As mentioned, the bigger Sponsors are very professional and report very well. 

the first step that I would take is to find an investor from the realtor in your area and you can build a lot of your network just piggybacking off of theirs with their recommendations of contractors and other professionals biggerPockets has a great tool for finding realtors.

How do I educate and reach the young(ish) professionals on the value proposition of these kind of "starter homes" to build equity, learn property management and save a ton of money relative to single unit purchases? 

These are professionals with additional training and a stricter code of ethics.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

These days, I’m all in on Google Ads.One last thing is to start working with PROFESSIONAL wholesalers (emphasis on PROFESSIONAL).

My name is BJ, and I’m excited to connect with fellow investors and professionals here.

Just double-check with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) to make sure you have all the specifics covered.Managing Broker and Deal Visibility: Yes, typically if you hold your license under a managing broker, they’ll have visibility into your deals since they're ultimately responsible for the transactions you complete.

I work with many professionals who, like you, have a demanding full-time job but still manage to dive into real estate investing.

It was a lot more money then expected in the fix-up of the Airbnb Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?