---
title: "What trends are shaping the future of self-storage?"
description: "**Short answer:** Mark sees an industry that has matured from a “toddler” in 1995 to a sophisticated adult. Steady yearly rent growth can no longer be assumed, decisions must be driven by accurate local data, AI will let owners build…"
url: "https://creatingwealththroughselfstorage.com/docs/future-of-self-storage-trends/"
updated: "2026-10-16"
category: "Market Trends & Outlook"
---

# What trends are shaping the future of self-storage?

**Short answer:** Mark sees an industry that has matured from a “toddler” in 1995 to a sophisticated adult. Steady yearly rent growth can no longer be assumed, decisions must be driven by accurate local data, AI will let owners build their own systems, and operational strength rather than size will decide who wins each trade area.

## The trends Mark highlights

- **Income growth isn’t automatic.** Even through the 2008–2010 recession, Mark saw income grow around 3% a year. Now some years are negative in many markets, partly because of large operators’ dynamic pricing. He advises projecting income from current required pricing and expected supply over the next 12 to 24 months, and is updating the Storage World Analyzer to reflect this.
- **Data-driven decisions.** Storage is hyper-local, so owners need reliable data on each trade area and on which marketing channels produce results at each facility.
- **Owner-designed systems.** Newer operating systems are replacing legacy ones, and Mark expects owners to use AI to build their own websites and operating systems within about five years.
- **Operational strength over size.** Better data and AI tools can help a smaller operator compete with much larger ones.
- **Every trade area is in its own cycle.** Some are expanding, some overbuilt, some balanced, some ready for more storage.

The days of building, running a Yellow Pages ad and renting up quickly are gone. Mark’s view is that the future rewards better decision-makers.

## Related answers

- [Is self-storage oversupplied, and where is the opportunity for smaller investors?](/docs/self-storage-supply-and-demand-today/)
- [How is AI changing self-storage operations?](/docs/ai-in-self-storage-operations/)
- [Do REITs outperform smaller self-storage owners?](/docs/reits-vs-small-self-storage-owners/)

**Source:** Mark’s post [The Storage Business I Knew Is Gone—Here’s What’s Coming Next](/the-storage-business-i-knew-is-gone-heres-whats-coming-next/)

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