Barbara Corcoran’s 7 Tips For Real Estate Success

One of the most successful women in the real estate industry has taught me a ton!

Barbara Corcoran, whom many of you know from the popular TV show, Shark Tank, has built a phenomenal business over the last 40+ years. Starting out in the industry at the ripe age of 24, Barbara borrowed $1,000 from her then boyfriend to make her vision come to life. And boy did she!

After reading her book, Shark Tales; How I turned $1000 into a Billion Dollar business, I realized that I had followed many of her steps through my own discovery over the years. This woman is fantastic for our industry and I recommend all agents (especially women!) to read her wise words.

Here are Barbara’s 7 tips for real estate success

1. “Perception creates reality. If you want to be successful in real estate you have to look bigger, better, stronger than the competition.” — If you look the best, you probably are the best.
2. “There are two kinds of people: expanders and containers. Expanders are good at recruiting, PR, advertising, having fun. Containers are good at computer systems, hiring people, policies.” — Goal for new hires is to identify these personalities and use them appropriately.

3. “Anything not changing ain’t working. Target things in your business that have not changed in a while. My greatest salespeople wanted to do more and make changes all the time. I was re-inventing the Corcoran Group all the time and doing things like video tours back in the 80s.” — We have recently unveiled new strategies with our videography — telling the stories of our properties and our company. Our videos are high-definition for online consumption…not the VHS that Barbara was forced to work with in the 80s.

4. “Fun is good business.” — The Key 2013 was fun for both the attendees and our staff. As a company, we are never afraid to have a good time. Our clients and coworkers would attest, we work (very) hard, but always make time for play.

5. “There is no such thing as balance. Put a line between home and work. When I am at home, I am 100% at home.” — This is a personal decision. I know that people are more productive at work when they have time to focus on their personal life. However you choose to balance home and work, make a point to have time for both.

6. “I am a great failure. All of my successes come on the heels of failure. Great salespeople are great at empathy and great at failure.” — Note to self…hire salespeople who are great at failure.

7. “Push people to be more confident at thinking on their feet.” — This is perhaps the advice I will take most to heart. As a company, we are growing quickly, and we expect our staff to take ownership of their roles. So, I will be pushing people be proactive, independent, and efficient in their tasks for the coming year.

Reference Barbara’s Top 7 tips HERE

I would love to hear from you! Are you a business owner? How many of these tips do you implement in your line of work?

Our team of real estate sales professionals is committed to finding you, your dream home. Whether you’re looking to buy or sell, the Karen Paul team is here to help with any questions.

Karen Paul & Associates | Real Estate
905-333-6234 | karenpaul.com | info@karenpaul.com
Burlington • Oakville • Hamilton • Milton • Niagara