To be direct, I give this same advice to investors who ultimately realize they want to be passive.  

You CAN NOT contact the listing agent directly from Zillow, but you can look them up and Google them.

Hi Isaiah, I am based in Fort Lauderdale and can speak to the local market directly.  

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However, he asked me to sign a one-year Exclusive Right to Represent agreement, as presented to him by his brokerage.His interpretation is that it applies only when he materially assists me, but I think the boilerplate brokerage language he was given reads much more broadly:"If during the term of this Agreement Buyer enters into a contract for the purchase of Property through the services or efforts of the Broker or Buyer’s Brokerage Firm, or by or through any other persons during the term of this Agreement" (emphasis mine).My concern is that, under my interpretation, if a fellow real estate investor wants to unload a property or if I get pointed to an opportunity by a former agent, colleague, or friend, this agreement could create an obstacle to moving forward with the deal.In the end, I didn’t sign.

Even if one tenant is responsible for rent payments, the others will live there and impact your liability as a landlord.Accountability:Requiring all adults to apply and sign the lease holds everyone legally responsible for the terms.

The biggest employer shut down about a year ago and 3  hurricanes (2 major) hit directly in the last year.

My suggestion would be to get an investor friendly agent who knows a few local markets and have them guide you in the right direction.

I imagine there is not much of a relationship with the turnkey service after the sale and I would deal with the PM and Loan company directly. 

This approach avoids downtime and lets you start earning right away.Future Bookings:Taking over bookings can get tricky since Airbnb doesn’t allow direct transfers between accounts.