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Barbara Corcoran rewrote the rulebook – and these agents are following her lead

Barbara Corcoran turned a $1000 loan into a $100 million real estate empire, not by playing it safe but by getting noticed. From fake market reports to dog tricks and outrageous stunts, she proved that visibility wins listings. Now a new wave of Aussie agents are following suit with bold, creative campaigns that break the mould and get results.

Born in New Jersey and raised in a working-class family with 10 siblings, Corcoran famously turned a $1,000 loan into The Corcoran Group, one of New York Cityโ€™s most successful property brokerages. 

She had no formal business training, dyslexia made school difficult, and she didnโ€™t come from money. 

But what she did have was hustle, charm, and a willingness to do just about anything to get noticed.

And her breakthrough ultimately came from bold marketing, according to realestate.com.au.

In the early days of her business, Barbara faked a market report (based on just 14 sales), taught dogs to shake paws to impress co-op boards, and even created a made-up โ€œMadonna Reportโ€ to position herself as the go-to agent for celebrities, despite never working with Madonna. 

That fake report got her press. That press got her listings. And those listings made her millions.

Now 76, she is a bestselling author, podcast host, social media star and beloved judge on the US version of Shark Tank, where she invests in everything from food trucks to tech startups. 

But at her core, sheโ€™s still a property hustler who knows how to turn a moment, or a gimmick, into a headline.

When Barbara recently took to TikTok to share the โ€œunhingedโ€ tactics she used to get ahead in real estate, it was a masterclass in modern personal branding. 

โ€œThe press made me credible overnight,โ€ she said, recalling how being quoted in The New York Times (thanks to her self-published report) caused her phones to ring off the hook.

Thatโ€™s the lesson for agents today. 

Being good at real estate is important, but being seen is essential.

And across Australia, agents are following in Barbaraโ€™s footsteps, using controversy, creativity, and unconventional flair to rise above the crowd. 

Sam Nader – Dancing his way to a record price

When LJ Hooker Bankstown agent Sam Nader launched a real estate video featuring a couple dancing across countertops, diving into beds, and slow-motion pirouetting through a family home, the internet wasnโ€™t sure what to make of it.

Some called it โ€œcringe.โ€ Others called it genius.

But what mattered was that the video went viral, racking up views and drawing more than 1,000 people to the open home.

One of those viewers, a 23-year-old buyer, bought the house for $1.72 million before auction, smashing suburb records.

โ€œThe whole point of real estate is to get as many eyes as possible on the property,โ€ Sam said. 

โ€œMission accomplished.โ€

Richard Faulkner – Turning trash into treasure with brutal honesty

In 2020, Central Coast agent Richard Faulkner didnโ€™t hide the faults of a dilapidated fixer-upper.

He used them to his advantage.

โ€œNothing says romance like lying in bed and talking to your partner in the toosh,โ€ he said, because of an exposed toilet in the hallway.

The listing became the most-viewed in NSW that year, with 350,000+ clicks on realestate.com.au. 

It sold for $535,000, $85,000 above the guide.

Matt Micallef –  Lycra, wigs and a $1.6 million sale

Some agents stage flowers. Matt Micallef stages himself, and often in costume.

Whether parodying Steve Irwin to sell a family home or spoofing Dodgeball as a skintight-suited egomaniac named Forrest Goodman, Matt knows how to make buyers laugh, share, and most importantly, enquire.

One of his most memorable campaigns helped sell a 5-acre hinterland estate, โ€œSunpeaks,โ€ for $1.61 million. 

The video, while outrageous (he even appeared nude in the final scene), showcased the propertyโ€™s lifestyle, including features like the dams, a yurt, dirt bike tracks, in a way no standard listing could.

โ€œIf people remember me, they remember the house,โ€ he said.

Amir Jahan – Selling first home buyer properties with supercars

In Sydneyโ€™s west, 25-year-old Amir Jahan routinely parks Lamborghinis or McLarens in front of modest properties, even one-bedroom apartments, to drum up attention.

โ€œI get people saying, โ€˜The carโ€™s worth more than the property!โ€™ And I say, thatโ€™s the point,โ€ he said. 

The contrast is what sparks conversations, shares, and eventually, buyer interest and it worked.

His brand is now synonymous with flair, even if the bricks and mortar are humble.

Noah Rezaie – Billboards and beauty votes

โ€œVoted #1 Best-Looking Agent in Narre Warren South,โ€ the billboard said with an asterisk: โ€œas voted by my mum.โ€

Melbourneโ€™s Noah Rezaie bet on humour over hubris, launching a self-deprecating campaign that blanketed local buses and billboards in 2024.

Some laughed, others rolled their eyes, but it made him a household name. 

TV picked up the story and social media ran with it. 

And most importantly, listings followed.

โ€œYouโ€™ve got to be memorable,โ€ Noah said. 

โ€œPeople wonโ€™t remember a just-sold flyer. 

โ€œBut theyโ€™ll remember this.โ€

Ash Swarts – Gas masks, grow rooms, and grit

In Perthโ€™s Armadale, agent Ash Swarts didnโ€™t shy away from marketing a cannabis grow-op property. 

Instead, he wore a military-style gas mask in his listing video to tour the homeโ€™s hydroponic room and pungent interiors.

He highlighted every fault, every missing lightbulb, even the fact that the pool cover had been nailed to the ceiling.

The campaign was hilarious, honest, and surprisingly effective. 

Six offers poured in within days, and the rundown duplex sold quickly.

โ€œMore eyes means more offers,โ€ Ash said. 

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Rowan Crosby

Rowan Crosby is a senior journalist at Elite Agent specialising in finance and real estate.