On the “Raising Private Money” podcast, Jay Conner sat down with self-storage entrepreneur Bree Hartman for a deep dive into how everyday investors can break into the lucrative world of self-storage. Bree’s journey from an accidental landlord to managing a $6 million storage portfolio is both inspiring and practical — filled with actionable steps anyone can follow to succeed in this overlooked real estate niche.
From Accidental Rental to Storage Empire
Bree Hartman didn’t start out aiming for a real estate empire. Like many, she worked a regular W2 job and initially stumbled into real estate by renting out her first home. This standard entry led to all-too-common headaches — from tenant troubles to property damage — making her realize traditional rentals didn’t offer the lifestyle freedom she wanted.
The turning point came when Bree learned about self-storage through podcasts. What caught her attention was its simplicity: no toilets, no tenants, fewer hassles. Motivated, she attended a self-storage conference in Las Vegas while pregnant, determined to find and buy her first facility before her baby arrived. It took about nine months, but her persistence paid off with a successful acquisition in Louisiana, despite being a completely remote market for her.
Early Lessons and Avoiding Landmines
One of the biggest hurdles Bree faced was dealing with imposter syndrome and financial limitations. She teamed up with two partners she met at a conference to purchase their first $3 million property using a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan. This maneuver required only 10% down, making large deals accessible without deep pockets.
Bree emphasizes that careful, thoughtful partnerships are essential. Clarity around responsibilities, risk, and tough contingencies such as death, divorce, bankruptcy, or unfulfilled duties ensures longevity and mutual trust within the partnership. She and her partners spent months with an attorney crafting these agreements, a decision she credits for the successful, ongoing nature of their professional relationship.
The Storage Freedom Formula
A frequent question Bree receives is how she manages facilities across various states while working from home. Her answer is the “Storage Freedom Formula,” which revolves around smart operations and systems management. She describes three operational models:
- DIY Approach: Some owners, like a firefighter she mentions, self-manage their properties remotely, spending just a handful of hours each week.
- Hybrid Model: This is Bree’s preferred method and what she teaches her students. It involves a local “boots on the ground” person for physical tasks, combined with a remote call center trained to handle sales and tenant interactions. The result is near-hands-off management while ensuring quality service.
- Third-Party Management: Suitable for larger facilities, this approach uses professional property managers but still requires oversight to maintain standards and profitability.
Technology is central to successful remote management. Prospective tenants can rent and pay online, receive instant gate and unit access codes, and move in without on-site staff. Even rental offices are repurposed for additional income streams, such as leasing to local businesses.
Multiple Revenue Streams and Value Adds
Self-storage is more than just renting units. Bree highlights how creativity and attention to detail can unlock multiple revenue streams: climate-controlled and non-climate units, RV and boat storage, cell towers, tenant insurance, billboards, U-Haul partnerships, and dynamic pricing based on demand. These add-ons not only increase monthly income but also significantly boost the facility’s value. Her approach often leads to rapid appreciation and opportunities to refinance or sell for substantial profits.
Finding Deals Others Miss
While many investors focus on listings and brokers, Bree is a fierce advocate for crafting custom off-market deal lists. She and her students scour Google, Secretary of State filings, and white pages to directly contact mom-and-pop owners in overlooked secondary or tertiary markets. Consistently reaching out and building relationships with these owners opens doors to seller financing and creative deal structures.
One success story involved a student landing a 10,000 square-foot Texas facility with just $9,000 down using seller financing, adding value through billboards and U-Haul rentals, and setting themselves up for a significant equity gain within a few years.
Is It Too Late for Self-Storage? Absolutely Not.
Despite a boom in new builds in some metropolitan areas, Bree notes that opportunity abounds in smaller markets with steady demand and less competition from giant REITs. The “four Ds” — death, divorce, downsizing, and disaster — drive resilient, recession-resistant demand for storage. Plus, the ongoing wave of retiring baby boomer owners means motivated sellers who may prefer passive income via seller financing.
Taking Action: The Real Difference-Maker
Ultimately, Bree Hartman’s most powerful advice is simple: learn quickly, take action, make offers, and follow up relentlessly. She notes that consistent action — even if imperfect — beats endless research and overthinking. Deals are not won by those who wait, but by those who actively put themselves out there, offer solutions, and build relationships.
For anyone looking to get started in self-storage, the key is to leverage partnerships, master remote operations, and pursue creative off-market deals. With the right mindset and systems, a lucrative and flexible investing business is within reach.
10 Discussion Questions from this Episode:
- How did Bree Hartman’s accidental entry into real estate investing shape her approach to building a self-storage portfolio?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of partnering with others on your first commercial real estate deal, according to Bree Hartman’s experience?
- How does seller financing work in self-storage acquisitions, and why does Bree Hartman believe it creates win-win outcomes?
- What systems and frameworks make it possible to manage storage facilities remotely, as described in Bree Hartman’s “storage freedom formula”?
- Discuss the various revenue streams in self-storage that Bree Hartman mentioned. Which do you think has the most potential for scalability?
- Why does Bree Hartman focus on third and fourth-tier markets instead of competing with large REITs in major metropolitan areas?
- How does Bree Hartman find off-market deals, and why does she believe creating a custom owner list is more effective than relying on brokers or listed properties?
- What are the psychological or mindset barriers Bree Hartman described when moving from residential to commercial storage facilities, and how did she overcome them?
- Why does Bree Hartman stress the importance of making offers—even low ones—to storage facility owners?
- According to the episode, what separates action-takers from those who remain stuck when trying to buy their first storage facility?
Fun facts that were revealed in the episode:
- Accidental Empire
Bree Hartman started her real estate journey by accident—she simply rented out her first home, which opened the door to building a self-storage portfolio now worth over $6 million. - Remote Control
Bree Hartman successfully manages storage facilities across several states—including Louisiana, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Texas—all while living in Sacramento, California. Thanks to smart systems and the “hybrid model,” she can run her business from home and spend more time with her daughter. - Eight Ways to Make Money
Self-storage isn’t just about renting out simple lockers. Bree Hartman revealed that her facilities have as many as eight different revenue streams—ranging from traditional storage units to cell towers, office rentals, U-Haul partnerships, and tenant insurance upsells.
Timestamps:
00:00 Bree Hartman’s real estate journey
04:55 Learning to finance deals
08:46 Learning through action and questions
11:01 Managing multiple remote facilities
13:55 Automated storage unit systems
18:22 Finding off-market storage deals
20:31 Real estate investment strategy
23:41 Predicting future market opportunities
27:52 Encouraging persistent follow-ups
30:44 Securing a property in Texas
33:56 Connect with Bree Hartman:
916-579-7209
Self-Storage Calculator:
https://www.selfstorageschool.com/calculator
34:46 Taking Action in Real Estate
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