Coating compositions contain hydroxyl- or carbamate functional resins with a relatively low equivalent weight. The resins are based on a polyol core containing urea and hydroxyl groups, and made by reacting a polyisocyanate, preferably a triisocyanate, with an amino functional polyol, preferably a polyol having one amino group and two or more hydroxyl groups. The polyol core may be further extended to a first or higher generation dendrimer or hyperbranched structure by reacting the initial polyol core with a compound having one carboxyl group and two or more hydroxyl groups.