Large or small, brand new or older, all self-storage facilities need of a constant stream of inquiries to grow or maintain occupancy and keep rates as high as possible. Community events and grassroots marketing can do that while also lowering your cost per lease.

In 2017, our facility managers generated an average of 35,349 marketing messages per store. These included outgoing calls, e-mails, personal visits, onsite events, social media, club meetings, tradeshows and offsite networking. Our staff also completed 23,560 visits to local businesses and organizations. We had nearly 41,000 visitors to our onsite events. Our average cost per lease was $65.74 for the entire portfolio, which is low compared to the industry average.

As professional self-storage “counselors,” we see an opportunity to market our services everywhere. Community participation can have far-reaching benefits to an operation’s profitability, so tell your story! Make sure everyone in your neighborhood knows you and your self-storage property. This means you must get involved on a local level.

It's up to each of us to generate our own onsite traffic. The four tools we use at our company are: community involvement, community events, visits to local businesses, and follow up and electronic marketing. Below are several events and tactics we’ve found to be successful, when properly planned and executed:

The more events you host at your facility, the more traffic you’ll see in and out of your property, and the more business and brand awareness you’ll develop. This is the goal—to create as much cognizance of your business as possible with the funds you have available. The more you keep your brand in the public eye, the more likely a person will think of your facility when the need for storage arises.

Groups to Target

When it comes to building relationships, there are community leaders and members you should visit weekly. Ideally, you’ll meet with 10 to 20 people or organizations each week, which means spending about two hours outside of the office. By doing this, you’ll add 40 to 100 new contacts to your e-mail database each month! Consider dropping off some sort of gift to each one along with your referral cards. Don't forget to sell your competitors and share referrals with them when you’re full on particular unit sizes. They will hopefully return the favor.

Here are some groups you’ll want to target in your visits:

• Apartment renters, real estate offices, moving companies, building managers, apartment and home-builders associations
• Doctors, dentists, chiropractors, title companies, CPAs, attorneys and banks
• Service businesses, local retailers and interior designers
• Distribution centers, manufacturer’s reps and truck-based businesses
• Schools, universities, large employers and hospitals
• Nonprofits and government entities
• RV, boat and motorcycle dealers
• Homeowner’s associations and trailer parks
• Crisis centers, insurance companies, and disaster-cleanup providers
• Chamber members and other club members
• Churches and synagogues

The Chamber

Most operators are already members of their local chamber of commerce, but how involved are you in its monthly activities and events? Are you attending every possible meeting to exchange business cards, meet new members and have breakfast with other local businesses? If not, get out there. This is a logical place to start participating.

If your facility is new, recently added a new phase or underwent an office remodel, now’s the perfect time to host a chamber “business after-hours” event and show off your product. Does the chamber have your materials available to hand out to newcomers or those visiting its office? Make sure it does. If you offer a referral fee, let the chamber staff know.

Marketing

A critical aspect of hosting events is getting the word out, and there are many ways to do this. First, send out press releases for every event you participate in, sponsor or host, as well as any time you have a special message or story to tell. You’ll need a strong headline and interesting content; and don’t forget to include photographs and contact information.

Invite the local media to your events. It might be a slow news day and you’ll make the 6 p.m. news that night! Promoting yard sales, wine-tastings, ice-cream socials, community days, fall festivals, customer-appreciation cookouts and even seasonal displays will assist you in building traffic to your facility and making it memorable to your community.

Send an e-mail newsletter to everyone on your contact list. Include people you’ve met at meetings and events as well as members of all the clubs and groups to which you belong. Include news about fundraisers, or a special customer or business, as well as photos of how they use your storage property. You can also add testimonials or quotes. Display the logos of all the groups and associations to which you belong. These help you build credibility with your audience far beyond what thousands of words can do.

You can also update your facility’s digital sign to promote events, or even one of your customers or partner businesses. Changing your sign regularly ensures people look at it often.

With current technology, there’s no reason you can’t compete and win against the bigger operators in your market. Use e-mail, social media and the Web to stay in touch with customers, prospects, groups and organizations in your area. A lot of this is free!

Hosting Tips

When we host onsite events, we place food and drinks inside our units and throughout our property to ensure guests see and experience all our best features and amenities. We hand out a “treasure map” during registration that encourages guests to find all the treats. We also register all participants, ask for business cards and even give out door prizes. This way we can follow up via e-mail and extend a special offer.

