Real estate market posts nationwide upswing

The Ministry of Construction has issued figures claiming evidence of a country-wide upturn in the real estate market

According to figures from Ministry of Construction (MoC), the real estate market has seen improvements, with an increase in transactions and a slow-down in falling prices.

More than 1,500 successful transactions were reported in the first quarter in Hanoi, double the number recorded during the same period last year. In the first 15 days of April, more than 800 transactions were reported.

According to Nguyen Tran Nam, Deputy Minister of MoC, a range of projects had seen remarkable increases in sales, including Vingroup’s Royal City and Times City, Hoa Phat Group’s Mandarin Garden, Thang Long Number One, 175 Nguyen Trai and Victoria Van Phu.

Land and villa sales have also seen modest increases this quarter compared to zero sales during the same period last year.

“These figures reveal that Hanoi’s real estate market has seen positive movement with increasing transactions. In many projects, inventories has been reduced and prices have been stable,” Nam said at a meeting of the National Steering Committee for Housing Policy and Real Estate Market held recently in Hanoi.

Nam added that the most sought after projects were located within Ring Road 3, and were mostly bought by end-users, not speculators.

“This shows the fact that the market is now healthier, for both developers and buyers,” he claimed.

The same positive signs have been seen in Ho Chi Minh City. The MoC said that more than 1,000 successful transactions were also seen in the first two months of this year. In Ho Chi Minh City, affordable houses in suburban districts 8, 9, Thu Duc and Binh Chanh were proving the most popular purchases.

In Ho Chi Minh City’s neighbouring provinces, where land is 30 to 50 per cent lower than the city, buyers are expressing interest in the Long Hau residential area, which despite being located in Long An province, abuts the Phu My Hung urban development area.

Nam also claimed the figures proved that prices were no longer falling. Apart from projects in areas lacking completed infrastructure, completed projects located in central areas were maintaining prices, with some firms even increasing prices.

Nam said there was evidence of an increasing shortage of VND20 million per square metre and less than 100 square metre apartments.