Market Spotlight: Hot Springs, Arkansas
Whether it’s the medicinal healing waters that gave the city its name; some serious baseball history (this is the birthplace of spring training and the spot where Babe Ruth hit baseball’s first 500-foot-plus home run); or unique attractions like the alligator farm and petting zoo, Hot Springs, Arkansas has drawn people to it for generations.
And for Mini Mall Storage Properties, Hot Springs offers several strategic advantages as well.
Easy Access
Arkansas is known for its affordability and business-friendly environment. These factors, paired with Hot Springs’ appealing cost of entry, made it an ideal region for Mini Mall to deploy its hub and spoke model.
“This city is the perfect size to fit our business plan,” says Raheem Amer, president of U.S. operations. “Our framework dictates that all our facilities must be located within 30 minutes of a management hub. In Hot Springs, we had the opportunity to create a real market presence by acquiring 17 properties in close proximity, which means our manager is no farther than five minutes from any location.”
This ability to travel quickly and easily between locations is a cornerstone of Mini Mall’s strategy and helps us to elevate the customer experience to a universal standard. Mini Mall also uses technology paired with a human touch to provide a top-tier experience for an affordable price. Customers benefit from on-site managers, customer service specialists, and technological upgrades such as state-of-the-art security systems that allow tenants to access their units via a mobile app.
A market that makes sense
Real estate analytics provider CoStar finds that Hot Springs apartments rent for half the national average, making it an ideal place to put down roots, and with a metro population of 100,000, Hot Springs is demographically full of promise for the self-storage industry. According to the U.S. Migration Report, in 2021 Arkansas experienced, more active in-migration than any other state (by ratio). In that time, 44 per cent more people moved into the state than out, with many attracted by strong employment opportunities and an affordable cost of living.
Home to numerous stable industries including banking, finance, healthcare, logistics, and light manufacturing, the area has benefitted from strong job creation and income growth. In fact, CoStar reports that wages are climbing seven per cent per year, well above the national average, and are forecasted to remain strong when compared to the rest of the country.
The self-storage tenant profile for Hot Springs is also appealing. The region is home to a vibrant tourism industry, and retail intensification continues to drive strong demand from commercial tenants. Seasonal residents in Hot Springs and nearby resort communities also use self-storage for recreational vehicles and other items not needed throughout the year. In addition, there’s a growing retirement community, and renters make up a substantial portion of the population. Many homes lack basement storage, so people turn to self-storage facilities to reduce clutter.
“With every acquisition, we look for ways to bring technology and innovation to a self-storage facility, enhancing safety, security, and service for our customers,” says Raheem. “We were thrilled to bring our model to Hot Springs and demonstrate to this growing market what the future of self-storage can look like.”
As with every community we enter, we look forward to developing and deepening relationships with the residents of Hot Springs, a place with a rich history and, we believe, a vibrant future.
This commentary and the information contained herein are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities or related financial instruments. This article may contain forward-looking statements. Readers should refer to information contained on our website at https://www.avenuelivingam.com/forward-looking-statements for additional information regarding forward-looking statements and certain risks associated with them.
