Inside Self-Storage is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Sitemap


Articles from 2020 In April


Shurgard Self Storage Releases First-Quarter 2020 Earnings Report

Article-Shurgard Self Storage Releases First-Quarter 2020 Earnings Report

Update 5/1/20 – Shurgard has released the final financial results for the first quarter, which includes some numbers not included in its initial report. All stores’ net operating income (NOI) increased 6.6 percent using CER. NOI margin for the entire portfolio increased .6 percent to 56.7 percent, while same-store NOI margin grew .9 percent using CER to 57.3 percent. Adjusted earnings on the European Public Real Estate Association (EPRA) Index were €24.1 million for the quarter, up 8.4 percent using CER.

The report also included an update on the operational impact from the coronavirus pandemic since the quarter ended. Same-store occupancy remained stable at 87 percent on April 26, gaining .3 percent from a year ago. Rental collection across the company’s portfolio in April was 93.4 percent.

Shurgard has 19 self-storage development projects in its pipeline, which have experienced some delays. Four projects comprising 19,600 square meters have been postponed until 2021, officials said.


4/8/20 – Shurgard Self Storage Europe SARL, the European affiliate of U.S.-based real estate investment trust Public Storage Inc., has released its financial results for the first quarter of 2020, which ended March 31. In general, the operator showed gains in key areas, particularly operating revenue, according to a press release. Officials also reported on the early impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on company performance.

Highlights include an operating-revenue growth at constant exchange rate (CER) of 5.4 percent for the quarter. Same-store revenue grew 4.6 percent using CER. Of the seven European markets in which Shurgard operates, the U.K. showed the largest same-store, year-over-year quarterly revenue gain at 6.1 percent using CER. Germany was second at 5.4 percent, followed by The Netherlands at 5.1 percent. Same-store locations in Denmark performed the weakest, with revenue growth up .4 percent, while same-store revenue in Belgium was up 2.8 percent.

The numbers were positive despite operational adjustments and government orders in reaction to the spread of COVID-19, which began to affect Shurgard markets in the middle of March. “I would like first to thank all Shurgard employees for their engagement, commitment and capable actions to manage the events in these difficult times,” said Marc Oursin, CEO. “Shurgard disposes of a resilient business model, thanks notably to its geographical spread, a high-quality real estate portfolio, an efficient and digitalized platform with a robust balance sheet in order to bridge this difficult period. Please stay safe and healthy.”

Self-storage locations in Belgium and France have been in lockdown since mid-March, with U.K. facilities having received similar orders on March 24. The governments in Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands and Sweden have taken a more “flexible approach to containment measures,” officials said.

Tenant access across the self-storage portfolio remains possible due to automated access control that doesn’t require personal interaction with staff. Customers can continue to reserve units online and move in using the company’s contact-free program. Shurgard has also reinforced sanitation across the portfolio with frequent cleanings, officials said.

“We have taken various measures to ensure the protection of our employees, such as office closures, single-manned properties, adjusting schedules and providing protection equipment. We have guaranteed the salary of all our employees for the coming months in order to secure short- and long-term retention of our manpower,” officials said. “In France, most of our property employees are working from home. Our Belgian properties are also serviced by home-workers. In the U.K., we continue to have staff onsite behind closed doors, with all the safety measures mentioned. In Brussels, our Shared Service Centre has been closed since mid-March and all employees are home working as well. We have been able to organize this major transformation very efficiently due to our performing IT platform.”

Shurgard operates 235 self-storage facilities comprising 1.2 million net rentable square meters in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Based in Glendale, Calif., Public Storage has interests in 2,483 self-storage facilities in 38 states, with approximately 169 million net rentable square feet. It holds a 35 percent interest in Shurgard.

Self-Storage Real Estate Firm Midcoast Properties Hires New Brokers

Article-Self-Storage Real Estate Firm Midcoast Properties Hires New Brokers

Update 4/30/20 – Midcoast has hired J. Kris Knowles as an additional broker, focusing on self-storage properties in Georgia. Knowles spent 32 years offering expertise in institutional negotiations to hospitals, pharmacies, and corporate and private businesses. He’s worked within the self-storage industry over the last two years, according to a press release.

