M&A situation in real estate sector in Vietnam

27 Feb 2025

By: B&Company

*In this column “Vietnam Briefing“, young researchers from B&Company will provide timely information of Vietnam’s industrial trends, consumer trends, and social movements.

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In recent years, the real estate mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market in Vietnam has witnessed strong growth, especially in 2024 with a total transaction value of more than 1.8 billion USD. Foreign enterprises have actively participated in M&A deals, focusing on segments such as industrial and residential real estate. This article analyzes the current situation of the Vietnamese real estate M&A market and assesses the potential for Japanese enterprises to invest and expand operations in this market.

Overview of Vietnam’s real estate market

2024 can be considered a successful year for the Vietnamese real estate market in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). According to data from the General Statistics Office, registered capital in this sector has reached more than 6.3 billion USD, an increase of 35% compared to 2023. The strong growth of FDI capital is the driving force for the continued recovery of the real estate market in 2025[1]

In 2024, the Vietnamese real estate M&A market recorded significant growth with a total value of 13 outstanding deals reaching over 1.8 billion USD. In previous years (2020–2023), the Vietnamese real estate M&A market was negatively impacted by the pandemic and legal barriers, resulting in lower transaction volumes. New legal reforms such as the 2024 Land Law and the 2023 Real Estate Business Law have created a transparent environment, reduced administrative procedures and created confidence for both domestic and international investors[2].

The interest of domestic and foreign investors has promoted large transactions, including the participation of leading corporations such as Vingroup, Novaland and Becamex IDC. The Vietnamese government has also taken drastic measures to remove difficulties and obstacles, creating favorable conditions for the development of M&A activities[3].

Outstanding real estate M&A deals in 2024

Target company	Buyer	Seller	Value (USD)	Time
NovaHills Mui Ne	Everland	Novaland	74 thousand	April, 2024
Nam Long Dai Phuoc project	Nishi Nippon Railroad	Nam Long Group	25 million	June, 2024
Binh Duong Industrial Service – Urban Complex	Sycamore Company Limited	Becamex IDC	553 million	December, 2024
SDI Investment and Trade Development Company	– Thien Phuc Investment and Development – Falcon Investment and Development – Emerald Investment and Development – NP Investment and Development	Vingroup JSC	982 million	April, 2024

Source: BC synthesis

Participation of Japanese enterprises

From 2020 to 2023, Japanese investment in the Vietnamese real estate market is still limited and mainly concentrated in a few large companies such as Nomura. Investment activities mainly take place in a number of specific areas such as apartment development and urban projects. The presence of Japanese enterprises during this period is still quite modest and has not had a strong explosion.

In 2024, the participation of Japanese enterprises in the Vietnamese real estate market continues to expand strongly. A prominent example is that Kim Oanh Group signed a cooperation agreement with three Japanese corporations, including Sumitomo Forestry, Kumagai Gumi and NTT Urban Development Corporation, to implement a $1 billion urban project in Binh Duong. This is an important milestone in the cooperative relationship between the two countries, demonstrating confidence in the development potential of the Vietnamese real estate market[4].

M&A Market Forecast in 2025

The real estate M&A market in 2025 is expected to continue to witness the dominance of foreign investors, with many factors contributing to this trend. First of all, strong financial advantages make it easy for them to own large-scale projects, especially in the context of the domestic market facing difficulties in capital flows. Despite holding abundant land funds, many Vietnamese enterprises are still forced to transfer projects due to limited financial resources. In addition, the in-depth experience in real estate management and operation of foreign investors not only creates trust in the market but also contributes to improving the value and performance of projects[5].

According to Associate Professor Dr. Dinh Trong Thinh, the real estate M&A trend in 2025 will likely still be tilted towards foreign investors, in which the industrial real estate segment is expected to continue to attract great attention. In fact, this is still a field with high demand in the market. In addition, the economic growth and the rapid increase in the number of tourists in recent times are opening up great opportunities for the resort real estate segment, attracting many investors to participate.

In addition, the high-end housing segment is also expected to become an attractive M&A target in 2025, especially for foreign enterprises. As people’s living standards are increasingly improved and the number of rich people increases, foreign investors see development opportunities in acquiring projects to build high-end apartments, meeting the increasing demand of the market.

Opportunities for Japanese enterprises in Vietnam’s real estate M&A market

According to data from the Foreign Investment Agency (Ministry of Planning and Investment), as of December 20, 2023, the total registered foreign investment (FDI) capital in Vietnam reached nearly 468.92 billion USD. Of which, Japan ranked third with a total cumulative registered capital of nearly 70 billion USD, accounting for about 14.9% of the total FDI capital in Vietnam[6].

In recent years, Japanese companies have been particularly active in residential real estate, driven by both the country’s rapid urbanization and rising demand from its growing middle class. Additionally, given Japan’s ongoing push to expand its manufacturing base in Vietnam, there is a compelling opportunity for investments in industrial real estate—especially in logistics, warehouses, and production plants to support Vietnam’s growing industrial output. Therefore, Japanese investors would benefit from exploring both the residential and industrial segments, leveraging their strengths in technology and sustainable construction. These areas align with Vietnam’s economic trends and infrastructure developments. In the real estate sector, their involvement has grown steadily, with reports highlighting strong returns particularly in major urban centers like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi[7]. Given Vietnam’s rapidly expanding manufacturing base, industrial real estate – such as modern industrial parks supporting advanced manufacturing – presents a compelling opportunity for Japanese investors[8]. At the same time, the country’s burgeoning middle class and the rise of smart urban development projects offer attractive prospects in residential real estate. Overall, Japanese enterprises are well positioned to leverage their technological expertise and long-term strategic approach to capture high-value opportunities in both industrial and residential segments of Vietnam’s real estate M&A market.

Conclusion

M&A activities in the real estate sector in Vietnam are growing strongly and continue to be an attractive investment channel for foreign enterprises, especially Japanese enterprises. With strong financial potential, in-depth management experience and long-term investment strategies, Japanese enterprises can take advantage of this opportunity to expand the market, while contributing to improving the quality of urban development in Vietnam. However, to be successful, they need to have a flexible cooperation strategy, understand legal risks and increase transparency in transactions.

[1] https://vtv.vn/kinh-te/tang-truong-von-fdi-dong-luc-cho-bat-dong-san-2025-20250118071746865.htm

[2] https://vir.com.vn/more-vigorous-2025-in-sight-for-ma-deals-118872.html

[3] https://dantri.com.vn/bat-dong-san/5-thuong-vu-ma-bat-dong-san-noi-bat-nhat-nam-2024-20241230205036921.htm

[4] https://vnexpress.net/kim-oanh-group-cung-ba-tap-doan-nhat-phat-trien-du-an-ty-do-4754117.html

[5] https://tapchitaichinh.vn/ma-bat-dong-san-2025-bong-van-trong-san-khoi-ngoai.html

[6] https://fia.mpi.gov.vn/Detail/CatID/f3cb5873-74b1-4a47-a57c-a491e0be4051/NewsID/00689952-458e-417a-bf12-896d853e1276

[7] https://tuoitre.vn/bat-dong-san-viet-nam-hap-dan-nha-dau-tu-nhat-20190423095909166.htm

[8] https://senvangdata.com.vn/dac-diem-doanh-nghiep-fdi-cua-nhat-ban-vao-viet-nam-nam-2023-va-linh-vuc-bat-dong-san-tai-viet-nam.html

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