You can see he even went so far as to pretend it’s real by using a real enough image of check that they would “need” to block out the account and routing numbers….

In the pitch I include just a couple of my projects from the last year as a reference to my experience. 

So, I reached out to a local brokerage, and they referred me to an agent with significant experience.This man has built a $30 million portfolio himself, and in just a couple of meetings, he completely shifted my perspective.

It depends on what exactly you are referring to with gap funding.

You definitely want to use a thorough screening method like rentprep.com that gets their income, credit, background check, and call at least 3 references (make sure to verify them by address/job and then their name).  

How would you recommend, or what resources would you refer for us to properly figure out how we spend our time and appropriately get compensated for it?

Do you check Landlord references?

The term curb appeal is simply referring to the home's exterior being appealing, which doesn't have anything to do with plants or pots or items directly.

Airbnb with a minimum of 1 month stay could be a good reference too. 

@Dwight HenningRecommend 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.