Am I wasting my time by trying to track down the homeowners and making them an offer?

Our founding attorney is a dual Canadian citizen, we have a good deal of experience with TNs and other employment-based visas (H-1B, etc).

BTW, I think you're 100% on the right track by analyzing them for when you're renting out all units and not living there, since that is the long-term goal. 

I use the MLS every day, however when I tracked the source of purchases for the book only 25% actually came from the MLS. 

I think you are on the right track with what you want from an agent, but some of your requested qualifications go above and beyond the typical buyer's agency agreement.  

The capabilities I need in place are:CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system able to interface with listing management softwareDeal analysis software capable of producing cash flow projections, DCF analysis, ROI calculations, etc.Customizable marketing solution that creates external materials to distribute to customers and clients (created automatically based off listing)Project management tracking that interfaces with CRMMaximum exposure for our listingsMaximum exposure for our company brandI have been analyzing the following software, but I know there are many others out there:Costar, RealNex, Salesforce, Commercial Search, CIMLS, Commrex, Loopnet, BizBuySellI really appreciate any feedback or experiences people are willing to share. 

During that time, I created an acquisitions subsidiary which was responsible for all acquisition lead sourcing, underwriting, and negotiations and closed roughly $20mil in urban real estate, an affiliate title company which facilitated all acquisition, loan, and listing settlements, and customized a cloud-based system which eliminated spreadsheets and tracked the entire process of acquiring/developing/selling real estate. 

This puts me on track to have the equivalent of six single-family homes in two years and I could easily exceed that since this year is just starting.As I acquire properties, the cash flow will go to reserves for major improvements, emergencies, vacancies, etc.

Make sure you keep track of all expenses and income from the rental as well as which day you put the property up for rent (so you can prorate the property taxes mortgage interest etc.).

Problem is that CapEx being what it is, you may not discover this fact until a few years in ...I like the mindset and practice of buying a property that would work as either a flip or a rental since it gives you multiple exit strategies, but I have to agree with others on this one ... unless there is an established historical track record for excellent appreciation in this neighborhood over the long term or some other catalyst where you are VERY sure the property will appreciate long term very well, then this property does not work out well as either a flip or a rental.