To educate our attendees about our services, we post signs with size and pricing outside each unit type. We dress each serving table and bar area, and give out a gift bag containing our promotional items. You might want to have music or a band, or a special theme for your event as well. And don’t forget to have someone at the front desk to rent units, with a sign letting guests know about any specials.

Take a lot pictures and post them on your website, blog and social media pages. Include the event name and date with each photo you post. You can even create a photo gallery of special events you hold throughout the year. This also drives more traffic to your website.

More Networking

Another way to make sure you leave a lasting impression on the neighborhood is to let nonprofit and other community groups use your conference room for free or hold their fundraisers at your site. Examples of this might be a carwash for the local high school band or a blood drive for the Red Cross. Your site could also be a collection point for a coat, food or toy drive.

Your local church or social club could also benefit from hosting events at your site. For example, why not work with your parks and recreation department to host a haunted house or Easter egg hunt at your store? Volunteers can decorate the units, and you can ask off-duty law enforcement to direct traffic. One of our South Carolina managers did this several times and drew more than 3,000 people! The property was recognized as a sponsor in the park department’s newsletter and website and on its signs. Free advertising—yeah! Maybe the Lions or Rotary Club needs a place to have a barbecue this year. Look at local clubs and see how you can help them with event planning.

Perhaps supply fliers to your favorite pizza-delivery place. It can put one on top of each box it delivers. In exchange, you can feature the business on your “neighborhood board” along with coupons or menus for your tenants.

If you have children or grandchildren, attend parent-teacher meetings and hand out referral cards. Perhaps lend your property’s moving truck to groups who need to borrow it for an event. Offer to supply paper cups (printed with your logo, of course) to local clubs. Or pass out water bottles with your logo at youth sports games.

Consider asking local business to provide you with brochures, coupons or other items of value you for your new-tenant gift bag. This can help you kick off your outside marketing efforts. You’ll have a reason to visit and tell them about your referral programs.

If there aren’t any networking clubs in your area, start one. One of our marketing managers did this at a facility in Myrtle Beach, S.C. She saw an unfulfilled need and used it to her store’s advantage. She started a new networking group that soon had more than 60 active participants, making a name for herself and her store. An uptick in rentals proved her efforts were well worth the time and energy.

Finally, don’t forget about your competition. This is an often-overlooked source of rentals. Go by monthly to drop off your current unit information and let them know you pay for referrals.

Anyone can network their way to success if they have a goal in mind. A day shouldn’t go by in which you don’t take some grassroots action. Send an e-mail or several hundred, make outgoing calls to generate site visits, mail letters or postcards to target groups that need your product, and visit at least one local business while running errands. You can form strategic alliances almost anywhere that will benefit all parties and fill up vacant units.

Get out there, see everything for yourself, and learn to generate your own traffic through networking and local participation. It is money in the bank. Spread the word about what makes your property the best in the market. It’s easy, costs little and produces big benefits for you and your store.

M. Anne Ballard is president of training, marketing and developmental services for Universal Storage Group and the founder of Universal Management Co. She’s past president of the Georgia Self Storage Association and has served on the national Self Storage Association’s board of directors. She’s also participated in the planning, design and operation of numerous storage facilities. For more information, call 770.801.1888; visit www.universalstoragegroup.com. 

If you need relief from the dog days of summer or are looking for some fun reading material to heighten your pleasure on a lazy afternoon in the sun, why not curl up with a fiction book that uses self-storage as the launching pad for setting and plot twists? The ISS Store offers two entertaining titles to help industry professionals beat the heat.

Hot Storage [Mystery Novel]

Author Mary Mead creates intrigue in this mystery novel about the perils of self-storage manager Marlena Montoya. “Hot Storage” kicks into gear when Marlena finds cartons of drugs in a unit that’s supposed to be empty. It all goes downhill from there, as a county task force puts an undercover cop on the payroll, one of the owners gets personal, and the local detective stays for dinner. When two men are murdered and the victims are tied to the Jade Beach facility, it falls to Marlena to hunt for the truth with an assist from Monarch Beach detective John Kincaid.

Self Storage [Horror Fiction Novel]

Author Jay Bonansinga, best known for penning the official “The Walking Dead” novel series, creates thrills and chills in this harrowing tale of a heroin addict and his 6-year-old son who are forced to face demons real and imagined while trapped inside a self-storage unit. Thirst, hunger and withdrawal are just the beginning to Johnny’s painful education in detox because there’s something dark and terrifying behind his dope-sick hallucinations ... something touched off by the self-storage facility itself!

