Smith was a 21-year-old part-time student and nanny living in San Francisco when she decided on a whim to audition for MTV's long-running reality TV series, The Real World and Road Rules. She and two dozen finalists were housed together for a casting special leading up to the selection. During her stay at the casting house, Smith came into conflict with finalist Ellen Cho. Smith was ultimately selected as a cast member for The Real World, which would be set in New York, the first season of the show since 1992 to be set there.

During Smith's season on The Real World, which aired in 2001, she came into conflict with Mike Mizanin over views he related to Smith from his uncle, who opined that African-Americans were slow and uneducated. Although Mizanin attempted to disown the comments as merely those of his uncle, Smith and their other housemate, Malik Cooper, who are both African-American, were offended. Coral and the other housemates went on to teach Mizanin about African-American culture, such as the life of Malcolm X.

Observing that every season of The Real World features cast members in archetypal roles, Smith asserts that she was the "bitch" of her season, though she insists that her use of this label is meant to connote her assertiveness and outspokenness, and not lack of likability.

After filming The Real World, Smith went to work at a rape crisis center.

Smith has appeared on six seasons of the spin-off series, Real World/Road Rules Challenge, and has made it to the final mission on four of those Challenges. During Fresh Meat, Smith's partner, Evan Starkman, developed an abdominal hernia. Smith herself sustained a leg injury, and the producers of the show removed them from the competition. This marked Smith's first Challenge in which she did not make it to the final mission.

Much curiosity and speculation has arisen over Smith's relationship with Abram Boise from Road Rules: South Pacific during Battle of the Sexes 2. In response to a question by an MTV rep, Smith said:

However, Smith indicated in another interview that she and Boise were not involved in a romantic relationship, and that any appearance to that effect was engineered through the use of selective editing on the part of the show's producers in order to elicit ratings.

In 2005 Smith appeared on Battle of the Network Reality Stars.

In January 2007 Smith appeared on the Fox network reality show, Camp Reality.

In January 2008, Smith appeared on The Gauntlet III. She voluntarily left towards the end of the Challenge. This marked Smith's second Challenge in which she didn't make it to the final mission. At the end of that season, at The Gauntlet III Reunion Special, Smith explained that she left because she was unwilling to tolerate what she perceived as disreputable behavior by her teammates; an observation that was corroborated by teammate Katie Doyle.