I though REITs focused for the opposite. I wonder if it’s driven by the city? Are the storage units you’re looking at in low cost or high cost areas?
Different markets are definitely hotter than others. Houston, Miami, Austin, Los Angeles are some of the more lucrative markets, but even small markets have strong players. Self-storage is fairly democratic in the markets served. I've visited facilities in rural town that are wildly successful for the owners, as well as small facilities outside of Manhattan Beach.
(1) https://www.reit.com/what-reit/reit-sectors/self-storage-rei...