> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.aris247.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# MCP Overview

> Give AI agents direct access to ARIS real estate tools via the Model Context Protocol.

The ARIS MCP server gives AI agents direct access to real estate tools — listing search, mortgage calculator, showing requests, and the full ARIS conversational AI — as native agent capabilities.

## What is MCP?

MCP is a protocol that lets AI agents call external tools. When you add ARIS as an MCP server, your AI coding assistant can search MLS listings, calculate mortgages, and answer real estate questions directly in your conversation.

## Two connection methods

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Local (stdio)" icon="laptop" href="/docs/mcp/cursor">
    `npx` on first use. Best for Cursor and Claude Desktop.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Hosted (HTTP)" icon="cloud" href="/docs/mcp/hosted">
    No install needed. Best for remote agents and serverless.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Available tools

| Tool                    | Description                                                    |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `search_listings`       | Search MLS listings by city, price, beds, and natural language |
| `get_featured_listings` | Get promoted listings                                          |
| `calculate_mortgage`    | Estimate monthly payments                                      |
| `schedule_viewing`      | Capture a showing request                                      |
| `get_neighborhood_info` | Schools, walkability, market context                           |
| `ask_aris`              | Ask any real estate question to the full ARIS AI engine        |

## Prerequisites

You need an ARIS API key. See [Authentication](/docs/getting-started/authentication).