Vietnam ranks among top 10 globally for real estate transparency improvements: JLL
Vietnam ranked 50th out of 88 countries in JLL's 2026 Global Real Estate Transparency Index, placing it in the Semi-Transparent category. The country was among the world's 10 most improved markets, driven by legal reforms and the development of a national land database.
Vietnam has been named among the world's top 10 most improved markets for real estate transparency in JLL's 2026 Global Real Estate Transparency Index. The country ranked 50th out of 88 countries and territories surveyed with a transparency score of 3.15, remaining in the Semi-Transparent category.
JLL's index assesses real estate transparency across six areas: market performance measurement, governance and regulation, market fundamentals, transaction processes, governance of listed companies and sustainability. The Asia-Pacific region recorded the strongest gains, hosting five of the 10 most improved markets: India, Vietnam, South Korea, Australia and Thailand. Others in the top 10 included Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
JLL said the improvements had helped drive a recovery in cross-border investment in the region over the past 12 months, with direct investment transaction volumes in some markets, including Vietnam, reaching record levels. Before 2020, Vietnam was classified as a Low Transparency market, with limited market data and complex legal frameworks that created challenges for foreign property investors. A turning point came in 2016 when Vietnam joined the Trans-Pacific Partnership and proposed developing a national real estate database, signalling efforts to align the market with international standards. The country moved into the Semi-Transparent category in 2020.
In 2024, Vietnam took a major step in strengthening its legal framework, as the revised laws on land, housing and real estate business came into effect. The revised Law on Price also introduced requirements for certified valuation professionals and verifiable audit trails for valuations, while regulations required real estate transactions to be conducted through the banking system. A new degree on the construction, management and operation of housing and real estate market information systems took effect this year, with the goal of completing the national land database by the end of 2026. The country has also seen greater adoption of sustainable development practices in the real estate sector.
"The fact that Vietnam is ranked among the global top 10 markets with the strongest improvements in transparency is the result of a long and sustained process," said Le Thi Huyen Trang, JLL Vietnam's general director. Trang said reforms to the legal framework, administrative procedures and economic policy have begun to produce positive results, reflected in rising registered foreign investment. She noted that Vietnam recorded US$38.1 billion in registered foreign investment in the first seven months of 2026, nearly matching the total registered FDI in the previous year and marking the highest level in a decade.
JLL's report also highlighted a relationship between market transparency and the accuracy and efficiency of property valuations. In Semi-transparent markets such as Vietnam, fragmented and limited data mean valuation accuracy is estimated at around 70 per cent, while the process can take up to 20 days. The accuracy is around 90 per cent in Highly Transparent markets where transaction data is publicly available and comprehensive, with valuations typically taking five to 10 days.
According to JLL, further progress towards greater transparency in Vietnam will depend on completing the digitisation of land records, establishing a unified nationwide property registration system, applying international valuation standards and publishing data on commercial real estate credit markets. It also requires expanding green building certification, more comprehensive planning and reliable databases and stronger disclosure requirements for listed companies. JLL said greater transparency would become increasingly important for investors as economic and geopolitical uncertainty, artificial intelligence, shifting capital flows, energy security and changes in real estate credit markets reshape investment decision-making worldwide.
