Realty Times does have a strategic alliance with Homeseekers, as well as Homestore, Homeadvisor.com, Move.com, and most of the other major players in the real estate category, nearly all of whom were included in the survey. So the fact that Homeseekers sponsors some of our newsletters isn't material. By that argument, only the companies which have relationships with Realty Times would have been defended by the author and that simply isn't true. We don't have a relationship with CyberHomes at this writing, for example, but that didn't stop me from including them in my "defense." Defending Homeseekers was not so much the point of the story as raising the question of this Gomez company who proposes that it has expertise in the field of home buying on the Internet when it is still very much feeling its way. Judging by the inconsistencies of its criteria, its apparent criteria changes to allow more paying customers into the surveys, its refusal to correct its errors, and its questionable methodologies for determining consumer-friendliness which is contradicted by other evidence, Gomez has a long way to go before it can deliver any information of any value to anyone, particularly consumers who are left in the dark as to what they should use as evaluation criteria. If consumers had their way no one would make a profit at any enterprise - including Gomez. Being in business at all is inherently unfriendly to the consumer, because the profits come at the consumer's expense - including Gomez. This is particularly true for industries which are shrouded in mystery such as real estate, banking, investments, and market research. So let's put the shoe on the other foot. How would Gomez like it if their consumers demanded that they lower their $30,000 subscription fees? That they start publishing their "consumer research" so that all consumers and companies would know what standards they hold? Would they do it? Would they be any less of a consumer service if they refused? Would they enjoy being put under the same scrutiny that they are so willing to put other industries? It would be interesting to see. The real estate industry is complex, and yes, everyone including Realtors would like to see the process simplified. But the transfer of real property is also full of pitfalls and liabilities for both the service providers and the principals, hence fees to Realtors, attorneys, etc. Although the industry should and is making strides toward simplification, it is not going to happen overnight, or perhaps ever to the point that consumers, or Gomez, would like. Blanche Evans, editor, Realty Times

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