Investments In Focus
Forum Make Space Storage Fund
Product Overview
At Forum Make Space, we focus on acquiring and operating self-storage and alternative storage assets across Canada, primarily in suburban and secondary markets where we believe supply-demand fundamentals are strongest and institutional competition is limited. Through the Forum Make Space Storage Fund, investors gain access to a diversified and growing portfolio of storage facilities, portable container rentals, and outdoor vehicle storage. By concentrating on underserved markets with lower storage supply per capita, we are able to drive strong occupancy and pricing, creating a solid foundation for consistent performance.
What we do is simple and hands-on: we acquire underperforming “mom-and-pop” storage facilities and improve them through better operations, pricing, technology, and targeted expansions. Backed by a vertically integrated platform and a partnership between Forum Asset Management and Make Space, we actively manage assets to drive NOI growth. For investors, this means exposure to a diversified portfolio across Canada, monthly income distributions, and strong alignment with the sponsors, who have invested significant capital alongside investors.
Investment Thesis
We believe self-storage in Canada—particularly in suburban and secondary markets—offers a compelling, defensive investment opportunity with the potential for both stable income and long-term growth. Demand for storage tends to remain resilient across market cycles, and by focusing on underserved regions with limited institutional competition and lower supply per capita, we can acquire assets at attractive valuations and benefit from strong occupancy and pricing dynamics.
What differentiates our strategy is our exclusive focus on these overlooked markets, combined with full vertical integration and strong alignment with investors through significant sponsor capital. In a landscape where private storage investment options have narrowed, we provide a differentiated offering with institutional discipline, stable monthly distributions, and a clear path to value creation driven by operations—not market timing or sentiment.
Team
We bring together the strengths of Forum Asset Management and Make Space to deliver a fully integrated self-storage platform. With nearly 30 years of experience in capital markets, asset management, and fundraising, alongside over 20 years of direct self-storage operating experience, we manage the entire investment lifecycle—from sourcing and acquiring assets to operating them and reporting to investors—ensuring alignment and accountability at every stage.
Our leadership team reflects this hands-on approach. Danny Freedman, our CEO, has been a key driver of Make Space’s growth since 2010 and focuses on expanding the platform, raising capital, and executing on acquisitions and portfolio strategy. On the financial side, Candace Basi, our EVP of Finance, leads all reporting, valuation, and fund analytics, bringing experience from Deloitte and Smythe along with a strong operational lens. Together, we operate as one team with aligned capital and a shared focus on disciplined execution—so investors know we are not just managing the platform, we are fully invested in its success alongside them.
Structure of the Offering
Through the Forum Make Space Storage Fund, we offer investors access to a diversified portfolio of institutional-quality self-storage assets across Canada within an open-ended structure. Our focus is on delivering a balanced return profile—targeting 10–15% annual total returns—with monthly cash distributions, currently targeting $0.45 per unit annually (approximately 4.0% yield). The Fund is eligible for registered accounts, and distributions are primarily treated as return of capital, which can be efficient from a tax perspective. At its core, this is designed to be a long-term investment, allowing us the time to execute on our strategy and build value across the portfolio.
We do offer structured liquidity, but we encourage investors to approach this as a longer-term allocation—one where the real value comes from operational improvements, portfolio growth, and compounding over time. Our fee structure is designed to align with performance, including a 1.50% asset management fee and a 20% performance fee above a 7% hurdle (with a high-water mark), and we invest alongside our clients to ensure shared outcomes. As with any real estate investment, there are risks tied to market conditions, interest rates, and execution, but we look to mitigate these through active management, diversification, and disciplined valuations. Additional details, including our website, presentations, and investor materials, are available for those who want a deeper look into how we invest and operate.