How Broadband Quality Affects Property Values and Resident Satisfaction

In today’s real estate landscape, reliable internet is as essential as water and electricity. For both homeowners and renters, broadband has become a must-have utility. When a community’s internet infrastructure falls behind, it doesn’t just frustrate residents, it can erode property values, making homes harder to sell and rentals less desirable.

HOA boards and community associations need to understand how broadband quality directly impacts marketability, and why proactive planning is essential to maintain both resident satisfaction and long-term community value.

Broadband as a Key Factor in Buying and Renting Decisions

Prospective buyers and renters often ask about broadband first. The rise of remote work, virtual learning, and streaming has made fast, dependable internet a dealmaker or dealbreaker. Communities with outdated broadband are at a disadvantage at the curb appeal stage, while those with modern, high-speed infrastructure stand out in listings and attract quality residents. For HOA Boards, this means broadband decisions are now directly tied to real estate success.

How Outdated Infrastructure and Weak Contracts Lower Appeal

Many HOAs are locked into legacy broadband agreements that limit speed, block upgrades, or exclude provider choice. These outdated contracts often keep communities behind peer neighborhoods. Meanwhile, persistent broadband frustrations that boards face, like service outages, lack of provider responsiveness, or resident complaints, can damage perception, reducing resale potential and deterring new residents in a competitive market.

Outdated or restrictive right of entry agreements can also limit options for upgrades, locking communities into underperforming providers and delaying progress.

Upgrading Broadband Lifts Community Appeal and Value

Communities that modernize broadband consistently gain a competitive edge. Upgraded infrastructure, expanded provider options, and renegotiated contracts send a strong signal to buyers: this is a forward-thinking, well-managed community. And by assessing and reworking broadband agreements, boards can also generate ongoing revenue through access fees and revenue-sharing, which adds direct financial benefits to resident satisfaction.

How Broadband Planning Supports Property Value Protection

Broadband Planning works closely with boards to safeguard community value through strategic broadband solutions:

• Auditing current infrastructure and contracts to identify gaps

• Identifying upgrade or provider diversification opportunities

• Helping boards navigate provider evaluation and selection

• Overseeing negotiation and installation to minimize disruption

• Negotiating agreements that maximize community value and protection

By combining technical, financial, and legal insight, we ensure your community’s broadband strategy supports both current and future needs. We’re proud to have supported communities nationwide in improving service and satisfaction. Don’t just take it from us, our client testimonials speak to the impact of a well-executed broadband strategy.

Take Control of Connectivity, Preserve Property Value

Broadband quality isn’t just a convenience, it’s a vital component of property value and competitive advantage. With expert guidance and proactive planning, HOA boards can transform broadband from a liability into a strength.

Broadband Planning empowers communities to modernize connectivity, improve resident satisfaction, and reinforce home values for years to come.

Ready to future-proof your community? Contact Broadband Planning to explore tailored broadband solutions and harness the collective buying power of your community.

Top 5 HOA Broadband Frustrations Boards Face

As more homeowners work, learn, and stream from home, broadband has evolved into essential infrastructure for today’s communities. Yet for many homeowner associations (HOAs), broadband remains a recurring source of frustration. Poor service from providers, low or no compensation to the community, outdated infrastructure, and limited leverage to resolve problems often trigger resident complaints. These challenges are frequently the result of either having no formal agreement in place or being locked into long-standing contracts that no longer serve the needs of the community.

The following post maps out five of the most common broadband frustrations HOA boards face and how our company, Broadband Planning, can help your HOA board address them.

The Top 5 HOA Broadband Frustrations Boards Face and How to Solve Them

1. Resident Complaints About Speed, Reliability, and Coverage

When internet performance doesn’t meet expectations, residents quickly notice. Frequent complaints about slow speeds, dropped connections, or inconsistent Wi-Fi coverage are common in many communities. These problems are often caused by outdated infrastructure or service levels that no longer meet current demand.

Our company assists with infrastructure and service audits to help communities align broadband performance with resident expectations.

2. Confusing Contracts and Low Compensation

Most HOA broadband contracts are not written with the community’s best interest in mind.

HOA boards often face broadband agreements with unclear terms, complex requirements, vague service guarantees, and limited or no compensation to the community. Without technical or legal expertise, these contracts can be difficult to evaluate or renegotiate.

