Harsh reality of investing in Vietnam shophouses

Risky investment: A labourer at a construction site in Hanoi. After acquiring shophouses as an investment, many buyers have been hit by low rental rates. — AFP

HO CHI MINH CITY: Nguyen Van Ngoc, a 50-year-old investor from the northern province of Bac Giang, has been struggling to sell a shophouse in Hanoi’s Ha Dong District for over a year.

Due to low rental income and high monthly loan payments, he is under immense financial pressure.