Knowles earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and attended graduate school at Kennesaw State University’s Coles College of Business.

“His education, experience, and warm, engaging personality make him an excellent fit for Midcoast Properties Inc.,” company officials said.


4/22/20 – Self-storage real estate firm Midcoast Properties Inc. has hired Hal H. Tanner III as a new broker. A licensed real estate agent in North Carolina, Tanner also has more than 30 years of experience in the media business. He held leadership roles, including chief executive officer, over the last 10 years before transitioning to commercial real estate, according to a press release.  

Tanner has experience in finance, revenue improvement and cost control. His working knowledge of client-based solutions that provide positive financial returns make him an excellent fit for Midcoast Properties, the release stated.

Tanner earned an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University and a Master of Business Administration from Clemson University. He and his wife, Leigh, live in Goldsboro, N.C., with their four children.

Midcoast provides brokerage services to self-storage investors and owners in Alabama, the Carolinas and Georgia.

Self-Storage REIT CubeSmart Introduces Contact-Free Rentals in Response to Coronavirus Outbreak

Article-Self-Storage REIT CubeSmart Introduces Contact-Free Rentals in Response to Coronavirus Outbreak

Update 4/30/20 – In the wake of its former announcement regarding contact-free rentals for self-storage, CubeSmart has released a proprietary SmartRental platform that allows new customers to rent their units online, from start to finish. Users can choose their space, sign their lease, pay and move in, all without in-person contact, according to a press release. The whole process should take less than five minutes via any Web-enabled device, according to a new press release.

“Our goal is to make our customers’ lives easier and provide them with choices to meet their varied needs,” Marr said.

CubeSmart staff will remain available behind the scenes to assist customers when needed, the release stated.


3/31/20 – CubeSmart, a publicly traded self-storage real estate investment trust and management company, has introduced contactless rentals for customers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Now available at the company’s New Jersey locations, the service will be rolled out nationwide in the coming weeks, according to a press release.

Customers can complete the rental process via phone or online, then proceed directly to their unit. While they won’t need to interact with a facility manager in person, CubeSmart teammates will be available to new renters them through the process and answer questions, the release stated.

“CubeSmart is pleased to offer a way to continue to provide outstanding customer service while promoting social distancing,” said Christopher P. Marr, CEO and president. “I am proud of our technology and operations teams that collaboratively developed, in a short timeframe, our unique rental solution quickly, and put it into place to serve the best interests of our customers and teammates.”

CubeSmart owns or manages 1,230 self-storage facilities across the United States. Its operating portfolio comprises nearly 80 million square feet.

Source:
CubeSmart, CubeSmart Introduces Contactless Storage Rentals

Storable Integrates Products to Help Self-Storage Operators Combat COVID-19

Article-Storable Integrates Products to Help Self-Storage Operators Combat COVID-19

Storable, a supplier of varied products and services to the self-storage industry, has completed a series of integrations between its affiliate brands to help self-storage operators provide a better customer experience during the coronavirus pandemic. Storable is comprised of SiteLink and storEDGE, providers of facility-management software; SpareFoot, an online marketplace for self-storage units; SBOA Merchant Services, Select Merchant Solutions and SiteLink Merchant Services, providers of payment processing; and Bader and Storsmart, providers of self-storage tenant insurance. storEDGE also offers website-development and digital-marketing services.

Storable clients using SiteLink or storEDGE management software can now send their self-storage renters a link via e-mail or text to help them complete the move-in process from any device, according to a press release. They can also offer online rentals through the SpareFoot platform, which will use a special badge marker to show users which facilities offer a contact-free move-in experience.

“We believe it’s our responsibility to do everything we can to help our customers through the difficulties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Chuck Gordon, CEO. “In the early days of the crisis, we recognized that we had an opportunity to leverage our technology to improve safety for both consumers and operators, so we quickly made the decision to divert a substantial portion of our resources toward that effort. I couldn’t be more pleased with the finished product, and I believe our new capabilities will keep our customers and their tenants safe while minimizing disruption to operations.”

