Speed Wins in Business

Speed is the single most important competitive advantage I lean on in business — especially in self-storage deals — and being fast often wins me the first look and the contract. I talk about real examples: a facility I’d chased for seven years finally came up and because I answered a broker’s email and call within minutes, I put in strong offers before others even woke up; that kind of responsiveness turns pocket listings into closed deals.

My practical rule is this: get 80% of the information up front, underwrite quickly, and move — perfectionism kills opportunities, and I’ll happily remind you that “perfection is a form of laziness.”

To move fast you’ve got to simplify: know your buy box, know what type of investor you are, streamline underwriting so you can decide in 30 seconds to a few minutes, and set processes (or a team) to handle leads and vendor quotes immediately.

Speed isn’t recklessness — don’t forget your metrics and legal protections — but it does build trust with brokers, vendors, and sellers who want partners that respond. I also share tactical stuff we use, like rapid auto-text replies for new leads and clear turnaround promises, because uncluttering your inbox and life makes speed sustainable.

Bottom line: get comfortable with good-enough information, act quickly, and you’ll see how many doors that opens.