14d • General discussion
A Real Perspective on Self-Storage Today
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
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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
📦 The U.S. has over 2.1 BILLION square feet of storage space (StorageCafe) https://www.storagecafe.com/self-storage-industry-statistics/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
📦 Facilities are often running at very high occupancy levels (INNOWAVE STUDIO)
Translation?
👉 The demand is already here
👉 The supply is still catching up
👉 And the operations? Still being optimized
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PART 3: Why This Matters (And Why I’m All In)
This is why I love self-storage.
It’s not just real estate.
It’s a business + real estate hybrid.
- No tenants, no toilets
- Multiple value-add levers
- Can be run remotely when set up right
- Built for scale
And let’s be honest…
Americans love their stuff.
And they will always need somewhere to put it.
So when I zoom out and look at this…
We are operating in an asset class that is:
- Still in its early stages
- Still dominated by small owners
- Still full of inefficiencies
Which means…
There is still time.
There is still opportunity.
And there is still room to build something meaningful.
This isn’t just a “niche” for me.
This is our lane.
This is what we’re building at Von & Ren Industries.
And if you really understand what’s happening here…
Which I know you do because you’re here, learning, growing, and getting better with us…
I know you’re not about to sit on the sidelines and just watch this get built in front of you.
You’re going to go after it.
But let me say this too…
This space right here?
It’s more than just content.
It’s a room full of people who are:
- Thinking bigger
- Moving differently
- And actually doing the work
A real community. A real conversation.
Because yes, you can Google things.
Yes, you can ask ChatGPT.
But at the end of the day…
Nothing replaces real people with real experience.
So ask questions.
Share what you’re learning.
Tap in with each other.
That’s how we all move forward faster.
And if you know someone who’s even thinking about self-storage…
Send them here!
We’re early in this asset class.
And we’re early in building this community too.
I’m grateful you’re here.
And we’re just getting started.
Cheers to learning.
Cheers to building.
And cheers to being early. 🚀
-Ren
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A Real Perspective on Self-Storage Today
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