171: How to Protect Your Properties Against Squatters with George McCleary

One of the lesser-discussed aspects of real estate investing is the potential of squatters. Legally, your hands may be tied, but today’s guest started a company targeted at helping real estate investors avoid a squatting situation altogether. On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan sits down with George McCleary, creator of the viral video “I Stole a House.” George is the founder of Squatter Defender and Title Fraud Defender. He is also the Principal at McCleary Realty & Development. Jonathan and George begin their conversation by exploring George’s thoughts on squatters and why they feel much more emboldened today. He shares some of the strategies you can use to protect your property from squatters, who professional squatters are, and what makes it so difficult to remove them from your property. You’ll hear the “cash for keys” scheme, when it pays to do it, and the story behind George’s viral video, “I Stole a House.” Jonathan and George also explore how you can avoid becoming the low-hanging fruit for squatters, his path to real estate post-college, and George’s first experiences as a landlord. Finally, as the discussion winds down, George explains title fraud, how it relates to squatting, and why it’s so difficult to stop. He also explains why he decided to start his company, Squatter Defender. George McCleary offers some surprisingly simple solutions to deter squatters, and you won’t want to miss this episode that reveals one of the hidden issues in real estate investing. In this episode, you will hear: George McCleary’s thoughts on squatters and why they feel more emboldened today Some of the strategies you can use to protect your property from squatters Who professional squatters are, and the difficulty of getting them out of your property The “cash for keys” scheme and when it pays to take that option The story behind George’s video, “I Stole a House.” How to avoid becoming the low-hanging fruit for squatters George’s path to real estate post-college and his first experiences with landlording The appeal of tangibility in real estate and creating something George’s current favorite asset class and his reasons for loving it Title fraud, its relation to squatting, and why you can’t stop it His catalyst for beginning his company, Squatter Defender Follow and Review: We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, we've created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at https://zenandtheartofrealestateinvesting.com/podcast/171/ to download it. Supporting Resources: Squatter Defender website - www.squatterdefender.com (use the code Zen for 20% off) George McCleary on YouTube - youtube.com/@georgemcclearyMRD George’s Facebook account - facebook.com/mrdportland Find George McCleary on Instagram - instagram.com/mrd_portland Connect with George on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/georgemccleary George’s Twitter/X - twitter.com/mcclearyre Find George on TikTok - tiktok.com/@mrd_portland Title Fraud Defender website - www.titlefrauddefender.com (use the code Zen for 20% off) Website - www.streamlined.properties YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos Instagram - www.instagram.com/trustgreene Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@trustgreene Zillow - www.zillow.com/profile/StreamlinedReal Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/TrustGreene Facebook - www.facebook.com/streamlinedproperties Email - info@streamlined.properties Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.