The Best Real Estate People Should Look To Buy in 2025, According to Barbara Corcoran
Written by
David Nadelle
Edited by
Amber Barkley
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With a keen opportunistic sense and a stick-to-your-guns attitude, Barbara Corcoran has earned every penny she’s made — and she’s made a lot of them. Although she’s branched out into writing, podcasting and television, the “Shark Tank” host is a real estate mogul at heart and has strong opinions on how to make money in the industry.
Corcoran’s rags to riches story is as well known as the belief and confidence that carried her through many lean years hustling in New York in the 1970s and 1980s. Despite uncertainty in the housing market, she believes now is a great time to invest in real estate, saying in a TikTok video that if you have the money to invest, you should do so while others waver.
Where Should Real Estate Investors Put Their Money in 2025?
Popular financial literacy YouTube channel School of Hard Knocks asked Corcoran where a person with $100,000 should put their money.
“I would put it in a two-family house,” she said without hesitation. “Living half in, get the other people … paying the rent and paying off the mortgage.”
By using her “Golden Rule” of bankrolling a down payment of at least 20%, Corcoran believes you can live for free in a multi-unit home while your tenants pay your mortgage. If you can accomplish this in an up-and-coming location, you might be able to parlay your investment into a large profit sale.
Anyone who’s heard Corcoran speak to her success won’t be surprised to hear about her preference for dealing in residential real estate, rather than riskier commercial ventures. For the “The Queen of New York Real Estate,” it was a simple decision back in the early 1970s, when she was scrambling to make it in a tough industry and tough city.
“People need a place to live,” Corcoran said. “I felt there was always a need for it and through the highs and lows in the New York City marketplace, people always needed a place to live. So, I figured I could always make a buck.”
Is Residential Real Estate the Way To Go in 2025?
The housing market has been a circus for the past few years, and it’s not expected to straighten out anytime soon. According to a recent Redfin report, although supply is high, homes are taking longer to sell due to slow demand and prices that are still steep. Investors might need to be creative to make money this year.
Although she dabbles in a lot of businesses and is a great evaluator of entrepreneurs across a wide spectrum of industries, Corcoran isn’t big on diversification for diversification’s sake.
However, with the economy in a precarious state of balancing stability and doubt at the same time, it would be wise to look into every avenue the real estate sector has to offer, including hot markets that are in safe, eco-friendly locations and offer flexible mixed-use developmental space.
“Today’s market has led investors to diversify their investments in various real estate classes and industries, as it offers a sense of relief during times like these,” Jordan DeBrincat Mintzas of Altree Developments told Forbes in January. “I believe that despite declining interest rates, real estate investors may still hesitate to invest in rental properties until the market shows more certainty and consistency.”
More From GOBankingRates
Sources
- TikTok, Barbara Corcoran
- School of Hard Knocks, YouTube, “How This 76 Year Old Turned $1,000 Into a $66M Empire!“
- Redfin, “U.S. Homes Are Selling at the Slowest Pace in 6 Years.”
- Forbes, “19 Real Estate Investment Trends To Watch In 2025.”
