Moving to an apartment complex for convenience in her old age, Le did not expect the building's name to cause her trouble multiple times. Despite trying various pronunciations like "Con-mer-ser" or "Com-me-rer-xi", she still could not give directions to traditional motorbike taxi drivers.

"For two years, I haven't been able to pronounce the name of my home correctly", she said.

Once, a relative visiting from Nghia An was dropped off several kilometers away at a different project by a driver who missed the word "Commerce". Since then, whenever guests visit, Le often waits by the main road to greet them, using landmarks like "opposite AEON" or "near Cau Rao 2 bridge" to make it easier for others to find her place.

Le's case is not unique. Ngoc Anh, 40, from Ha Noi, once drove around for about 10 km when attending a housewarming party, confusing Vinhomes Riverside with Vinhomes Ocean Park. This happens more often when he helps his wife deliver goods. For easily identifiable projects like Nhan Dan Apartment or HH Linh Dam, he rarely has to reconfirm the address. However, when delivering to D'El Dorado or D'Capitale, he often calls customers to verify because everyone pronounces the project names differently. "When encountering projects with foreign names, I have to ask for the specific house number and street to find it myself", he said.

The Heritage West Lake luxury apartment and serviced office complex, Tay Ho ward, Ha Noi. Photo: Quynh Nguyen

When English pronunciations are inconsistent, residents and drivers create their own "Vietnamese-ized" versions. Delivery driver Quang Anh, 37, from Thanh Hoa, recounted being bewildered many times when hearing Goldmark City pronounced as "Hon Mat Si Ti" or D'. Le Pont D'or as "Toa Le Bong". D'. Le Roi Soleil is read as "Der le roi so lit", Mulberry Lane as "Ngo Dau", or Manhattan Tower as "Ma Nhat Tan".

These alternative names help listeners quickly visualize the location, but they also show how commercial names can become an obstacle in daily communication.

The use of foreign names for real estate projects emerged many years ago. Nguyen Van Dinh, chairman of the Viet Nam Real Estate Brokers Association, estimates that over 70% of apartment complexes have foreign names.

A quick survey by VnExpress in Ha Noi, TP HCM, Hai Phong, and Da Nang shows that English names are common in many projects. For instance, on Le Van Luong street in Ha Noi, 10 out of 13 buildings on the odd-numbered side have foreign labels like BRG Diamond Residence, Handi Resco, and Diamond Flower Tower. In Da Nang, real estate broker Ton Khiet estimates that 99% of new projects bear foreign names.

Nguyen Duy Thanh, Vice Chairman of the TP HCM Apartment Building Operations Management Association, explained that naming is part of a product positioning strategy.

According to Thanh, English names can create a modern feel, aligning with the architectural image and target customer group of the developer. Before customers even step into the lobby, the name already shapes their perception of the product. The phrase "Khu nha o A" (Residential Area A) evokes an administrative feel, but changing it to "The Beverly Solari" conveys a sense of luxury. "Chung cu cao tang phia Tay" (Western High-rise Apartment) is hard to remember, while "West Heights" is concise and easy to feature on advertisements.

A real estate broker, who requested anonymity, suggested four reasons why foreign names dominate the real estate market.

First, current projects often allocate 20-30% of their units to foreigners, so English names facilitate access to international clients.

Second, the involvement of many foreign developers from Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore makes using international names a popular choice.

Third is architectural consistency. Many domestic projects are designed in French or Italy styles and target modern customers, so names must be commensurate to enhance marketing effectiveness.

Finally, there is the pricing strategy. According to the broker, for luxury apartments priced at 50-60 billion dong, using Vietnamese names can create a common impression. Labeling projects in prime locations with foreign names gives the product a luxurious feel, making it easier to sell and command higher prices.

The LEGACY Hanoi - A Fusion Original 5-star hotel and luxury apartment on Doi Can street, Ngoc Ha ward 9/2026. Photo: Quynh Nguyen

However, the foreign names of real estate projects pose a problem: the name customers remember is not necessarily the name in the legal documents. For example, a project at 201 Minh Khai in Ha Noi has the legal name "Khu van phong, nha o va nha tre" (Office, Residential, and Kindergarten Area), while Hinode City is its commercial name. Similarly, apartment purchase and sale documents in TP HCM list the project as "Khu dan cu Tan Thuan Tay" (Tan Thuan Tay Residential Area), with the commercial name Eco Green Sai Gon.

Lawyer Truong Anh Tuan, Head of the Legal Department of the Viet Nam Real Estate Association, stated that using a commercial name does not mean the developer can arbitrarily change the project name approved by the authorities.

The Housing Law 2023 stipulates that housing construction investment projects and areas within them must be named in Vietnamese. For commercial housing projects or apartment renovation and reconstruction projects, if a foreign name is used, the Vietnamese name must be written first, followed by the foreign name. The certificate for housing built within a project must also correctly state the project name approved or decided by the competent authority.

"If businesses are not transparent about the connection between the two names, buyers will face a situation where they 'buy one name, receive a title deed with another'. This causes difficulties when transferring, mortgaging, or resolving disputes", Tuan said.

From an operational perspective, Nguyen Duy Thanh noted that the inconvenience extends beyond residents finding pronunciation difficult. Overly long or hard-to-remember names can hinder elderly residents, technical staff, security guards, and delivery services. In emergencies, an address that is easy to read and identify facilitates communication.

Moreover, foreign names create issues for administrative records. Identity cards, bank documents, and public service forms have character limits. Some individuals must abbreviate or truncate names, leading to inconsistent information. In the context of national population data synchronization, a minor discrepancy can require citizens to correct information multiple times.

For management boards, the parallel existence of legal and commercial names also means many documents, such as fire safety records or maintenance logs, must list both names to avoid confusion.

According to real estate broker Ton Khiet in Da Nang, while foreign names remain a marketing tool for developers, customers today are more pragmatic, basing their purchasing decisions on project progress and legal status rather than just names. In fact, many projects with purely Vietnamese names and clear legal standing have recorded better liquidity than foreign-named projects with delayed progress.

Thanh also affirmed that the quality of a construction depends on many factors, not just its name. "An easy-to-read, easy-to-remember name, balancing commercial value and practicality, will benefit residents throughout decades of living there. That is true sustainable value", he said.

Quynh Duong