'Lemons Into Lemonade': Barbara Corcoran Shares Hilarious Story About How She Was Mistaken for a Prostitute Corcoran told her 878,000 Instagram followers about almost getting evicted in one of her first NYC apartments at the start of her career.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

That's one way to make an impression on your landlord!

"Shark Tank" star and real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran took to Instagram on Wednesday to tell her followers a story (while getting her makeup done) about how her landlord mistook her for a prostitute at the beginning of her career in New York City.

Corcoran explained that she had just moved to NYC and was sharing a one-bedroom apartment, using her living room as a makeshift office for the beginning stages of her real estate business.

"One night to my surprise I came home to find a big red eviction notice pasted to my front door," she told viewers. "I always pay my rent on time, I was a good tenant. I didn't get it!"

Related: Barbara Corcoran Reveals How She Made $1 Million In Just One Day: 'Nobody Wants What Nobody Wants'

She then explained that because she had so many "young men coming in and out" of the apartment working on the business, it appeared to the landlord that there was another kind of business going on.

Corcoran said she then made an appointment with her landlord to explain herself and let him know that she was not, in fact, a sex worker and that there was "no funny business" going on.

To Corcoran's surprise, his response was better than she could have expected.

Not only did her landlord allow her to continue running her real estate office from the apartment, but he also gave her the exclusive to his entire building.

"That's how you turn lemons into lemonade," the real estate mogul quipped.

Related: 'Shark Tank's' Barbara Corcoran Says She Built Her Business 'Almost Like a Man'

Viewers were in stitches over Corcoran's antics — mostly her inability to sit still in her makeup chair — and her ability to win over her landlord and make a seemingly awful situation into something beneficial.

"You have an incredible personality and attitude for business," one user wrote. "If I could have one drop of that!"

Corcoran has been using the social media platform to tell tales from early in her career.

Most recently, she shared a savvy story on how she made $1 million in just one day by offering all the apartments in one building at the same price — regardless of size or location.

Corcoran's net worth is an estimated $100 million.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

Investment Firm CEO Tells Thousands in Conference Audience That 60% of Them Will Be 'Looking for Work' Next Year

There were over 5,500 people at SuperReturn International 2025, making it the largest private equity event in the world.

Side Hustle

After a 12-Year-Old's Side Hustle Made Over $4,000 in 1 Day, He and His Dad Grew the Business to Nearly $50,000 a Month: 'It Takes Commitment'

Madden Forrest and his father, Steven, turned their passion for football into a lucrative business.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Here Are the 10 Highest-Paying Jobs For New Graduates With a Bachelor's Degree — and They All Start at Six Figures

According to a new report from Resume Genius, finding a high-paying job as a new grad is possible, even in this market.

Business Solutions

Discover How AI Can Transform the Way You Work With This $20 E-Degree

Learn how to make AI work for you with the ChatGPT and Automation E-Degree, now for just $20.

Business News

Is AI the Reason for Your Layoff? New York Becomes the First State to Require Companies to Disclose If So.

It's the first official statewide move towards understanding AI's effect on the labor market.