“These new capabilities will play an important role in our industry’s response to the coronavirus crisis, but I think they also set the stage for the future of the storage industry,” added Scott Griffin, vice president of product. “As an industry, we have been measured in our approach to leveraging automation; however, this crisis may act as a catalyst to drive the adoption of automation both in the short term and even after this crisis has passed. It’s our goal to stay at the forefront of innovation in that arena.”

Based in Austin, Texas, Storable is backed by Boston-based private-equity firm Cove Hill Partners. Founded in 2017, Cove Hill manages an inaugural fund of more than $1 billion.

Which Restrictive Orders Should Your Self-Storage Business Follow During COVID-19?

Article-Which Restrictive Orders Should Your Self-Storage Business Follow During COVID-19?

With so much happening around the coronavirus pandemic, it’s tough to keep up. As the federal, state and local governments issue orders and restrictions, self-storage operators may need clarification on ambiguous language and mixed messaging. Among the most pressing concerns is what constitutes an “essential business” and whether storage facilities should stay open. If your facility is open, what rights do you have as landlord against tenants who fail to pay rent?

As I write this, we’ve already witnessed the first wave of “shelter-in-place” orders; but with the difficulties faced by the unemployed to pay mortgages or rent, lawmakers are starting to issue amended orders that address a landlord’s ability to charge late fees, restrict property access and evict. This second wave of controls challenges landlords of all types to wonder, “If my tenants aren’t paying me, how can I pay my lender, taxes or utility bills?” Let’s take a closer look.

Essential Business

There isn’t one convenient answer to the question of whether a self-storage facility is an essential business. If a state or local order references the current (March 28) version of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s identification of essential, critical infrastructure workers, you won’t see “self-storage” on the list (remember warehousing is specifically not self-storage). However, you’ll see that people who work at vehicle-leasing agencies (truck rentals) are permitted as well as any business that handles mail delivery (mailbox rentals).

In addition, many state and local orders permit businesses to remain open to allow access to necessary supplies and services for household consumption and use; supplies and equipment needed to work from home; and products needed to maintain safety, sanitation and essential maintenance of a home or residence. Thus, it’s possible someone may need to get into his self-storage unit to get supplies for his family, and the facility would need to allow that person access.

Many of these orders also allow for “minimum basic operations,” permitting a company to maintain the value of its business, manage inventory, ensure security, process payroll and employee benefits, and handle related functions. Based on these many “exceptions,” most self-storage operators have dropped to skeleton crews and closed offices, allowing tenants to visit units only through gate-access systems and shifting new rentals and payments online to manage new customers or close current accounts.

Since local law enforcement may impose different interpretations of the various orders, the current solution for self-storage operators in shelter-in-place states would be to close the office to the public (you could allow an employee to remain in the office), allow gate access for customers, and place language on your gate and website indicating the facility is open for “essential services use only.”

Late Charges, Overlocks and Lien Enforcement

When it comes to assessing these important operational procedures, it’s probably easiest to start with the conclusion and issue this general warning: To the extent your state or local law has denied any evictions from proceeding, the legislative message is likely that any enforcement action against a tenant (residential or commercial) is also prohibited. While orders may not have specifically included non-judicial foreclosures like self-storage lien sales, the restrictions on gatherings of more than five or 10 people, coupled with the limitation on tenants to travel due to stay-in-place orders, may be a potential defense as to why a tenant wasn’t able to exercise his right of redemption before a lien sale could occur. I believe this is why most operators decided to put a stay on lien sales, at least until the orders are lifted.

Now, whether a facility operator must waive his contractual late fees for non-payment or forego the exercise of his contractual denial of access to a delinquent tenant is an entirely different issue. Though you wouldn’t normally be barred from enforcing your contractual rights, we’re seeing a number of states impose limitations on a landlord’s right to deny access to defaulting tenants or even to charge late fees. Since these laws are growing in number, it may be best to waive late fees and forego the use of overlocks for now.

