Q&A with Vice President of Bridge Loans Jason Robinson

Jason Robinson has been with Extra Space Storage since 2024. In his role as Vice President of Bridge Loans, he leads a team responsible for originating and managing the bridge loan portfolio. He oversees loan performance and risk, working to maintain strong partner relationships throughout the lending process.

In this Q&A, Robinson reflects on his career in commercial real estate lending and self storage, including challenges, successes, rewarding moments, and the advice he would offer to future leaders.

How did your career path lead you to Extra Space Storage?

I've worked in commercial real estate lending for more than 20 years. I spent the first 13 years of my lending career at Zions Bank, a large regional bank here in Salt Lake City, where we primarily focused on real estate loans for small businesses. After that, I joined Morgan Stanley, where I led a team responsible for underwriting and managing a portfolio of commercial real estate loans for ultra-high-net-worth clients.

As is often the case in the corporate world, new opportunities come from past connections. Jeff Norman, Extra Space Storage's CFO, and I worked together at Zions Bank many years ago. I knew he had been with Extra Space Storage for several years and genuinely enjoyed working here. When I began looking for a new opportunity, I reached out to him, and we met for lunch. He had nothing but great things to say about the company, its culture, and its leadership—and it just so happened that they were looking for someone to head the Bridge Loan program.

How would you describe your current role and responsibilities?

I get to lead a team of fantastic individuals who originate and manage the bridge loan portfolio. We work closely with the Third-Party Management team and our existing partners to identify opportunities to lend on the properties we manage.

Once we close a loan, we continue to monitor the risk and performance of both the loan and the property. Ideally, the bridge loan helps the partner move their property toward stabilization. A bonus is that, if the partner decides to sell someday, we hope their positive experience with the Third-Party Management and Bridge Loan teams will lead them to choose to sell to Extra Space Storage.

Ultimately, my role is to make sure we source loans, make smart lending decisions, address any issues throughout the life of those loans, and provide excellent customer service to our partners along the way.

What do you enjoy most about your current role?

I've enjoyed being part of the growth. Since I started in early 2024, we've grown the bridge loan portfolio from about $650 million to around $1.5 billion. That takes a lot of work and effort from the entire team, and it's fulfilling to see that kind of progress.

I also really enjoy the people we get to work with, both Extra Space Storage teammates and our partners. It feels good to watch more junior members of the team learn new concepts and progress in their careers. It's also rewarding to provide a product that helps our partners expand and grow their own businesses. We have great partners who are really good people, and it's always a pleasure to work with them.

What motivates you in your work each day?

I'm motivated by simply doing a good job. That might seem vague, but I think most people know at the end of the day whether the work they did was satisfying or not. It feels good to go home when you've accomplished what you wanted.

I'm also motivated by helping our partners have a positive experience with us, especially when we're able to work through solutions to tough problems. Seeing those efforts make a difference for our partners and our team is very rewarding.

What has been the most challenging aspect of your career?

Trying to balance work and life. There are so many demands on our time, and we all want to succeed in the many things we're involved in. Early in my career, with young kids, growing professional responsibilities, and commitments outside of work and family, there were times when it felt difficult to give my full attention and energy to everything all at once. But it helped me develop stronger time management skills and learn how to better prioritize different aspects of my life. It also taught me how to communicate timelines more effectively and set clearer expectations for both myself and others.

What is a lesson from your career that shapes how you lead?

I've always appreciated leaders who act as "player-coaches," meaning they don't hesitate to get their hands dirty. They're willing and able to do the same work they ask of the people they lead. That has always been important to me, and it's something I try to practice in my own leadership.

It can get more difficult as you move further up the corporate ladder because of time constraints, but there are still ways to make it part of your leadership approach. I also believe strongly in treating people well. The most important things in life are the relationships you form and how you treat others. Processes matter, but they should never come before people.

What advice would you give to future Extra Space Storage leaders?

A few things come to mind. First, a practical piece of advice for building a team is to be patient when hiring. Make sure you get the right people in the right seats. Sometimes, managers can feel pressure to fill open positions quickly and end up settling. In my experience, it's always better to wait for the right person than to simply fill a seat.

Second, take time to ask yourself difficult questions about your leadership and management style, and be willing to humble yourself and make changes if you aren't getting the results you want. Don't automatically assume challenges within a team are caused by others.

Third, simply treat the people you lead the way you would want to be treated. We're all adults, after all. Be yourself, be genuine, and don't be afraid to acknowledge your imperfections.

This article is part of an ongoing series of interviews with Extra Space Storage (NYSE: EXR) team members. Jason Robinson is the Vice President of Bridge Loans at Extra Space Storage. Visit our careers page to learn more about our culture and explore open roles.