Barbara Corcoran says she didn’t cast her vote for the progressive-socialist New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, but that doesn’t mean she’s rooting against him.
In a recent conversation with The Wall Street Journal, the Shark Tank star acknowledged her choice at the ballot box while also striking a conciliatory note. She said she hopes Mamdani does well in the role, even if he wasn’t her pick.
Barbara Corcoran Didn’t Vote For Zohran Mamdani But Wants Him To Succeed
The remark sounded like classic Barbara. The Shark Tank investor was upfront about where she stood. She did not dress it up. At the same time, she made it clear that what matters to her most is how the city does. And not who she agrees with politically.
Barbara said, “Getting his ideas through is going to be, I think, more difficult than even he might be aware. The city needs a crusader, and he’s a crusader for the city.”
Zohran Mamdani’s Rent Freeze Proposal Explained
Housing sat at the center of Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign. He pledged to put a four-year pause on rent increases for close to a million rent-stabilized units across New York City.
Mamdani said the move would give renters quick relief as housing costs continue to climb. Supporters saw it as a direct way to slow the pressure on households struggling to keep up.
Landlords and real estate groups pushed back. They argued that freezing rents ignores rising expenses and squeezes owners who rely on increases to maintain buildings and stay afloat.
Zohran Mamdani has gone further with a long-range housing proposal that would run for ten years and cost about $100 billion. The aim is to sharply expand publicly subsidized housing and push production to several times its current pace.
The idea hasn’t gone over smoothly with people in real estate. Developers are concerned that pouring so much effort into public housing could leave private projects struggling for funding and focus. But the counter-argument of supporters of affordability and housing for everyone is inarguably something more important.
If fewer private builders step in, overall housing supply could slow. That squeeze could put more strain on market-rate rentals and make the city’s housing shortage harder to fix.
Why Barbara Corcoran Still Backs the Upper East Side
Last fall, Barbara Corcoran shared her take on the neighborhood she’s called home for years. Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, she said the Upper East Side still offered better value than anywhere else in the city.
It was a typically confident assessment. From her perspective, the area remained overlooked for far too long, making it one of the rare pockets in Manhattan where buyers were still getting more than they paid for.
She said the shift is hard to miss if you’ve been around long enough. Barbara Corcoran pointed out that younger buyers are now planting roots there, including people who once would have defaulted to neighborhoods farther downtown.
How Barbara Corcoran Identifies Neighborhoods Before They Break Out
Barbara’s own real estate shuffle reflected that confidence. She sold her Upper East Side penthouse for $13.5 million in October. Just a few days later, she closed on another penthouse nearby for $16 million, doubling down on the same area rather than leaving it behind.
She also shared another rule she’s come to trust over the years. In New York, Barbara Corcoran said she pays close attention to where artists and creators start showing up.
In a recent chat with The Wall Street Journal, she said this approach has consistently pointed her toward places others haven’t caught onto yet. Right now, that place is Ridgewood.
Corcoran noted that smart investors are already paying attention, but she doesn’t think the window has closed. In her view, the neighborhood has all the elements needed to keep moving up.
Why Barbara Corcoran Stays Invested in New York
Barbara Corcoran approaches New York the same way she approaches any high-stakes decision. The real estate mogul watches closely. She calls things as she sees them and stays invested in the outcome. She doesn’t need to agree with every move to stay hopeful about the direction.
After decades of navigating this city, she understands that change rarely comes clean. It comes through persistence, pressure, and a willingness to keep pushing forward. And times they are a-changing.
