• DATA
  • ANALYSIS
  • REPORT
  • HUMAN

How to benchmark your portfolio with your AI

Connect your performance data to NCREIF indices. Your agent handles the data retrieval and the math.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How can I compare my portfolio to NPI or ODCE returns?

Your AI pulls historical NPI or ODCE data and compares it against your internal metrics. You get a direct look at how your returns stack up against these benchmarks. This breakdown shows you how the data flows.

The results you get.

Where your analysis lands.

Once the connection is live, your AI produces these specific outcomes.

DATA

Index data retrieval

The AI pulls the specific NPI or ODCE historical series you need. You get clean, time-aligned index returns.

ANALYSIS

Performance delta

Your agent calculates the spread between your portfolio and the index. It identifies exactly where you outperformed or lagged.

REPORT

Comparative summary

The AI generates a summary of the benchmarking exercise. You can use this to build your formal reports.

HUMAN

Strategic decisions

The AI provides the numbers, but you decide what the performance gap means for your strategy. You interpret the results.

The workflow

What your AI does when the data arrives.

The AI acts as the bridge between your internal records and external NCREIF indices.

  1. Fetch index data

    The AI reaches out to pull the specific NPI or ODCE series you requested.

    get_historical_npi

  2. Align timeframes

    Your agent matches the index data points to the specific dates in your portfolio history.

    get_historical_npi

  3. Calculate variance

    The AI runs the math to find the difference between your returns and the benchmark.

    get_historical_npi

  4. Summarize findings

    Your agent presents the final comparison in a format you can read or export.

    get_historical_npi

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to trigger the benchmarking process.

Starting points

Replace the bracketed text with your specific index or date range.

NCREIF Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_VzyCbnu9T8cxJnoytEbL04bohh0vpWL42CP9VtUG/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — NCREIF capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ncreif-custom-query-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_VzyCbnu9T8cxJnoytEbL04bohh0vpWL42CP9VtUG/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • Get the historical NPI returns for the last five years and compare them to my portfolio returns in this spreadsheet.

  • Compare my current portfolio performance against the ODCE index for Q3 2023.

  • Pull NPI data from 2015 to 2020 and show me the annual variance against my internal holdings.

  • How does my portfolio's performance look compared to the NPI index over the last decade?

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect NCREIF Custom Query once, then ask.

Click the link to connect the MCP to your client. Your credentials stay encrypted and the setup is handled on our end.

Connect NCREIF Custom Query to your AI

FAQ

How this task behaves.

  • 01

    Can the AI change my internal portfolio data?

    No. The AI only reads your data to perform the comparison. It cannot write to or modify your original files.

  • 02

    Does the AI pull real-time NPI data?

    The AI uses the historical data provided by the get_historical_npi tool to perform the benchmark.

  • 03

    Can I use this with Claude?

    Yes, as long as you are using an MCP-compatible client like Claude Desktop.

  • 04

    Will the AI create a PDF report for me?

    No. The AI generates the text and data analysis, but you are responsible for saving that information into a PDF or document.

  • 05

    Do I need to upload the NPI index myself?

    No. The AI uses the tool to fetch the index data directly.

  • More questions about NCREIF Custom Query? The Connector page answers them. See everything the NCREIF Custom Query Connector can do

Connect NCREIF to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more