Recently, on social media, a screenshot of a notice from a major bank was being shared, showing that real estate lending interest rates were no lower than 14 percent per year. This raised concerns among people borrowing from banks to buy homes.

The government policy to restrict real estate speculation is essential, but many experts argue that to truly direct resources into business, regulatory authorities need to clearly distinguish between loans for residential housing and those for speculative "flipping." Otherwise, those with genuine housing needs will be unfairly affected.

According to a notice on real estate loan interest rates published by a Vietcombank branch in HCMC, the rates are 9.6 percent fixed for 6 months, 9.9 percent fixed for 12 months, and 13.6 percent fixed for 18 months. Notably, the 24-month lending rate reaches as high as 13.9 percent per annum. 

The bank also announced a prepayment fee of 2 percent on the prepaid amount during the first 3 years, and 1 percent for the following 2 years.

The Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) has also increased interest rates for housing needs to a minimum of 9.7 percent for the first 6 months; a minimum of 10.1 percent for the first 12 months, and up to 13.5 percent for the first 18 months. 

At Vietinbank, the lending rate is 10 percent for the first 36 months.

ACB has announced a home loan rate of 8.3 percent for the first 12 months and 8.8 percent for the first 24 months. 

At Shinhan Bank, a foreign bank, secured loans are offered with the interest rates of 7.95 percent fixed for 12 months, 8 percent for 24 months, and 8.1percent for 36 months. The prepayment fee is 2 percent in the first two years, 1 percent in the third year, and 0.5 percent in the fourth year.

Also in HCMC, a branch of MB Bank announced real estate lending rates of 8.5 percent per year for a 12-month term, 9 percent per year for 18 months, and 9.5 percent per year for 24 months.

The first-year fixed rate is calculated as the reference rate plus a margin of 1.5 percent per year. The interest rate for the remaining period equals the reference rate plus a margin of 3.5 percent per year.

The early repayment fee during the first five years is 1 percent of the remaining loan balance.

The preferential interest rate repayment is set at 1.5 percent for 12 months, 2 percent per year for 18 months, and 2.5 percent for a 24-month term.

The “preferential interest rate repayment” means that if a customer is overdue on repayments or breaches the credit contract before the committed term, in addition to early repayment fees, the customer must pay an additional fee = interest rate refund level x number of years x loan amount.

For example, a customer borrows at a fixed rate of 8.5 percent per year for 12 months, with a minimum committed loan term of 42 months. After the first 12 months, the bank adjusts the interest rate to 15 percent per year. At this new rate, the borrower may be forced to settle the loan early and accept both the early repayment fee and post-preferential interest refund fee.

According to MB’s interest rate schedule for individual customers, the highest reference lending rate is 8.3 percent per year. With an added 1.5 percent per year commitment margin, the actual interest rate reaches 9.8 percent per year.

A bank credit officer told VietNamNet that this interest rate is considered low in the current context. However, the trade-off is that banks tend to undervalue collateral assets. Furthermore, low publicized rates often come with conditions, most commonly the requirement to purchase a life insurance package.

New signals from banks

Nguyen Thị Thanh Nga from MB said retail credit at MB accounted for 45 percent of total outstanding debt in 2025, equivalent to about VND1.1 quadrillion. Real estate loans accounted for 40 percent of that retail credit. 

Regarding real estate rates, she said the bank is lending to home buyers at common rates ranging from 9 percent to 11 percent; some incentive programs offer rates from 8-8.5 percent.

MB President Luu Trung Thai said real estate credit across the entire industry is being more strictly controlled in 2026, so real estate developers must also be cautious in their project development.

Tuan Nguyen