Real estate mogul and Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran is parting ways with her beloved Fifth Avenue penthouse, listing the property for $12 million, the New York Times reported. The 4,600-square-foot duplex, located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, has been Mrs. Corcoran’s home since 2015 when she purchased it for $10 million.
Her history with the apartment began in the early 1990s during leaner times when she was moonlighting as a package courier. While delivering an envelope to the penthouse, she was immediately struck by the terrace and Central Park views visible through the French doors. In that moment, she asked the owner to contact her if she ever decided to sell. More than two decades later, that call finally came, and Corcoran, by then a successful entrepreneur who sold her real estate brokerage for $66 million in 2001, jumped at the opportunity.
After purchasing the property, Corcoran invested significantly in renovations, spending at least $2 million to transform the space. The extensive 18-month renovation gutted the apartment, preserving only the curved staircase. The redesign flipped the upstairs and downstairs floor plans, converted a greenhouse into an indoor/outdoor dining room, and added a chef’s kitchen adjacent to the terrace, complete with custom white cabinetry and an ILVE range.
The end result features five bedrooms, five full bathrooms, two powder rooms, and a library with a wood-burning fireplace. Over the years, the penthouse has hosted legendary parties in the rooftop solarium.
The penthouse gained even more public recognition in November 2022 when she invited TikTok creator Caleb Simpson to tour her home. During the tour, Simpson explored every corner of the house, from the expansive living areas she playfully admitted she wasn’t quite sure how to define, to her butler’s pantry, outdoor terrace, and the show-stopping kitchen that she cherishes. «I sit here every day and think to myself, ‘How lucky am I?’ Never ever did I think I would have such a pretty kitchen,» she said.
Now at 76, Corcoran and her husband Bill Higgins, 80, are selling primarily because navigating the duplex’s stairs has become challenging. “I never thought I would ever leave,” Corcoran told the NYT. “It’s easy to spend money when you’re building a lifelong dream. For me, real estate is emotional.”
Despite asking less than her total investment in the property, Corcoran believes that the $12 million price tag is fair. The monthly maintenance fees for the apartment are approximately $11,000. It is co-listed by Corcoran brokers Scott Stewart and Carrie Chiang.
Julia Cancilla is the engagement editor (and resident witch) at ELLE Decor, where she manages the brand’s social media presence and covers trends, lifestyle, and culture in the design world. Julia built her background at Inked magazine, where she grew their social media audiences by two million, conducted interviews with A-list celebrities, and penned feature articles focusing on pop culture, art and lifestyle. Over her five years of digital media experience, Julia has written about numerous topics, from fashion to astrology.
