1031 pizza/bowling to multi family apt building

[John Strong]

My question is how to handle the initial introduction of my idea to agents. I have a paid for restaurant/bowling/bar building currently renting to myself. I would like to stop pizza after 32 years here and get a large multi family of 25 to 40 units with the proceeds from the sale. I do not want to list the restaurant place as not to disturb my employees and customers. I am located in fairbury and would like a complex in the east of peoria and west of champaign in central illinois. My thought is to write up with pictures what I have to sell and what I want to buy and send out to a lot of real estate sales companies. Is this the best way to get started? If i sold for 400k I think I would be able to qualify for 1.2 million purchase. I have 17 other units and been self managing for 25 years.