The Corcoran Group has finally joined the slightly confusing — but definitely amusing — publishing craze sweeping the luxury brokerage world. And it looks a lot like Gwyneth Paltrow’s curated lifestyle website Goop.
The real estate firm launched a lifestyle blog called “Inhabit” Thursday, featuring interviews with designer Jonathan Adler, Meatball Shop founder Michael Chernow and fashion blogger Lyn Slater.
Corcoran is just the latest firm to dive head first into editorial content. Rivals such as Douglas Elliman, Town Residential and Compass have been publishing glossy lifestyle magazines modeled after the likes of “Vanity Fair” in recent years.
Corcoran CEO Pam Liebman explained that her firm’s decision to go online-only was a reaction to changing trends in media consumption.
“We made a conscious choice to focus on creating Inhabit in a digital format rather than a print publication to keep up with the fast pace of how people live today,” she said in a statement. “Our audience wants to read fresh content on their own terms, at their convenience and on whatever device they use.”
Much like Town and Elliman, Corcoran’s new publishing effort goes well-beyond the real estate world and ventures into fashion, food and luxury.
It modestly aims to “inspire readers to live their best lives” with the help of “tastemakers.”
Recent versions of Elliman’s magazine, which has recruited well-known freelance writers like Vanity Fair’s George Wayne and New York Fashion Week founder Fern Mallis, featured interviews with Victoria Beckham and a profile of Newsweek chief Tina Brown, for instance.
The payoff from these publishing efforts is tough to measure, experts told The Real Deal.
“It’s not about selling something tomorrow,” said content marketing expert and author Seth Godin in a recent interview. “It’s about earning the trust and attention of the 10,000 or so people who are likely to impact your ability to be seen as a luxury brand. … The profit comes down the line.”
Corcoran’s new blog is headed up by Jenny McClary, the former director of creative and marketing at Smashbox Studios and the co-founder of fashion website Veer. She is Corcoran’s creative content manager.
In November, The Real Deal dove into the brokerage magazines to see how they measured up.