Jupiter Analyst Launches Real Estate Site

Niki Scevak, who was a frequently quoted search analyst for Jupiter Research, hasn't been heard from recently. There's a reason: He's been busy launching his own online real estate site. Scevak left Jupiter and has now unveiled (in beta, of course) Homethinking.com. Currently it offers only California real estate coverage, but eventually Scevak says it will have national scope.

The superficial reaction is: This is a space getting seemingly more competitive by the day with new launches from Trulia, iGenHome, HomePages.com and so on, not to mention established real estate sites and classifieds providers such as Craigslist, LiveDeal and Oodle. But what differentiates Scevak's site is that it offers reviews of local Realtors and is focused on helping would-be sellers locate effective agents. It also offers access to agents' listing information, so it does have a consumer/buyer aspect.

I joked with Scevak that being an analyst is a little like being a movie critic; it's probably more fun to be a filmmaker. We'll be following Scevak's efforts, and it will be interesting to see how the site evolves.