Self-storage real estate has ‘close to zero’ correlation to the broader economy. That's a good thing

Core Insights - Self-storage is identified as a low-risk, resilient investment sector, largely unaffected by interest rates, job growth, or income growth, according to Heitman's research [2] - Over the past 15 years, self-storage has outperformed other real estate sectors in net operating income, driven by factors such as lack of home space, moving, death, downsizing, and remodeling [3] - The correlation of self-storage REITs with traditional stock and bond portfolios is close to zero, indicating a low-risk profile for investors [4] Investment Drivers - The demand for self-storage is primarily driven by life events, including the aging U.S. population, growing millennial families, and downsizing baby boomers [5] - Despite a year-to-date decline of up to 16% in self-storage REIT stocks due to slower home sales and softer revenue growth, the sector is viewed as having favorable entry points for investment [4][5]