He loves Zillow because of the brand recognition, it's easy to set up, and it allows him to accept rental applications online. 

I strongly recommend getting involved with your local REI meetup groups so you can work out your pitch with help from other landlords.I hope this doesn't come off the wrong way without tone or facial expressions behind it. 

While a 1031 exchange can defer the recognition of a loss, it's generally not the best option unless there are specific strategic reasons to do so.

Building a social media following is one way to generate name recognition and to start establishing yourself as an expert in your field.

I don’t really understand all the recognition it’s been getting.

And it has been gaining recognition as a vibrant, desirable place to live, especially for younger professionals and first-time buyers. 

Thanks for the recognition and for dropping a comment :).

It’s definitely exciting to see suburban Chicago getting recognition as a hot rental market—it’s something I’ve noticed in my own experience as well.

Tossed around quite a bit and it isn't what it once was, but the value is still very high based on past performance and brand recognition.

Maybe they've been burned by landlords in the past and are being very careful.You can legally reject them based on personality, facial tattoos, body odor, or other factors, but you better make sure you can prove that it wasn't based on any protected class like race, religion, familial status, etc.