No sponsor?

Thankfully I picked the right sponsor LOL.

Make sure you are vetting the sponsors based off their character and experience.

Value-add MAKES $, tenant sponsored debt paydown MAKES $, appreciation is almost always NOT "making $", it's retention of purchasing power, a hedge against inflation. 

I have a couple of agents that I sponsor that does land deals for retail development.

Love that you are learning more about the investment vehicle and that you are moving onto step two where you are working your investment criteria as well as networking with sponsors alike.

Instead it looks like a sales pitch that is targeted to unsophisticated investors who are new to the space.If that's actually the situation here than these deals generally have multiple things I can't stomach and is an immediate red flag for me.2) AAA Storage growth: At one point I was interested in this sponsor because of the claimed full real estate cycle track record with little to no money lost.

Michael, that is not entirely correct.Some sponsors will set up a syndication investment/crowdfunded deal in a TIC or DST structure which can allow this.True, but it's done very rarely and for small groups, typically accredited investors.

I bet not many sponsors who are leaking oil would even consider that.. etc etc.. thye video'd it so you can probably ask them for a copy of it.

In the past when I am looking for a property manager I google to find all managers with physical offices in close proximity to my properties to narrow my search and ignore all sponsored adds that fake that they are local.Since you have self managed, you will be better equipped to "manage the manager".