A site can feel like progress because it is visible. You can walk through it, picture the fit-out, negotiate the rent, and imagine launch day.
But in Vietnam entry planning, a lease is not the same thing as operating readiness.
Before a founder treats a site as locked, the decision needs to be checked against the business activity, local approval path, fire and environmental requirements, utility capacity, landlord position, sublease rights, fit-out timing, staffing access, supplier flow, customer proximity, and capital schedule.
The site is only useful if it fits the sequence.
That does not mean avoiding leases. It means avoiding commitment before the gate is understood.
The better question is not, “Is this site cheap?” It is, “Can this site support the operating model after the confirmations are done?”