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With that said I do see plenty of referral fee agreements online but most are for % of listing agents commission rather than this colleague paying me 3% of the sale price.

It doesn't happen overnight, but with persistence, wise investing, good money practices, good due diligence practices it can be done over time. 

Try an online permit.  

These options would still keep your costs down while offering practical benefits that could attract a larger demographic of renters.Starting with one of these simpler conversions also gives you the flexibility to explore more ambitious plans down the road once you have a better understanding of the property's potential and your own budget constraints.Hope this helps clarify the options.

I would use online platforms (zillow, etc..), rentometer, and calling competitive properties to "price shop".

What are common practices to remove them?

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Want to start practicing analyzing multifamily deals.

Texas allows online sales now, but not many places doing it.