Bill Higgins 'Played Hard to Get' When He Met His Wife – Facts about Barbara Corcoran's Husband
Barbara Corcoran and her husband, Bill Higgins, have celebrated over three decades of marriage and welcomed two children. The couple met through work in the 1980s, and their flirty competition soon turned into ever-lasting love.
After meeting her future husband in the 1980s, Barbara Corcoran decided to grab the bull by the horns and go after what she wanted, including pursuing Bill Higgins for six months and proposing to him.
However, their relationship has not always been smooth sailing. The couple struggled to conceive and overcame the dynamic of Barbara Corcoran becoming a real estate mogul while Bill Higgins faced retirement.
Bill Higgins Is a Decorated Former Navy Captain
Before venturing into real estate, Higgins was a Navy captain in Operation Desert Storm and proudly displays his awards and military citations in his home office. After serving his country, Higgins became an FBI agent, and his famous wife boasted about her husband's accomplishments.
After years in real estate, Higgins sold his company in 1997 and took on various consultancies. However, more recently, his favorite title is being Corcoran's husband. Higgins said:
"I'm proud of my wife. And I'm proud to call myself her spouse."
Barbara Corcoran Chased after Her Husband for Six Months
Corcoran and Higgins met at a real estate conference in New York in the 1980s. Corcoran recalled how excited everyone was to meet her, except for Higgins, who waited until she was leaving to introduce himself. "He played hard to get and had all these other girls," Corcoran said, revealing that she had pursued Higgins for six months.
However, while serving on the same company board of directors and indulging in a good-natured competition to see who could get the best publicity and win the most advertising trophies, things went from good sportsmanship to something more.
Barbara Corcoran and Bill Higgins, at their summer home on Fire Island on July 6, 2001. | Source: Getty Images
Barbara Corcoran Asked Bill Higgins to Marry Her
Higgins and Corcoran tied the knot in 1988. However, during a celebratory post in honor of their anniversary in 2022, Corcoran revealed that they were almost late for their wedding.
In honor of their anniversary this year, Corcoran shared a sentimental video montage of the couple over the years and revealed that she had been the one who proposed. "Can't blame a girl for knowing what she wants!" she shared.
Higgins and Corcoran have since celebrated 35 years of marriage. However, it hasn't always been smooth sailing, as Corcoran revealed that it took a long time and a lot of counseling for the couple to overcome her making more money than him.
Corcoran admitted to questioning her feminity when her earnings surpassed Higgins'. However, she went from hiding her income to the couple embracing it. Corcoran said:
"My husband had a very strong identity and was successful in his life. Thank God for that."
Despite being 35 years in, Higgins and Corcoran have kept their marriage fun and light-hearted. In May, Corcoran humorously revealed in a video that a party psychic told her Higgins was cheating.
And after hiring a retired FBI agent to follow him around, Corcoran discovered that Higgins was, in fact, cheating on her — with Barnes & Nobles. It turned out Higgins had a shopping addiction, and Corcoran jokingly added that she signed him up for Shopaholics Anonymous.
Barbara Corcoran and Her Husband Had Children Very Late in Life
After struggling to conceive during the early years of their marriage, Corcoran was 46 when the couple welcomed their first child together through in vitro fertilization.
Ten years later, Corcoran and Higgins' family grew again after they adopted their daughter, and Corcoran humorously shared, "The most frequent compliment I get is 'You have a lovely grandchild!'"
In 2020, Barbara Corcoran turned to Instagram to celebrate her husband and revealed that while she thought she wanted one thing when she said "I do" decades ago, over the years, the real estate mogul has come to realize the true value of what she has: "A rock solid guy, a close friend, and a great father to our children," Corcoran wrote.