Bonansinga has called “Self Storage” the most personal book he’s ever written and is currently working on a film adaptation.

Visit the ISS Store for full product details.

Real estate developer Jerome Karam has acquired the former Cossaboom Family YMCA in Houston, with the intent to convert it into a mixed-use project including a gym and self-storage facility. Maxx Fitness would comprise up to 38,000 square feet, while 45,000 square feet would be allotted for storage units. The complex is scheduled to open in November, according to the source.

Built in the 1950s at 7903 S. Loop E., the structure has sustained damage multiple times from flooding, with the most recent incident stemming from Hurricane Harvey. It isn’t clear how Karam plans to combat future risk.

Karam has a history of including self-storage in mixed-use developments. For example, a recent conversion at the Mall of the Mainland in Texas City, Texas, includes a World Gym paired with an Altitude Trampoline Park, while the former JC Penney will be transformed into 83,000 square feet of climate-controlled storage. He’s also developing a self-storage facility in Galveston, Texas, that will feature a rooftop event center with capacity for 400 guests, the source reported. The event space is being converted from a former tasting room.

Karam is the principal at Jerome Karam Law in Friendswood, Texas. The firm’s website lists several affiliate-led development properties and projects in Louisiana and Texas.

Source:
Chron, Cossaboom Family YMCA to Get New Use as Gym and Self-Storage Project

Phillips Development & Realty LLC (PDR) is developing a five-story self-storage facility in Kansas City, Kan., its first in the city. Construction at 510 Southwest Blvd. will begin this month, with completion slated for the second quarter of 2019, according to a press release.

Designed by Rose Design Build Inc. of Lenexa, Kan., the project will comprise 108,000 square feet of storage space in 826 climate-controlled units. It’ll be managed by self-storage real estate investment trust CubeSmart and branded under its name.

Near downtown, the property is less than a mile from the University of Kansas Medical Center and two miles from the Country Club Plaza shopping center. PDR was represented in the land purchase by Scott Bluhm, director for Newmark Grubb Zimmer, a Kansa City-based commercial real estate firm.

Funding for the $11 million project will be provided by Jernigan Capital Inc., a merchant bank and advisory firm serving the self-storage industry. It’s the fifth collaboration between the two companies, the release stated.

Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., PDR is a real estate and development company. Its services include acquisition, construction, construction management, development, financing, product supply and property management for the multi-family and self-storage industries. PDR has 18 projects under development in four states.

CubeSmart owns or manages 987 self-storage facilities across the United States. Its operating portfolio comprises more than 60.5 million square feet.

Jernigan Capital is a real estate investment trust listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The company provides financing to private developers, operators and owners of self-storage facilities. It offers financing for acquisition, ground-up construction, major redevelopment or refinancing. The firm is externally managed by JCap Advisors LLC.

Update 6/18/18 – After much debate over its development in Sterling, Va., The Young Group celebrated the grand opening of its new facility at 22125 Davis Drive on June 16. The three-hour event, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., included a ribbon-cutting, music, refreshments, property tours and children’s activities.

To bolster its entry to the community, The Young Group plans to make donations to The Sterling Foundation as well as the Eastern Loudoun Basketball League and the and the Lower Loudoun baseball, football and softball teams, according to the source.

The facility is being managed by self-storage real estate investment trust CubeSmart and is branded under its name. “We are pleased to introduce a second CubeSmart to the Sterling community, and we are confident that it will quickly become an indispensable service for both residents and businesses,” Young said.

CubeSmart owns or manages 987 self-storage facilities across the United States. Its operating portfolio comprises more than 60.5 million square feet.

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7/27/16 – Controversy regarding the fate of a 100-year-old church on the site of a self-storage development by The Young Group has continued, resulting in the cancellation of plans to preserve the building’s façade and move it to a “pocket park” on the corner of the property. Instead, the park will include an art installation along with benches, pavers and some landscaping. A historical plaque and repurposed organ pipes will be part of the project, Young told the source.

County staff classified the church façade as a structure, which would have reduced the size of the self-storage facility in order to meet lot-coverage requirements, Young said. Due to the revamped plan for the church, The Young Group will increase its seed money for the park from $5,000 to $25,000 to whichever organization comes forward to handle park maintenance, the source reported.

