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The best real estate agencies in Vietnam: our comparison
What is the best real estate agency in Vietnam for a foreign buyer?
01Savills Vietnam
4.4 / 5One of the longest-established international agencies in the country
IdéalFull-service expatriate buyers who want research, agency and after-sales support from one group
- Parent group
- Savills plc (London-headquartered, listed LSE)
- In Vietnam since
- 1995 — among the earliest international entrants
- Offices
- Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
- Core services
- Residential sales & leasing, valuation, project marketing, market research
- +Dedicated residential team serving expatriate buyers
- +Longest operating history of the international agencies, with deep project-level data
- +Publishes detailed, regularly updated market reports
- −A larger organisation can mean less personalised attention on smaller budgets
- −Best-known for mid-to-premium projects rather than budget resale
02CBRE Vietnam
4.3 / 5Global commercial real-estate group with a long-standing Hanoi office
IdéalInstitutional-grade due diligence and new-build project marketing
- Parent group
- CBRE Group (Los Angeles-headquartered, listed NYSE)
- In Vietnam since
- Early 2000s
- Offices
- Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
- Core services
- Research, agency leasing, project marketing, valuation
- +Quarterly market research covering Hanoi's residential segment
- +English-first service throughout the transaction
- +Established relationships with major developers
- −Oriented toward larger transactions and new-build projects
- −Less suited to small resale or rental-only searches
03Cushman & Wakefield Vietnam
4.0 / 5US-headquartered commercial real-estate group with local coverage
IdéalBuyers who also want commercial or investment-grade advisory alongside a residential purchase
- Parent group
- Cushman & Wakefield (New York-headquartered)
- Offices
- Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
- Core services
- Agency, valuation, project marketing, capital-markets advisory
- +Strong commercial and investment research arm
- +International reporting standards, useful for institutional buyers
- −Residential-buyer service is less specialised than Savills or CBRE
- −Smaller local footprint on pure residential resale
04Knight Frank Vietnam
4.0 / 5Boutique local presence of the UK-headquartered global network
IdéalHigh-end residential and commercial consultancy backed by an international referral network
- Parent group
- Knight Frank (London-headquartered)
- Vietnam footprint
- Smaller than CBRE or Savills, covering Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
- Core services
- Agency, valuation, consultancy, market research
- +Global referral network useful for cross-border buyers
- +Consultancy-led approach rather than volume sales
- −Fewer active listings than the larger internationals
- −Less brand recognition among local Vietnamese sellers
05Rever
3.6 / 5Vietnamese proptech brokerage built around an agent-matching app
IdéalBuyers comfortable navigating largely Vietnamese-language listings with an agent's help
- Model
- App-based platform plus an independent agent network
- Coverage
- Strongest in Ho Chi Minh City, with growing Hanoi coverage
- Focus
- Resale and rental brokerage, primarily domestic-market oriented
- +Large resale and rental inventory sourced from its agent network
- +Technology-led listing and matching process
- −English-language support is inconsistent across individual agents
- −Younger company with a shorter verifiable track record than the internationals
06Batdongsan.com.vn
3.4 / 5Vietnam's largest property listings portal — a marketplace, not a brokerage
IdéalIndependent research and price benchmarking before you contact any agency
- Parent group
- PropertyGuru Group (Singapore-headquartered), since its 2018 acquisition
- Function
- Classifieds and listings marketplace, not a licensed agency itself
- Coverage
- Nationwide, the largest listings volume in Vietnam
- +Widest listing volume for market research
- +Free to browse, useful for price benchmarking across districts
- −No agency-level accountability: every listing must be verified independently
- −Listings can be duplicated, stale or posted by unverified sellers
The six agencies at a glance
| Rank | Agency | Best for | Key strength | English-language support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Savills Vietnam | Full-service expatriate buyers | Longest track record in Vietnam (since 1995) | Full |
| 2 | CBRE Vietnam | Institutional-grade deals and new-build projects | Quarterly market research, developer relationships | Full |
| 3 | Cushman & Wakefield Vietnam | Residential plus investment-grade advisory | Commercial and capital-markets research | Full |
| 4 | Knight Frank Vietnam | High-end consultancy, global referral network | International referral network | Full |
