Finding a property for living or business can be very stressful especially for those who just came to Vietnam for the first time. Active participation in some expatriate blogs and forums will lead you to some good contacts of real estate agents. When you “Google” for information about real estate brokers, hundreds of contacts will appear and it can make you confused. The bright side of using local real estate agents is their property listings are updated. But, in the meantime, there are many real estate companies in town who are more into “Empty Promises” and giving a bad impression about local realtors among expatriates’ eyes.

State your Benchmark

When choosing a real estate agent, put your own benchmark for the agent hunting. A good agent is not only acting as the middleman between you and the landlord, but they must have some X factors such as knowing how to give feedback and give wise opinion whenever you need it. Understanding agent will save a lot of your time in hunting for your desired property. You also need to be selective and make sure your real estate agent comes from a trusted and professional real estate agency.

Observe for Qualities

It will be great if you have chance to visit your agent’s office. You may observe your agent’s organisational skills and to check whether they do their business in Vietnam legally. You also need to test your agent about their negotiation skills because soon, they will represent you to bargain with the landlord about your monthly rental and other requests upon signing the leasing contracts. They also need to have excellent communication skills because they need to explain all related terms and conditions to you and make clear any uncertain matters.

Mr. Steven Vu, General Director of Best Real Co. Ltd said fluency in English is a must among Vietnamese real estate companies if they aim to serve expatriates in Vietnam. Some agencies which lack abilities to speak in English but trying to serve foreign customers will ruin the image of small real estate agencies in Vietnam.

Get to Know your Agent

It is a good practise to do a quick interview with your agent. Normally a landlord interviewed a number of agents before asking them to represent their properties. But, as a customer, we also have the same right to interview the agents. Arrange your time and meet your agents. You should ask about their experience in doing real estate leasing business. During the interview session, you may also ask about the process of reviewing property and finalizing the leasing deal.

Following your Intuition

After you did a very detailed observation and interview with your agent, it is all depends on your intuition. Ask yourself if you are comfortable to work together with the agent. Bad agents normally talk more than action. Some agents are only being an agent as a part-time job. So, if you believe them, you can work with them. You also can foresee if your agent is desperate or systematic in delivering their job. Desperate agents normally will drag you to another housing stress once you are moved in.