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 May 15, 2026.
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S P.O.V.
The world is onto us — especially a lot of soccer fans, who are about to be here for the most games of any host city during a very famous global soccer tournament.
North Texas is, unquestionably, the hottest place to be right now. And we’re not talking summer temperatures. We’re talking living and playing and companies and culture. We’re talking sports and shopping and dining. We’re talking the most intriguing neighborhoods and homes in the country.
We’re talking our towns. Welcome to them, world. We’ve got Dallas, Fort Worth and everywhere around and in between — including Arlington, where the FIFA World Cup games will be played in front of a truly global audience. Suburbs, big cities, little cities: They are bold and beautiful, full of benevolent neighbors and forward thinkers.
And they’re growing faster than a soccer ball whizzes toward a net. “The growth north of Dallas has been so dizzying that people talk about it as if it were a storm, or some other force of nature,” said writer Joshua Chaffin in a Wall Street Journal story in July 2025. (Look it up: It’s a fascinating feature.) You already know from me some of the reasons: weather, big business, big homes and no personal income tax.
Yes, the word is out. Boundless opportunities. A lot of house for the money. Our warm and wonderful climate. While all of this is very exciting, it is of no surprise to some people I know, who know every nook and cranny of this amazing place: the agents of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty.
After all, our brokerage opened here in 1960 — so we’ve been getting a kick out of North Texas for 66 years and counting.
Will I see you on June 14, for that first soccer match?
—
Game on:
The North Texas soccer schedule is here.
The North Texas knowers:
Our guide to every neighborhood is here.
—
Russ Anderson
President and CEO, Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty
CEO, Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty
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