Self-storage is one of the most resilient asset classes in commercial real estate, but securing the right financing takes expertise. Anchor Financial Services helps owners and buyers get deals done.
Self-storage facilities are among the most attractive small business investments: low labor costs, recession-resistant demand, and strong cash flow. But lenders who don’t understand the industry often undervalue the business or misread the financials.
Michael Ellsberry has consulted across hundreds of business types and understands exactly how to present a storage facility’s financials: occupancy rates, unit mix revenue, climate-controlled premiums, and NOI, in a way lenders actually respond to.
Storage facilities are valued on NOI, not just assets. Your financials need to tell a clear story.
Lenders scrutinize occupancy history. We help you present ramp-up periods and seasonal patterns correctly.
Ground-up builds and conversions require specialized loan structures most banks won’t touch without guidance.
Climate-controlled units, boat/RV storage, and drive-up access all affect value. We document them properly.
From your first acquisition to a multi-facility portfolio, we structure the financing and provide the consulting that helps storage businesses grow.
Buying an existing storage facility? We structure your loan package and identify lenders who understand how to underwrite storage income correctly.
No upfront fees
Building a new facility or converting an existing property into storage? These deals require specialized structuring. We know how to get them done.
No upfront fees
Already own a storage facility? We dig into your operations and identify where you can charge more, cut costs, and outperform the market.
Adding units, upgrading to climate control, or refinancing at better terms? We structure the deal and find lenders experienced with storage facility debt.
Thinking about selling your facility? We help you prepare your financials to maximize your valuation and attract qualified buyers and lenders.
Build the financial clarity you need to grow, with projections, budgets, and lender-ready documents that accurately reflect your storage business.
Here are examples of the kinds of situations we navigate for storage facility owners and buyers.
An investor wanted to purchase a 280-unit self-storage facility as their first commercial real estate acquisition. Their local bank declined, citing unfamiliarity with storage income underwriting and the buyer’s lack of commercial real estate history.
We restructured the loan presentation to clearly document NOI, benchmarked occupancy against market comps, and identified an SBA-preferred lender with prior storage facility experience.
A family-owned storage facility had operated at 70% occupancy for three years despite being in a high-demand market. The owners believed the market had simply maxed out.
Our analysis found significant underpricing on climate-controlled units, a poor unit mix for local demand, and no online rental capability. We delivered a specific action plan with pricing and operational changes.
An established storage owner wanted to add a second building of climate-controlled units on adjacent land they already owned. Their existing bank relationship wouldn’t extend further credit without a personal guarantee on all assets.
We identified a non-bank commercial lender experienced in self-storage construction and structured the deal as a standalone project loan, keeping the existing debt separate.
Michael Ellsberry has spent more than 13 years consulting small business owners across a wide range of industries, including self-storage operators at every stage, from first-time buyers to multi-facility owners looking to maximize value before a sale.
His background spans business consulting, loan brokerage, and hands-on experience running a family business. He’s consulted over 1,000 businesses and helped secure more than $47 million in financing across his career. He understands how lenders think, and how to present your storage facility in a way that gets deals approved.
“Self-storage is a great business. Most of the time when a deal falls apart, it’s a presentation problem, not a business problem. That’s what we fix.”
When you engage Anchor Financial Services, you work directly with Mike from the first conversation through closing or final report delivery. No hand-offs, no junior staff.
No cost for an initial conversation. Whether you’re buying, building, expanding, or improving an existing facility. Reach out and we’ll talk through your situation.
No fees. No commitment. Mike will follow up personally.
No fees are ever charged in advance. All information is kept strictly confidential.