When you're looking to buy a house, the natural place to start is in real estate guides, checking with agents or searching online.

But if you are mining magnate Sally Zou you take out a two-page advertising spread in South Australia's major newspaper.

The eccentric millionaire is a bit of a mystery in the state.

Little is known about her but she is one of the state Liberal Party's biggest donors this year, with her AusGold Mining Group giving the party $143,664, including a single donation of $88,888 in April (eight is considered lucky by the Chinese).

She has even set up a company called the Julie Bishop Glorious Foundation without the Foreign Minister's knowledge, and has engaged in Twitter banter with SA Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis.

In recent months she has spent thousands of dollars on advertisements in Adelaide's only metro newspaper, The Advertiser.

The full-page advertisement by mining company AusGold in The Advertiser on August 11. ( The Advertiser )

There was the huge ad welcoming Malcolm Turnbull to town earlier this year and on Thursday morning she took up two pages looking for a home.

"I am indeed an Australian resident but I really want to make South Australia home," the advertisement reads.

"I am looking to purchase a home in my beloved South Australia, aiming to put more money into the community to help all my South Australian friends shine."

It continues by listing qualities Ms Zou is looking for in a house, including how far it can be from the city centre and how large she wants the block.

"If you are selling your property ... please send me an introductory letter," it reads.

Ad a 'branding exercise', real estate expert says

The ad seeking, rather than selling, property placed by Sally Zou in The Advertiser. ( The Advertiser )

Many South Australians are scratching their heads as to why someone would spend thousands of dollars on the newspaper advertisement when they could just pick up the phone and call a real estate agent.

Greg Troughton from the Real Estate Institute of South Australia has never seen anything like it.

"I find it extraordinary simply because in the world of real estate in South Australia all you need to do is talk to four, five, six agents and the world knows about it," he said.

"So obviously there's something a little bit more [going on] here."

The ABC has asked Ms Zou, who was reportedly being sued over a failed property deal, for an interview through social media but is yet to receive a response.

Mr Troughton said she was already well known within Adelaide's real estate circles.

"Someone willing to take out a full-page ad saying 'I want to buy here, I want to live here' ... it's definitely more of a branding exercise," he said.

"She would already be on their databases but rest assured I'm sure there would be hundreds if not thousands about to hit her email box to say 'I've got the perfect property for you'.

"But I think it's great that someone is willing to give that kind of commitment to South Australia."

Ads are profile-boosting power play, commentator says

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Ms Zou's ad has also left at least one political commentator questioning what her agenda is or if she has one at all, given the state election is less than five months away.

The University of Adelaide's Carol Johnson has described it as a very unusual way to find property.

"South Australian Labor will be wondering what is going on given that she is a South Australian Liberal Party donor," Professor Johnson said.

"And also a generous donor to the Federal Liberal Party."

Knowing the background of political donors is important, according to Professor Johnson, and of interest to the public.

She believes the advertisements are an effort to increase her profile and show that she is willing to make a major investment in the state.

Either way, Ms Zou's name is one that is slowly creeping into South Australia's collective consciousness, which Professor Johnson said could be interesting come election time.

"One of the sensitive issues for the Liberal Party might be that questions have been raised about links Ms Zou's family is claimed to have with the Chinese Government," she said.

"And at a time when there are issues being raised about foreign investment in Australia this might cause some concern for conservative sections of the Liberal Party."