Benefits or pros/cons of becoming cert. real estate agent for Property Management

[Hannah Meyer]

Hello! 

My husband and I have 3 rentals all out of state that are managed by a PM. We are currently under contract for 2 duplexes very close to us in Florida and I plan on managing them myself. I do not have property management experience but am looking into courses. Through researching, I found that, in FL, I can manage self owned property. (Which these duplexes will be until an LLC is established) But I wonder if there are benefits to earning my real estate license?

Question: Should I pursue my real estate license? From a business stand point there may be some tax benefits to this? As well as a better ability to find properties? 

Question: I will of course educate myself on PM, but how many professionals out there are "certified PM"? 

Question: As a rental investor, do you look for large PM firms or individuals? Are they credentialed?

Question: Are there any investors turned real estate agents, living the "double life" and would recommend this? Would you not? 

Long term goals - My husband and I have set a goal of 5 units per year. SF or MF. Current properties are in Dayton and Cleveland OH with 2 under contract in FL. I would be pursuing a real estate license +/- PM credentials in FL. Investing in rental real estate is a long term hold plan for us. Any thoughts are appreciated!

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Hannah Meyer:

Landlords can manage their own property in every state. You only need a license when managing for others. And it doesn't matter if it is owned in your personal name or LLC.

You may find some benefits to having a real estate license when buying/selling, but you'll also introduce some new problems. The biggest issue is that you'll be representing yourself, which means you are emotionally involved. You won't have an objective helper or a second set of eyes to catch things. As a new agent, you'll be a complete amateur instead of using a seasoned agent who is an expert in negotiations, understands the market, has experience catching problems with properties, etc.

A good real estate agent does a lot more than just find houses. By representing yourself, you throw all that experience out the window and open yourself up to mistakes.