Banks are simultaneously tightening lending for real estate.

At this year's annual general meetings, leaders of many banks such as Techcombank, VPBank, SHB, ACB, etc., stated that they will reduce lending to the real estate sector, prioritizing investment in projects with good liquidity, clear legal status, and that meet actual housing needs.

Mr. Ho Hung Anh, Chairman of Techcombank , said that this year they will only lend to projects with clear legal status and high liquidity - Photo: CTV

Exercise caution when lending for real estate.

Speaking to shareholders at Techcombank's 2026 annual general meeting, held on April 25th, Mr. Jens Lottner, CEO of Techcombank, stated that real estate used to account for a high proportion of the bank's customer loan portfolio.

At one point, real estate loans accounted for up to 40% of outstanding loans, but this has gradually decreased.

According to Techcombank's Q1 2026 financial report, outstanding loans for real estate business as of March 31 reached nearly VND 199 trillion, accounting for 26.44% of total outstanding loans, a decrease compared to 28.6% at the end of 2025.

Mr. Lottner argued that the reduction in real estate lending does not mean that the sector is less attractive, but rather that banks see more growth potential in other areas such as infrastructure and small and medium-sized enterprises.

"We are cautious about lending to real estate projects. When providing financing, Techcombank must be certain who the buyer of the property is and what the customer's ability to repay the debt is."

"In addition, Techcombank will only provide funding if the funds are used transparently," shared the CEO of Techcombank.

Furthermore, Mr. Ho Hung Anh - Chairman of Techcombank - believes that in the next 5-10 years, real estate will remain a sector with great potential in Vietnam. However, the decisive factor is risk management.

Regarding Techcombank, Mr. Ho Hung Anh affirmed that they only select projects with good liquidity and complete legal documentation. Techcombank's non-performing real estate loans are always below 1%.

Many banks have stated that this year they will prioritize social housing projects, a segment serving genuine housing needs - Photo: QUANG DINH

Prioritize investment in projects with clear legal status and in the real housing segment.

At VPBank , Mr. Nguyen Duc Vinh - General Director of VPBank - assessed that real estate remains an important sector of the economy, but should not develop too rapidly.

VPBank is currently one of the banks involved in financing many real estate projects as well as providing loans to homebuyers. However, the bank's credit orientation focuses on housing projects, especially social housing and the mid-range segment serving real housing needs.

Conversely, banks are limiting their investments in high-end real estate and are particularly cautious with resort projects.

"Some lessons from the past have taught us to avoid investing in inefficient or legally compliant projects because capital gets tied up and the recovery process is slow," Mr. Vinh said.

AtSHB , Chairman Do Quang Hien believes that tightening or loosening real estate credit needs to be viewed objectively based on its impact on the economy. This is because this sector has a significant ripple effect on dozens of other industries.

According to Mr. Hien, SHB still maintains a relatively large proportion of real estate loans, but always ensures safety indicators in accordance with regulations. The bank focuses on national infrastructure projects, projects in major cities with high liquidity, and projects that meet the needs of young customers.

Meanwhile, at ACB, Chairman Tran Hung Huy revealed that the bank's real estate loan balance currently accounts for less than 5% of its total loan balance.

According to Mr. Huy, this low proportion allows ACB to be more flexible in choosing partners, selecting businesses with strong financial foundations and focusing on mid-range housing to mitigate risks.

Similarly, at MB, the bank also maintains a real estate loan portfolio below 12%, with real estate business loans accounting for only about 10%.

LE THANH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ngan-hang-dong-loat-siet-cho-vay-bat-dong-san-20260425120837315.htm