Broadband Internet service is no longer a luxury. It is has become a necessity for most people over the past decade. And more and more it’s become a significant factor when it comes to making real-estate decisions.  Areas with better and faster broadband have become more attractive to potential buyers than areas with slow access. Or no access.

It seems a trend has developed where potential deals fall through once the buyer discovers a home doesn’t have broadband Internet access. Roughly 55 percent of Americans have broadband connections in their homes, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project. However, many more have service available to them and choose not to buy it.

But the growth of broadband is slowing, and providing broadband connections to the remaining 10 percent of homes still without it will be expensive, since these homes are located more typically in small communities, or remote locations. Even in developed areas, broadband has become an important factor for many people in deciding where to live, particularly if they work from home.

Wireless broadband services and coverage from cellular carriers is growing, but still major roads and population centers take precedent. The standard in luxury apartment buildings is to have at least two options for broadband Internet access, said Henry Pye, director of resident services and technology at JPI Partners LLC, which owns buildings throughout the United States. Pye’s job is to ensure the buildings have broadband connectivity, “because you can’t rent out apartments without it”, he says. “It might as well be water,” he told the Associated Press.