That said, there’s no bar or governmental order that waives a tenant’s obligation to pay rent. Essentially, the current executive orders simply stay the collection of certain rent obligations (mostly residential). Again, the intent of these orders appears to be to give tenants an opportunity to avoid the loss of their property due to non-payment. Some impose an obligation on tenants to provide proof that the reason they’re unable to pay is connected to the pandemic, such as loss of a job. In consideration of waiving fees in states that don’t have a specific requirement to do so, it isn’t unreasonable to inquire why a tenant has failed to pay rent.

Read Carefully

The ultimate message here is to carefully read the specific orders that have been issued in your city, county and state. Where conflicts between orders exist, many states proclaim the state order governs over any inconsistencies or omissions that might appear in municipal orders.

Further, if you have any question concerning the applicability of your particular governmental order, you have the right to request clarification from the governor’s office. Be prepared, however, for it to sway against your business as essential as well as against your ability to enforce contractual remedies.

Under the circumstances, support will fall to the consumer or tenant and against the landlord. The philosophy within government orders is to avoid anyone having to be involved in commerce unless it’s essential and to eschew defaults where they can be circumvented. The announced goal to “flatten the curve” extends beyond the spread of the virus and applies to minimizing the financial impact on consumers and the economy.

Note: This article was originally published in the author’s “Legal Monthly Minute” Newsletter.

Scott I. Zucker is a founding partner in the Atlanta law firm of Weissmann Zucker Euster Morochnik & Garber P.C. and has been practicing law since 1987. He represents self-storage owners and managers throughout the country on legal matters including property development, facility construction, lease preparation, employment policies and tenant-claims defense. He also provides, on a consulting basis, advice to self-storage companies in the areas of foreclosure and lien sales, premises liability, and loss-control safeguards. To reach him, call 404.364.4626; e-mail [email protected].

Mark Helm Discusses Buying Self-Storage Facilities During the COVID-19 Crisis

Video-Mark Helm Discusses Buying Self-Storage Facilities During the COVID-19 Crisis

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the investing and real estate markets, and it’s natural for self-storage owners and investors to wonder if now is still a good time to buy a property. Facility owner Mark Helm, author of “Creating Wealth Through Self-Storage,” shares his personal experience with real estate performance during times of crisis, such as the Great Recession. In this video, he offers insight to what to expect if you’re interested in acquiring a storage asset during this turbulent time.

2 StorageBlue Self-Storage Facilities Recognized by Expertise.com, StorageUnits.com

Article-2 StorageBlue Self-Storage Facilities Recognized by Expertise.com, StorageUnits.com

StorageBlue LLC, which operates five self-storage facilities in New Jersey, has received recognition for its locations in Jersey City and Union City. The former was recognized by StorageUnits.com, a self-storage facility directory, among the city’s nine best, while the latter was recognized by Expertise.com, a market-research firm, among the area’s top eight facilities.

StorageUnits.com rated 85 self-storage facilities in the Jersey City area based on more than 30 variables including reputation, credibility, experience and professionalism. It chose the StorageBlue property at 190 Baldwin Ave. among its picks. Other operators in the top nine were A-1 Self Storage, Clutter Self-Storage, Delta Storage, Drive-Up Storage, GoodFriend Self-Storage, Liberty Self Storage, Storage Post and StorQuest Self Storage.

Expertise.com examined 119 self-storage facilities in the Jersey City metropolitan area, choosing the StorageBlue location at 3322 Hudson Ave. in neighboring Union City, among the top eight. Selection criteria included reputation, credibility, experience, availability and professionalism. Other operators recognized were A-1 Self Storage, American Self Storage (Staten Island, N.Y.), CustomSpace New Jersey, Delta Storage, Drive-Up Storage, GoodFriend Self-Storage and Scanio Moving & Storage.

“We are delighted to be recognized by our communities for the great service we provide, and look forward to continuing to do so,” said Alan Mruvka, CEO, who founded StorageBlue in 2015. Mruvka also founded E! Entertainment Television.

