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How to Read NAC Scores: The Residence Index and the Listing Score Explained
NAC scores on two levels: residence programmes on 12 family-weighted criteria, and each listing on six pillars out of 100. How to read both – and where they stop.
NAC scores on two levels. The first is the NAC Residence Index rankings, which compare 21 residence programmes on 12 criteria – and your family decides which criteria matter most. The second is the NAC Score out of 100 on every listing, built from six pillars: brand, yield, location, management, liquidity and risk. Across the 129 listings NAC currently profiles, the median score is 74 and only four reach 85. Scores let you filter quickly; they don't replace your own due diligence.
Source: NAC listing data, October 2026; NAC Residence Index
Families new to the Property Hub tend to ask the same thing: what does the 88 or the 72 in the corner of a listing actually mean, and should we just buy the highest score? The short answer is no. A score is NAC compressing a lot of data into one number, and using it well means knowing what went into it.
This piece opens each layer in turn: how the programme index works, how the six pillars of a listing score are weighted, how scores spread across the whole portfolio, and where the index cannot speak for you.
Two Different Questions, Two Different Scales
Before choosing an apartment, a family has to choose a country and a programme. The Residence Index answers that question. NAC rates each programme from 1 to 10 on 12 criteria: passport power, tax optimisation, education, healthcare, safety, investment potential, processing speed, family inclusion, quality of life, cost of living, citizenship pathway and business environment.
The total isn't fixed. You switch criteria on or off, drag each weight from 1× to 5×, and the ranking recalculates instantly. By default six criteria are active with equal weights: passport, tax, education, safety, citizenship pathway and family.
Change the priorities and the ranking changes. If your family weights investment potential, cost, speed, tax, lifestyle and safety instead of the passport, the order nearly flips. We recalculated it from the criterion ratings the Residence Index itself publishes:
| Programme | Family lens (default) | Investor lens |
|---|---|---|
| UAE | 75 | 87 |
| Thailand | 57 | 87 |
| Cyprus | 82 | 85 |
| Malaysia | 63 | 80 |
| Singapore | 95 | 73 |
| United States | 82 | 47 |
Singapore drops from 95 to 73 because living costs are steep; Thailand jumps from 57 to 87 because it is fast, cheap and investment-friendly. No programme is the best in absolute terms – only the best fit for a particular family's goals.
The Six Pillars of a Listing Score
Once the country is narrowed down, the NAC Score on each listing page lets you compare specific assets. The method is published right beneath the score dial on every page:
| Pillar | Weight | What NAC looks at |
|---|---|---|
| Brand & developer | 20% | Operator pedigree, design partner, delivery record |
| Yield & cash flow | 20% | Gross and net yield, cash-on-cash, income durability |
| Location & market | 20% | Micro-location, city fundamentals, supply and demand |
| Management & operations | 15% | Rental-programme quality, how hands-off it is |
| Liquidity & exit | 15% | Resale depth, foreign-buyer access, exit options |
| Risk profile | 10% | Construction, currency and legal risk – a higher score means lower risk |
The six pillars are weighted, then calibrated by the NAC Investment Committee against comparable transactions before the composite is published. The grade scale has four bands: 85–100 Outstanding, 75–84 Excellent, 65–74 Strong and 55–64 Fair.
The 20% weight on brand isn't arbitrary. According to Savills research published in 2026, branded residences worldwide sell at an average 33% premium to comparable unbranded homes, rising to 39% in resort locations. In Dubai, Knight Frank found branded homes trading 86% above the rest of the market in 2024 – a broader comparison, but pointing the same way. A brand creates real value, so it earns a fifth of the score.
How Scores Spread Across the Portfolio
Most listings sit between 70 and 79. That is by design: NAC only puts assets on the Property Hub after a first screen, so even the lowest score doesn't fall below 60.
