You knew it had to happen. The self storage industry was going to find itself the target of a hot new reality television show. Well, it did happen. As you might have noticed, a little show called Storage Wars hit the airwaves with an expectedly warped version of reality. If you saw a crew like this nosing around your facility, you’d probably call the police. There are two ways to look at this.

The first is that over-the-top, unrealistic shows like Storage Wars will bring more attention to the industry, which is probably a good thing for those who already own storage units. More than a few people vegetating in front of their television are going to feel a light bulb pop on above their head and say, “You know what? We need a storage unit for all our crap.” Normally, trusting in the good judgment of the American public is a dangerous proposition, but reality television has been around long enough that everyone knows the game. It’s a skewed version of reality and only for entertainment purposes.

Find a cast of outrageous characters (we’re talking about you, Billy the Exterminator) and turn them loose in a previously boring industry. Of course, hilarity ensues. We don’t see that shows like Storage Wars are going to have any detrimental effect on those of who have made a career, not out of ransacking delinquent owners’ units, but from realizing there is a darn good potential for profit in this particular sector of real estate.

So, watch Storage Wars or don’t watch it. Enjoy a voyeuristic voyage into a world that, despite being called reality television, has nothing at all to do with the reality of the self storage industry. On the downside, now criminals are all too aware of the possible treasure trove of possessions that have been sitting right under their noses all along. Don’t be surprised if the incidence of break-ins goes up. The average self storage owner might have to put in that security fence or video cameras, but don’t worry too much. As a demographic, criminals are not that smart. Don’t believe us? Do a Google search on The Darwin Awards and prepare to entertained and amazed.

You also can expect that this present fascination with Storage Wars will soon pass into the dustbin of television history. Most of this kind of reality show has a very short shelf life.

The Commercial Investing Team

Commercial Investing Show