Essentially, I was thinking of adding things that I like but I was concerned that it might not appeal to a potential renter and could cause difficulties down the line. 

This can be thought of as the old school style that many landlords utilized before the availability of all the tools today.2nd Tier - This approach combines elements of both passive & active approaches & has become possible in more recent years with all the advances in technology that make it easier to manage properties such as online listings, rent collection, smart phones, property software for accounting, etc.

high motivation, low cash, high leverage of time, technology and networks....  

As there seems to be some significant difficulties in comprehension I will help you and draw things out in Crayola, will that help? 

I understand that real estate is viewed as one of the safest, most reliable asset classes but in the age of rapid technological evolution I feel that there are other opportunities that could out-perform while maintaining liquidity.A little background about myself I am a 23 year old graduate student looking to aquire my first property later this year. 

PM is all about systems and processes and technology, and most PMCs are stuck in 1995.

I think you are thinking correctly about leveraging your current home to increase your wealth, and maybe the fact it is your first home is making it more difficult. I

Just because they are established doesn't mean they have the systems, technologies, and strategies in place to proactively vet guests and deter bad guests from booking in the first place.

Solving problems is a dying art thanks to the combined effects of the US public school system, never ending bounty of technology / app distractions, our shallow culture, no sense of delayed gratification, and disengaged parents.  

Kyler,It sounds like you would have liked to have a way to find EXACTLY what your brokerage firm is about.And I mean in terms of commission split model, the property they specialize in, contract & legal help, sending you leads, mentorship, technology & marketing.Does this sound about right?