There are other ways to be part of the real estate industry besides being an investor and those may be more financially advantageous for you. 

I’m willing to put in the time and effort to learn and grow in this industry, but I could really use some guidance on where to start.

Here’s, the hard truth I’ve found in 45+ years in the industry; the vast majority of real estate investors, practitioners and business owners do not have a scalable activity.  

This will lead to many of the professionals in the same industries who already are not doing that well to fall out of competition and hence be "replaced'.

While technically negotiable, the Sitzer/Burnett case revealed that the industry practice effectively standardized these rates.

All this is why, I believe, it's a rare thing in the REI industry. 

If you think about it in any industry less transparency and more friction in the transaction will increase fees/commission vs reducing them.I like the idea as an investor of having different agents, a team of agents maybe 3-4 bringing me deals, but I think less of that will happen now as all will have to have you sign some kind of agreement up front. 

I started STR to offset my W2 incomes and found how easy industry was and focused last 2 years on it. 

This cushions potential value drops.Syndicator vetting: Only partner with syndicators who have a strong track record in different market conditions.Market and asset class knowledge: Understand market cycles and the specific real estate types (multifamily, industrial, etc.) you're investing in.Avoid chasing trends: Just because a market or asset is “hot” doesn’t mean it’s solid.You’re right that this approach doesn’t cap your upside, quality diversification can still generate huge returns while managing risk.Best regards,Drago

What would be the "significant and legitimate public purpose" for the government getting involved in what seems to be a tiny percentage of transactions in an already heavily-regulated industry?