Many investors are selling off apartments to avoid interest rates.

VTV.vn - Many people who bought apartments for investment in Ho Chi Minh City are tending to sell them at lower-than-expected profits to avoid the pressure of rising and prolonged interest rates.

In March, Ms. MH, residing in Phu Dinh ward, advertised her soon-to-be-handed-over apartment for sale at 3.8 billion VND but had not yet found a buyer. By mid-April, she heard from her real estate agent that "sales were slow" and that to sell quickly, she would have to lower the price because many others were already selling.

In mid-April, because she hadn't been able to sell the apartment yet, Ms. MH said she had to update her desired price with the real estate agent, reducing it by 50 million VND compared to her previous expectation.

"I don't want to take on more debt and bank interest," Ms. MH said, adding that the apartment she bought is currently mortgaged to the bank at an interest rate of 11%, meaning she pays 12 to 13 million VND per month in principal and interest. She can manage this amount, but such an investment won't be profitable and carries the risk of accumulating debt and interest over a long period.

The trend of "selling off" apartments in Ho Chi Minh City began in early April, with many investors and brokers continuously posting advertisements offering apartments for sale at "good prices".

Real estate agents show clients apartments in the Di An ward area of ​​Ho Chi Minh City.

On a real estate trading group in eastern Ho Chi Minh City with over 150,000 followers, many accounts are continuously posting ads to sell properties at bargain prices to cut losses due to high profits.

"Due to the urgent need to sell quickly to repay bank loans, the owner needs to sell the apartment for 2.9 billion VND," a post from early May stated. The account holder said this price was a reduction of nearly 100 million VND from their expected profit compared to before Tet (Lunar New Year).

The Q1 Ho Chi Minh City market summary report published by Savills Vietnam also shows that apartment transactions in Ho Chi Minh City decreased in Q1/2026, with an absorption rate of only about 40%. Previous surveys by market research firms indicated that the absorption rate for apartments in Ho Chi Minh City is usually around 60%.

Ms. Cao Thi Thanh Huong, Deputy Director of Research & Services at S2M, noted that rising interest rates and a supply imbalance towards the high-end segment are the main reasons for buyer caution, dragging down transactions across the entire market. In the first three months of 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City apartment market experienced a lull as preferential loan interest rates rose to around 8-9% per year, while floating interest rates reached 12-15%, significantly increasing financial pressure on buyers. With rising capital costs, buyers tend to delay their decisions, especially for high-value properties.

"Buyers looking for a place to live are also being cautious, and speculative investors have been almost completely absent for over a month now," shared D.T., a real estate agent for apartment projects in the Cat Lai ward area.

He said that since Tet (Lunar New Year), the company has only had one transaction contract. Meanwhile, the number of sellers entrusting their orders to him has increased. "Buyers are slow and cautious," T said.

Mr. Hieu, a real estate broker in the eastern part of Ho Chi Minh City, also said that sales are slow. "Many people are selling their properties and accepting lower prices than expected in order to recover their capital," the broker said.

Dr. Le Nguyen Hong Phuong, Deputy Director of the Institute for Real Estate Research and Development, believes that the current selling trend is a positive sign for customers looking to buy a home for actual residence, as the downward price trend will make it more accessible for them. At the same time, this also signals a weeding out of investors.

"The market is weeding out speculative investors who use excessive financial leverage, making way for investors with sustainable capital and a long-term mindset," said Ms. Hong Phuong.

According to her, the recent surge in "oversold" and "dumped properties" is not accidental, but a confluence of factors: pressure from the breakdown of financial leverage; a fundamental shift in valuation thinking after the Land Law 2024 and the Real Estate Business Law 2023 came into effect, and a change in market sentiment. Another reason is that in the high-end and luxury apartment segment, prices have reached the market limit. When prices far exceed actual income, liquidity freezes locally. Investors holding these properties realize that the return on investment from renting cannot cover financial costs, leading to panic and a sell-off to recover capital.

In a market undergoing self-adjustment, the optimal strategy for both investors and homebuyers is to make decisions based on true value and to have the discernment to filter information.

Investors need to shift their mindset from seeking high-risk, short-term profits to managing cash flow risks, focusing on properties with immediate consumer potential.

"For genuine homebuyers, instead of rushing to follow groups or herd mentality, they need to patiently evaluate properties based on three pillars: clean legal status, high utility value, and a safe personal financial threshold," advised Ms. Hong Phuong.

Source: https://vtv.vn/nhieu-nha-dau-tu-ban-thao-can-ho-de-ne-lai-suat-100260509092326162.htm