Self Storage Income

Is your self storage business bleeding money? Most facilities are. For every investor who’s actually building wealth with self storage, there’s another investor down the road who checks in once a month or neglects their property entirely. And if you’re acquiring one of these facilities, you have a unique opportunity to improve it on day one. Unlike investing in the stock market, where the business’s performance is beyond your control, self storage has dozens of levers you can pull to master operations, increase revenue, and ultimately, make more money. In this episode, Conner and George get into the weeds of running a profitable self storage business. We cover everything from hiring the right employees and leveraging the latest technology to fine-tuning standard operating procedures (SOPs) and implementing checks and balances that will prevent things from slipping through the cracks. These seemingly “small” adjustments can have a profound impact on your bottom line. And when you start viewing your self storage facility as both an investment and a business, that’s when things really start to get fun.   What you’ll learn in today’s show:   How to run your self storage business like a pro (and make more money) Practical ways to improve self storage operations and increase revenue Building out systems and processes that help streamline mundane tasks The essential checklist for staying on top of property maintenance Why “small” adjustments often have an enormous impact on cap rates The most common mistakes that “bad” self storage investors make — Storelocal - https://www.storelocal.com/  How to Win Friends and Influence People - https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034   

An entire generation is disappearing, and it’s going to shake more than just the self storage industry. For years, we’ve been hearing about a “silver tsunami,” when baby boomers leave the workforce and start passing on their assets to the next generation of investors. But there’s another layer to this that people aren’t talking about, and it’s going to create a ripple effect throughout the U.S. economy: Baby boomers aren’t just retiring. They’re starting to pass away. By 2035, we’ll have witnessed an unprecedented handover of not just residential real estate but also self storage facilities. Now is one of the best times to invest in self storage because the facilities that are hitting the market are small, mom-and-pop operations that you can buy at a much lower basis than in years past. These unique buying opportunities, combined with institutional-level technology that is finally in the hands of everyday investors looking to increase revenue, could usher us into a new “golden age” for self storage. What you’ll learn in today’s show: The huge “wave” of mom-and-pop facilities that is about to hit the market Why the next 5-10 years will be one of the best times to invest in self storage The three biggest deal-killers that could derail your self storage investment How baby boomers retiring (and passing away) will reshape the U.S. economy Using dynamic pricing to boost your self storage facility’s revenue 🌳 Work with someone experienced in self storage loans at Live Oak Bank! https://www.liveoakbank.com/business-loans/self-storage/ 🎙️ Do you have a great story to share on the podcast? You can now apply here! https://form.asana.com/?k=TGU88eU0bFTFW1iHcckuTA&d=1203571084143207 📖 Get AJ's book that teaches you everything he knows about self-storage https://a.co/d/aRSKcSq 

Tyler Harper, founder/operator using AI and software to scale self-storage and co-founder of Patchwork Labs and Homegrown Storage. He discusses AI voice agents handling most calls. He explains remote, high-velocity acquisitions and tools that cut overhead and speed revenue. He previews operational tech for task verification, staffing efficiency, and why operators must adopt AI in 2026.

Self storage analysis is a guessing game. Or at least, it was.  But everything has changed. In this episode, Noah Starr, CEO of TractIQ, returns with an announcement that fundamentally changes the way we find and buy self storage deals. For years, an investor’s biggest advantage wasn’t having a ton of capital or mastering operations. It was information. And with everyone being overly protective of their data, the self storage industry was actively killing itself. But not anymore. TractIQ’s latest release puts verified occupancy and financial performance data in the hands of everyday investors—not just the REITs. Having this data available at scale levels the playing field for smaller operators and allows them to make better business decisions across the board. Whether you’re looking to buy your first self storage facility, increase revenue, or hire a property management company, you no longer have to depend on peripheral metrics and projections. The lights are on. We weren’t supposed to have this data for years. But now that it’s here, you have everything you need to take advantage of one of the best times to buy self storage. What you’ll learn in today’s show: How TractIQ’s latest release levels the playing field for smaller investors Finding better self storage deals with new occupancy and financial performance data Why better data creates more opportunity (not competition) in your market Why self storage analysis has largely been a “guessing game” over the last five years How to use competitor data to hire the right property management company — TractIQ Deal for SSI Community Members - https://tractiq.com/special-pricing  TractIQ - https://tractiq.com/  Noah’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-starr 