View data table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| 60–64 | 3 |
| 65–69 | 20 |
| 70–74 | 50 |
| 75–79 | 38 |
| 80–84 | 14 |
| 85–89 | 4 |
Source: NAC listing data, October 2026
The top scorers share a common thread. Per NAC's listing data, Fulham Reach's Palmer House in London scores 88, priced from £576,000 with a 5.2% gross yield and completion anticipated in Q2 2026. Yield isn't its strongest suit; what lifts it is the Berkeley brand and the risk profile, both rated 9.5 out of 10. The Limassol Del Mar beachfront penthouse in Cyprus also scores 88, on the strength of a 9.5 location on the Limassol seafront, priced at €1,650,000 with a 6.5% gross yield. Close behind is London Dock's Jade Wharf in Wapping at 87, with liquidity rated 9.5.
Four of the top five are in Britain. That is why NAC's United Kingdom listings average 85.2 – the highest of any market – even though yields run only 4.5–5.8%.
A High Yield Doesn't Mean a High Score
This is where readers most often go wrong. Per NAC's listing data, The Origin Kathu-Patong in Phuket carries a 6.5% gross yield – higher than Fulham Reach – yet scores only 62. The entry price is low, around US$73,000, but brand and risk are both rated 5.5 because the project is still under construction and the developer has a thinner track record.
No programme is the best in absolute terms – only the best fit for a particular family's goals.
Within a single city, though, yield clearly carries weight. The Luminar Residences in Lakemba, Sydney scores 78, priced at A$502,000 with a 5.3% yield and completed in 2025. A Box Hill South townhouse in Melbourne, priced at A$1,250,000 but yielding only 2.8%, stops at 67.
The right way to read a listing is to take the composite first, then open the six pillars and match them to what your family needs. If cash flow is the priority, compare the yield pillar. If the goal is to hold an asset for your children, look at brand, liquidity and risk.
A score is NAC compressing a lot of data into one number, and using it well means knowing what went into it.
What the Index Can't Tell You
This is NAC's editorial scoring, not a promise. A score reflects the data and judgement at the time it was set. Prices, timelines and laws can move afterwards.
In some markets, pillars are scored at city level. Many Australian listings carry identical pillar ratings because NAC currently rates them on shared city fundamentals. Differences between those listings come mainly from the calibration step against comparable sales, so read the detailed financials on each page too.
Programme data needs checking against the latest law. The Residence Index table is labelled with 2025 data, while investment-migration rules change constantly. Greece is a case in point: according to the International Bar Association in 2026, the property threshold in Attica is now €800,000, €400,000 in most other areas, and €250,000 applies only to properties converted to residential use. NAC's Cyprus programme brochure and its Greek counterpart carry more detailed, up-to-date rules than the summary table.
A practical strategy for Vietnamese investors
Choose a programme with your own weights. Don't stop at the default view. Turn on the criteria your family actually cares about and watch how the ranking moves.
Filter listings by score band, then read the pillars. A score of 75 or more is a sensible starting point, but a 72 with a strong yield pillar may suit a cash-flow goal better than an 85.
Compare within the same market. A 78 in Sydney and a 78 in Phuket carry very different risks. Scores mean most when set beside listings in the same city.
Treat the score as the first filter, not the last. Contracts, management fees, tax and visa conditions still need checking for every transaction.
Explore on NAC
See also: Every listing on the NAC Property Hub · The residence programme comparison tool · Cyprus property listings
Frequently asked questions
How is the Residence Index different from the NAC Score?
The Residence Index rates residence programmes on 12 criteria with weights you choose. The NAC Score rates individual properties on six fixed pillars out of 100.
Should I ignore listings scoring below 75?
Not necessarily. The 65–74 band is still graded Strong; check which pillar pulls the score down and whether it matters for your goal.
Are NAC Scores updated?
Yes. Scores and financials on each listing page are synced from NAC's records; when price, timeline or market conditions change, a listing can be re-scored.
NAC strategic insight
We built two layers of scoring because Vietnamese families face two decisions in sequence: where to go, then what to buy. Merging them into one question is the fastest way to choose wrong. A programme at the top of the table may not fit the budget, and a high-scoring property may not sit in the programme you need.
Scores let the conversation start from data rather than marketing. If you'd like NAC to read the scores against your own family's situation, book a consultation with NAC.
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