I tend to agree with what you've also shared.

Jobs tend to pay more than your own business, but they can't scale. 

Have an excellent referral and resource for 5-10 units.

AAR lease is intended to be fair to all but tends to favor the tenant.

@Benjamin ColemanRecommend 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.

I would appreciate any referrals and advice.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate this connection/referral as a new investor. 

I tend to like the control since quality of work, speed, and my financial management methods are better than most I’ve seen from other GCs or subs. though I’m an agent, I’ll definitely seek more information for taking this direction.

I tend to agree that makes sense to me. 

If you're investing out of state, hiring a property manager tends to be the most practical option.