Vanke auction: Bargain or stunt?

China Vanke Co, the country's biggest developer by sales, has again turned to online marketing with an unusually structured home auction that is getting a mixed reaction.

In what the company is calling a "crowdfunding" program, its Suzhou branch is offering an apartment of 100 square meters in an online auction. Investors who "crowdfund" the project by donating at least 1,000 yuan ($163) can participate in the auction.

The ceiling for crowdfunding for the unit has been set at 540,000 yuan.