Christopher Marr, president and CEO of CubeSmart (NYSE: CUBE), sat down for a video interview at Nareit’s REITweek: 2026 Investor Conference in New York, June 1-4.
Marr said the self-storage sector is benefiting from steady customer demand and improving pricing as the industry works through a wave of new supply delivered over the past several years.
While housing transactions remain below historical norms, Marr said the industry's core customer base has remained resilient.
"I would describe it today as steady demand, improving pricing, which is leading to improving fundamentals in the storage sector," he said. "I think we'll continue to see that trend throughout…2026."
Marr noted that self-storage demand is driven by everyday life events, from buying a home, starting a family, or changing jobs to more difficult transitions such as divorce or the loss of a loved one. Those consistent demand drivers have helped support occupancy across a wide range of markets and customer segments.
"The overwhelming majority of our customers start with some form of a search," Marr said. As artificial intelligence changes how consumers discover products and services, he expects those advantages to grow even stronger, comparing the shift to the industry's transition from the Yellow Pages to paid online search.