There’s a strategy that smart investors use to take down multiple self storage deals in a relatively short amount of time, all while “recycling” the cash they initially put into that first deal. Tony McNickle and Dennis Pham used this exact blueprint to buy their first two deals, and it won’t be long before they’ll have built an entire portfolio of cash-flowing self storage facilities. After connecting through our Inner Circle community just a few years ago, Tony and Dennis formed a partnership, combined their capital, and melded their expertise in small business and commercial real estate. It was the perfect pairing, as within a few months, they already had their first deal under contract—a 20,000-square-foot, mom-and-pop facility they were able to improve and stabilize before pulling 150% of their cash back out. Then, with confidence and capital from that first deal, Tony and Dennis took down a much larger, 71,000-square-foot property and plan to repeat the process all over again. In this episode, they walk through both of these deals, discuss the many advantages of partnerships, and share the hybrid management model they’re using to streamline self storage operations while maintaining a personal touch.   What you’ll learn in today’s show: How Tony and Dennis found, bought, and stabilized their self storage facilities “Recycling” 100% (or more) of your capital with a cash-out refinance Supercharging your investments and scaling fast through the power of partnerships Nurturing face-to-face seller relationships to find better self storage deals Simple, high-ROI upgrades to implement within your self storage business — Join the Self Storage Income Community - https://www.selfstorageincome.com/inner-circle  DXT Partners - https://www.dxtpartners.com/ 

2026 could be the biggest year for self storage investors since 2008. What happens starting in 2026, and going all the way through 2030, could change your life forever if you’re in the game.   Read any self storage industry news, and it says the same thing: “Oversupply! Low Demand! Rate Cuts!” But this surface-level story doesn’t show what’s really about to happen. The self storage market is about to undergo a reversal that most operators have never seen. An “explosion” in wealth that will make many owners rich, not only in cash flow but in equity. This isn’t just speculation—I’ve got the data to prove it.   In today’s show, I’m giving you my full 2026 self storage industry outlook, sharing the seven factors that could trigger a ticking time bomb of demand that could explode in the coming years, bringing massive wealth to owners, while many investors will wish they had gotten into self storage earlier.    But not every market will see the same effects. Don’t worry, I’m outlining exactly what’s coming.    What you’ll learn in today’s show:   The wealth “explosion” coming for the self storage industry in 2026 - 2030 One thing that will trigger a new wave of demand for self storage in America  A 2008 repeat? Why we haven’t seen buying opportunities like this in years  A supply squeeze like we’ve never seen: what happens when demand peaks as supply craters? Cap rate compression? This could be your last chance to get severely underpriced deals Markets with the most (and least) opportunity for rising storage demand in 2026 (and beyond)  — Grab AJ’s Newest Book, Growing Wealth in Self-Storage 2.0 - https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Wealth-Self-Storage-2-0-Post-Pandemic/dp/1735258865/  Invest with Cedar Creek Capital - https://cedar.cc/ 

2025 was a pivotal year for the self storage industry—but 2026 is about to be even bigger. We could get opportunities we haven’t seen in 15 years, but the buying window won’t last long. We’re taking full advantage, and in today’s episode, we’re outlining our exact 2026 plan.   We’re ringing in the New Year by sharing what we bought, sold, refinanced, and decided to hold in 2025. In the middle of 2025, things started to change—quickly. We’ve been buying up self storage as fast as we possibly can, because if you knew what we do, you wouldn’t be waiting on the sidelines. Interest rates are gradually falling, Americans are ready to move again, and storage demand could be rising. But sellers…they’re tired. The past few years have been hard, and you can take advantage.   The buying window is wide open, but it won’t last long. And this isn’t just blind faith. I’ll share the facts that tee up 2026 as a crucial year for growing wealth in self storage, plus how small investors can get ahead and build massive wealth once the “explosion” coming for storage starts to count down. And yes, I’ll even share a hint at my 2026 outlook and when I expect opportunities to reach their peak.    What you’ll learn in today’s show: Why 2026 could be the year that self storage “explodes” and demand surges  What we bought, sold, and refinanced in 2025 (and what we’re buying more of in 2026) How long the buying window for self storage deals will last (get on it!) Enormous opportunities for small investors as the Baby Boomer fire sale continues  Can’t find deals? This is precisely what we’re doing to get opportunities sent to us Our 2026 self storage outlook and investing plan for the next year  — Join AJ’s Self Storage Income Community!  - https://www.selfstorageincome.com/inner-circle  Self Storage Income 315 - Self Storage Could Be the Biggest Winner of Lower Interest Rates - https://www.selfstorageincome.com/podcasts/self-storage-income-2/episodes/2149089861 

