Connect PropSWOT to Claude Desktop: 5-Minute Setup

Quick Answer

PropSWOT's MCP server connects your property portfolio — appliances, work orders, vendors, and triage history — directly to Claude Desktop. Once connected, Claude knows your properties. Ask it anything: "What needs attention today?" or "My tenant at 123 Main says the fridge isn't cooling — who should I send?" Setup takes under 5 minutes.

What You Get After Setup

Once connected, Claude Desktop becomes a fully-briefed property management assistant that knows your actual portfolio:

"What needs attention today?" → Priority list of unresponsive tenants and open work orders
"My tenant at 123 Main St Unit 4B says the fridge isn't cooling" → Appliance model, warranty status, age, and top vendor suggestions
"Create a work order for the HVAC issue at Maple Ave" → Two-step confirmation, then work order created
"What's the status of ticket #1842?" → Full work order details, vendor assigned, tenant response history

Claude does the lookup work. You make the decisions.

Step 1: Get Your PropSWOT API Key

Log in to your PropSWOT dashboard at pm.propswot.com
Navigate to Settings → MCP Keys
Click Create Key
Name it "Claude Desktop" and choose scope:
- Read — Claude can look up data but not make changes
- Write — Claude can also create work orders, assign vendors, and send SMS (with your confirmation)
Copy the key — it will only be shown once

Step 2: Install Claude Desktop

If you don't have Claude Desktop installed, download it from claude.ai/download.

Step 3: Edit the Claude Desktop Config

Open your Claude Desktop configuration file. The location depends on your OS:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Add the PropSWOT MCP server to the mcpServers section:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "propswot": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://pm.propswot.com/api/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "MCP_HEADER_X_MCP_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_API_KEY_HERE with the key you copied in Step 1.

If you already have other MCP servers configured, add propswot alongside them — don't replace the existing mcpServers object.

Step 4: Restart Claude Desktop

Fully quit Claude Desktop (don't just close the window — quit the app), then reopen it.

You should see a small tool icon in Claude's input area. Click it to verify PropSWOT tools are listed.

Step 5: Try Your First Query

Start a new conversation and type:

"What needs attention at my properties today?"

Claude will call what_needs_attention and return your priority queue — tenants who haven't responded to self-help links and work orders waiting on vendor assignment.

Example Workflows

Maintenance triage in 30 seconds

You: My tenant at 123 Main St Unit 4B says the dishwasher is leaking.

Claude: [calls lookup_appliance and get_vendor_suggestions]
        The dishwasher on file is a Bosch SHPM88Z75N, installed April 2021,
        warranty expired April 2023. For appliance trade, your top vendor
        is City Appliance (0 callbacks in last 15 jobs, on-time rate 94%).
        
        Want me to create a work order and send City Appliance a brief?

Morning briefing

You: Give me my morning maintenance briefing.

Claude: [calls get_org_snapshot and what_needs_attention]
        2 critical (72+ hours open), 4 to watch. 
        
        Critical:
        - 114 Elm St Unit 2: AC not cooling, tenant hasn't responded to
          self-help link sent 3 days ago
        - 200 Oak Ave Unit 7: Water heater replaced — awaiting PM sign-off
        
        Awaiting vendor: 3 open tickets have no vendor assigned.
        
        Want me to handle any of these?

Vendor assignment

You: Assign City Appliance to the dishwasher issue at 123 Main.

Claude: I'll assign City Appliance to work order #1847 at 123 Main St
        Unit 4B (dishwasher leaking). Confirm?

You: Yes.

Claude: [executes assign_vendor]
        Done. City Appliance has been assigned and notified.

What Tools Are Available

Tool	What it does
`what_needs_attention`	Priority queue of open issues
`get_org_snapshot`	Portfolio health (red/yellow/green)
`list_open_triages`	All open work orders
`get_work_order`	Details on a specific ticket
`lookup_appliance`	Appliance model, warranty, age at a unit
`get_asset_context`	Appliances + recent triage history for a unit
`get_troubleshooting_steps`	AI self-help steps for tenants (EN/ES)
`list_vendors`	Your vendor list
`get_vendor_suggestions`	Ranked vendors for an issue
`create_work_order`	Create a ticket (requires confirmation)
`assign_vendor`	Assign vendor (requires confirmation)
`update_work_order_status`	Update status (requires confirmation)
`sms_tenant`	Send SMS to tenant (requires confirmation)

Write tools (create, assign, update, SMS) require a two-step confirmation — Claude will show you what it's about to do and wait for your approval before executing.

Troubleshooting

Tools not showing in Claude Desktop

Verify npx is installed: run npx --version in your terminal
Check that mcp-remote installs without errors: npx -y mcp-remote --version
Confirm the config file path matches your OS (macOS vs. Windows)
Make sure you fully quit and restarted Claude Desktop (not just closed the window)

Authentication errors

Verify your API key is correct — go to Settings → MCP Keys to see active keys
Check the key hasn't been revoked
Ensure the key has the scope you need (write for creating work orders)

"No property found" errors

Try using a partial address (e.g., "Main St" instead of "123 Main Street Apt 4B")
Check that the property exists in your PropSWOT dashboard

What Not to Do

PropSWOT's MCP server handles maintenance operations, not accounting. The tools do not access:

Rent ledgers or accounting data
Lease terms or financial records
Owner distributions or trust accounting

These remain in AppFolio, Buildium, or your PMS. PropSWOT operates as the intelligence layer above your PMS — it does not replace it.

Diagnostic Summary

Tool: PropSWOT MCP Server
Compatible with: Claude Desktop, Cursor, any MCP-compatible AI host
Auth: API key from Settings → MCP Keys
Server URL: https://pm.propswot.com/api/mcp
Discovery: https://pm.propswot.com/.well-known/mcp.json
Write safety: Two-step confirmation for all mutations
Recommended next step: Create a read key, connect to Claude Desktop, ask "What needs attention today?"

Connect PropSWOT to Claude Desktop: 5-Minute Setup

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