Get my FREE self storage starter pack to learn how to analyze, underwrite, and operate your next storage investment: https://www.selfstorageincome.com/start-podcast  The self storage industry is seeing a BIG shift that could lead to a “transfer of wealth” for many self storage owners, operators, and buyers. For the past two years, we’ve dealt with stubborn sellers, banks on tight lending budgets, high interest rates, and lower occupancy rates, but something is starting to change. If you want...

You DON’T need to be doing million-dollar deals to build wealth with self storage. Take it from Justin James, who, at only twenty-six years old, has two self storage facilities, both of which cost him as much as many people’s houses. He’s had his ups and downs, like the recent fire that burned one of his buildings, but he’s STILL bullish on self storage, especially the smaller facilities that pack much better potential. We brought Justin on to talk about how someone with zero experience can...

Today’s guest bought four self storage facilities in two years after disaster struck his family. Imagine you just lost everything. Your house is gone, your job is over, and you’re in a new city. You’re trying to rebuild your life but starting back from zero. Most people would settle into defeat, asking, “What’s the point?” as they struggle to cope with what just happened to them. Charles Lindner isn’t like most people. After a fire took away his house, memories, possessions, and sense of...

Real estate syndications have fallen off a cliff. Those currently stuck with underperforming properties are scrambling to find ways to pay the bills and stop banks from foreclosing on them. All those inexperienced investors who wanted to become real estate syndicators? Those dreams are drying up. Mauricio Rauld, real estate syndication attorney, has seen transactions collapse as interest rates rose and cap rates expanded. But, because of it, we could be coming into a huge opportunity to raise...

New to self storage investing? Then, at all costs, avoid these seven crucial beginner mistakes. When you’re buying a storage facility, a lot can go right…but a lot can go wrong, too; if you haven’t been in this game for a while, it’s easy to trip up and buy a facility that ends up costing you. So, how do you avoid all the beginner pitfalls that we’ve seen wipe out storage operators before they get their footing? Stick around because we share two decades of mistakes with you, so you DON’T make...

Ten years ago, barely anyone in Brazil used self storage, or even knew what it was, for that matter. But one man, Henry Madden, saw what no one else could: a country sentimental about physical items, with a population living in small apartments and needing more space. The problem? How can there be demand for self storage when nobody in Brazil even knew they needed it? Fast forward to today, Henry owns the most popular, highest-demand self storage facilities in Brazil. He can’t build units...

How do you get the best self storage deals? You’ll need self storage underwriting! Underwriting (AKA analysis) allows you to tell whether or not a facility is worth the price, how much you should offer, and whether it’s even worth buying in the first place. Plus, it’s not just about analyzing on-market deals. You can use our self storage underwriting model to find the “money on the table” off-market deals that most investors will miss. Today, we’re teaching you the first steps of how to...

Self storage investing ISN’T only for the United States. Our neighbors to the north might be a way better pick for your next self storage facility than down here in the States. Need proof? Today’s guest, Jason Koonin from Bluebird Self Storage, is getting higher occupancy and rents and spending $0 on ads with his Canadian self storage facilities. How is he doing it, especially since big facilities in the States are fighting tooth and nail to get any customer in the door? His self storage...

Building storage units is not easy, but if you listen to this episode, you’ll be more educated on the self storage development process than most investors out there. If you’re thinking of building a storage facility, this information is essential for you to make the best design decisions and avoid financial pitfalls that could sink your project before it even gets off the ground. Hamish Bell and Melissa Anderson from Forge Building Company join Conner today to talk about the self storage...

These two business school graduates may have cracked the code for self storage in big cities. By converting apartment tenant storage lockers into full-blown “micro” self storage facilities, tenants renting tiny units can easily walk a couple of blocks to store their bulkier items, WITHOUT paying the premium of storing at one of the big REITs much farther away. This duo has been so successful that they’ve scaled to sixty locations fast, and they’re not stopping anytime soon. Alex Harman and...

Enter our survey for a chance to win a signed copy of AJ's NEW book!  Courtney Galyan has worn many hats. He’s been a real estate broker, worked in development, and even owned a pizza franchise. All of those made good money, but the problem was his time was being slowly sucked away. He wanted the “passive” income real estate provided along with the freedom NOT to have to be on-site, running the show every single day. The self storage business, although overlooked by most investors, was...

Do you know what makes you money in the self storage business? Management! If you get your management and operations right, you’ll see your revenues jump, your occupancy rates increase, and less turnover from your paying customers. After running our $250,000,000 self storage business, we’ve learned a thing or two about making a facility perform the best (and what makes the most money). Conner is back this week to walk through ten crucial self storage management tips beginners can use to make...