Imagine walking up to a self storage facility and renting a unit from your phone. Next month, you need to upgrade, and you can do it immediately, again from your phone. When you move out, you schedule a date from your phone and walk away. This is what automated self storage looks like, and if your facility doesn’t sound like this example, you could be in for a big wake-up call.   Alec Peeples from Storeganise saw this in real-time. After living abroad in Asia for 10 years, he saw what true “manless” self storage automation looks like. No full-time managers, just simple move-ins and move-outs for customers. Now, Storeganise works with over 1,500 facilities in more than 50 countries, and Alec gets to see what the future looks like before it gets to the U.S.    In this episode, Alec is breaking down the two things you need to implement to increase your revenue and lower your expenses, how Asian self storage facilities are years ahead of their American counterparts, and the exact tech stack you can start using today to automate your self storage facility, do less, and make more.    What you’ll learn in today’s show: How to automate your self storage facility, even if you’re in a small town or have a small facility  How to increase your profits even when rent raises are getting harder and harder to pull off  What Asian self storage facilities are doing to make it unbelievably easy for customers to move in  No more reserving units? Why many of Alec’s facilities are doing away with reservations altogether  The exact tech stack Alec recommends for self storage operators  — Connect with Alec on LinkedIn! - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alec-peeples/  Storeganise - https://storeganise.com/  Check out this episode on self storage in Brazil! Self Storage Income 263 - The Man Who Taught an Entire Country to Start Using Self Storage - https://www.selfstorageincome.com/podcasts/self-storage-income-2/episodes/2148876376 

The self storage industry has finally bottomed out, and today’s guest believes there are more deals now than ever. He’s seizing the moment and buying self storage facilities left and right because in 18 months, these deals could completely dry up—leaving many wishing they had invested in self storage.   In this episode, Conner and George sit down with Ben Gottfredson, who, just a few years ago, depleted his life savings to build his first self storage facility. Since then, he has started his own private equity fund and scaled his self storage business to 15 facilities. But the truth is that Ben would still be stuck on his second deal if he hadn’t developed soft skills and forged invaluable partnerships that helped him rapidly grow his net worth and create lucrative investing opportunities for many close friends and family members.   Today, he’ll show you how to do just that—build out your network and teams in a way that allows you to grow your portfolio as quickly as possible. Ben also opens up about the blunders he made on past deals, from buying while the market was at its peak to cutting corners when stabilizing his facilities, so you don’t repeat his costly mistakes! What you’ll learn in today’s show:   How Ben has scaled from one to 15 self storage facilities in only a few years Why now is the best buying window the self storage industry has seen in years The top-down and bottom-up approaches to building your self storage business Fast-tracking your investments through education and networking How to scale your portfolio faster with smart investing partnerships “Underrated” soft skills that provide rare self storage investing opportunities — 🔵 Join Inner Circle https://www.selfstorageincome.com/inner-circle  ▶️ Buying Your First Facility in a Small Town w/ Ben Gottfredson | SSI Podcast #217 - https://www.selfstorageincome.com/podcasts/self-storage-income-2/episodes/2148265195  🚛 Big Storage Ventures - https://www.instagram.com/bigstorageventures 

Self storage investing isn’t always smooth sailing, but the market tends to reward those who stay the course. From wild construction-site break-ins to complex newspaper-building conversions, this self storage investor has seen it all—yet he’s still built a multimillion-dollar storage business that supported his family after a health incident took away his main source of income. In today’s episode, AJ and Conner are chatting with Wayde Elliott, founder of StoreIT. When spinal fusion surgery forced him to leave his successful dentistry practice of 20 years, Wayde turned to the only backup plan he had: self storage. Since going all-in, he has scaled to roughly a dozen self storage facilities across California and Oregon. Despite taking on ground-up developments and complex conversion projects, sharp self storage analysis, collaboration, and persistence have helped him carve out his own corner of the market where even REITs struggle to compete. Stay tuned for not only a wealth of sage advice but also one of the most bizarre break-in stories you’ll ever hear—involving secret tunnels, missing cameras, and an exhausting cat-and-mouse chase!   What you’ll learn in today’s show:   The wildest self storage break-in story we’ve ever heard  How Wayde built a self storage portfolio that allowed him to leave his high-paying career The “hack” that helps you dodge rookie mistakes and scale your portfolio faster Blending automation and on-site supervision with the hybrid management model What you must know before tackling a self storage conversion project Why doing “difficult things in difficult times” gives you a competitive advantage — 🔸 StoreIT: https://storeit.com 📸 Wayde’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waydeelliottdmd 🔵 Join Inner Circle: https://www.selfstorageincome.com/inner-circle 🌳 Work with someone experienced in self storage loans at Live Oak Bank! https://www.liveoakbank.com/business-loans/self-storage/ 🎙️ Do you have a great story to share on the SSI or AJ Osborne podcasts? You can now apply here! https://form.asana.com/?k=TGU88eU0bFTFW1iHcckuTA&d=1203571084143207 📉 Take advantage of today’s market conditions and invest with us: https://cedar.cc/invest