By Taylor Williams A number of economic, demographic and bureaucratic headwinds are propelling investment in self-storage properties across Texas, such that some brokerage firms are on pace to have record-breaking deal volumes in 2021. Last year, the outbreak of COVID-19 postponed the typical leasing season of late spring and early summer. Individuals and businesses grappled with economic uncertainty by tightening their purse strings. But by fall of last year, leasing and occupancy rates had rebounded, making it clear to investors that self-storage assets tended to flow cash better than other property sectors. Consequently, a number of players shifted out of asset classes like retail, office and hospitality and into the more stable self-storage space. The early months of the pandemic also coincided with the natural tapering off of the development cycle in Texas. Numerous submarkets in major Texas cities had become overbuilt in the years leading up to 2020, and COVID-19 served as an additional governor on new supply, further bolstering leasing velocity and rent growth. And as the federal government pumped trillions of dollars of aid into the economy, ushering in a new era of inflation, investors were able to adjust their revenues to cover rising costs with ease.” …