| 5 | Rever | Tech-enabled resale and rental search | Large agent-sourced listing inventory | Mixed, agent-dependent |
| 6 | Batdongsan.com.vn | Independent listings research | Largest listings portal in Vietnam | Self-service — no agency support |
✓ Who each type of agency suits
- ✓First-time overseas buyers who want an English-speaking team to manage the whole search (Savills, CBRE)
- ✓Investors who also need commercial or investment-grade advisory alongside a residential purchase (Cushman & Wakefield, Knight Frank)
- ✓Buyers who want to research listings and benchmark prices independently before contacting anyone (Batdongsan.com.vn)
- ⚠Buyers expecting any single agency to replace independent legal due diligence
- ⚠Anyone relying solely on a portal listing without verifying the seller and the project's foreign quota
- ⚠Buyers who need a fully English-language process end to end without confirming agent-level support first (Rever)
What foreign buyers should know before engaging an agency in Vietnam
An agency can save you time, but it cannot substitute for understanding the legal framework you are buying into. Vietnam does not recognise private ownership of land — what a foreign buyer acquires is a set of use rights, evidenced by a Pink Book (sổ hồng). Foreigners may only buy units — never land itself — inside commercial housing projects approved to sell to non-Vietnamese buyers, and ownership runs for 50 years, renewable once, under the Housing Law 2023.
A second constraint a good agency should explain clearly, before you reserve anything, is the 30% foreign-ownership quota per building — plus a 250-house cap per ward-level area for landed property — set out in the same law alongside the Land Law 2024. Any agency worth engaging should be able to tell you, in writing, how much of a building's foreign quota remains before you put down a deposit.
None of the six names compared here can act as a substitute for your own legal counsel. Their role is to help you find, compare and negotiate a property; verifying the title, the developer's licence and the sale contract remains your responsibility, or your lawyer's.
Sources
Legal and regulatory statements in this comparison are based on the Housing Law 2023 (27/2023/QH15), the Land Law 2024 (31/2024/QH15), and Decree 95/2024/ND-CP, which details the Housing Law's application (cited by number; no verified public URL is linked here). Facts about the agencies compared come from each firm's own published materials and public press coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to use an agency to buy property in Vietnam as a foreigner?
No — you can deal directly with a developer or, for resale, a seller's own agent. In practice, most first-time overseas buyers use an agency for translation, project comparison and coordination through the full buying process, from reservation to registration.
Are agency fees paid by the buyer or the seller?
On new-build projects, the agency is usually remunerated by the developer, so buyers rarely pay a direct fee. For resale transactions, commission arrangements vary by agency and should always be confirmed in writing before you engage anyone.
Is Batdongsan.com.vn a real estate agency?
No. Batdongsan.com.vn is a listings portal owned by PropertyGuru Group — it aggregates classified ads from agents, developers and private sellers. It is useful for research and price benchmarking, but every listing still needs to be verified independently before you commit.
What happened to Propzy?
Propzy was a well-funded Vietnamese proptech brokerage that closed down in 2022 despite raising significant international investment. It is a useful reminder to check any agency's current operating status before you sign a reservation.
Can these agencies help me get a mortgage as a foreigner?
Not directly — a real estate agency is not a lender. Full-service brokerages can refer you to partner banks, but confirm your eligibility independently using our guide to mortgages for foreigners, since local bank loans are generally hard to access for non-residents.
Which agency should I use to rent out my property after I buy?
Sales agencies and property managers are usually separate businesses in Vietnam. Once your purchase is complete, see our guide on renting out your Hanoi property for how leasing and management commissions typically work.
Do foreign buyers need a lawyer in addition to an agency?
Yes. An agency helps you find and negotiate a property, but it does not replace independent legal due diligence on the developer, the title and the sale contract — engage your own lawyer or notary for that.
Talk to an independent Hanoi advisor before you engage any agency
We work alongside — not for — the agencies in this comparison. Tell us your budget and district preference and we'll help you shortlist the right partner, cross-check what they show you, and flag anything that needs independent verification before you sign.