I was told the investor pays to lease out the entire flat for 6-12 months and then sub-leases the individual rooms for a profit.

It also gives you the opportunity to be creative on how you want to vest/take Title (LLC vs Individual name). 

The individual agents/teams within the brokerage are the ones that set out to establish a niche to work with investors.If you're looking for a broker primarily focused on working with investors, you may want to speak with commercial brokers and agents.

@Richard NguyenHere are some of the downsides of putting real estate into a self directed IRA or 401k.No tax deductions: You can’t claim deductions for property taxes, mortgage interest, depreciation, repairs, improvements and other property-related expenses.Property expenses: All expenses, repairs, and maintenance costs must be paid with IRA or 401k funds, and you must pay others to do repairs and manage the property.

Focus on value-add properties where improvements like renovations or better management can increase returns.

I'm looking to connect with other individuals who are putting their money to work via short term lends.

This is more about riding the wave of a growing market.2.Forced Appreciation: Actively increasing a property’s value through strategic actions like renovations, raising rents, or improving operations.

These are typically located in lesser-known vacation rental markets, but have very strong fundamentals and great room for improvement. 

Did it improve results here?

You'll also want to consider if each lender provides funding for renovations/improvements.