Detectives named 38-year-old Jacob Michael Smith from the Gold Coast as the person of interest and released a photograph of him.

Anthea Mari, 34, was found unconscious in the lounge room of her Norman Park rental property in Brisbane's inner-east.

She was found by a male housemate while two of her daughters slept in a nearby room.

Police said Mr Smith was in the house in the hours leading up to Ms Mari's death.

Investigators were not confronted with a bloody scene when they arrived at Milsom Street house about 4am. A post mortem will be conducted on Wednesday morning to determine Ms Mari's cause of death.

Mr Smith, who has been described by police as a friend of the woman, is from the Gold Coast but is known to frequent Brisbane, particularly the Wynnum area.

"He is a person of interest in this matter. He was there last evening from what witnesses have told us, so we're calling on him to come forward," Detective Inspector Rod Kemp Kemp said.

Police warned the public not to approach Mr Smith, but noted they were yet not sure of his involvement in the case.

It is understood Mr Smith had visited Ms Mari at the Norman Park home before.

He was seen leaving the house between 3.30am and 4am on Tuesday, but police are not sure whether he left on foot or drove away.

"He was there last evening, for how long we don't know, but we certainly would like to speak to him," Inspector Kemp said.

"If this person is involved in it we are mindful that he could be a danger to [the] public. We just don't know what his involvement is until he comes forward."

Ms Mari, a mother of four, once featured in a campaign for for not-for-profit organisation Micah Project. She spoke of spending 15 years of trying to raise a young family while moving in and out of domestic violence refuges.

"Don't think you're the only one...There are plenty of other women going through it, too," she said.

Ms Mari's 11- and 12-year-old daughters were in the house at the time of her death and were taken away for counselling when emergency services arrived, Inspector Kemp said.

"Horrendous. It's their mother, absolutely horrendous," he said.

"Our child protection experts are looking after them as we speak, giving them all the assistance and counselling that is required in these circumstances."

Ms Mari also has a three-year-old son and a 15-year-old daughter, both of whom did not live at the house.

Her two male housemates and paramedics performed CPR when they found her body, but were unable to resuscitate the mother.

Detectives spent the day doorknocking neighbours and intend to interview the woman's daughters and her former partners.

"Our forensic police are still examining the scene...there's no extreme violence evident," Inspector Kemp said.

He said none of the residents heard a disturbance and police did not believe a weapon had been used.

The Milsom Street home sits opposite a sporting field and within walking distance of the Norman Park train station, about five kilometres from the CBD.

Police established a crime scene on Tuesday, as forensic officers dressed in blue suits examined the house.

Neighbours were reluctant to speak to media on Tuesday morning, but nearby resident Linda Bright said she was "shocked" to hear of the woman's death.

Ms Bright said she walked past the home most days on her way to the local shops.

"It's normally a pretty quiet house...You never really see much movement or never really see people coming in or out," she said.

"We sometimes wonder if anybody ever lives there."