Relocating the church, which would have involved disassembling, moving and reassembling it, in addition to renovations, proved to be cost-prohibitive, Young said. “We’re trying to be generous,” he told the source. “In my community, in Falls Church, if I told folks that I was going to give them a pocket park with a little bit of art on it, they’d go nuts and say, ‘You’re the most wonderful guy in the whole damn world.’”

Project opponents recently visited the property owner’s residence in Fairfax, Va., and a last-ditch effort to scuttle the project with an appeal to the board of zoning appeals was denied, according to the source. “The whole thing is just ridiculous and impossible,” Young said. “For a building that’s been declared non-historic, for a building that’s in very, very bad physical condition, for a building where all the architecturally important things were taken away in the ’70s, what’s left?”

The Sterling Foundation, which had been slated to maintain the park, said it didn’t have enough time to raise funds to save the church. The nonprofit rejected a contract from the developer to maintain the church because it made the nonprofit responsible for the park for 25 years without indemnity, Aaron Gilman, the group’s chairman, told the source.

“We gave it a shot,” Gilman said. “I think they’re going to plow it. It’s too bad, but that’s just the way the developer wants it, and he has the right to do what he should be able to do with his property. He did go through the right avenues; he did get the right approvals. It just hurts to see Sterling history getting torn down for a five-story warehouse.”

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3/4/16 – Real estate developer The Young Group LLC received zoning approval this week to convert a former church in Sterling, Va., to self-storage. The Loudoun County Board of Zoning Appeals approved rezoning the former Davis Church at the corner of Davis Drive and West Church Road after residents spoke out against the project. The church has been vacant for 30 years, according to the source.

The proposed four-story facility will comprise 88,842 square feet of storage space on the 1.1-acre lot. Robert Young, president of The Young Group, told the board he’ll save part of the church by moving its recognizable façade and bell tower to another part of the property. The project will cost $100,000 to $150,000 to build, according to the developer’s legal representative, Andrew Painter. The company will also donate a small portion of the land to the county as well as $5,000 in seed money to The Sterling Foundation Inc., a local nonprofit, to develop and maintain a “pocket park.”

The change in development plans came after company representatives met with residents in late December to discuss how the historic building might be incorporated into the facility’s design. “It would preserve the most interesting elements of the structure: the bell tower, the front, the entrances,” Joe Wetzel, senior vice president of The Young Group, told residents during the Dec. 30 meeting.

Despite the design alterations, some residents still opposed the project. Nine people addressed the zoning board during the most recent hearing to express their concerns. One said the storage facility would be a departure from the neighborhood’s historic character, the source reported.

“It breaks my heart that we’re losing something so quaint and beautiful, even though, yes, it’s run down, but it can be so much better,” said resident Angela Holmer.

The board voted 3-2 to approve the rezoning. Chairwoman Nan M. Joseph Forbes and E. Page Moffett opposed.

The Young Group specializes in the development and management of office, residential, retail, self-storage and warehouse space.

Sources:
Loudoun Now, CubeSmart Plans Grand Opening in Sterling
Loudoun Now, Development Plans for Davis Church Property Wins Final Approval
Loudoun Now, Developer Proposes Compromise for Sterling's Davis Church
Loudoun Now, In Sterling, Davis Church Deal Erodes

Update 6/18/18 – The Yonkers City Council has approved a provision that will allow self-storage into its retail corridors. Officials also approved the rezoning application that will allow the mixed-use project to move forward on Central Park Avenue. Excavation work by 1969 Central Avenue Corp. is already underway, according to the source.

The developer has also submitted its site plan to the planning board. The final design of the building and parking lot must still be approved. The retail component on the ground floor of the self-storage facility doesn’t need to be storage-related, the source reported.

The provision to allow self-storage into the city’s retail corridors means other developments could be eligible along Central Park Avenue as well as South Broadway.

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5/11/18 – Self-storage developer 1969 Central Avenue Corp. has proposed a mixed-use project for the same address in Yonkers, N.Y., that would include 49,420 square feet of storage space above 11,440 square feet of ground-floor retail. The site near Heights Drive is currently vacant. The property would include 104 parking spaces for shoppers and storage tenants, according to the source.

The application comes at a time when city officials are considering a zoning change to allow self-storage development in retail corridors as long as projects include retail on the ground floor. In its submission, the developer urged the city to move forward with the change.

