Brand-name apartments drew the strongest subscription demand last year, data showed, as buyers in an end-user-driven market gravitated toward complexes built by major construction companies with proven track records and well-regarded product quality.
According to real estate data provider Budongsanr114, eight of the top 10 first-priority subscription competition rates nationwide in 2025 — excluding consortium projects — belonged to brand complexes developed by construction companies ranked among the top 10 in Korea's construction capability assessment.
The highest competition rate was recorded at Changwon Central iPark in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, at 706.61 to 1. It was followed by Otiere Fore in Seongdong-gu, Seoul (688.13 to 1), Jamsil Le'el in Songpa-gu (631.6 to 1), Yeoksam Central Xi in Gangnam-gu (487.09 to 1), and Hillstate Isuyeok Central in Dongjak-gu (326.74 to 1).
The dominance of brand-name complexes held when the scope was widened to the top 20. Fourteen of those 20 complexes carried major builder brands, including Hillstate, Raemian and Xi.
Industry observers say the results reflect buyers' tendency to weigh construction reliability, product quality and brand recognition together — particularly as market uncertainty persists.
Against that backdrop, Hyundai E&C plans to launch pre-sales for Hillstate Godeok Ellist in the Godeok International Planning District in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. The complex will rise from two below-ground floors to 33 above-ground floors across 22 buildings — six in Block 31BL, eight in Block 34BL and eight in Block 35BL — for a total of 2,122 units, with exclusive use areas ranging from 58 to 84 square meters.
The complex sits within Godeok International New Town, adjacent to Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek campus. The new town is being developed as an integrated zone combining a semiconductor industrial complex with residential, commercial and business facilities.
The project is also subject to the price ceiling on new apartments, drawing continued attention from buyers amid a broader trend of rising pre-sale prices.
Nearby schools include the planned Godeok Elementary School No. 8, the planned Godeok Middle School No. 6 and Songtan High School. An Edu Town development that will include an international school is also planned in the vicinity.
The complex offers solid transit access. It sits close to Seojeongni Station on Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 1, and Pyeongtaek-Jije Station — served by both the SRT and Line 1 — is reachable by vehicle. A direct KTX connection from Suwon is also in the works, and a bus rapid transit route circling Godeok International New Town will be available. By road, the Pyeongtaek–Jecheon Expressway provides access to both the Gyeongbu Expressway and the West Coast Expressway.
The Hillstate Godeok Ellist model home is scheduled to open in Godeok-dong, Pyeongtaek, sometime in June.
kim3956@heraldcorp.com
