This guide walks you through connecting ApartmentIQ Explore Pro to Claude as a custom connector. Once set up, you'll be able to query real-time multifamily market data, property-level metrics, forecasts, rent rolls, and more — all using plain English inside Claude.

Here's what this guide covers:

• What is MCP?
• What you'll need before you start (account and subscription requirements)
• The single piece of information required to set up the connection
• Step-by-step instructions for adding the connector in Claude
• How the connector handles security and data access
• A full inventory of the 19 read-only tools available once connected

Whether you're a researcher, asset manager, or analyst, this integration lets you bring ApartmentIQ's data directly into your Claude conversations — no API keys, no manual exports, no switching tabs.
 

What Is MCP?

MCP, or Model Context Protocol, is an open standard that lets AI assistants connect securely to external tools and data sources. In short, it gives your AI assistant the ability to retrieve real information from the apps you already use, directly inside the conversation.

ApartmentIQ's MCP server uses this standard to give Claude direct, read-only access to your Explore Pro data. Instead of exporting a report, copying figures into a spreadsheet, or toggling between tabs, you simply ask Claude a question and get an answer drawn from live ApartmentIQ data.

Once connected, Claude can:

• Search markets and properties by name, location, or criteria
• Pull current and historical performance data, including occupancy, rent trends, and effective rents
• Retrieve rent and sales comps for specific properties
• Fetch market forecasts and written market narratives
• Access rent rolls and operating expense data at the property level
• List and explore properties within any market

All of this happens without Claude ever modifying your data. The connection is strictly read-only — Claude reads from ApartmentIQ, and nothing more.
 

Before You Start

Before adding the connector, make sure you have the following:

• A Claude plan that supports Custom Connectors. This includes Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans. Free plans are not supported.
• If you are on a team or enterprise plan, please contact your primary owner to enable this custom connector organization wide. 
• An ApartmentIQ account you can sign in to at data.apartmentiq.io.
• An active Explore Pro or Explore Pro Plus subscription on your ApartmentIQ account.
• A compatible browser for authentication — SSO via Google or Microsoft, or a standard username and password login, both work.
   

The One Thing You’ll Enter

All you need to connect is the server URL below. No API key, client ID, or custom scopes are required — Claude handles authentication automatically when you sign in.

Adding The Connector

Follow these steps to add ApartmentIQ as a custom connector in Claude:

1. In Claude (web or desktop), open Settings, then navigate to Connectors.
2. Click Add Custom Connector.
3. Give it a name you'll recognize — ApartmentIQ Explore is a good choice.
4. Paste the Server URL from above into the Server URL field.
5. Leave the connector type set to the default (remote / HTTP). Do not add any headers or credentials.
6. Click Add. A login window will appear — sign in to your ApartmentIQ account.
7. You'll be returned to Claude with a green Connected status. Setup is complete.
    

Security and Dataflow

The ApartmentIQ connector is built to be read-only by design. Claude can retrieve data from your ApartmentIQ account, but it cannot create, update, delete, or modify anything.

Key points:

1. One-way data feed: Claude reads from ApartmentIQ — it does not write back to it.
2. 19 tools, all read-only: There are no create, update, delete, write, or POST endpoints exposed.
3. Authentication is handled securely through ApartmentIQ's existing login system (SSO or password).

The Full Tool Inventory

Once connected, Claude has access to 19 read-only tools across three categories:

Property-level reads · 8 tools

These tools let you query data for specific properties, including historical performance, forecasts, rent rolls, and comparable analysis.

• properties_search                   
• property_historicals_get            
• property_rent_roll_get            
• property_sales_comps_get
• property_summary_get
• property_operating_expenses_get
• property_rent_comps_get   
• property_forecasts_get         

Market-level reads · 9 tools

These tools let you explore broader market data — trends, forecasts, narratives, transaction history, and related markets.

• markets_search                     
• market_historicals_get             
• market_narrative_get               
• market_related_markets_get          
• market_transactions_historicals_get
• market_summary_get
• market_forecasts_get
• market_properties_list
• market_transactions_list

Reference data · 2 tools

Supporting tools for looking up amenities and stakeholder entities.

• amenities_list
• stakeholders_search          

Example Questions You Can Ask

• Once connected, you can ask Claude things like:
• "What's the current occupancy trend for Class A apartments in Atlanta?"
• "Show me rent comps for [property name]."
• "What's the 12-month rent growth forecast for the Austin market?"
• "List all properties in the Denver market with more than 200 units."
• "What are the operating expenses for [property name]?"

Have questions? Contact the ApartmentIQ Support Team