This might be the biggest, best self storage conversion we’ve ever done. We turned a $4.5 million bankrupt building into a $30 million self storage facility. And here’s the thing: we could have NEVER done this if we were building from scratch. This was a needle in a haystack, and today, we’re sharing how we found it, why other investors overlooked it, and the problems, profits, and lessons from it. Not only was this building massive, but it’s also now one of the most tech-first self storage...

Owning a storage facility is not for the faint of heart. Yeah, you’ve got the everyday headaches of late payments, locked-out customers, and the occasional pest problem, but that’s NOT what we’re talking about today. Conner is flying solo on today’s show to share some real footage of what’s (only recently) gone wrong at our facilities. And if you’re looking for your first self storage investment, you CAN’T miss this. What happens when someone is living in a unit? Or, even better, what...

The self storage industry is changing. Back during the Great Recession, small self storage investments tanked. Their revenues fell off a cliff, customers consistently went without paying, and there were no buyers or banks to bail out the owners. Since then, self storage investing has changed in a big way. REITs are growing with towering self storage facilities everywhere in big cities, and their next big target? Small self storage investments. This poses an interesting opportunity for...

At just twenty-seven years old, Dillon Leonard has reached financial freedom. How’d he do it? By tenaciously identifying, acquiring, and improving self storage facilities. Within four years, he’s built his self storage business to 800 doors, and he’s done it all by buying storage units in small towns that you’ve probably never heard of. How did he succeed so quickly, and what does he do that sets him apart from the competition? He’s sharing his “simple” secrets today! Dillon had one goal—to...

Looking for off-market self storage for sale? Wondering how to get around the high down payment self storage investing requires? How do you measure demand for an area you’ve never invested in? Today, AJ and Conner are answering some of the most commonly asked self storage investing questions so you can get your first or next facility even faster. Think of this as a “Self Storage Investing for Beginners” FAQ session as we get into the nitty-gritty of finding deals, measuring demand, raising...

Think you’re too late in the game to get into self storage investments? Feel like you can’t give up that career you took decades to build to take a shot at achieving financial freedom? Today’s guest is about to fire you up! At age fifty, he took a giant leap, quitting his chiropractor practice of over twenty years to go head-first into real estate investing. In just four years, he was able to buy six self storage investments, and he’s not stopping anytime soon. And if you feel like your...

The self storage industry is starting to “thaw” as renters return and occupancy begins to rise. But this isn’t happening at every facility. Many self storage operators are still struggling to get new customers in the door, and if your facility is having the same problem, this episode is exactly what you need. We’re peeling back the curtain and sharing exactly what we’re doing to raise occupancy, beat our competitors, and get units rented before the busy season ends. Last week, we talked about...

Self storage rates see a severe year-over-year decline as owners brace for even more supply to come on the market during dwindling demand. What’s happening, and which markets are the most in danger? In this episode, we took some of the latest self storage industry stats on rates, demand, supply, and new construction to answer the question: Why are self storage rates falling, and when will they come back up? We even have data on the hardest-hit metro areas that YOU should watch out for. We...

Get my new book that teaches you everything I know about self-storage and a special offer for podcast listeners: https://www.selfstorageincome.com/giveaway-m2 In the past 4-5 years, so many new investors have come into the storage industry (which I love). However, the issue is that all of these new investors came into the industry when self-storage was at its absolute peak. It means that for the past few years you could basically just buy a facility and it would increase in value simply...

In this episode of the Self Storage Income Podcast, we delve into the crucial aspects of raising capital and working with partners and investors. Join us as we explore proven strategies for securing funding, building strong investor relationships, and leveraging partnerships to grow your self-storage business. We emphasize the importance of recognizing that you can't do it alone – working with others not only broadens your resources but also creates opportunities for people to invest...

Self storage investing vs. multifamily investing: Which wins in 2024? With the popularity of rental property investing rising over the past few years, competition has remained hot for beginner investments like duplexes, small multifamily properties, and house hacks. But if you’re looking to grow your money the most, is self storage a better pick? Would you rather deal with a few tenants and toilets or hundreds of customers simultaneously? We’re breaking down each of these investments piece...

The self storage industry is changing. From the Great Recession through 2021, those who bought self storage facilities saw massive rent growth, impressive appreciation, and, at times, a seemingly endless supply of renters. As the American population began to move after the lockdowns, self storage only became more attractive, and facilities were filling up left and right with occupancy rates and rents exploding. But now, things have changed. Over the past two years, self storage operators...