Forecasting Real Estate Investment Trends in 2021 from a Feng Shui Perspective

Feng Shui is a scientific discipline that deciphers and applies natural conditions to serve daily life. Based on predictable cyclical movements, experienced Feng Shui experts can make forecasts about current affairs and socio-economic trends in the short term—including the real estate market. Below is a summary from Phuquoc.net.vn of insights shared by several Feng Shui experts on the 2021 real estate market to help readers anticipate trends and investment directions this year:

Feng Shui expert and astrologer Nguyen Ngoc Do, Thang Long Feng Shui Club

The year of the Ox (2021) has a Heavenly Stem of Metal (Kim) and an Earthly Branch of Earth (Thổ), making it a year of Bich Thuong Tho (Green Top Soil). Regarding fortune energy, 2021 is governed by the Six White Star (Luc Bach). In Xuan Kong Flying Star Feng Shui, Six White is a very auspicious star associated with the Metal element, symbolizing wealth and prosperity.

Therefore, 2021 is predicted to be a prosperous year in terms of finances, especially beneficial for industries related to finance and currency.

Specifically, industries with the Metal element such as gold and silver trading, steel production, banking, or industries with elements that support Metal like fisheries, will have many opportunities for growth in the Year of the Ox.

Regarding the real estate market, which belongs to the Earth element and is compatible with the Earth element of this year, and not affected negatively by the ruling star, it is also expected to develop prosperously in 2021.

However, since Earth generates Metal, the real estate market in 2021 will be brighter than in 2020 but will still face some difficulties and challenges. Overall, the market is expected to grow moderately before gradually stabilizing and becoming sustainable.

Mr. Bùi Văn Doanh, Director of the Vietnam Real Estate Research Institute

Mr. Doanh believes that from a Feng Shui perspective, 2021 presents many favorable factors that will stimulate growth in the real estate market. His assessment is based on the correlation and meaning of the Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch of the year Tân Sửu. Specifically, in the Ten Heavenly Stems, Tân ranks eighth, which, when compared to the stages of a human life, corresponds to maturity and ripeness. Similarly, the real estate market in 2021 has reached a stage of "maturity," considering market rules, customer demands, and other objective requirements.

This phase also requires the real estate market to undergo changes and take a more professional direction. Two main prerequisites are ensuring legal clarity of projects and market transparency. For investors, this period demands careful consideration, especially regarding short-term speculative investments.

Regarding the Earthly Branches, Sửu is the second in the Twelve Earthly Branches, symbolizing a beginning stage of the real estate market in 2021. Therefore, this year may witness new trends emerging, requiring real estate developers to be flexible and to have innovative, breakthrough business and investment ideas. In other words, 2021 is also an opportunity to create breakthroughs in the real estate market.

Moreover, as Sửu corresponds to the Earth element (Thổ), it can be understood that green living and environmentally friendly trends will be more favored and increasingly popular.

Feng Shui Expert Phạm Cương, Xuân House Joint Stock Company

Looking at the Flying Star chart for 2021, Feng Shui expert Phạm Cương believes that the real estate market has 4 parts favorable but 6 parts unfavorable. Specifically, considering the sectors with Earth energy (since real estate belongs to the Earth element), the Center sector contains star number 6, Lục Bạch (Six White), which belongs to Metal and causes Earth to lose energy (Earth generates Metal); the Khôn sector, which belongs to Earth, has star number 3, Tam Bích (Three Jade), belonging to Wood and suppressing Earth; the Cấn sector, also Earth, contains star number 9, Cửu Tử (Nine Purple), a lucky star belonging to Fire that supports Earth.

Compared to the 2020 Flying Star chart—where all three Earth sectors were unfavorable—the real estate market in 2021 looks brighter. Therefore, Mr. Cương concludes that the real estate market will gradually improve, supported by the trend that Vietnam’s economy is being chosen by global investors as a “safe haven,” with foreign capital providing additional support for the market.

Regarding investment trends, Mr. Cương believes that although interest in real estate segments is relatively balanced, investors should pay particular attention to the resort real estate segment. After many years of being neglected, especially in 2020 when it almost disappeared due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, this segment is expected to rebound. Among these, ultra-luxury resort projects with unique functional subdivisions will be key channels to attract capital flow.

In general, after the crisis caused by the pandemic, the upcoming period will be a time for both the economy and the real estate market to recover and find ways to restore what was lost. Products with high liquidity are mainly in the low-priced affordable segment, typically apartments priced between 1.5 to 2 billion VND per unit, with convenient transportation infrastructure. Additionally, ultra-luxury apartment complexes targeting the affluent remain segments worth considering.

For land plots and detached houses, these are still good investment segments but will lean toward ultra-luxury products such as large-scale villas in prime locations, while land plots are favored in the lower price range of about 500 to 700 million VND per lot.

Meanwhile, difficulties will persist in the retail space and rental townhouse segments due to transformative changes in the operation of businesses in the Industry 4.0 economy. However, the rental housing segment for workers continues to develop well.

Geographically, Mr. Cương believes that market growth will occur steadily across all three regions of Vietnam. However, opportunities will be concentrated more in areas with strong industrial development or those planned as new administrative-economic centers. Hotspots attracting investment include Thu Duc City, some neighboring provinces of Ho Chi Minh City such as Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and further areas like Binh Thuan and Phu Quoc.