My best guess is that you were connected with one of those numerous lower level people who are happy to lend their expertise out even though their expertise is quite limited and often wrong.   

A lot of things can ding the score just from what's visible here. 

The difference should be clearly visible without explaining the math.If you have enough money, find a way to split it.

Hi Brian, I would like to chat with you and know more about your expertise.

To add onto @Pat Lulewicz and @Tiffany Alexy's expertise here, I agree that the location, budget and growth are all working in your favor.

Invest in an area where you have domain expertise that you know will make a solid return.

@Eric Hempler sounds like to have more experience in certain areas than the typical newbie syndicator, but there is no substitute for real-world experience.The more visibility/interactions you have on the day-to-day operations side of a sponsor, the less risk for your LPs.

@Nathan: Can you please check again, it's visible to you or not.

Appreciate any recommendations for a trustworthy agent in the metro Phoenix area with expertise / focus on small multi-family.

Sometimes you may need agents with different types of expertise or contacts or resources.