Cell tower lease buyers, brokers and advisers: who does what
The short answer
Many companies may contact you about your lease. Some want to buy it. Others want to help you sell it. Find out who is buying, who works for you and how each one gets paid. A free, friendly offer review doesn't mean someone is working for you.
What could change the answerHow they get paid, whether you must work only with them, the buyer's conditions, whether your lease lets you sell, and which papers they will review.
On this page
Who is contacting you?
Ask the person who contacted you to put their role in writing. Do they want to buy your lease for themselves? Sell it to someone else? Give advice? Or pass you to another company? One business can play more than one role, so ask about your deal.
| Role | What they do | Ask about pay | Ask for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct buyer | Buys your future rent or rights to your land | Is this what you take home after all costs? | Written offer and sale terms |
| Broker or middleman | Shows your lease to buyers or sets up a sale | Who pays them, when, and for what? | Signed agreement and fees |
| Adviser | Reviews terms and helps you | What work, what limits, any conflicts of interest? | Written list of services and licenses |
| Marketplace or auction | Has buyers bid on your lease | What fees and rules apply? | Bidding rules and signed agreement |
| Referral service | Sends you to another company | Are they paid for the referral or for the sale? | Written fee disclosure and consent |
Check who they are before you share your lease
Confirm the company, the person, their role and your site number. Look up the company's phone number yourself. Don't rely only on the number in a letter or message you didn't ask for. Ask who will see your papers and whether this person can act for the company.
Slow down if a message says you must act fast. That pressure is a warning sign.
Never send bank details, tax ID numbers, signatures or lease copies with your private details showing in a casual email or text. Before you hand over papers, know who gets them, why, who can see them and how long they keep them. Asking for your papers doesn't give anyone permission to pass them around.
What tower company websites can tell you
Want to check who really sent a letter? Don't use the phone number or email in the letter. Use the contact details on your rent check, your bank deposit record or your lease. If the sender won't say which company they work for, treat that as a warning sign.
A website can't tell you which company will actually sign your deal, what your offer says, or whether the person contacting you speaks for your site. Get those facts in writing in the deal papers.
Find out how they get paid before you trust their advice
Ask who pays them, what triggers the payment, whether the fee is flat or tied to a sale, and whether anyone pays them for referrals. Write the answers next to what they promise to do.
If an adviser gets paid only when a sale is completed, ask how that shapes their advice. Ask what happens if you decide not to sell. If you owe a fee no matter what, ask exactly what work and written report you get. Neither setup means the advice is good or bad.
Our how we make money page explains how MyTowerLease.com is paid.
Compare offers on the same terms
A higher price may buy more years, more rights or more of your payments. Ask each buyer to spell out exactly what they are buying, what must happen before the sale is final, your costs, what could lower the price, whether you must work only with them, and any duties you keep.
Some deals are split into more than one agreement, such as a sale of the rent plus a separate easement. That is why you need the whole package, not just the price.
Our buyout comparison lines these items up side by side. Use the same yearly rent when you figure each offer's multiple (the price divided by your yearly rent). Don't rank offers by one number while the rights and conditions are blank.
Questions to ask a broker, adviser or marketplace
Ask what they will actually do. Will they gather your lease papers, find buyers, review bids, negotiate, work with your lawyer, or just make introductions? Ask what they won't do. Don't accept a vague promise like "full review." Get a list you can check.
Ask if you must work only with them, for how long, how you can end it, and whether you could still owe a fee after it ends. Ask who gets your papers and whether you can see every written offer yourself. Get these answers before you sign.
If the work needs a license, check that the license is real and current. Use our lease checklist to keep your deal with a broker separate from your tower lease.
Make your own decision first
Before you sign with anyone, write down why you might sell and what offer would be worth a look. Our sell-or-keep guide helps you compare your rent, the sale money and your plans for the land, without assuming you should sell.
If you are just looking, say so. Don't let a request for a price estimate turn into a contract that locks you in. At each step, ask what you are agreeing to and whether it legally commits you.
Use our offer check page to put together a summary without sensitive details.
Common questions
Who is the best buyer for my lease?
It depends on your deal. Compare the actual offer, the rights they buy, their conditions and proof of who they are.
Does a broker work for the seller?
Not always. Get their role, your agreement and how they are paid in writing. Don't assume they work for you because of their title or because they called you first.
Can I seek more than one offer?
First check your lease and anything you have signed. Look for terms that lock you in, require notice, or let the tower company match any offer.
Is a free review independent advice?
Not automatically. Ask who does the review, what it covers and how they get paid. Free doesn't mean independent.
Does MyTowerLease receive a fee from these companies?
See our how we make money page. It explains how we disclose our business relationships.
Know what the offer means for you
Compare your rent and offer, then use the questions above to decide what to ask for next.