WTF is MCP? Let's breakdown the hype

Hi, I’m Danielle Turner, Welcome to the Property AI Tools newsletter where I share weekly deep dives into AI topics, the latest AI tools and news, all specifically for real estate.

If you’re at a roadblock and don’t know where to start with using AI in your real estate business, schedule a 1-1 strategy consult.

Today I’ll be exploring:

• Model context protocol, what is it, and what’s behind the hype?

• Ways to get up and running with your own MCP server

• What MCP can be used for with use case examples for real estate

As sophisticated as LLMs (Large Language Models) are, they operate within their own bubble and are limited to their training data. For AI Agents to be truly advanced, autonomous and fully agentic, they need to be able to pull from and plug into external data sources, knowledge bases and tools that provide additional context and deeper insight. Traditional methods of connecting external knowledge sources to LLMs prove to be messy, requiring multiple complex APIs and manual connections.

That’s where model context protocol, aka MCP comes in. Anthropic have developed a groundbreaking protocol that simplifies the connection between your data, apps and knowledgebases with LLMs. MCP will give agentic systems superpowers, making them even more intelligent. Let’s explore how it works in a bit more detail so you can understand how MCP fits into Protech and real estate as a whole.

What is MCP?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) enables AI to securely connect to external data sources, building a two-way connection between your data and your AI tools. The connection is made through MCP servers which make it easy for individuals and businesses to connect their tools. MCP has been made available for everyone and can be plugged into your most used tools including your CRM, MLS, analytics, slack and more.

With MCP in place, you can expect:

• Reliable Data Sharing: Information moves from one platform to another without losing meaning or accuracy.

• Actionable Data in Context: Instead of scattered data points, MCP makes information available in the right place, at the right time. For example, if you are reviewing a property’s legal documents, related planning history or recent survey data can surface automatically within your platform.

• Smooth Integration: Property professionals often juggle multiple tools. MCP allows these tools to interact natively. Your AI agent can even detect which AI systems are available and need to be called on to complete a task.

• Flexibility Across Systems: As property businesses vary in size and software needs, MCP’s adaptable structure fits both larger enterprise systems and smaller point solutions, even 1 person teams.

Why is MCP attracting so much attention?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) has become the centre of discussion in Proptech and stands out because it solves problems that have long frustrated real estate professionals. It solves the real problem of data integration and accessibility. It’s the missing piece in creating business ready AI agents as it turns your databases and files into accessible workflows.

How can you get an MCP up and running?

*Please note, Each of these options require some technical acumen to get up and running

1. Claude Desktop Server: The most direct way to get started is by running a local MCP server through the Claude desktop app. This method requires knowledge of windows PowerShell and installing via the command line.

2. Once you’ve installed the desktop server, you can install pre-built servers that connect to your most used tools including Microsoft, google suite and

3. Zapier MCP:  Connecting via Zapier is a less technical means of getting started, zapier provide the server for you to connect all of your applications.

4. N8N MCP: Create your own MCP server workflows within N8Ns powerful workflow interface.

What can MCP be used for?

With great power, comes great responsibility, here are a few ideas of what is possible with MCP AI Agents.

Deep Research Agent – Compile in depth research on your local neighbourhood, combine wider internet research with internal resources, data and documentation. Include stats on crime, new developments and purchasing behaviour

Intelligent Business Agent – Compile detailed analytics reports, using data from cross functional teams within your organisation. Gather information from your sales team, compare performance with your leasing team and use Claude to generate a performance dashboard visualising all data points.

Competitor Analysis Agent – Run regular reports on your competitors to track their sales completions, social media and blog for announcements. Branch your research out to gather as much information as possible to keep your finger on the pulse.

Executive Assistant Agent – Connect your MCP server to your email provider, calendar, slack channel and CRM to streamline your daily tasks, manage your schedule, read and respond to emails and more.

Why MCP appeals to the Real Estate industry

It’s all about flexibility without complexity. As your business adds new apps and services, MCP acts as a hub, supporting almost any use case, now and down the road.

MCP pushes property technology forward and transforms messy infrastructure into a reliable, unified system, one that professionals can depend on for daily work and complex workflows.

Round Up

Understanding MCP matters now because it is the next evolutionary step towards Artificial General Intelligence (read more about it here:What is Artificial General Intelligence? ).

Now you can see how this technology closes the gap between your tools and data by showing you right information exactly when you need it. It’s time to evaluate your workflows and put this into action. I can help you to define your AI strategy and narrow down use cases, simply schedule a 1-on-1 intro call in my calendar to get started.

As more real estate companies update their systems, staying informed about MCP keeps you ready for what's coming next. Will you be one of those leading the way?

Thanks for reading this weeks deep dive!

Danielle 
Property AI Tools Founder | AI Consultant @ Caique