A partner will not want to invest with someone that their partners goals is not aligned with theirs.

Besides marketing the larger component is the list of questions to ask and how we ask them.  

Making sure the property "flows" outside is a key component I have personally found - assuring nobody is stepping on toes, encroaching on each other's outside space, or blocking cars in, etc. 

Our unique partnership model ensured that both Erika Gilbert and Partner Driven were financially aligned to achieve maximum returns on the sale.

That's a huge component to consider. 

Ultimately, choosing the right PM comes down to figuring out what your own specific goals are and then aligning those goal with the right PM.

But your expectations have to align with who you are doing business with and what you are buying. 

I've created a 6 months to property schedule for myself and today's task are to use BP forums to ID Pros in my area, read from the book "ABCs of REI", and write about how REI aligns with my life goals so I can check the first one off the list.

Can someone explain to me so I can explain to him how the deal would align with his stated goal of not paying 300k gains all at once?

If your plan has both tax-deferred and Roth 401(k) components and is written to allow for in-service Roth rollovers (most do), you could roll the money you've stashed in your traditional IRA into your tax-deferred 401(k) and then do an in-service rollover, once the money is in the 401(k).