Strategic Storage
SmartStop Asset Management is a Ladera Ranch, California-based vertically integrated self-storage company operating as both an investment manager and property operator, managing approximately $3 billion in self-storage assets across the United States and Canada through its Strategic Storage Trust family of non-traded REITs and the SmartStop Self Storage brand. The firm manages SmartStop Self Storage REIT and related investment vehicles, providing individual investors with access to the self-storage real estate sector through non-traded REIT structures accessible through financial advisor distribution channels.
The SmartStop / Strategic Storage investment strategy focuses exclusively on the self-storage sector, an alternative real estate niche that has demonstrated attractive risk-adjusted returns, low capital expenditure requirements, and recession-resistant demand characteristics relative to other property types. Self-storage properties benefit from diverse demand drivers including household moves, life transitions, business storage needs, and urban living space constraints, providing stable occupancy rates across varying economic conditions. SmartStop's vertically integrated model — combining real estate investment management with third-party management services and its own branded SmartStop self-storage operating platform — provides operational depth and income that pure capital investors cannot access.
SmartStop Asset Management has established a recognized presence in the self-storage alternative real estate investment market, building both its institutional investment programs and its branded self-storage operating platform simultaneously. The firm's focus on self-storage reflects a conviction that the sector's unique supply-demand dynamics, low operating costs, and flexible lease structures make it one of the most attractive property types for income-oriented real estate investors. SmartStop's registered REIT products, distributed through broker-dealers and financial advisors, extend self-storage investment access to individual investors seeking income and real estate diversification within their portfolios.