RODENT BAIT STATIONS - are folks using rodent bait stations at their facilities? Is it actually a good preventative measure? Have them at one, dont have them at another - debating what to do on our third that we're closing on soon. Thoughts?

Most new storage investors do the same thing. They log into LoopNet, scroll through overpriced listings, submit a few LOIs that go nowhere, and wait. Weeks turn into months. Then they wonder why nothing is closing. The truth is they're fishing in the same pond as every other buyer, and the good deals never make it to that pond in the first place. There's a better way, and it's how I've bought several of my 8 facilities. You build a multi-channel off-market system so deals come to you before they ever hit a listing site. That means direct mail to owners in your target markets, cold calls using scripts that actually get sellers talking, driving for dollars in small towns where the mom-and-pops still own everything, and yes, even paying someone on Fiverr $50 to scrape thousands of storage leads from Google. When you stack these channels together, deal flow stops being a problem. The other half of the equation is brokers. Not chasing them, but building real relationships so you get the first call when something quiet comes across their desk. I broke down exactly how I do this here: https://youtu.be/pdQMvZhvSJA. If you want the full step-by-step of how the phases fit together, the Blueprint walks through it: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wkUwltCW9wk7LbsoddYwTfTFn5UgMg2x/view?usp=sharing Which channel are you going to start with this week — mail, calls, driving, or brokers? Dave "Off-Market or Nothing" DeMink

I have 3 triplexes that I use a property manager for. I have been learning every day about self storage. I have been considering selling my triplexes and buying a $3m facility. I recently listened to a podcast that talked about day-to-day operations... What goes on after the deal is closed. So I'm wondering, what's involved in that? They mentioned doing SEO, which I'm not scared of because I've done it before for eCommerce, but it made me realize I want to know what I'm getting myself into before buying a facility. They also mentioned I probably shouldn't self manage and should hire a manager or boots on the ground instead. Are there property management companies that will handle all this - The Google My Business profile, SEO, marketing, rate management, etc.?

owners with larger facilities (many buildings) - are you labelling your storage buildings for tenants (showing on the side of the bldg "1-100, etc." If so where are you sourcing your vinyl stickers/signs? We'd ideally like to have large reflective vinyl numbers (or potentially make metal signs - although more expensive)

"I almost quit at month three." That's what Nick told me before he closed his first self-storage facility. Five months of consistent work. Direct mail going out. Cold calls happening every week. Broker conversations that felt like they were leading nowhere. And then one day, one of those broker relationships paid off and he had a real deal on the table. What made the difference wasn't luck. Nick had a system. He wasn't just cold calling one week and then driving for dollars the next with no plan. He ran multiple channels at once — direct mail to owners, weekly broker check-ins, and cheap lead lists pulled through Fiverr — so deal flow kept building even when individual efforts went quiet. That's the part most people miss. One channel is a hobby. Four channels running together is a pipeline. The broker relationship piece is what actually opened the door for Nick, and it's the same way I've picked up several of my 8 facilities. Brokers call you first when they know you're serious, responsive, and not going to waste their time. If you want to see exactly how I build those relationships, watch this one: https://youtu.be/pdQMvZhvSJA. And if you want the full Phase 1 framework Nick used to find his deal, grab the Blueprint here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wkUwltCW9wk7LbsoddYwTfTFn5UgMg2x/view?usp=sharing Nick's story isn't unusual — it's what happens when you stop guessing and start running a system. Which sourcing channel are you leaning into this week, and where are you getting stuck? Dave "Systems Beat Luck" DeMink