CHICAGO-The new Illinois law requiring residents to pay sales tax on online purchases has sparked wars between online retailer Amazon.com and traditional retailer Sears, but it will have little impact on retail property owners, according to industry experts.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed House Bill 3659, the Main Street Fairness Act, into law just days ago. The legislation requires major online retailers to collect the state's 6.25% sales tax on all purchases made by Illinois residents. Like many states, Illinois residents previously did not have to pay any sales tax on Internet purchases.

“We’ve always wondered why an Internet retailer should have an advantage over bricks and mortar stores,” says Greg Maloney, president and CEO of Jones Lang LaSalle. “Why should people be enticed to not go into a brick and mortar store? It’s unfair to retailers.”