Given your circumstances I think that a 1031 exchange is likely the most tax-efficient option for you. 

I was on a conference call with a great operator of apartments, who is probably much more efficient the we are, and he said he thought turnover cost him $3000 every time he had turnover. 

I’m an engineer so I approach things from a life cycle cost efficient perspective.

My property manager has had bad experiences with her efficiency units there.

Make brokers just one of your methods for finding deals but this is the most efficient way. 

What do I need to know to complete this efficiently.

They are not the cheapest, but they have under the same roof asset protection and tax attorneys who offer a comprehensive approach to make sure that you not only get asset protection but also tax efficiency.

Have you grown and need to be more efficient with your time, money, and other resources?

I like to scale and the efficiency that comes with multiple units on one property.

Indeed, I am trying to learn all the resources available in BP and to review them in an efficient way.