Buyer's agent in Vietnam: a certified broker, inside a licensed firm.

Is a buyer's agent a licensed role in Vietnam?

Yes. Under Law 29/2023/QH15 an individual broker needs a practising certificate and must work inside a licensed brokerage firm or exchange. Before operating, a firm must send its details to the provincial real estate authority, which posts them on the national housing and real estate market information system. Ask for the certificate and the firm's name before you view.

The fee rules in full: Vietnam real estate agent fees.

Who pays the estate agent in Vietnam, and how much?

The firm's client, on the agreed terms. The law does not assign the fee to buyer or seller. The firm's fee is set in its agreement with the client and can be a percentage of the price; the individual broker is paid by the firm, not by you. VAT is 10%, and the temporary cut to 8% running to the end of 2026 does not apply to real estate business.

If you sign a brokerage agreement as buyer, you are the client and owe the fee it states. Every other cost: the Vietnam fee stack.

What does a buyer's agent do in Vietnam?

Checks whether a foreigner may own the unit at all, before price. The project must be an approved commercial housing project on the province's eligible list, outside a defence or security zone, with room under the cap of 30% of apartments in one building. Then come the deposit, the contract, the money and the certificate.

1. Quota. At most 30% of apartments in one building, and 250 landed houses in a ward-equivalent area. The count is tested at registration, not at deposit, so get it in writing.
2. Deposit. On off-plan stock, capped at 5% of the price, inside a first instalment of at most 30%.
3. Term. 50 years from issuance, extendable once by up to 50 more.

The whole sequence: how foreigners buy property in Vietnam.

What does the notary do in Vietnam, and do I need a lawyer?

For a resale between individuals, Article 164 of the Housing Law 2023 requires the sale contract to be notarised or authenticated, and the contract takes effect when that is completed. A first-hand purchase from a developer sits differently under Article 27(3)(b) of the Land Law 2024. Have your own Vietnamese lawyer confirm in writing which applies before you sign.

A notarised document carries evidentiary value under the Law on Notarization 46/2024/QH15, in force since 1 July 2025. Detail: the notarised sale contract explained.

When does a foreign buyer become the registered owner in Vietnam?

When the certificate issues. Statute puts issuance at not more than 10 working days after a complete dossier reaches the registry, and the developer must lodge your dossier within 50 days of handover. The certificate issues only after the developer has discharged its own land-use and financial obligations for the project, so the wait can run longer.

At handover a one-time 2% maintenance fund falls due; a 0.5% registration fee follows when the certificate registers. What a foreigner owns: foreign ownership in Vietnam explained.

Where does independent research fit when buying in Vietnam?

Before the deposit. Brinkman Data analyses every listing for sale in your Vietnamese city and budget, checks rents against real lets, flags the units a foreigner can actually own, and sends you the five worth buying with a spreadsheet of every listing. It is not an agent, takes no commission and is paid only by the buyer. $499, delivered in 5 days.

Resale matters more here than in most markets: a later foreign buyer inherits the years left on the 50-year term, not a fresh one.

The order that works: research first, then an agent to view and negotiate, then the notary and your own lawyer. The full comparison: how to find a property to buy abroad. What an independent analyst does: independent property analyst. A real report, page by page: the sample report.

Header photo: Genghiskhanviet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. All credits: image credits.