Earlier this month, we brought together nine of our most forward-thinking customers for Cubby's inaugural Customer Advisory Board meeting in New York City. These operators collectively manage hundreds of properties across North America, representing everything from family-run businesses to institutional third-party management firms.

What emerged from two days of candid conversations wasn't just product feedback—it was a masterclass in modern self-storage operations. Here's what we learned.

The State of Lead Conversion in 2025

One of our most data-rich discussions centered on what's actually working to convert leads into tenants. The numbers told an interesting story:

The group's average web session to rental conversion rate: 1.8% (compared to 1% across our broader customer base). Their lead conversion rate held steady at 63%—close to the industry average of 65%. But the tactics driving these results revealed where the industry is heading.

The Rise of AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)

"We see a future where tenants are purchasing through AI agents," one operator noted. This shift from traditional SEO to AEO means your website needs to be optimized not just for Google's algorithm, but for large language models that read and synthesize your entire site.

Key takeaways:

• Google Reviews matter more than ever — they're often the first thing AI agents reference

• Website accuracy is critical; LLMs will read everything, including outdated pricing or incorrect unit details

• Traditional SEO fundamentals still apply: fast load times, backlinks, proper citations

The Review Strategy That Actually Works

Multiple operators shared their systematic approaches to generating Google reviews:

• Timing matters: Send review requests right after move-in or following positive interactions

• Make it physical: One operator keeps Zappy Carts on facility desks to encourage reviews

• Automate the process: Use tools like Revy or StorageReach to systematically capture feedback

Revenue Optimization: What's Actually Moving the Needle

Rate Increases

• Most operators implement increases at 6, 9, or 12-month intervals—unless the tenant's rent already exceeds street rate

• Tenants from 2021-2023 move-ins are often exempt (they're already at peak rates)

• Auto-pay is your friend: Operators with 80%+ auto-pay adoption see significantly smoother rate increase acceptance

The Value-Based Pricing Opportunity

With Cubby, several operators are seeing high rates upsell rates using value-based pricing. One operator is experimenting with tiered service levels—things like dedicated phone numbers, priority access, or premium unit locations.

The post-purchase opportunity: Why stop at checkout? The most sophisticated operators are exploring welcome bag upsells, unit upgrade offers, and premium service add-ons after the initial rental.

Hidden Revenue in Ancillary Fees

Operators are exploring different approaches for fee structures:

• Lien fees ($30 standard)

• Auction fees (charged the day before auction)

• Gate access fees for specific tenant segments

The key insight? These need to be clearly displayed on invoices and systematically applied—which requires your software to support custom fee structures.

What We're Building Based on Your Feedback

The product feedback session was energizing. Here's what we heard loud and clear:

You Want Transparency on Our Roadmap

Operators appreciated how our team cares about their feedback, shouting out their CSMs at Cubby for hearing their feedback and actioning it with our product team. Operators asked us to do even more when it comes to our roadmap.

Our commitment: We will share more product releases publicly. As always, please share your feedback with us. We commit to always building operator-first.

AI Needs to Do More Than Answer Calls

Operators love Cubby Calls, but they want AI to go further:

• Automatically create tasks based on call content ("I'm going to get a lawyer" should trigger immediate follow-up)

• Send notifications when calls are scored poorly

• Generate insights from patterns across hundreds of conversations

Good news: Our product team is already designing this.

Operators Loved our Cubby 2026 Vision

Our Head of Design, Jan, shared our Cubby 2026 product vision. This sparked lots of amazing ideas and feedback. Overall, the CAB seemed excited about where Cubby is headed.

Perhaps more importantly, the CAB shared how valuable it was to be looped into our product vision. As one operator put it, "It's helpful to know what you're building, so that we don't have to go solve that problem in some other way, and we know Cubby is handling it soon!"

How We Approached Our First Customer Advisory Board

Running our first CAB was a learning experience, and we wanted to share what worked (and what we'd do differently) for other companies considering this format.

Why We Invested in a CAB

A Customer Advisory Board isn't just product feedback—it's strategic intelligence. We learned:

• What's actually working with Cubby (not just what people say in sales calls)

• Where the industry is heading through pattern recognition across diverse operators

• What NOT to build (sometimes as valuable as what to prioritize)

• Who your champions are (and how to activate them)

Our Format

Day 1: Structured Roundtables

• 45-minute sessions on specific topics (lead conversion, revenue optimization)

• Data-driven framing (share benchmarks to anchor discussion)

Day 2: Product Deep-Dive

• Live product feedback with our design and product team

• Prioritization exercises (what matters most?)

• Blue-sky ideation (what should exist in 3 years?)

And some fun! We went golfing, had a great dinner, and connected with each other as partners.

The Meta-Insight: Community Matters

Perhaps the biggest takeaway came from the operators themselves. When asked what they'd take away from the CAB, the answers weren't about product roadmaps or feature requests:

"Being unfiltered and sharing with customers who actually get it."

"Networking with people running the same software—getting granular with folks facing the same challenges."

"Understanding what I DON'T have to worry about because Cubby is building it."

This points to something bigger: Modern self-storage operators need community, not just software. You're navigating AI adoption, changing consumer behavior, and operational complexity that didn't exist five years ago. Learning from peers who face the same challenges is invaluable.

What's Next

It doesn't stop here! Based on CAB feedback, we're committed to:

• Annual Customer Advisory Board: The board will change each year. As an operator-first company, time with our customers is critical. It's how we grow and it's how our customers grow. We're exploring ways to create spaces for Cubby operators outside of just our CAB... stay tuned!

• Sharing our Product Releases and Updates: More insight into our new product features, what we're building and why.

• Operator Spotlights: Showcasing what's working across our customer base.

For the operators who attended: thank you for your candor, your time, and your insights. You made us better, and based on the LinkedIn connections and follow-up conversations happening, we hope you found it valuable too.

We'll be running CAB meetings 4x yearly, continuing to bring together the sharpest minds in self-storage operations to shape the future of the industry.

Cubby Customer & want to dive deeper into these topics? Reach out to your customer success manager. We're here to discuss how these insights apply to your operation.

Not a Cubby Customer but interested? Request a demo at https://cubbystorage.com/