Quick Start

Prerequisites

1. A Borough account
2. Optional: a Borough API key if you want paid-tier tools
3. An MCP-compatible AI client

If you are connecting from Claude or Claude Desktop, use the dedicated guide:

• Add Borough to Claude

Remote Connection (Recommended)

Most MCP clients support connecting to remote servers directly. Use the Borough MCP endpoint:

https://borough.qwady.app/mcp

For clients without OAuth support, pass your Borough API key via the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer BOROUGH-<your_key>

Client Setup

Claude Connectors

Borough supports an OAuth-based connector flow for seamless integration with Claude through custom connectors.

1. In Claude, go to Settings → Connectors
2. Click Add custom connector
3. Enter the URL: https://borough.qwady.app/mcp
4. Claude auto-discovers the OAuth flow and opens the consent page
5. Enter your Borough API key to unlock paid tools, or continue without a key for the free Borough MCP tool set
6. Click Authorize

That’s it — Claude can now query NYC real estate data directly.

Note

See Add Borough to Claude for the exact current flow, including free-plan and team/org setup.

Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop supports the same remote custom connector flow as Claude web.

1. Open Settings → Connectors
2. Click Add custom connector
3. Enter https://borough.qwady.app/mcp
4. Complete the Borough OAuth flow

If you need the full step-by-step path, use:

• Add Borough to Claude

Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json in your project:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "borough": {
      "url": "https://borough.qwady.app/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer BOROUGH-<your_key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

VS Code

Add to .vscode/mcp.json in your project:

{
  "servers": {
    "borough": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://borough.qwady.app/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer BOROUGH-<your_key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

npx

Run locally via the @borough/mcp stdio bridge:

BOROUGH_API_KEY=BOROUGH-<your_key> npx @borough/mcp

This spawns a local stdio-to-HTTP bridge that connects to the remote MCP server.

ChatGPT (GPT Actions)

ChatGPT does not support MCP natively. Instead, you can create a custom GPT with an Action that calls the Borough REST API directly using the ChatGPT OpenAPI spec:

1. Go to ChatGPT GPT Builder
2. Under Actions, click Create new action
3. Import the OpenAPI spec from the URL above (or paste the YAML)
4. Under Authentication, select API Key with header Authorization and prefix Bearer
5. Enter your Borough API key as the value

Test It

Once connected, try asking your AI agent:

• “Search for no-fee 1-bedroom apartments in Manhattan under $3,500”
• “List all Brooklyn neighborhoods”
• “What’s the median rent in the East Village?”

The agent will automatically select the right Borough tools and return formatted results.

Troubleshooting

If tools aren’t showing up:

1. Verify your Borough account or API key is valid by visiting the customer portal
2. Check that the MCP endpoint is reachable: curl https://borough.qwady.app/mcp
3. Restart your AI client after configuration changes
4. See the troubleshooting guide for more help