Hi Pablo, you came to the right place for information! 

Great conversations and  information for all these different markets we work in. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

Check out the chart showing the fast rent growth and declining rent growth cities, which could help inform your decision on growth markets. 

Ourcurrent approach involves identifying possible contact information for thelisted owners and calling multiple numbers, but this process is time-consumingand yields limited results.

This is super helpful and informative.

@Michael Baum thank you for all the good information.  

Reach out to professionals for informational interviews; many share their experiences and advice.Everyone starts somewhere, and it’s normal to feel lost at first.

Quote from @Matt Weddon: Really what generated this question was a section from Brandon and Heather Turner's Management Book, which has been incredibly informative and helpful.

This is great information.