Broadband Planning negotiates clear, fair, and transparent contracts that reflect the true value of provider access to community property and ensure appropriate compensation to HOAs.

3. No Leverage with Internet Providers

Without strong representation, boards often feel stuck when dealing with providers. Many providers take the lead in dictating terms, assuming boards lack the experience or bandwidth to challenge them. When service issues arise, boards and communities may struggle to get a timely or effective resolution.

Our team works to increase a board’s negotiating power by representing the community’s collective interests and ensuring service terms are equitable and broadband issues are resolved promptly.

4. Limited Provider Options and Unclear Path to Expansion

Many HOAs find themselves limited to a single broadband provider, typically a large, national cable operator. While new fiber providers are entering markets across the country and approaching HOAs with proposals to build in, evaluating these offers can be more complex than expected.

At first glance, adding a new provider may seem like the answer to limited choice, but there are important considerations boards must weigh carefully:

• Is the provider a good fit for the community’s long-term needs?

• What will construction involve, and how disruptive will it be?

• Will new wiring be visible in hallways or shared spaces?

Bringing in a new provider is a significant process that impacts both infrastructure and resident experience. Broadband Planning supports boards through every phase, from evaluating providers to overseeing design and construction, ensuring the community’s interests are protected and the broadband solution aligns with its goals.

5. Overwhelmed by Evolving Technology

Broadband technology is advancing rapidly, with new infrastructure types, service models, and technical terminology emerging every year. HOA boards, often made up of volunteers with limited time and expertise in this space, can quickly become overwhelmed by the sheer number of options and unfamiliar terms. Understanding fiber vs. coaxial, bulk vs. right-of-entry agreements, or evaluating future scalability can feel daunting.

This uncertainty often results in delayed decisions or inaction, ultimately leaving communities with outdated infrastructure or missed financial opportunities.

We serve as a knowledgeable guide through this complexity, helping boards evaluate what’s available now and what will serve their community well into the future. With clear, unbiased advice and technical insight, we empower HOA leaders to make confident, future-focused decisions that benefit residents and strengthen long-term broadband strategy.

Broadband Doesn’t Have to Be a Burden

Board members already manage a wide range of responsibilities, and managing internet service challenges shouldn’t be an ongoing source of stress. Many boards simply aren’t aware that they have options, how much value the right broadband agreement can offer, or that they are able to secure ongoing revenue streams for the community.

Broadband Planning helps by:

• Auditing existing infrastructure and service performance

• Negotiating clearer, more favorable contract terms

• Providing ongoing revenue streams for the community

• Improving provider accountability and responsiveness

• Renegotiating or exiting outdated agreements

• Advising on infrastructure decisions and broadband trends

Broadband Planning empowers boards to secure better broadband performance, simplify the management process, and unlock meaningful, ongoing value for their community. We help HOA boards and community associations navigate the complexities of broadband agreements, modernize infrastructure, and harness the collective buying power of communities. Our broadband contract negotiation expertise has secured millions of dollars annually in access fees and revenue shares for a growing number of homeowners associations across America. We work to ensure that communities are positioned to maximize revenue received from broadband providers while improving service and contract terms.

Ready to explore your broadband options? Contact Broadband Planning to learn more.

HOAs: The Overlooked Frontier in Broadband Expansion

In the rapidly evolving broadband industry, Homeowners Associations (HOAs) often remain an underserved market segment. In a special series on LinkedIn for Broadband Planning, Christian Diener, Multifamily Real Estate Technology Advisor, Sales Strategist, Investor sheds light on this oversight in his article, Are Service Providers missing a HUGE Opportunity with HOA's? emphasizing the unique opportunities HOAs present for broadband service providers.

Understanding the HOA Landscape

HOAs differ significantly from apartments and typically apartments get the majority of focus and funding within the broadband service provider’s Multi-Dwelling Units (MDUs) department. While apartments often involve transient residents, HOAs consist of long-term homeowners invested in their communities. This distinction necessitates a tailored approach when considering the best way to serve those communities and maintain and grow market share.

The Limitations of Bulk Agreements

Bulk service agreements have been a common strategy for providers targeting HOAs. However, Diener points out in his article that these agreements only cater to about 10–20% of the HOA market. This leaves a substantial portion—80–90%—without a coordinated broadband provider strategy, representing a significant missed opportunity.

