It's cheaper, more efficient, and leaves a smaller footprint.

This is not a wide-spread practice, but I think its worthwhile to research this and ensure yourself that you will not be stuck with the tenant's electric bill.

What is the most efficient way to collect rent?

Paying a PM for a single property in another state or city (more than one hour away from you personal residence) won't make financial sense and will eat up cash flow, and many PM's have to be watched over carefully to ensure they're doing their jobs. 

On top of that I work a fairly demanding W2 and wouldn't have been able to efficiently manage a bunch of subs.

As I'm starting my journey into apartment syndication, I'm realizing the most time efficient way to scale is through partnerships.

I have a solid team in place and structure deals to ensure the investor starts with double digit returns that grow annually.

If you do go down the partnership route, ensure it is all documented and in writing. 

I am requesting evidence of payment by the tenants to ensure they are not simply squatting due to the eviction moratorium in Illinois.

We manage over 500 doors and having rogue deposits into our rental account is a nightmare from accounting, bookkeeping, and efficiency perspectives.