New potential for real estate investment from overseas Vietnamese
Significant changes in land, housing, and real estate business laws are creating more favorable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to participate more deeply in the market as investors.
Shifting Capital Flows
Remittance inflows remain at high levels, and together with landmark changes in land, housing, and real estate business laws, they are opening significant room for overseas Vietnamese to engage more deeply in the domestic market.
According to Mr. Can Van Luc, Chief Economist at BIDV, remittances are clearly shifting from consumption support toward investment and asset accumulation. As investor rights and obligations become more clearly defined, coupled with a stable political and economic environment, capital from overseas Vietnamese is increasingly flowing into long-term investment channels, with real estate playing a central role.
Property investment aligns with the desire to hold assets connected to one’s homeland—particularly for overseas Vietnamese who maintain family and economic ties and frequently travel between Vietnam and their countries of residence.
According to Savills, remittances to Ho Chi Minh City reached approximately US$10.5 billion (over VND 267 trillion) in 2025, primarily from Asia (50%) and the Americas (30%). Beyond supplementing foreign exchange reserves, remittances are increasingly viewed as a potential investment capital source amid a more transparent and open legal framework for real estate.
Director of Savills Hanoi, Matthew Powell, noted that the 2024 Land Law and the Law on Real Estate Business have introduced important adjustments, enabling overseas Vietnamese to access the market more easily, with transaction rights nearly equivalent to those of domestic residents.
Previously, unclear ownership and transaction rights often forced investors to rely on proxies or indirect investment structures, increasing the risk of disputes. Greater legal clarity helps reduce such risks and channels capital into more formal and transparent avenues.
The Need for Greater Transparency
Data from Savills and Batdongsan.com.vn indicate that apartments are the preferred segment among overseas Vietnamese investors.
Mr. Dinh Minh Tuan, Southern Regional Director of Batdongsan.com.vn, observed that apartments offer better liquidity, easier leasing potential, and lower initial capital requirements compared to landed properties.
The model of selling off-plan housing with phased payment schedules also helps overseas investors manage cash flow more effectively. Many developers provide financial support policies, bank partnerships, or rental guarantees, reducing operational burdens for investors who do not reside in Vietnam.
The Vietnam Association of Realtors (VARS) believes that expanding ownership and transaction rights for overseas Vietnamese will generate additional medium- to long-term demand, reducing the market’s reliance on short-term speculative capital. Overseas Vietnamese investors typically adopt a long-term perspective, prioritizing legal clarity and sustainable asset performance.
However, VARS emphasized the need for continued improvements in market transparency, project legal documentation, and post-sale management capabilities.
Meanwhile, Mr. Le Hoang Chau, Chairman of the HoREA, described remittances as a low-cost and stable source of capital that does not create repayment pressure like debt financing. With appropriate mechanisms to encourage transparent and efficient allocation into real estate, remittances could become a vital market resource
The key challenge, however, lies in policy implementation. Legal application must be consistent across localities to avoid divergent interpretations.
Beyond Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, experts suggest that Da Nang is emerging as a new destination for overseas Vietnamese investors, thanks to clear urban planning, synchronized infrastructure, and investment products with measurable performance potential. Localities with strong transport connectivity and stable rental demand will likely have a competitive advantage in attracting this capital.
Overall, the new legal framework is creating substantial room for overseas Vietnamese to invest in real estate. Yet transforming this potential into tangible capital flows will require further improvements in transparency, streamlined procedures, higher product quality, and stronger developer credibility. Only when the market operates in a stable, transparent, and sustainable manner can the opportunities created by new policies be fully realized.
Hai Phong News