In addition to traditional self-storage, StorageBlue offers a valet-style storage service called StorageBlue Now, which it launched in 2016.

Sources:
Expertise.com, We Looked at 119 Storage Unit Facilities Serving Jersey City and Picked the Top 8
StorageUnits.com, Best Self Storage Units in Jersey City, NJ

InSite Property Group Hires Head of Self-Storage Acquisitions

Article-InSite Property Group Hires Head of Self-Storage Acquisitions

Development and real estate firm InSite Property Group has hired Nathan McElmurry as senior vice president in charge of acquisitions for the company’s SecureSpace Self Storage brand. SecureSpace operates six facilities in California, Florida, New Jersey and New York, while InSite has more than 20 self-storage projects in its development pipeline, according to a press release.

“We are thrilled to have Nathan join our growing team,” said Keith Wetzel, managing partner. “Nathan shares our long-term optimistic view of the self storage market, and we welcome his expertise in helping us execute on our growth over the next several years.”

McElmurry comes to InSite from a similar role with SmartStop Self Storage REIT Inc., a self-managed real estate investment trust that operates the SmartStop Self Storage brand. During his five years with the company, he led the acquisition of about 150 properties, the release stated. The REIT has $1.6 billion of real estate assets under management, including 112 storage properties in 17 states and Toronto, and manages another 29 in 10 states.

Prior to SmartStop, McElmurry was director of acquisitions for Trico Investments, a real estate investment company that provides acquisition, architectural, construction, development and third-party management services in California, Florida and Texas. He also served as director of acquisitions for MDI Capital LLC, the U.S. real estate subsidiary of Kuwait Financial Centre, an international investment bank. Additional positions include director with GE Capital Real Estate and a senior analyst in the Capital Markets Group for CBRE.

McElmurry graduated from Texas A&M University's Dwight Look College of Engineering and earned his MBA from the University of Texas' McCombs School of Business, with a focus on real estate finance.

Based in Redondo Beach, Calif., InSite is an integrated developer, builder and operator of commercial real estate.

Sources:
Commercial Property Executive, InSite Property Group Strengthens Self Storage Team
Yahoo Finance, InSite Property Group Hires Senior Vice President - Head of Self Storage Acquisitions

Knowing When to Phase Your Self-Storage Development Project (and What It’s Worth to Do So)

Article-Knowing When to Phase Your Self-Storage Development Project (and What It’s Worth to Do So)

Self-storage owners and developers often choose to build their new projects in phases. There are several good reasons for this. You might lack enough funds to complete the entire facility at once. Maybe you have extra land at your existing site, but the demand in your market isn’t quite there yet. Perhaps you just want to save money! Whatever your motivation, it may be wise to consider this approach for your next build. Learn more and see specific examples below.

Potential Savings

Building in phases allows you to save money on your mortgage and operations carrying costs while you fill up your first phase. For example, if you’re building a 70,000-square-foot building with 60,000 net rentable square feet in two phases of 35,000 square feet each, you could save around $290,000 in your first year. How?

Let’s assume building costs are $60 per square foot, and there are no additional construction costs due to the fact that you’re phasing (though that isn’t always the case). Your mortgage interest rate is 6.5 percent. Your operational costs are $4 per square foot.

  • Mortgage savings: 35,000 square feet x $60 per square foot = $2,100,000 mortgage @ 6.5% = $150,000 saved in the first year
  • Operations savings: 35,000 square feet x $4 per square foot = $140,000 saved in the first year

Phasing often makes more sense when there’s a longer time between builds, as the savings would be larger. Even when there’s storage demand in a certain location, feasibility reports are showing it takes 36 to 48 months to lease up due to multiple properties renting up simultaneously. This makes phasing an easy choice.

It’s important to note that some savings could be lost due to future construction-cost escalations, such as price increases on steel, duplicate bank fees, interest-rate increases, etc. The effort—and possible aggravation—of going through the building process twice should also be considered. Finally, there’s the risk that if the first phase is too small, the project won’t break even in phase one, which means you could have trouble getting financing for a second phase without providing significant additional capital to meet the lender’s owner-equity requirements. Reviewing project phasing with your banker and development team is a must to make a good decision.

