Each Friday, Russ Anderson, the president and CEO of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty and the CEO of Pacific Sotheby's International Realty, writes about luxury, trends, business and more in the advertising pages of the Mansion section of The Wall Street Journal. Below is his letter of October 10, 2025.
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S P.O.V.
There is a refined, more selective situation coming in 2026 — so what do buyers and sellers in North Texas need to know now?
The good news: The luxury sector across Dallas, Fort Worth, Southlake, Plano and Frisco continues to outperform broader market segments. Driving this is the continuing migration of affluent buyers to Texas and the sustained demand for high-end amenities. Although lending costs and macroeconomic uncertainty exert headwinds, luxury buyers remain selectively active.
Year-over-year, price growth is expected to moderate to the mid-1-percent to low-3-percent range, rather than the double-digit jumps seen earlier. Inventory has modestly expanded, and the average days-on-market for properties priced at $2 million or more now hovers between 60 and 75 days — longer than in prior years but still well below mass-market luxury averages.
Where is luxury the strongest? Southlake, Westlake and Frisco remain top suburban magnets. Dallas and Fort Worth core luxury neighborhoods — Preston Hollow, Highland Park, University Park, Tanglewood and others — remain anchors, where $5 million to $20-plus-million homes and estates continue to transact. But Plano is emerging as a stealth luxury hub, thanks to its strong infrastructure and proximity to business nodes, which makes its ultra-luxury homes increasingly attractive.
As of Q3 2025, conditions favored both strategic sellers and discerning buyers. The broader luxury market is more balanced: Buyers have more negotiating room and sellers must differentiate their properties aggressively through staging, storytelling and marketing reach. Pricing with nuance, aggressive digital exposure and repositioning their home’s luxury amenities — telling a tale of everyday experiences, rather than just listing the features — will define success in 2026.
I know just who you should talk to, to help make the new year your very best.
Russ Anderson
President and CEO, Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty
CEO, Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty
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