"Self-storage/mini-storage in recent years has transformed from a traditional industrial type business to a more service/retail-oriented business similar to other business types allowable in the Central Park Avenue commercial corridor," company officials wrote in their application.

The planning board was scheduled to review the proposal on Wednesday, the source reported.

Source:
Lohud, Yonkers Approves Self-Storage in Retail Areas
Lohud, Yonkers Gets Self-Storage-Retail Hybrid Proposal

Access Self Storage, which operates more than 50 self-storage facilities in the United Kingdom, is expanding into the affordable-housing market with the acquisition of two adjacent properties in Ilford, England. One 42-story structure on Station Road will be converted to house 380 apartments, with office and commercial spaces on the ground floor. The second building, on High Road, will comprise 144 residences. The company also purchased the passageway between High Road and Station Road, known as the Bodgers Arcade, and conducted a survey of residents to see how they wanted the space transformed, according to the source.

Access sees the residential developments as long-term investments. “I hope they can really help Ilford,” Jonathan Stevenson, head of development, told the source. “I say that hand on heart. We are not looking to develop them quickly and turn them around for profit; we will be here for a long time. We know there is a real need for housing in Ilford, and we are really excited about the development.”

Community members had the opportunity to provide feedback on the residential projects last week. Access also sought input on the passageway. “We own the Bodgers Arcade, and we are trying to make sure it is a good route through to the High Road,” a company official said, noting that residents are currently reluctant to walk through the space at night.

Designs for the passageway include a historical nod to the area as well as a modern twist that would feature an optical tunnel and light installation, the source reported.

Access doesn’t operate any self-storage facilities within the town limits, but has several properties in the area. The company has a large concentration of storage sites in Greater London.

Sources:
Ilford Recorder, Residents Invited to Ilford on Thursday to Consult on Bodgers 42-Storey Tower Plans
Ilford Recorder, Bodgers Site Bought by Self Storage Company and Plans for 42-Storey Tower Unveiled in Ilford

Planning Development Inc. will break ground next month on Carl’s White Glove Personal Storage & Wine Vault in Naples, Fla., offering wine storage in addition to self-storage. The three-story building at 11201 U.S. 41 E. will comprise 90,972 square feet of climate-controlled storage, with 4,000 square feet dedicated to the wine vault. The project is slated to be complete by the end of the year, according to the source.

MHK Architecture & Planning designed the facility, while Gates Construction will be the general contractor.

The wine-storage area will include a back-up generator to maintain temperature and humidity during a power outage. Services will include inventory management and market valuation of collections as well as package pickup, delivery and acceptance. The number of units and sizes have yet to be determined, the source reported.

“Fine wines have quickly become one of Americans’ highest value asset classes. We are dedicated to treating our clients’ prized wine collections and inventories as if it were our own,” said Rachel Keller, a representative of Planning Development.

The project is Planning Development’s first storage venture. The company consulted with wine expert Bruce Nichols, who recently opened The Wine Store on Central Avenue in Downtown Naples. The 23 temperature-controlled wine lockers at his facility, which caters to private collectors, were leased shortly after the property opened, with most tenants signing annual contracts, according to the source.

Planning Development is one of several companies building new facilities in the region. Self-storage developers have submitted proposals for at least 10 projects in Collier County, Fla., since 2016.

Based in Naples, Planning Development has been in the Florida real estate business for more than 30 years.

Source:
Naples News, Wine storage Is Booming, With a New Project Coming to East Naples

Metro Storage LLC, which operates more than 130 self-storage locations in 14 states, has acquired a CubeSmart facility in Riverview, Fla. The newly constructed property at 11567 U.S. Route 301 contains five single-story buildings comprising 78,000 rentable square feet of storage space in 627 climate-controlled and drive-up units. Features include perimeter fencing, automatic gates and doors, and video cameras.

“The acquisition of this newly constructed facility located in the bustling Tampa Bay market brings Metro’s portfolio in the Florida market to 23 stores having over 1.6 million rentable square feet. We are excited about this excellent opportunity for our stakeholders,” said Metro Storage President Marty Gallagher.

Headquartered in Lake Forest, Ill., Metro Storage operates the Metro Self Storage brand. The privately owned, fully integrated real estate company specializes in the acquisition, development and management of self-storage facilities in Brazil, Central America and the United States. Its facilities comprise more than 8.7 million square feet of storage space.

