Brownstoner
Brownstoner is a Brooklyn-focused real estate media and listings platform serving affluent home buyers, sellers, and renters alongside real estate professionals, combining property listings, neighborhood journalism, and community forums under the Schneps Media network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Brownstoner does
Brownstoner is a Brooklyn-focused real estate media and listings platform founded in 2004, operating as Brownstoner LLC out of Brooklyn, NY. It serves two interlocking audiences: affluent Brooklyn home buyers, sellers, and renters seeking neighborhood-level real estate intelligence, and real estate professionals (agents, brokerages, and developers) seeking access to that audience. The platform combines a searchable property listings database (sale and rental), original journalism on Brooklyn real estate, architecture, and history, neighborhood guides covering 40+ Brooklyn submarkets, a daily House of the Day feature, and a community forum for home improvement and neighborhood discussion. Multimedia extensions include a podcast, webinars, a print/digital magazine, and a Home Pros service-professional directory.
The core technology is a web-based real estate marketplace and content platform with listing management tools, search functionality, neighborhood profile pages, and community forum features. The platform is integrated into the broader Schneps Media network, providing cross-promotion with sister publications (Brooklyn Paper, NY Family, Caribbean Life) and shared infrastructure for newsletters, podcasts, and events. Listings also flow to Marketproof.com for additional distribution reach.
Brownstoner monetizes through multiple streams. Listing subscriptions charge $24.99/month for sale listings and $9.99/month for rental listings, with a $100/month Featured Listings premium for prominent placement that auto-renews in 3-month cycles. Secondary revenue comes from display advertising (e.g., National Grid, Friedrich, ABC Carpet & Home) and newsletter sponsorships reaching the Brooklyn subscriber base. The go-to-market combines a self-serve product-led motion for listing submission and consumer access with a sales-led motion for featured placements, advertising packages, and developer campaigns targeting enterprise brokerages.
Brownstoner firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Brownstoner
- Legal name
- Brownstoner LLC
- Website
- http://www.brownstoner.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Brownstoner is a Brooklyn-focused real estate media and listings platform serving affluent home buyers, sellers, and renters alongside real estate professionals, combining property listings, neighborhood journalism, and community forums under the Schneps Media network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Brownstoner industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local Real Estate Media and Listings
- NAICS
- Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Vertical/Specialty Search (e.g., jobs, real estate, travel, products) (BPAMAAAD)
Keywords
Where Brownstoner is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Brownstoner business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Listing Subscriptions: Real estate professionals pay monthly fees to list properties for sale and rent on the platform. Sale listings cost $24.99/month and rental listings cost $9.99/month.
- Featured Listings: Premium placement advertising option where agents pay $100 per month to showcase their listings prominently in searches and on the homepage.
- Advertising: Sponsored content and display advertising from related brands and services (e.g., National Grid, Friedrich air conditioning, ABC Carpet & Home).
- Newsletter Sponsorships: Sponsored newsletter placements and email marketing opportunities reaching Brooklyn-focused subscriber base.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Sale Listing - Monthly subscription for property sales |
| Subscription | Monthly | Rental Listing - Monthly subscription for property rentals |
| Subscription | Monthly | Featured Listing - Premium placement upgrade |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Brownstoner product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Brownstoner operates a Brooklyn-focused real estate media platform that combines a paid listings marketplace (sale listings at $24.99/month and rental listings at $9.99/month, with $100/month featured upgrades) with original neighborhood journalism, daily property features, an 18+ year editorial archive, and a community forum. Real estate professionals self-serve listings through data feeds or individual forms, while consumers access free news, neighborhood guides, and search functionality.
Product overview
Brownstoner is a Brooklyn-focused real estate news and listings platform offering a comprehensive ecosystem of products and content. The core offerings include a searchable real estate listings database (with separate sale and rental search functionality), real estate news coverage, and neighborhood guides. Featured content products include the House of the Day and Condo/Co-op of the Day showcases. The platform extends through multimedia channels including the Brownstoner Podcast, Webinars, and Magazine. Community engagement features include a Forum for homeowner discussions and Brownstoner Home Pros, a directory connecting users with home improvement professionals. The site also distributes content via a newsletter subscription.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Brownstoner Magazine: Print and digital magazine publication covering Brooklyn real estate and lifestyle
- Brownstoner Webinars
- The Brownstoner Podcast
- Brownstoner Home Pros
Products and services
- Sale Listing Subscription Monthly subscription product for real estate professionals to list properties for sale on Brownstoner, priced at $24.99/month with basic listing placement.
