How we verify listings

Scam listings are the single biggest problem in Vietnam's expat housing market. We can't fix that overnight, but we can be honest about what each badge on our site actually means — and what it doesn't. Four tiers, from weakest to strongest:

We never show a badge a listing hasn't earned. If you see one, an auditable check was done. If you don't see one, assume the weaker tier.

  1. Unverified

    No badge shown

    The default state for any new listing. We've taken no steps to confirm anything about it.

    What we check

    • Photos are hosted on our image service (so links can't be swapped later).
    • The agent provided a Zalo contact before publishing.

    What we don't

    • Whether the agent actually controls the email or phone they gave.
    • Whether the unit exists, is available, or matches the photos.
    • Whether the agent has a real estate license.

  2. Email verified

    Email verified

    The agent clicked a one-time link we sent to the email on the listing. This proves they actually control that inbox — so messages meant for them won't go to a stranger.

    What we check

    • The agent opened a confirmation email we sent after they posted.
    • The email address isn't a throwaway or a role account (e.g. info@…) on a blocklist.

    What we don't

    • The agent's real-world identity.
    • Whether the photos are real or recent.
    • Whether the price matches the market.

  3. Visit verified

    Visited by us

    Someone from ExpatsHousing physically walked the unit recently and confirmed the photos match reality.

    What we check

    • The building and unit number exist at the address given.
    • The interior matches the submitted photos (same rooms, same finishes).
    • The unit is actually available — not already rented or off-market.

    What we don't

    • The agent's legal right to list the unit (we rely on the agent's word here).
    • The long-term condition of the unit — buildings change.
    • Hidden costs like management fees or utilities not in the listing.

  4. Licensed agent

    Licensed agent

    The agent's business or personal license was manually looked up against Vietnam's National Business Registration Portal and matched the contact details on the listing.

    What we check

    • A current business-registration or real-estate-practice certificate exists under the agent's legal name.
    • The registered address and phone match what they gave us.

    What we don't

    • Quality of service or responsiveness.
    • That every listing they post is also visit-verified — we check licenses per-agent, not per-listing.
    • Changes in license status after we checked — we re-verify periodically but a license can change between checks.

Found something off?

Every listing has a "Report this listing" link on its detail page. Use it — reports are reviewed within 24 hours. If a badge turns out to be wrong, we downgrade the listing immediately and notify the agent.

Questions about a specific listing? See the Legal FAQ for renting basics, or the report link on the listing itself for anything fishy.