It is entirely possible that Sussan Ley bought her investment property in Surfers Paradise on the spur of the moment in the midst of a trip devoted to public duty, says the man who sold the apartment to her, Martin Corkery.

"People do it all the time," says Mr Corkery, a Liberal Party donor.

As far as Mr Corkery remembers, the $795,000 Main Beach apartment was advertised in the windows of the Ray White office at Main Beach, on a billboard in front of the building and online. The auction, he says, was held at 10am or 11am in the apartment itself. (The Ray White office did not answer calls on Saturday.)

Under Queensland law people purchasing at auction must pre-register before bidding with a drivers licence or passport, and a utilities bill, but as Mr Corkery says, that can be done quickly before the auction takes place.