GalaxyDNA #03: Harnessing Technology to “Untangle Bottlenecks” in the Real Estate Market with Smile Living Project Team

Digital transformation has become an inevitable trend across all industries — and real estate is no exception. Digitizing real estate isn’t just about putting listings online; it requires the integration of advanced technologies, intelligent data, and seamless user experiences to create real value. In this context, Smile Living emerges as a pioneering solution, aiming to deliver a smarter, more convenient, and transparent experience in real estate buying and investing.

In this edition of Galaxy DNA, we explore the story behind Smile Living — through the voices of the development team who laid the foundation for this platform. We’ll revisit their journey of building Smile Living, the challenges they faced, and the growth opportunities ahead. This is also the team recently honored as one of the Top 7 Best Teams of the Year 2024.

A Vision That Sparked a Movement

Smile Living is a strategic real estate project, born from the vision of Madame Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo – Founding Chairwoman of Sovico Group, a pioneering leader who consistently introduces breakthrough and long-term challenges to the market. Madame Thảo envisioned building Vietnam’s first real estate e-commerce platform — an unprecedented concept at the time — and entrusted Phu Long Real Estate and Galaxy Holdings to bring that vision to life.

Although Vietnam’s real estate market is developing rapidly, it continues to face major challenges: from the lack of transparency in information sharing, fragmented and manual transaction processes, to limited access to financial solutions for buyers. Smile Living was created to address these “bottlenecks” through technology, offering users a seamless and more accessible real estate experience.

Built to Lead: Prepared from Day One

Aware that this domain was still taking shape and legal guidelines were evolving, the team doubled down on learning — proactively staying up to date with shifting regulations to ensure full compliance and alignment throughout the development process.

Leveraging Technology to Solve Market Challenges 

Perhaps the biggest challenge? The timeline. The team had just 25 days to deliver the first MVP — a tight window for any tech build, let alone a platform built from scratch. The project brought together four Galaxy Holdings business units, including Galaxy Technology, Galaxy One, Galaxy Connect, and FinOS — and together, they built the foundation of Smile Living with speed, precision, and unwavering dedication.

With a proactive spirit and high sense of responsibility, every member understood that: “This wasn’t just about launching a product — we knew we were building something pioneering in the Vietnamese market.”

What’s Next: Expanding Smile Living’s Capabilities

Following official licensing from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Smile Living is set to unlock its next phase of innovation — beginning with the launch of online deposit features. This upgrade will enhance transparency throughout the reservation, deposit, and confirmation process, making every transaction clearer and more secure.

Looking ahead, the platform will also harness the power of AI to forecast market trends and deliver personalized property recommendations based on each user’s needs and financial profile. The ultimate vision? To simplify and democratize property ownership — making real estate not just accessible to experts, but intuitive and approachable for everyone.