Self-storage trades, meanwhile, are on pace for a third straight yearly bump
The data-center development boom is driving trading of such properties toward a fourth consecutive annual record as sales of self-storage properties also trend upward.
Data-center trades of at least $25 million tallied $1.63 billion during the first half of 2026, up 171.8% from a year earlier. And given that sales typically pick up in the second half, and that investor demand for such properties appears to be nearly bottomless, the full-year high of $3.32 billion set in 2025 could well be within reach.
Among sales brokers in the sector, 2025 league-table winner Eastdil Secured has built a commanding lead at midyear. Its tally of three sales for $1.17 billion equated to a market share of 81.3%, according to Green Street’s Sales Comps Database.
Second-place CBRE also completed three deals to retain its yearend position. They totaled $194.1 million, equating to a market share of 13.4%. JLL and Colliers each notched one sale to finish a distant third and fourth, with shares of less than 3%.
To be sure, the volume of data-center sales remains muted compared with the amount of capital flowing into the space. That’s in part because the bulk of activity remains in development. In addition, many of the largest investors in the space are employing longer-term strategies.
Still, the multiyear runup in sales is expected to continue as more properties are delivered and become operational. To that end, this year’s second-quarter sales total of $1.56 billion was the second-highest recorded since Real Estate Alert began tracking data-center trades in 2018. Only last year’s fourth quarter was higher, at $2.21 billion.
Sales are climbing in the self-storage space as well, where first-half institutional trading hit its third-highest level since Real Estate Alert began keeping track in 2019. Trades of at least $25 million in the sector hit $2.82 billion from January to June, up 128.1% from a year earlier and already within striking distance of 2025’s full-year count of $3.82 billion.
A growth year would be the third straight for the asset class. But volume remains a far cry from the 2021 full-year peak of $13.04 billion.
Eastdil, which finished 2025 in second place among brokers in the sector after registering zero deals at midyear, now leads the pack by a wide margin. Its $1.86 billion of sales equates to a 71.2% market share, with a majority of the credit tied to a single deal in which it advised Carlyle Group on the sale of a $1.03 billion portfolio to StorageMart.
JLL also has moved up since yearend, to second from fourth, notching $324.9 million of sell-side work for a 12.4% market share. Cushman & Wakefield held steady in third with $170.8 million of sales and a 6.5% share. Newmark, meanwhile, climbed one position to fourth and CBRE tumbled to fifth from first, both with shares around 3%. Sixth-place Colliers also had a share of around 3%. Marcus & Millichap (1.3%) was the only other broker credited with sales.
Broker rankings are based on property transactions that closed in the first half and that involved full or partial stakes valued at $25 million or more. When multiple brokers shared a listing, the dollar credit was divided evenly, but each broker was credited with one transaction. Only brokers for sellers were given credit. Portfolio transactions were included if the package price was at least $25 million.
