The Self Storage Investment It was the real estate developers of the late 1960s who first recognized the growing demand for residential and commercial storage. They also recognized the enormous investment potential self storage offered. With that, the stage was set for the industry we know today. With a return on investment (ROI) often twice that of traditional real estate investments, the self-storage industry has doubled in size every decade since. Today, few businesses outperform self storage when it comes to high cash returns. As a solid real estate investment, it offers rapid asset appreciation and greater passive income than other business ventures.