For many investors, the path into real estate starts with single-family rentals. Bree Hartman took a different route. After running gyms and dabbling in residential rentals, she discovered that self-storage facilities offered the freedom, scalability, and income she was searching for.
Bree’s first deal was no small feat—a $3.1 million facility purchased with an SBA loan, just weeks before she gave birth. That experience shaped her approach to investing, and today, she leads Self Storage School, where she teaches others how to replicate her success.
One of the keys to her strategy is focusing on mom-and-pop owners, who still make up roughly 72% of the self-storage market. Many of these facilities lack websites, operate with outdated systems, and haven’t raised rents in years. For investors, that means immediate value-add opportunities with little to no capital expenditure.
Bree also emphasizes automation. From online leasing and digital gate codes to unmanned facilities with QR codes and call centers, technology makes it possible to run storage businesses efficiently with minimal staff. That operational simplicity is part of what makes self-storage attractive compared to other asset classes.
Financing is another cornerstone of her approach. Seller financing, in particular, offers a way to structure deals that benefit both buyers and sellers. For retiring owners looking for steady monthly income, it can be a win-win solution.
Through her school, Bree equips students with tools to identify promising markets, analyze deals, and close their first facility. As she explains, success in self-storage comes down to building relationships, recognizing operational inefficiencies, and being willing to take action.
For investors ready to move beyond tenants and toilets, self-storage might just be the gateway to long-term cash flow and time freedom.
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