A Profitable First Phase

Phasing isn’t the answer for everyone; but often, if you’re projecting a short rent-up period and an even shorter breakeven time, you may want to build enough square feet to have a profitable phase one.

For example, if your total proposed square footage is 80,000 but you only have $525,000 to invest, consider building a 60,000-square-foot first phase and a 20,000-square-foot second phase. You could build phase one with a 10 percent equity Small Business Administration (SBA) loan (or 15 percent equity at $829,000) that provides development funds including soft costs and caring costs. Then, once the facility is fully leased, you could refinance and build the second phase with the lender’s money if there’s enough equity. Here’s a sample calculation:

Self-storage development costs for 60,000 SF gross

Loan-equity (down-payment) requirements have a huge impact on phasing. Many SBA loans are made closer to 15 percent than 10 percent equity. If you had $500,000 to invest and were required to put down 15 percent, you could borrow $3.33 million for the first phase, which would drastically reduce the 60,000 gross square feet of building noted above. Now, let’s look at the income potential for our example building:

Self-storage income potential

Here’s the facility value at various capitalization (cap) rates:

Self-storage facility value

If we assume a $5M loan for a highly qualified borrower at 6.5 percent (prime plus 1.5 percent), with a 25-year amortization, the principal and interest (debt service) is $32,300 per month. When you subtract that from our net operating income of $43,775 per month, that leaves $10,775 per month, or $129,000 per year.

Phase two, at 20,000 gross square feet, brings the project total to 80,000 gross, 68,000 net rentable. If you do the same calculations as above, you’ll see the profit and resale value skyrocket after the additional phase. Warning: I made a lot of assumptions in the above example, which is for illustration purposes only. You’ll need input from your builder, banker, architect, engineer and feasibility expert to do the calculations for a specific project.

The Second Phase

If you're going build in phases, it’s important to know how much square footage you’re building in each, so your project is designed correctly. Phasing should be shown on the plans so there’s no confusion and the municipal commission and others approve it when they review. This’ll ensure there’s no delay. A side benefit to phasing is the opportunity to update your unit mix based on rent-up rates and pricing from the first phase.

Don’t assume the obvious, and make sure the phasing details plus actual written description for phase-two items, which were required in phase one, are noted on the plans and in the construction-bid documents. Here are some of the phase-two items that are typically addressed during the initial build:

  • Complete the detention basin.
  • Bring water, sanitary-sewer, storm-drainage, electrical, lighting, security-door and camera services X feet into phase two as shown on the plans.
  • Complete all offsite improvements.
  • Provide temporary fencing between phases one and two as shown on the plan.
  • Size all security cameras and other equipment for phases one and two.
  • Stabilize all disturbed areas in phase one with four inches of topsoil and seed.
  • Don’t remove topsoil off the site in phase one unless approved by the owner.

In the end, you need to determine how much cash equity you have for the development of your project—the real cash equity your lender is going to require and to realistically cover total project costs, including soft and carrying costs. Then you need to do the calculations for the project with and without phasing. Too often, owners underestimate final construction costs or fail to include enough soft and caring costs. It’s important to get help from your team to make a final decision on phasing.

Marc Goodin is president of Storage Authority LLC, a self-storage franchise, and the owner of three self-storage facilities that he personally designed, built and manages. He’s been helping others in the industry for more than 25 years. To reach him, call 860.830.6764, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.storageauthorityfranchise.com. You can also purchase his books on facility development and marketing in the Inside Self-Storage Store.

Exhibitors Disclose Product Unveilings, Demos and Discounts for the Upcoming Inside Self-Storage World Expo, July 21-24

Article-Exhibitors Disclose Product Unveilings, Demos and Discounts for the Upcoming Inside Self-Storage World Expo, July 21-24

The 2020 Inside Self-Storage World Expo will be taking place at The Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas this summer, July 21-24, and approximately 200 industry suppliers are on board to exhibit. This event was originally scheduled to take place in April but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, leaving our exhibitors simply itching to reveal what they’ve got in store for show attendees! Take a gander at the products and services they’ll be unveiling this year, the things you can sample or demo at their booths, and the specials, discounts and giveaways on offer. More companies will be added regularly, so check back often!

