You have to know the market and ARV.

(assuming market does not crash etc).

Research the sponsor's track record, past performance, and the market they’re investing in.Understand UBIT/UDFI – If the syndication uses leverage, your SDIRA might be subject to Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT) on the leveraged portion of the income.

There's no real hard and fast way or only 1 way or doing your first 2 points. your subject line suggests you're not looking to go to a large shop like a JLL or a CBRE which honestly I don't blame you those offices are usually pretty bloated.As far as monthly costs, if you are going to individually get a costar or other such license you are probably looking at $500-$1000 a month pretty easy in overhead once you have office dues, mls dues, marketing, etc. 

I use Facebook marketplace as my way of marketing my rentals.

In 2024, I focused on the Charlotte, NC market, completing 21 deals in my first year of taking consistent action.

In this market, with interest rates and prices at where they are, they're usually not viable (i.e. don't cash flow).

I would recommend you focus on a couple neighborhoods that you would like to live in; and familiarize yourself with that market.  

If you're in a high-cost area, consider out-of-state markets where you could buy a rental property outright. 

If you aren't an excel expert I wouldn't bother trying to make your own or scour the internet for an analyzer tool that may or may not meet your needs.