To help businesses navigate the Southern property market—a key driver shaping real estate investment and development trends for 2026–2027—Business Forum Magazine, under the direction of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), cooperated with the Vietnam Association of Real Estate Brokers (VARS) and the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association (HoREA) to hold the forum "Southern Vietnam Real Estate: Unlocking New Growth Frontiers."

From Speculation to Value Investing

Speaking at the forum, VCCI Vice President Hoang Quang Phong emphasized that Vietnam’s property market officially entered a new development cycle in the first half of 2026. According to Mr. Phong, the era of speculative short-term trading is drawing to a close, giving way to value-investing strategies where operational cash flows and legal compliance take center stage. The market is witnessing a clear divergence into two groups: speculative assets lacking intrinsic utility, and property yielding stable cash flows backed by robust legal transparency.

This shift lays the foundation for a sustainable development cycle spanning 2026–2031. Over this period, the market’s primary valuation metrics will pivot toward net cash flow generation, tech-driven transparency, infrastructure adaptability, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) compliance standards.

Mr. Phong noted that an unprecedentedly clear legal framework is taking shape. Decisive backing from the Party, State, Government, and ministries—channelled through the resolution of systemic bottlenecks via Resolution No. 21-NQ/TW and a crucial trio of amended laws (the Land Law, Housing Law, and Real Estate Business Law) expected to pass this October—is set to catalyze the market's take-off.

Ho Chi Minh City: Polycentric Urban Expansion and Infrastructure Breakthroughs

The VCCI Vice President pointed out that Southern Vietnam—the nation's most dynamic economic region—is presented with an alignment of favorable factors. Ho Chi Minh City’s real estate landscape is undergoing a structural shift from a monocentric model to a polycentric urban network. Instead of clustering in the traditional city center, new supply is expanding into surrounding areas with substantial untapped potential.

According to Mr. Phong, the synthesis of a polycentric master plan, transit-oriented development (TOD) strategies, and a wave of major inter-regional infrastructure mega-projects is driving powerful momentum:

First, connected Infrastructure: Key projects—including Long Thanh International Airport, Ring Roads 3 and 4 (HCMC), and the Ben Luc–Long Thanh and Bien Hoa–Vung Tau expressways—are being accelerated. These arteries connect Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, Can Tho, and An Giang, shaping modern urban, industrial, and logistics "super-regions."

Second, flexible capital flows: Adaptive monetary policy from the State Bank of Vietnam, combined with strategic partnerships between project developers and major financial institutions, is unblocking safe credit channels directly into real-value assets.

Third, fiscal buffer: With Vietnam’s public debt remaining below 40% of GDP, sustained infrastructure expenditure over the coming years will remain a cornerstone in shaping real estate trends.

Consolidation Pressure and a New Operational Mindset

Despite a positive overarching picture, Mr. Phong cautioned that intense corporate restructuring lies ahead. While listed real estate firms have recorded improvements in revenue and profits—actively raising debt to secure landbanks and resources for major projects during 2026–2028—the pressure remains real.

Mounting bond maturities and rising capital costs will accelerate market consolidation. The next phase will demand far higher standards of financial capability, liquidity management, and project execution.

"The upcoming market phase calls for a fundamentally new growth mindset: aligning asset values with end-user demand, treating legal transparency as the benchmark of credibility, and leveraging living quality and connected infrastructure as enduring competitive advantages," stressed Mr. Hoang Quang Phong.

He expressed optimism that actionable insights from this forum would inform upcoming policy reports submitted to regulatory authorities. This input aims to ensure the trio of amended real estate laws translates effectively into practice, fostering a transparent, stable, and resilient regulatory landscape that will drive safe and sustainable growth across the Southern property market and the national economy as a whole.