For more information about this year's exhibitors and to view an interactive expo-hall map, visit www.issworldexpo.com and click on the "Expo Hall" link in the top navigation bar. 

What new products or services will you be unveiling at this year’s event?

Boxwell (Booth 831): Our relocatable storage units are constantly being updated and improved, so prospective buyers and repeat customers should visit our booth to see the latest in upgrades and technology.

Easy Storage Solutions (Booth 919): We have two new services we’re excited to unveil at the ISS World Expo this year. The first is our automated pay-by-phone service, which is an IVR (interactive voice response) system. With it, customers can pay their bills by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The tenant’s account is authenticated by the phone number in the facility management software, and the software is instantly updated when payments are made.

Our second new offering is our tenant-protection service, which gives self-storage operators and tenants peace of mind. It’s a reliable, affordable way for tenants to store their goods and protect them against potential damage. Our protection plans have advantages such as no deductible, protection of commercial and personal goods, and shared earnings with the facility operator.

Security Source (Booth 1400): We’ll be unveiling our Chekt video-alarm verification solution.

Store Space Self Storage (Booth 1002): We’re pleased to introduce Storage360° in conjunction with our solid third-party management platform. Our proprietary platform offers total technology that consolidates all vital features and data in real time for self-storage success. Storage360° was designed for facility operators by facility operators, so the functionality and the science behind it are simply superior.

What can attendees try, see or sample at your booth this year?

Boxwell (Booth 831): Boxwell units create flexible, movable buildings that increase rentable space and maximize profit at an existing storage facility. Attendees should stop by our booth and step inside our 8-by-16 demo unit to get a feel for the product. Our units are highly customizable at no extra cost. Attendees can see different options and features while discussing how to best suit their site's needs with a company representative.

Easy Storage Solutions (Booth 919): Attendees will be able to try our self-storage management software. They can see what our free website template looks like, how their potential customers can rent self-storage units online, and what the back end of our software looks like for staff.

We also offer other integrated services to help attendees simplify and better manage a self-storage business including call answering, SEO and digital marketing, cloud access control, tenant-protection plans and accounting. Attendees can learn more about these at our booth. We’re excited to talk to them about how we can simplify their operation! 

Pacific Southwest Realty Services (Booth 423): Attendees can learn about various forms of self-storage financing we offer, including life-company financing.

Security Source (Booth 1400): Attendees can demo our video-alarm verification and CCTV products.

Store Space Self Storage (Booth 1002): We invite attendees to a special hands-on demonstration of our new self-service kiosks and point-of-sale tablets that work with Storage360° to maximize property revenue and streamline operations in real time. A wonder to see in action, this exciting technology is part of the future of self-storage!

What specials, discounts or booth giveaways will you be offering?

Boxwell (Booth 831): We’re hosting a happy hour in our suite at The Mirage! Attendees can join us for food, drinks and conversation after the show. They should visit our booth for an invitation.

Easy Storage Solutions (Booth 919): We’ll be giving away one free year of our self-storage management software! It’s easy to use, simple to manage and affordable. It comes with all the features you need to succeed and more. Attendees should visit our booth to learn more about how to win.

By visiting our booth, attendees can also receive a free audit of their facility website that’ll give them an SEO “report card” to show what they’re doing well and what they can refine, and how to improve their website performance overall.

Pacific Southwest Realty Services (Booth 423): We can give a 10 percent discount on our standard 1 percent loan fee (cannot be combined with other discounts) for any loan signed up from a lead at the expo.

Security Source (Booth 1400): Any attendee who buys seven of our Videofied devices will get an eighth for free (a $450 value).

Store Space Self Storage (Booth 1002): We’re planning a great booth giveaway! Attendees can also visit storespace.com/management before the conference to download our free whitepaper that details the potential pitfalls of operating your own property in this competitive era of branded storage facilities.