@Eric Joy, talk to @dave foster, he's one of the 1031 intermediary rockstars here on BP.

(I)(1) The terms "real estate broker," "real estate salesperson," "foreign real estate dealer," and "foreign real estate salesperson" do not include a person, partnership, association, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or corporation, or the regular employees thereof, who perform any of the acts or transactions specified or comprehended in division (A) of this section, whether or not for, or with the intention, in expectation, or upon the promise of receiving or collecting a fee, commission, or other valuable consideration:(a) With reference to real estate situated in this state owned by such person, partnership, association, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or corporation, or acquired on its own account in the regular course of, or as an incident to the management of the property and the investment in it;(b) As receiver or trustee in bankruptcy, as guardian, executor, administrator, trustee, assignee, commissioner, or any person doing the things mentioned in this section, under authority or appointment of, or incident to a proceeding in, any court, or as a bona fide public officer, or as executor, trustee, or other bona fide fiduciary under any trust agreement, deed of trust, will, or other instrument that has been executed in good faith creating a like bona fide fiduciary obligation;(c) As a public officer while performing the officer's official duties;(d) As an attorney at law in the performance of the attorney's duties;(e) As a person who engages in the brokering of the sale of business assets, not including the sale, lease, exchange, or assignment of any interest in real estate;(f) As a person who engages in the sale of manufactured homes as defined in division (C)(4) of section 3781.06 of the Revised Code, or of mobile homes as defined in division (O) of section 4501.01 of the Revised Code, provided the sale does not include the negotiation, sale, lease, exchange, or assignment of any interest in real estate;(g) As a person who engages in the sale of commercial real estate pursuant to the requirements of section 4735.022 of the Revised Code.(2) A person, partnership, association, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or corporation exempt under division (I)(1)(a) of this section shall be limited by the legal interest in the real estate held by that person or entity to performing any of the acts or transactions specified in or comprehended by division (A) of this section.

Of course, if you have employees you will need to consider the eligibility rules, testing, etc. which leads many to offer a Safe Harbor 401k plan.3. 

Was going to get my RE sales license for DC/MD/VA but in the meantime...What level employees do you guys reach out to for scheduling cold call coffees/info-only interviews/phone calls to try and break into these firms starting from scratch?

Thank you Dave Foster! 

Such plans are only available to those who qualify by being both self-employed and having no full time employees.

He isn't an employee my man.If he's a successful guy you should check that ego at the door & just absorb some of the things he's telling you along with the things you can learn from other successful people.

A few years later, I became a W-2 employee of a temporary help agency.

I'm a federal employee and this side income is really, really nice with the shutdown.

This way it's out-of-sight out-of-mind and my employees don't have to track it as you alluded to.