Sponsor Profile

SmartStop

Ladera Ranch, CA · Founded 2013 · smartstop.com · Reviewed July 2026

SmartStop is a self-storage REIT (NYSE: SMA) that completed an $810 million IPO in April 2025 and sponsors self-storage DSTs through its broader platform, with assets in the $7 billion-plus range post-listing. Its…

Baker 1031 Investments is an independent broker-dealer representative and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by SmartStop. This page is Baker 1031’s own research profile of the sponsor. SmartStop and its logo are trademarks of their respective owner, used here for identification only.

Assets Under Mgmt
$7B
Year Founded
2013
Headquarters
Ladera Ranch, CA

SmartStop Overview

SmartStop is a self-storage REIT (NYSE: SMA) that completed an $810 million IPO in April 2025 and sponsors self-storage DSTs through its broader platform, with assets in the $7 billion-plus range post-listing. Its pure-play self-storage focus, internal management and combined U.S.-and-Canada footprint give it a clean, single-sector thesis, and the recent public listing adds a transparency and liquidity dimension uncommon among DST sponsors. For exchangers, it offers concentrated exposure to a resilient, low-operating-intensity asset class.

SmartStop Strategies & Advantages

  • Self-storage pure-play, concentrated exposure to a resilient, low-operating-intensity asset class.
  • NYSE-listed (ticker SMA) after an $810 million IPO in April 2025, rare transparency/liquidity for a DST sponsor.
  • Sponsors self-storage DSTs through its broader platform.
  • Internally managed, capturing operating economics.
  • Operates a combined U.S. and Canada storage footprint.
These describe the sponsor’s approach and potential advantages only, and should be weighed against the risks common to DST investments — illiquidity, loss of principal, and no guaranteed distributions. Full risk factors are in each offering’s Private Placement Memorandum.

SmartStop Track Record

Baker 1031 does not yet have full-cycle, deal-by-deal results for SmartStop in its dataset. Aggregate figures above, where shown, are sponsor-reported and not independently verified. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Current SmartStop Offerings

Baker 1031 tracks this sponsor’s active DST and 1031-eligible offerings. Verified investors can review what’s currently available. Browse current offerings →

Gerald F. “Jerry” Baker, III — Founder & Managing Principal, Baker 1031 Investments · FINRA Series 22 / 63 · SIE. Read full bio →

Sponsor figures are sponsor-reported and not independently verified; they may reflect selection and survivorship bias, and past performance does not guarantee future results. This profile is educational and is not investment advice or an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security. Offerings are available only to accredited investors and are made solely through the sponsor’s Private Placement Memorandum. Securities offered through Aurora Securities, member FINRA/SIPC. Real estate investments involve risk, including possible loss of principal.

← All sponsors View current offerings →