Barbara Corcoran, Classic New York Broad
Barbara Corcoran, founder of the Corcoran Group and the Today Show's resident real estate expert person, is sort of a living legend in New York. Everyone knows her name. But do you know the secret to her success? Dick jokes!
Corcoran, whose track record in her two years as a real estate analyst for NBC is almost as horrendous as Jim Kramer's is as a financial analyst, is the subject of a Women's Wear Daily profile that revealed some somewhat surprising tidbits about Corcoran's penchant for potty-mouthery, something she claims has helped her get ahead in business.
"I got a complaint yesterday for using foul language in a speech I gave," Corcoran says. "I said, ‘holy s—t.' I mean, what other word can you use? There's no other word you can substitute for that. People loved my language. I usually get compliments on it. It makes them trust me. They say ‘She tells it like it is.'"
In fact, there are dozens of phrases one can substitute for holy s—t starting with "oh my gosh," but Corcoran avoids them when possible because they do not fit as readily within her media persona.
She tells dirty jokes, uses bad words, and makes vaguely inappropriate comments about your physical appearance less because she's a different kind of real estate broker than because she's selling you the idea of a different kind of real estate broker. By being ever so slightly inappropriate (more PG-13 than R rated) she says, "I'm your friend, not your salesperson." It's smart, another way to close the deal.
And naturally, Corcoran isn't shy about infusing her game with a little girly fliration.
"She was constantly telling her brokers how attractive they were," recalls a former Corcoran underling. "The first time I was in the office she felt my butt and said something like, ‘Welcome to the office.' Or she'd squeeze a guy's arm and say ‘You're so muscular.' She's not hitting on you, she's selling you. It usually works."
We suppose this all shouldn't be too surprising. After all, this is the same Barbara Corcoran who dropped her pants in the Central Park Boathouse to show off her ass to John Stossel and a group of her friends two years ago.
All told, we have to admit—We've kind of got a bit of a "Mrs. Robinson" crush on Barbara Corcoran. She'd probably destroy us though. Sigh.
For Barbara Corcoran, the Housing Crisis is a Glass Half Full [WWD]