CubeSmart is a self-storage real estate investment trust and third-party management firm that owns or manages 987 self-storage facilities across the United States. Its operating portfolio comprises more than 60.5 million square feet.

Source:
Benzinga, Metro Storage LLC Acquires Storage Facility in Riverview, Florida

 

The value of professional advice during a self-storage real estate transaction can’t simply be measured by wins and losses. Often, the most valuable guidance doesn’t even lead to a sale or purchase.

As a professional self-storage broker, I’ve analyzed and written articles on just about every aspect of the business over the years. However, I’ve rarely explained what the duties of good broker are and why we get paid to help people buy and sell properties. The easy answer is our clients believe they get value from our services.

What most outsiders don’t see or understand is the support of an experienced broker doesn’t start with the property listing; it starts several years—sometimes decades—before an owner even considers selling. In a recent survey of long-time industry brokers, it was clear many had been assisting their clients for more than 10 years, helping them with everything from rental-rate increases and property insurance to family matters, sales comparisons, industry vendors and financing, just to name a few.

Over the last several years, on average, more than a billion dollars in self-storage assets have traded hands annually. The overwhelming majority of transactions (90 percent or more) were handled by real estate brokers. However, there seems to be a rising trend of owners who are willing to consider transacting their properties “off-market” without professional help.

Today the value of an experienced self-storage broker is greater than ever. We’re seeing several large, well-capitalized buyers in the market, and many have in-house brokers or acquisition teams to solicit off-market deals. They entice owners with such things as no commissions, top-of-the-market valuation and quick closings. However, it’s clear they only have the buyer’s best interest in mind.

Understand What You’re Buying or Selling

The reality is while the dirt and bricks will be transferred by the deed, it’s the income steam that creates value in self-storage properties. In all income-producing assets, the valuation process is focused around net operating income and the potential for future revenue.

With all the new development in the self-storage industry in recent years, the potential of future income seems to be discounted. It’s important to understand the listing process doesn’t create value. Rather, the value of the property is already there and set by market buyers. Brokers aren’t magic-workers. It’s important to be wary of someone who tells you he can get you a crazy-high price for your property or who’s working for the buyer. The investment market is strong today, but finding a greater fool who’ll pay an outsized price for your property is a fool’s game!

There are many subtleties you need to consider when buying or selling self-storage, for example:

• Is there new competition?
• Is the property undermanaged?
• What’s the age of the construction?
• Is there embedded value in the current tenant base?
• Is the market growing?

An experienced broker will be able to look at the specific circumstances of your property and operation and adjust the valuation accordingly. Remember that value is determined by what a qualified buyer is willing to pay, and a property that’s priced appropriately for the market is far more likely to sell in a reasonable timeframe.

Exposure Sells and Experience Matters

In self-storage, like any other business, exposure sells! Without it, how would a prospective buyer ever know about a property for sale? The only way to guarantee you’re receiving the highest and best offer for your facility is to ensure the maximum number of qualified buyers are aware of the sale and have the proper information to evaluate the investment opportunity.

When discussing your listing with a qualified broker, ask about marketing channels. How will he give your property the best exposure to qualified buyers and provide real distribution? Simply putting the property online isn’t enough.

While buyers tend to be concentrated on lower prices and sellers prefer higher ones, the deal is completed at a point where both sides can agree. Using a broker in the process can make a big difference. Only an experienced professional has access to all the tools, industry knowledge and relationships that’ll ensure maximum value and the highest degree of success.

The bottom line is self-storage investing is very competitive today and experience matters. National industry appraisers have consistently found that broker-managed transactions sell for 5 percent to 20 percent more than those without, and in a shorter timeframe. An experienced broker can also recommend solutions to problems when they inevitably arise. His knowledge will lead to a smoother, more productive, more profitable outcome.

It’s important to understand the purpose of a broker and what he does to create value. A well-seasoned one will increase the professionalism and profitability of your transaction, whether you’re buying or selling. He’ll also ensure you have the best possible advice with the most comprehensive marketing program so you’re maximizing the value of your investment.

There’s the old saying that “The lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client.” The same is even more true of the real estate investor who acts as his own broker.

Ben Vestal is president of the Argus Self Storage Sales Network, a national network of real estate brokers who specialize in self-storage. Argus provides brokerage, consulting and marketing services to buyers and sellers via an extensive marketing platform for self-storage properties. Property listings and informational resources can be found at www.argus-selfstorage.com. For more information, call 800.55.STORE; e-mail [email protected].