PART 1: The Realization I was today years old when I learned… The asset class I’m building in is only about 60 years old… and it was born right here in Texas. 🤯 If real estate asset classes were people… - Multifamily = fully grown adult - Office = seasoned veteran - Self-storage = a pre-teen Meaning… we are still early. And that realization shifted something for me. Because here I am, in 2026, building in an asset class that is: - Still evolving - Still fragmented - Still misunderstood - And just now being taken seriously at scale --- PART 2: Let’s Talk About the Numbers (This is where it gets real) There are 50,000+ self-storage facilities in the United States today. (StorageCafe) https://www.storagecafe.com/self-storage-industry-statistics/?utm_source=chatgpt.com But here’s the part most people don’t understand: 👉 ~Self-storage used to be dominated by mom-and-pop owners (around 70%), but that’s been shifting fast. Today, large operators control over half the market, and smaller owners probably make up closer to 40–50%. (MSM) https://www.modernstoragemedia.com/msm-exclusives/the-epic-shift-in-ownership-how-it-happened-what-it-means?utm_source=chatgpt.com Read that again. This is one of the most fragmented asset classes in all of commercial real estate. Compare that to something like multifamily… Most large apartment communities are already: - Institutionalized - Owned by funds, REITs, and large operators - Highly competitive But self-storage? It’s still: - Family-owned - Poorly managed in many cases - Undervalued - And full of operational upside And demand? 📦 1 in 3 Americans uses self-storage today (StorageCafe) https://www.storagecafe.com/self-storage-industry-statistics/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

We got 2 move-ins from Facebook Marketplace. No ad spend. No fancy funnel. Just: → Posting available units → Clear pricing → Responding quickly to inquiries It sounds simple… but it worked. One thing I’m learning in real time You don’t always need more strategy, you need more distribution. Curious, what’s one channel you’ve tried (or are thinking about trying) to get leads? Would love to hear what’s working for you all 👇🏽

Hey everyone, excited to be here.👋🏽 I’m Caren, Managing Partner at Von & Ren Industries. My husband and I are focused on acquiring and operating self-storage facilities. We’ve been building Von & Ren for about two years now. It was a slower first year, but we acquired our first facility in September of last year and have been fully in the trenches since. I’ve been especially hands-on across marketing, asset management, and backend operations really focused on building systems that actually scale and improve tenant experience. Right now, I’m focused on: • Strengthening our marketing • Deepening our asset management approach • Elevating operations through tech and process I’m here to learn from people who are doing the work and contribute where I can. Looking forward to growing alongside you all.