The individual/mentor I purchased my home from also owns 36 rental properties.

By communicating with several brokers as well as individuals, I have a great circle of agents sending me properties to consider as well as financing leads.  

It is more important to me to be building those building blocks than getting the once in a life time deal. 

Even if it is a commercial transaction, individuals are under different rules than regulated institutions.

The neighborhoods change block to block in some cases. 

At rental prices go down the amount of expendable income available to individuals and families goes up.

You are usually blocked on doing anything if you are waiting on a survey.  

Brokers might look at the best deals for themselves first but that doesn't mean they can buy them all or take down all deal sizes.I have some clients with millions and some individuals with tens of millions.

I would suggest the private individual route as well.

In some cases people are desperate and individual owners are more likely than management companies to forego the actual processing.In any case, we are not wasting an applicants money.In all cases we will take the FIRST qualified applicant.