Winning at Self Storage Land Searching: Tips for Staying Organized

The Importance of Staying Organized During Your Land Search for Self-Storage Development

Searching for the perfect piece of land to build your self-storage facility can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack, especially when juggling multiple on-market and off-market opportunities. Staying organized is crucial to ensure you don’t lose track of promising sites, miss out on hidden gems, or overlook key due diligence details. Here's why being organized is essential and a few strategies to keep your land search on point.

Why Organization Matters in Your Land Search

The self-storage development process is already a complex, multi-step journey. When you add the task of searching for land—often the most critical and time-consuming part of the project—the stakes become even higher. Without a solid organization system, you risk:

• Overlooking key opportunities: Land that meets your criteria can come and go quickly, so being methodical helps you respond before someone else snags it.
• Wasting time: Keeping all your notes, contacts, and research scattered means spending valuable time trying to piece everything together later.
• Missing critical deadlines: With zoning, due diligence periods, and LOI (Letter of Intent) negotiations, a lack of organization can cause delays that throw your project timeline off track.
• Losing focus: Being disorganized can create unnecessary confusion, making it difficult to evaluate and compare multiple properties.

Strategies for Staying Organized in Your Land Search

Here are some tried-and-true strategies to help you keep your land search organized and efficient.

1. Create a Land Search Tracker

A spreadsheet or project management software can be your best friend during a land search. Use a land search tracker to record every detail about potential sites, including:

• Property location and size: Keep track of addresses, parcel numbers, and acreage for easy reference.
• Zoning status and restrictions: Note current zoning, what’s permitted, and any potential roadblocks you might face.
• Price and terms: Jot down listing prices, contact details for sellers, and any preliminary offers or LOI details.
• Broker contacts: Log the names, contact info, and notes on brokers who are sending you deals or representing listed properties.
• Date contacted: Track when you contacted each party and set reminders for follow-ups.

This organized approach helps you make quick comparisons between properties and allows you to filter down options based on your evolving needs.

2. Use Digital Tools and CRM Systems

Consider using customer relationship management (CRM) tools like HubSpot or Salesforce to keep track of your land search communications. A CRM allows you to organize interactions with brokers, landowners, city officials, and other stakeholders, and set automated reminders for follow-up tasks. For off-market searches, a CRM can also help you track direct mail responses, cold calls, and networking efforts.

3. Establish a Priority System

Not all land opportunities are created equal. Create a rating system for your land leads based on key criteria like:

• Proximity to target demographics
• Traffic patterns and visibility
• Price and zoning flexibility
• Ease of development (e.g., flat land, utilities in place, minimal site work)

A color-coded system—like green for prime properties, yellow for second-tier options, and red for lower-priority sites—helps you focus your attention where it matters most.

4. Set Weekly Goals and Review Your Progress

Self-storage land searches can drag on for months. Setting weekly or bi-weekly goals helps keep your search from stalling. For example, set a goal to:

• Review at least five new on-market properties per week.
• Contact three brokers or landowners.
• Drive by at least two off-market properties to get a feel for their surroundings.

At the end of each week, review what worked and what didn’t, and adjust your strategy accordingly.

5. Document Everything

Whether it’s a phone conversation with a broker or a meeting with city officials, take detailed notes on every interaction. Record the who, what, when, and why of each conversation. It’s easy to forget a small but critical piece of information when you’re managing multiple properties and stakeholders.

Consider using a digital notebook like OneNote or Evernote, where you can categorize notes by property or create a running list of to-dos, meeting agendas, and takeaways.

6. Create a 'Land Search' Email Folder and Archive System

For every land deal, LOI, or email communication, create a dedicated folder in your inbox. Consider creating subfolders by status: "New Leads," "In Negotiation," "Due Diligence," and "Closed Deals." This system helps ensure that important emails don’t get buried and are easily retrievable.

7. Network Like It’s a Job

Finding the best deals often comes down to who you know. Keeping your networking efforts organized is just as important as tracking the land itself. Create a dedicated networking log to track:

• Conversations with city officials to stay updated on zoning changes or upcoming development incentives.
• Brokers and other real estate professionals who specialize in the type of land you’re seeking.
• Landowners with property adjacent to existing facilities (these parcels can be excellent off-market opportunities).

Set reminders to follow up periodically, even if it’s just to check in and stay top-of-mind.

8. Develop an Off-Market Land Search Strategy

Off-market land is often where the hidden gems are, but it requires diligence and organization to unearth these opportunities. Consider these strategies for off-market success:

• Use GIS (Geographic Information Systems) tools to identify parcels that meet your criteria.
• Send direct mail to landowners with personalized letters about your interest.
• Cold call landowners and track each attempt in your CRM.
• Drive targeted areas and keep notes on potential parcels, including owner details and condition of the land.

“Until we can manage time, we can manage nothing else.” – Peter Drucker

The land search process for self-storage development can feel overwhelming, but staying organized is your secret weapon. A structured approach, leveraging digital tools and prioritizing communication, allows you to manage multiple opportunities without letting any fall through the cracks. Stay focused, stay organized, and you’ll find the perfect piece of land faster than you think.

Remember: Finding the right land is the foundation of your entire project—laying that foundation requires a careful, organized approach.