Can You Sell My Condo In 14 Days?
If you found this page because you typed “sell my condo” or “sell my condo fast” into Google, you might be wondering whether a 14‑day sale is even possible – and what kind of risk you’d be taking if you tried to buy your next home first.
This is the real story (not an AI story) of one such couple, and what actually went on behind the scenes.
WHAT’S MY RISK?
Luke & Angie (not their real names) came to see a landed house that I was marketing one Sunday afternoon. It was love at first sight. They could see their family there, and they were emotionally sold within minutes.
There was just one problem. They couldn’t commit to the landed house without selling their existing condo first.
Like many Singaporean owners who call and say, “Jack, I need you to sell my condo so I can upgrade”, they:
- needed the sale proceeds from their existing home
- needed CPF refunds to help fund the next purchase
- had to think about Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) if they ended up holding two residential properties at the same time
The next day, they came back for a second viewing of the landed house. This time, Luke pulled me aside.
“Jack, I really like this house, and I don’t want to miss it. What can I do if we really want to buy it? I’m thinking of purchasing in my name only.”
I replied, “There is one way to buy first, then sell. But it’s going to be very risky.”
He looked at me without flinching.
“Ok, understood. What’s my risk?”
I told him plainly, “Your risk is that you will lose your 1% option fee for the landed house if you can’t sell your condo in time. If the seller asks for more than 1%, the amount you stand to lose goes up.”
Usually, this is the point where owners say, “Jack, that’s too risky. Let’s sell my condo first, then we look for a landed house.”
BUY FIRST, THEN SELL
LONGER OPTION PERIOD
Negotiate a longer option period with the house seller. At the very least, we will need 28 days instead of the usual 14 days. We also need a longer sale completion date for the house.
SELL YOUR CONDO
After securing the OTP (option to purchase) for the house, secure a buyer for your condo within 14 days. The condo sale needs to be completed before the sale of the house is completed.
EXERCISE OTP (CONDO)
Assuming the condo is sold on day 14, the condo buyer will have another 14 days to exercise the OTP. This is why the option period for the landed house has to be at least 28 days.
EXERCISE OTP (LANDED)
Once the condo buyer exercises the OTP, you can exercise the OTP for the landed house before it expires. You will need temporary accommodation as you wait to collect the keys to your new home.
Instead, Luke said the line I’ll never forget.
Ok, let’s do it. Can you sell my condo in 14 days?
My place is very nice. Featured in ID magazine. Can easily fetch $2m.
Luke
Luke & Angie reassured me they fully understood the risk. They were calm, clear-headed and made it clear they wouldn’t blame me if things didn’t work out.
So I took on the assignment – without having seen their condo, and without any prior transactions in that development. I hoped what they said about their home was accurate.
The Option to Purchase (OTP) for the landed house was secured the next day. We negotiated a five‑week option period, followed by 13 weeks to complete the sale.
The clock started the moment Luke said, “Can you sell my condo in 14 days?”
The race had begun.
AND SO THE TALE UNFOLDS
Luke and Angie owned a penthouse unit. It was every bit as beautiful as they had claimed, and clearly very well maintained.
Then I discovered the major issue.
The unit originally had three bedrooms. To create a luxurious master bedroom, they had combined the master bedroom with the adjoining common bedroom.
That renovation turned a functional three-bedroom unit into a spacious two-bedroom unit, asking for three-bedroom money.
- For typical two-bedroom buyers, the price was above their usual budget.
- For three-bedroom buyers, even if they loved the condition, they had to factor in renovation costs and the hassle of reinstating the extra bedroom.
In other words, the genuine buyer pool was small. This is the kind of detail that can make or break the sale.
With the clock ticking, I braced myself for an intense 14 days.
THE MOOD DURING THOSE 14 DAYS
The days that followed were filled with determination – and a very real undercurrent of fear.
We all knew the stakes: if I failed to sell their condo within the agreed window, Luke and Angie would lose the option fee on the landed house. There would be no second chance with that dream home.
Despite the pressure, they turned out to be excellent clients:
- They kept the condo spotless for every viewing.
- They were flexible with timing, even at short notice.
- They always left the unit during viewings so buyers could view and speak freely.
They never once said, “Jack, why haven’t you sold my condo yet?” or questioned the process.
Their trust in me made it much easier to push hard on marketing, pricing discussions and buyer follow‑ups.
THE BREAKTHROUGH
Against the odds, the breakthrough finally came on the night of Day 12.
One buyer returned for a second viewing with her friend. They spent almost two hours in the unit, going through every room, measuring, and discussing.
By the end of the night, she wrote me a cheque.
While all this was happening, Luke and Angie were out on a badminton date, trying not to think about whether I was about to sell their condo or call with bad news.
The look on their faces when we met outside the badminton hall after I told them the good news?
Priceless.
What has been your riskiest real‑estate move?
Did it pay off for you?
WHAT THIS 14-DAY SALE CAN TEACH YOU
SPEED COMES FROM PREPRATION, NOT PANIC
A fast sale does not mean a rushed or careless process. Before launching any listing, I always:
- Clarify your financial limits and risk appetite.
- Work out a clear asking price backed by data.
- Share my honest assessment of the chance of success.
- Question your decision.
When the foundation is right, a serious buyer can appear very quickly. Careful planning in the first week often saves you months of sitting on the market later.
PRICING NEEDS TO MATCH REALITY
If you tell me, “Jack, I want you to sell my condo in two weeks, but I also want a record‑breaking price”, we need a serious conversation.
For a fast sale, pricing must:
- Reflect current transactions, not wishful thinking.
- Account for standout features (good or bad) of your unit.
- Be flexible enough to adjust if the market response in the first week is weak.
In Luke and Angie’s case, we had to factor in the reduced bedroom count and smaller buyer pool when deciding on the price.
THE RIGHT BUYERS MUST SELL YOUR LISTING QUICKLY
You cannot sell any property if the right buyers never see it.
That is why I focus on:
- Strong online presentation: professional photos, accurate floorplans, clear descriptions.
- Exposure on the major property portals buyers actually use.
- Quick, responsive follow‑up to every serious enquiry.
When done properly, you can condense what usually takes months into weeks.
SHOULD YOU TRY TO SELL IN 14 DAYS?
So, is a 14‑day sale realistic for you?
The honest answer: rarely yes, almost always no.
Luke and Angie had something in their favour.
The market was on a strong uptrend, and the chance to pull this off was there. It was a rare opportunity.
Even so, the margin for error was razor-thin. One misstep would have cost them their dream home.
WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE TODAY?
Are you wondering what to do in today’s market?
Perhaps you already have a clear mind of what you want to do?
In my blog, I often share stories of the challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned in my work as a real estate agent in Singapore.
Regardless of your situation, you can use me as a sounding board. I’ll provide perspective and clarity from my experience to help you make the most appropriate real estate decision in 2026.
