purchase.

Retail rents — District 13 ($ psm/month, 2026Q3)

Floor level · size band	25th pct	Median	75th pct
Level 1 · 30 & Below	$85.88	$95.78	$103.50
B1 & Below · 30 & Below	$291.67	$294.44	$345.30
B1 & Below · >30 - 100	$48.39	$50.91	$73.81
Level 1 · >30 - 100	$120.93	$124.95	$183.00

URA REALIS rental-contract percentiles for the district/location — an area benchmark, not this building's own rents. Office and retail are dimensioned differently and are never mixed.

What is available at 278b Macpherson Road right now?

Key takeaway1 unit is currently listed at 278b Macpherson Road. One row per unit; several agents often market the same unit.

For rent (1)

280a macphersonS$3k/mo · 819 sqft

Browse every listing at this building →

What is near 278b Macpherson Road?

Key takeawayThe nearest MRT/LRT is Mattar MRT, about 793 m away — and 3 competing retail premisess operate nearby.

Getting around

Mattar MRT793 m · ~12 min

Amenities nearby

Opp Cencon Bldg · 47 mCircuit Medical Clinic · 194 mChempaka Ave Pg · 229 mHotel · 270 mPlace Of Worship · 293 mEducational Institution · 416 mMattar MRT Exit A · 723 mBusiness Park · 1.5 km

Competing premises nearby

Retail and F&B premises competing for the same footfall — context for an occupier, not a selling point.

NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Ltd · 297 mBlks 79/79A Circuit Road · 986 mThe Poiz Centre · 988 m

Straight-line distances. Source: PropKaki amenities data.

Getting there and parking at 278b Macpherson Road

Key takeawayThe nearest station is Mattar (DT25), 723 m away — a quiet station, with 9,848 taps in and out on an average weekday. 9 public car parks are within 500 m; the cheapest URA season parking nearby is S$90 a month.

Foot traffic: busier than 22% of retail buildings

nearest MRT/LRT Mattar (DT25) 723 m, about 9,848 taps a weekday; 1 more station within 1 km; bus stops within 400 m: 8, about 17,000 taps a weekday; Geylang: 116,481 resident workers (Census 2020, by workplace); about 39,000 residents within 1 km (June 2026); 1 other mall within 1 km. Ranked against 12,856 retail buildings by PropKaki's model: a relative score, not a footfall count.

A relative score from PropKaki's model (station and bus taps nearby, workers and residents around, and competing malls), not a count of people.

Stations within 1 km

Mattar (DT25)723 m · 9,848 weekday taps
Potong Pasir (NE10)860 m · about 35,000 weekday taps

Taps are fare-card taps in and out at the station's gates on an average weekday (Jul 2026 to Sep 2026) — people passing through, not visitors to 278b Macpherson Road. Transfers between lines don't tap, so interchanges read low.

Bus

8 bus stops within 400 m, with about 17,000 boardings and alightings on an average weekday.

Public car parks within 500 m

Tannery Lane (URA)266 m
S$0.60 per half-hour at midday on a weekday · 36 car lots
Lor Pendek (URA)275 m
S$0.60 per half-hour at midday on a weekday · 4 car lots
Genting Rd (URA)316 m
S$0.60 per half-hour at midday on a weekday · 20 car lots
Service Rd (Macpherson Rd) (URA)339 m
S$0.60 per half-hour at midday on a weekday · season S$90/month · 23 car lots
Genting Link (URA)359 m
S$0.60 per half-hour at midday on a weekday · 2 car lots

Public car parks only, by straight-line distance, with the operator's published rates. 278b Macpherson Road's own car park, if it has one, and its charges are not in the open data.

Who's registered at 278b Macpherson Road?

Key takeaway4 live companies (and LLPs and branches; sole proprietors are not counted) list 278b Macpherson Road as their registered address. These are registered businesses, not who occupies the space.

Wholesale and retail trade
2
Other services
1
Information and communications
1
Professional, scientific and technical services
0

Registered businesses, not who occupies the space: companies, LLPs and branches whose REGISTERED address is this building (ACRA), by industry. Sole proprietors are not counted; no business is named. ACRA, as of 2026-09-16.

