PropertyGuru appoints new country manager for Vietnam unit

PropertyGuru Group, Southeast Asia’s leading property technology (proptech) company, has announced the appointment of Bach Duong as country manager for its Batdongsan.com.vn, a leading property marketplace in Vietnam.

As country manager, Bach Duong will provide overall leadership to the team of over 850 employees across Vietnam and guide Batdongsan.com.vn through a transformative phase, bolstering investments in technology and product innovation. He will develop and oversee all commercial strategies that deliver business efficiency for the partners of Batdongsan.com.vn.

Bach Duong has over two decades of experience in the technology and operations across various countries such as Singapore, the U.S., and India. Prior to joining Batdongsan.com.vn, he spent over 12 years at Google, where he served as product manager. In early 2021, he made the decision to return to Vietnam from the U.S., driven by his passion to contribute to and support technology startups in the country.

Duong's career highlights include his involvement in the development of Google's cutting-edge map product integrated into automobiles and autonomous vehicles. Leveraging his expertise in navigating the complexities of digital transformation, Duong aspires to apply his knowledge and experience to the dynamic field of proptech in Vietnam, which presents both challenges and opportunities.

Duong said he wishes to advance the enhancements and technological features of pioneering proptech like Batdongsan.com.vn to contribute to solving challenges of property seekers in Vietnam. His primary focus is on bolstering the reliability and credibility of the information shared by all parties involved in property transactions.

Batdongsan.com.vn is ranked by Google and SimilarWeb as the top property website in Vietnam, accounting for 82% engagement market share between January 2023 and June 2023. Batdongsan.com.vn has a 17-year history of development in Vietnam and is part of PropertyGuru.

The Singapore-headquartered proptech firm recorded revenues of SGD8.4 million ($6.2 million) from the Vietnamese market in the first half of this year, down 30% year-on-year. Vietnam was PropertyGuru's third-biggest market in terms of H1/2023 revenues, after Singapore with SGD40.4 million ($29.9 million) and Malaysia with SGD13.4 million ($9.9 million).