In this episode of the AAA Storage podcast, we explore how to navigate economic cycles within the self-storage industry, featuring insights from Paul Bennett. With expertise spanning several decades and economic downturns, Paul shares his experiences weathering financial storms from the 2008 crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dive into the strategies that make self-storage a resilient asset class, even in tumultuous times, and the fundamentals that continue to offer long-term investment stability.

Key Highlights:

• Understanding the resilience of self-storage during economic shifts, including insights from the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The impact of market correlation and alternative investments on self-storage performance.
• The strategic advantages of investing in non-metro self-storage facilities to avoid market saturation.
• Current market trends, including the effects of interest rates and new developments on self-storage demand.
• Strategies for self-storage investors during challenging economic times and upcoming market opportunities.

Quotes:

• "Self-storage has the lowest default rate of any type of real estate on the planet." – Paul Bennett
• "Buy when other people are selling; develop when other people are afraid." – Paul Bennett
• "The dynamics are consistent enough that what happens to a self-storage deal in a bad economy is that it simply takes longer to lease up." – Paul Bennett