Frequently asked questions about 278b Macpherson Road

Where is 278B Macpherson Road?⌄

278B Macpherson Road is at 278B Macpherson Road, Singapore 348603, in the Geylang planning area.

What is 278B Macpherson Road zoned as?⌄

278B Macpherson Road sits on land zoned business 1 under the URA Master Plan, with a gross plot ratio of 2.5.

What have units at 278B Macpherson Road sold for?⌄

Across 1 recorded transaction, the median price is S$10 psf. The latest was in January 2002.

What is the nearest MRT station to 278B Macpherson Road?⌄

Mattar MRT is the closest, 793 m away (about a 12-minute walk).

How many businesses are registered at 278B Macpherson Road?⌄

6 businesses are currently registered at this address with ACRA. That is a measure of registered addresses, not of how many businesses physically occupy the building.

For agents · in the PropKaki app

The facts are here — now get the verdict on 278b Macpherson Road.

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Tell me about 278b Macpherson Road — recent transactions, zoning and what's listed there.

Here's the building's zone, its recorded deals and every live unit — and where the asking prices sit against them.

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Read the figures right

Year of completion is not on record for this building. Building age cannot be stated.

Submarket: PropKaki's own map from URA's planning subzones (CBD core, City Hall / Bugis, Orchard, city fringe, regional centres, suburban). Brokers draw these lines differently.

F&B / nightlife: per URA circular DC23-08, Appendix A (2 Oct 2023: no new eating houses in shophouses on listed stretches). A planning guideline, not a decision on any unit.

Station taps: average weekday fare-card taps in and out at the nearest MRT/LRT station (LTA DataMall). People passing the station's gates, not people visiting this building.

Season parking: the cheapest URA car season rate (commercial ticket) at a public car park within 500 m, per month. HDB's season rates depend on a zone we don't have, so they are shown as HDB's tiers.

Foot-traffic score: PropKaki's relative score from nearby MRT and bus taps, workers and residents around (and, for retail, competing malls), ranked against buildings of the same kind. A percentile, not a count of people.

Company REGISTRATIONS at this address (ACRA), not a tenancy schedule. Registration does not mean the company physically occupies space here, and a low count does not mean the building is empty. Do not describe this as occupancy or vacancy.

Unbuilt GFA cannot be computed here — it needs BCA built-GFA, which covers about 5% of commercial buildings and no industrial ones. Zoning and plot ratio are on record; headroom is not.

Tenure is not recorded for this building. Commercial tenure coverage is roughly 40% (industrial is far better at ~90%).

Storeys: from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), volunteer-mapped, not an official record. Shown only because no official or listed floor count is held for this building.

Reviewed by Nathan Tang

Nathan Tang has over 10 years of property experience across condominiums, HDB flats and commercial property, specialising in property research and finance.

Figures draw on URA and JTC records, URA Master Plan zoning, ACRA registrations and live commercial-portal listings; building facts from PropKaki's submarket map, URA circular DC23-08 (2 Oct 2023), URA car park data (URA Data Service), LTA DataMall passenger volumes, PropKaki's foot-traffic model, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) — see our methodology. Last updated 8 November 2026. For general information, not financial advice.

Getting there and parking: LTA DataMall passenger volumes and car parks, URA Data Service car park rates, HDB and JTC car park information (data.gov.sg) and HDB's published parking charges, Census of Population 2020 and the Singapore Department of Statistics' June 2026 resident population (Singapore Open Data Licence). The foot-traffic score is PropKaki's own relative model, not a count.

Market context: figures cited from CBRE Research (Singapore Figures) and Cushman & Wakefield (Singapore MarketBeat), each with its quarter and report; flexible-workspace centres from the operators' public location lists; collective sales from marketing agents' announcements and news reports, each linked.

Rents: URA rental statistics for office and retail space by street (IRAS-stamped contracts), JTC J-SPACE rentals by building and by street, JTC price tenders, and URA REALIS rental grids. SLA tender results and JTC posted land rents are held for state and JTC land.