Research Reports

Explore data-driven research on real estate, housing, self storage, moving trends and economic forces shaping today’s markets.

Fairway America: Retail-to-Storage Repurposing Is a Great Investment

The lowering of street rates in many parts of the country might indicate that there are enough self-storage facilities already, and yet they are still being built. To find out more, we talked to a leading investment company with a special interest in this sector. As it turns out, investment in self-storage is still a great idea and it can be done most successfully if you keep your business ahead of the game, according to Fairway America.

Back of truck driving past sunny field

California-Texas Emerges as the Busiest Interstate Relocation Route, with Moving Costs Starting at $3,700

Mobility and moving in search of new opportunities is deeply ingrained in the American lifestyle, and having this type of mindset can be economically beneficial. Moreover, moving gives people freedom of choice regarding the best place for their needs, whether they’re on a quest for better housing, specialized academic opportunities, or a more varied cultural and entertainment scene.

New York Subway Train

Where’s Public Transportation Going Today? Major Cities Move in the Right Direction

Driving a car is still America’s favorite way to get to work, but public transit use has been increasing across the nation at almost twice the rate. Congestion and commute times for car riders have increased, making public transport more appealing, while also providing an environmentally and economically-friendly solution.

Boston’s Self-Storage Sector Shows Signs of Strength, Despite Negative Y-O-Y Performance

Boston’s self-storage market is historically under-supplied, featuring a net market penetration of 4.5 rentable square feet per capita, lower than both the national average of 6.3 square feet per capita and the traditional benchmark of 7 square feet per capita.

The Portland Paradox: Self-Storage Construction Still Active, Despite Drop in Street Rates

The self-storage industry in the Portland metro area is following a trend that, at first sight, seems rather contradictory. While street rates for self-storage are declining, the proportion of planned and under- construction projects remains one of the highest in the nation.

Extra Space Storage 11111 Quail Roost Drive Miami FL

Top 5 Add-Ons for Self-Storage Facilities

Over the last decade, few real estate sectors have skyrocketed like the self-storage market. The growth in this industry can be explained by increased urbanization and an improved economic outlook.

Houston TX skyline

Houston Self-Storage: Does Space City Need Any More of It?

Houston is famous for space, not just NASA’s center for human spaceflight, but also the way it has tended to expand to accommodate a growing population. The same might be said for the self-storage industry in the city, which has 68.4 million square feet of space, and its self-storage footage per person ratio of more than 9.5 is one of the highest in the country, according to Yardi Matrix in July 2019. But the data also reveals that street rates on a range of self-storage unit sizes in Space City have dropped significantly on a year-over-year basis.

Top 5 Markets for New Self-Storage Construction

The self-storage industry has become one of real estate’s hotspots, mostly thanks to the growing job market and heightened demand that keeps investors busy. Whether people are buying more, or, on the contrary, are downsizing their home, they need storage facilities to keep things in order. According to the National Self-Storage Report conducted by Yardi Matrix in August 2019, the development activity intensified in about 40% of the top markets, compared to the previous month, with the number of self-storage projects under construction or in the planning stages being equivalent to 9.5% of the total current inventory. Drawn from Yardi Matrix’s national database of more than 27,000 stores, here are the top 5 hottest markets for new self-storage construction:

Growing Demand, Low Vacancy Make Baltimore a Tight Self-Storage Market

Baltimore is going through an economic revival driven by its traditional powerhouses – higher education, healthcare and biosciences – and by other factors, like the resurgence of the real estate market and an upsurge in tech startups.