I just feel there are many residential GCs, who may be great builders, but are not fit to be running their own businesses, and this results in some horror stories and a bad reputation for the rest of us. 

No reputable PM's around here that I am aware o. 

I have a potential private lender, but I need to determine if this is a viable investment opportunity and explore the best financing options 

Getting back to the original post, what would be a strategy you'd explore given his circumstances?  

Did you feel you had any difficulty getting started with the listings compared with if you had started them with your personal account that would have been more reputable at first?

Hey Neil, Welcome to the forum and to exploring NYC real estate!

Do i t to build your online presence, reputation and credibility as a business.

Another avenue people seem to be exploring is buying businesses.

A strong agent who invests can help analyze deals, run comps, get rents, help you explore multiple investing strategies, strategize offers and negotiate best prices/concessions/ repairs. 

I’ve been exploring the idea of value-add multifamily projects, and SB 9 seems like a great way to maximize ROI while addressing the housing shortage.