JF 4087: Solar-Powered Storage, Smart Financing and Future Growth ft. Steven Wear

Amanda Cruise and Ash Patel interview Steven Wear, chief marketing officer of SSSE, about the firm’s nationwide self-storage investments and how it’s evolving the model through creative financing and energy innovation. Steven explains how SSSE focuses on secondary and tertiary markets to avoid oversaturation and zoning risks, and why they advocate for local moratoriums once they’ve entered a market. He discusses using substitution of collateral strategies to maximize returns on seller-financed deals, creating a self-sustaining capital engine. The conversation also explores how SSSE integrates solar power, geothermal, and potential data center partnerships to turn storage facilities into power-generating assets, revealing a forward-thinking vision for the future of self-storage. Steven WearCurrent role: Chief Marketing Officer, SSSEBased in: Chicago, IllinoisSay hi to them at: https://ssse.com/ | LinkedIn Alternative Fund IV is closing soon and SMK is giving Best Ever listeners exclusive access to their Founders’ Shares, typically offered only to early investors. Visit smkcap.com/bec to learn more and download the full fund summary. Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at: https://www.besteverconference.com/ Join the Best Ever Community The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria. Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠⁠ Podcast production done by⁠ ⁠Outlier Audio⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices