Buyers, renters want cell service but not towers

An overwhelming 94 percent of homebuyers and renters surveyed by the National Institute for Science, Law & Public Policy (NISLAPP) say they want great cell service yet would pay less for a property located near a cell tower or antenna.

What’s more, of the 1,000 survey respondents, 79 percent said that under no circumstances would they ever purchase or rent a property within a few blocks of a cell tower or antennas, and almost 90 percent said they were concerned about the increasing number of cell towers and antennas in their residential neighborhood.

The survey, “Neighborhood Cell Towers & Antennas-Do They Impact a Property’s Desirability?” also found that properties where a cell tower or group of antennas are placed on top of or attached to a building (condominium high-rise, for instance) is problematic for buyers.

“A study of real estate sales prices would be beneficial at this time in the Unites States to determine what discounts homebuyers are currently placing on properties near cell towers and antennas,” said Jim Turner, chair of NISLAPP.