Sales of new homes tumbled last month, as home buyers picked up 259 units directly from developers.

This was almost 80 per cent down from the 1,271 units snapped up in November, data from the Urban Redevelopment Authority revealed on Wednesday.

The figures exclude executive condominiums.

Sales in the suburbs helped prop up last month's buying activity, with 125 units sold. Developers moved only 90 units in the city fringe areas, while just 44 units were snapped up in the city centre.

The best-selling project was Guillemard Suites in Geylang, which sold 26 units at a median price of $1,494 per sq ft (psf).

Other projects that helped shore up sales in the suburbs were The Glades in Tanah Merah and La Fiesta in Sengkang.

The Glades sold 18 units at a median price of $1,477 psf, while La Fiesta sold 18 units for a median price of $1,197 psf.