'Walking distance to KFC' sells house in a week

The sign said the house was "Walking distance to KFC ... but that's not all". Photo / Michael Craig

The sign said the house was "Walking distance to KFC ... but that's not all", and the unique marketing ploy paid off - the Auckland property sold in one week.

The three-bedroom one-bathroom house on 633sq m in Mangere East languished on the market for 10 weeks until Pat Lapalapa, aka "Salesman Pat" was called in.

Lapalapa, a Samoan real estate agent with Harcourts Manukau, convinced the vendors to fork out for better marketing and got buy-in from them to use the walking distance to KFC angle.

The house that KFC sold, sort of. Photo / TradeMe.

The campaign went "a little bit" viral on social media and Lapalapa had multiple offers for the 100sq m renovated house on the first day.

However Lapalapa said not all the feedback was positive.

"People that I didn't know, complained about obesity and stuff. It wasn't PC [politically correct] enough for them.

"They were just random people in the community. I suppose you can't blame KFC, it's all in moderation really."

The 28-year-old, who has been selling real estate for two years, stuck with the ad and when the house was sold to a couple in their 20s, they happily posed in front of the sold sticker with buckets of KFC.

"They're stoked. They're dying to move in. They thought I was joking but I turned up to take the picture of the sold sign and I pulled out KFC and they started laughing."

The vendors were also happy Lapalapa said, after netting the original asking price.