The De Jong Self Storage Team at Colliers has completed the acquisition of SafeKeep Self Storage, a 291-unit facility in Ankeny, Iowa, on behalf of Lekaks Texas, LLC. The transaction, which closed on May 11, 2026, involved a 54,775 rentable square foot property located at 1792 NW Polk City Drive. Built in 2020, the facility offers a mix of climate-controlled units, non-climate-controlled units, and enclosed RV and boat parking, and was 82% physically occupied at closing.
Ankeny is a significant draw for investors, having been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 Best Place to Live in Iowa and #18 in the United States in 2025. The submarket is supported by major employers including Wells Fargo, Principal Financial Group, John Deere, Microsoft, and Meta, with population and household growth consistently outperforming national averages. This demographic strength, combined with constrained new supply, makes Ankeny an attractive target for institutional and private capital.
Tom de Jong, MBA, SIOR, Executive Vice President at Colliers, noted the property's alignment with current buyer preferences. “Ankeny is exactly the kind of market serious buyers are targeting right now – strong demographics, limited competition, and a demand base that isn’t going anywhere. This facility checks every box on what a disciplined institutional buyer is looking for in 2026: newer construction, a diversified unit mix, a proven operator market, and a submarket that hasn’t been flooded with new supply,” he said.
The buyer expressed satisfaction with the process. “We really have you to thank for finding SafeKeep and being our broker and mentor through this whole process. You were very easy to work with, and your competency and attention gave us the confidence to go down the path to owning a self-storage facility,” said a representative of Lekaks Texas, LLC.
This transaction underscores the growing buyer interest in well-located, stabilized self-storage assets in high-growth secondary markets. The Des Moines MSA continues to attract capital seeking assets with favorable demographics, limited new supply, and durable income profiles. The De Jong Self Storage Team, which has closed more than $2 billion in self-storage transactions across 32 states, provides full-lifecycle advisory services from site selection and development consulting through acquisition, disposition, and stabilized asset sales. More information about the team is available at Colliers.
The acquisition of SafeKeep Self Storage reflects a broader trend of investment in secondary markets where supply constraints and strong demand fundamentals support long-term returns. As the self-storage sector continues to mature, assets like SafeKeep, with modern construction and diversified unit mixes, are increasingly viewed as core investments.