- Rental Listing Subscription
- Featured Listing Upgrade
- Brownstoner Home Pros Directory
- Brownstoner Newsletter Sponsorships
- Display and Sponsored Content Advertising
- Custom Development Marketing Campaigns
Quantifiable outcome
- 76% of readers earn at least $100,000 annually, with 30% earning over $250,000
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Brownstoner
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Brownstoner technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Brownstoner partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Brownstoner competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Zillow: National real estate marketplace with significant NYC/Brooklyn listing coverage and consumer search traffic. Competes for agent subscriptions, featured placement spend, and audience attention at a much larger scale than Brownstoner.
Direct peers
- Curbed: Editorial property and neighborhood publication covering NYC real estate. Comparable to Brownstoner in its content-led approach to Brooklyn real estate, although now part of Vox Media rather than a listings marketplace.
- StreetEasy: The dominant NYC residential real estate listings platform, owned by Zillow Group. Direct competitor to Brownstoner for Brooklyn listing subscriptions, featured placements, and consumer property-search traffic.
- Brick Underground: NYC-focused real estate news, advice, and listings platform targeting buyers, renters, and sellers. Highly comparable to Brownstoner in audience (NYC residential), monetization mix (advertising + agent tools), and editorial-driven traffic.
- Marketproof: NYC residential real estate listings and analytics platform that is simultaneously a Brownstoner distribution partner and a competitor for the same agent subscriptions and consumer traffic.
- The Real Deal: NYC-focused real estate news, listings, and development publication covering Manhattan and Brooklyn. Closely comparable to Brownstoner in combining journalism with property listings and advertising-driven revenue targeting real estate professionals.
- New York YIMBY: NYC development and real estate news outlet covering Brooklyn new construction, permits, and architecture. Comparable as a content-first Brooklyn property-news competitor that also captures developer marketing attention.
Others
- Compass: National residential brokerage that is a Brownstoner customer but also an indirect competitor via its own consumer-facing search portal. Important ecosystem participant rather than a head-to-head listing marketplace competitor.
Emerging players
- PropertyShark: NYC-focused property data and listings platform owned by Yardi. Competes with Brownstoner for Brooklyn listing subscriptions and broker visibility, especially for off-market and new-development inventory.
Regional players
- Patch: Hyperlocal news network covering Brooklyn neighborhoods with real estate and lifestyle content. Comparable as a community-and-listings adjacency, though broader than a dedicated real estate vertical.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Brownstoner social profiles
Digital presenceBrownstoner financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Brownstoner leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Brownstoner funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Brownstoner M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Brownstoner
What does Brownstoner do?
Brownstoner operates a Brooklyn-focused real estate media platform that combines a paid listings marketplace (sale listings at $24.99/month and rental listings at $9.99/month, with $100/month featured upgrades) with original neighborhood journalism, daily property features, an 18+ year editorial archive, and a community forum. Real estate professionals self-serve listings through data feeds or individual forms, while consumers access free news, neighborhood guides, and search functionality.
Is Brownstoner a public or private company?
Brownstoner is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Brownstoner founded?
Brownstoner was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Brownstoner based?
Brownstoner is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Brownstoner make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Listing Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are featured Listings, advertising and newsletter Sponsorships.
Who are Brownstoner's main competitors?
Zillow is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Curbed, StreetEasy, Brick Underground, Marketproof, The Real Deal and New York YIMBY. Compass is listed as an others. PropertyShark is listed as an emerging player. Patch is listed as a regional player.
Does Brownstoner have an API?
No public API is recorded for Brownstoner.
What industry is Brownstoner in?
Brownstoner's product category is Local Real Estate Media and Listings. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAAAD, Vertical/Specialty Search (e.g., jobs, real estate, travel, products). Its NAICS code is 5312 and its SIC code is 6531.