Shifting Dynamics and Increased Competition

The post-pandemic era has seen homeowners more willing to switch providers in search of better services and pricing. The emergence of fixed wireless access and new fiber-optic providers has intensified competition, leading to a decline in market shares for traditional providers within HOA communities.

Strategic Engagement with HOA Boards

To effectively tap into the HOA market, service providers should consider forming mutually beneficial marketing agreements and revenue-sharing arrangements with HOA boards. Such partnerships can offer providers preferred access to residents while assisting HOAs in generating additional revenue—a win-win in today's economic climate. The key is having the right representation. For over a decade, Broadband Planning's broadband contract negotiation expertise has secured millions of dollars annually in access fees and revenue shares for a growing number of homeowners associations across America.

Tailored Marketing Approaches

Generic advertising strategies often fall short in resonating with homeowners. Marketing efforts must be specifically tailored, emphasizing reliability, customization, and community-enhancing aspects of services. Understanding the homeowner's perspective is crucial in crafting messages that truly connect.

For a comprehensive exploration of this topic, read Christian Diener's full article on LinkedIn.

Maximize Community Revenue with a Right of Entry Agreement

The costs of maintaining and running community associations continue to rise. But there is a way to help offset those costs without impacting resident services. Compensation from broadband agreements can be a powerful way to generate revenue for your community and keep HOA dues low.

Cable and internet companies need permission to run lines through private property to reach homes in residential neighborhoods. One way they gain this access is through a Right of Entry Agreement, which allows providers to install and maintain broadband infrastructure in communities managed by homeowners associations (HOAs). These agreements can generate compensation from providers, helping to keep dues low and support the overall financial health of your community. Learn how granting access to cable and internet companies can maximize compensation.

What is a Right of Entry Agreement?

Right of Entry Agreements grant broadband providers the right to install or maintain wiring on private property. These agreements:

●       Do not affect residents’ choice of provider

●       Do not prevent future providers from entering the community

●       Often include exclusive marketing rights for a provider

●       Set clear guidelines on provider activity while on your property

Why It Matters for Your Community

Whether you’re a condo, townhome, or single-family home community, having the right broadband agreement in place is essential. Broadband Planning helps associations understand their options and negotiate the best possible terms.

We work solely for associations, not cable companies, and are only paid by the association. Our team informs you of all provider options in your area and works to maximize the compensation owed to your community through broadband negotiations and agreements.

Benefits of a Right of Entry Agreement for Your HOA

●       No impact on resident services: Homeowners maintain full freedom to choose their cable or internet provider

●       Open access for future providers: Agreements do not prevent competitors from entering the community

●       HOA-focused broadband negotiations: Broadband Planning represents only the homeowners association—not the broadband provider

●       Maximized compensation from broadband providers: We work to secure the highest possible access fees and revenue shares for your community

●       No upfront costs for your HOA: Our compensation comes solely from the revenue we help your association earn

Watch the Full Video to Learn More

Want a deeper understanding of how Right of Entry Agreements work and how they can benefit your community? Watch our full video below, where we explain the essentials and explain show how Broadband Planning helps homeowners associations negotiate the best possible terms with broadband providers.

Broadband Planning Makes It Easy

With millions in access fees and revenue shares secured annually, Broadband Planning is helping associations across the U.S. leverage their collective buying power to benefit their communities.

Contact Us to learn more and start maximizing your community’s broadband revenue.

Meet Adam Balkcom - CEO of Broadband Planning

Adam Balkcom, Chief Executive Officer of Broadband Planning shares his career path and how Broadband Planning helps associations harness the collective buying power of communities to maximize compensation.

With expertise in broadband contract negotiations, Broadband Planning has secured millions of dollars annually in access fees and revenue shares for a growing number of homeowners associations across America.

Adam Balkcom is the Chief Executive Officer of Broadband Planning, leading the company with a focus on building strong partnerships between communities and broadband providers. He first became a co-owner of Broadband Planning in 2011 alongside Dick Price and completed the majority ownership purchase in late 2023. With a background in community management dating back to 2009, Adam’s industry experience began when he joined the board for his community in West Midtown Atlanta. Since then, he has taken on various leadership roles in the community management industry, including founding CAM Leadership Institute, a research and consulting firm dedicated to supporting community management company owners. His passion is creating win-win arrangements between communities and broadband providers and continues to shape the future of Broadband Planning and community connectivity.

To learn more about broadband agreements your community should have in place, and read testimonials from our clients click HERE.