343. Where to Buy a Self Storage Facility (Finding Markets 101)

Before you buy your first self storage investment, you’ll need to figure out where to buy. But in a country with over 10,000 different cities, just picking wherever you find a deal won’t cut it.
Today, we’re showing you exactly how to find the best self storage market for you—and it may be closer than you think. This is the checklist we use when analyzing any area for self storage investing, along with the metrics that matter most when deciding whether or not to buy there.
How much does population growth really matter? What if new facilities are being built there? Should you buy close to home, or is remote self storage investing easier than you think? And what’s the one “king” of metrics that shows you whether or not your self storage facility will flourish or fail?
Then, once you find the market, how do you get deals sent to you? We’ll share exactly who to connect with and even how to find off-market facilities so you can acquire, manage, profit, and repeat.
Beginners, this is the first stage of your self storage business—do not skip it.
What you’ll learn in today’s show:
Where to invest in self storage and which markets will work best for you
The “king of metrics” that can make or break any self storage investment
The software we use when doing market research that everyone should try
Who to connect with in a market so you can start getting deals sent your way
How to find “off-market” self storage facilities with massive upside potential
—
Join the Self Storage Income Community: https://www.selfstorageincome.com/learn?el=pc-episode-343
Grab AJ’s Book, _Growing Wealth in Self-Storage 2.0_ : https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Wealth-Self-Storage-2-0-Post-Pandemic/dp/1735258865
TractIQ: https://tractiq.com/
316. How to Analyze a Self Storage Facility from Scratch (6 Steps): https://www.selfstorageincome.com/podcasts/self-storage-income-2/episodes/2149092466
327. He Built a 15-Facility Portfolio with These “Underrated” Skills (Not Money) w/Gottfredson: https://www.selfstorageincome.com/podcasts/self-storage-income-2/episodes/2149127504
332. Self Storage’s “Impossible” Data Just Went Public (This Changes Everything) w/Noah Starr: https://www.selfstorageincome.com/podcasts/self-storage-income-2/episodes/2149154512
CNBC: Self-storage real estate has ‘close to zero’ correlation to the broader economy. That’s a good thing: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/20/self-storage-real-estate-sector-opportunity.html