A co-working facility in HCM City. The supply of flexible working spaces in the city is increasing, according to Knight Frank Vietnam. (Photo courtesy of Annie Spratt)

There was a 20% increase in co-working space in Ho Chi Minh City driven primarily by some large new premium centres in the downtown area, according to property consultancy Knight Frank Vietnam.

Its third annual study found that the city now has 120 co-working places and five more are slated to open by year-end.

Notable additions include one each in The Nexus with 1,908 square meters and in the Bitexco Financial Tower with 1,063sq.m.

The rush of premium supply saw a decline in absorption this year, with occupancy falling from 81% in last year’s study to 73% now, but Knight Frank expects that to decrease soon as new tenants fill highly sought-after space.

Leo Nguyen, director of occupier strategy and solutions at the company, said: “Even with this influx of central supply, central locations reported occupancy of around 85%, while non-CBD locations hovered around 70%, highlighting just how robust demand is for these locations.

“We expect this space to be relatively quickly filled, with central locations likely to return to full capacity, driving up the city-wide average.”

The study also found that rents rose by 4.5% year-on-year to an average of 219 USD per person per month.

Premium/grade A centres, which are particularly sought by multinational tenants, saw even higher growth, with average rents reaching 344 USD.

Non-CBD locations tend to be dominated by small and medium enterprises and start-ups, with the emergence of new players offering a more diverse working environment than traditional serviced offices and co-working offices and hot desks.

“Technology and innovative startups have always been our focus,” Greg Ohan, CEO and co-pioneer of The Sentry, a grade A co-working office provider, said.

“We've seen significant growth in the IT outsourcing sector, with game developers and AI startups being particularly prominent.

“To accommodate this demand, we have established a partnership with RMIT that works as an incubator and accelerator for startups led by young entrepreneurs.

“We will also be developing a 10-floor facility in District 12, within the QTSC (Quang Trung Software City) development with three floors dedicated to co-working space, with these technology businesses in mind.”

Knight Frank said this dovetails with wider trends it has observed within the market, with newer businesses looking further afield for affordable spaces with access to emerging nearby tech parks.

Nguyen said: “We have seen rapid growth from some brands with non-central locations offering average pricing of 96 USD per person per month, notably in Thu Duc city and District 12, where operators are seeking to diversify their offerings to startups beyond simple workspaces to services including training, development and team building.”/.