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 June 26, 2026.
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S P.O.V.
Fifty never looked better.
As Sotheby’s International Realty celebrates five amazing decades, the luxury real estate market continues to distinguish itself not only for its resilience but also for the evolving priorities of today’s homebuyers.
The brand’s 2026 Mid-Year Luxury Outlook report — the latest in a series of info-packed surveys — draws on insights from a global network of experienced pros, industry intelligence and leading financial institutions. One pattern has remained remarkably consistent: Luxury real estate continues to outperform the general housing market.
Across North Texas, conditions reflect both local nuance and broader global momentum. The luxury market here has entered a recalibration phase — not a correction — and early 2026 data indicates that the Dallas-Arlington-Fort Worth area led the state in luxury performance, accounting for almost 40 percent of all million-dollar-plus home sales in Texas.
The report examines the state of luxury real estate globally. Wealth creation has expanded the global pool of luxury homebuyers — and that shift is redefining demand, with an emphasis on “experience-led” homes. The report also explores what makes certain cities around the world so resilient, and how they continue to present compelling property-investment opportunities for luxury homebuyers. Intriguingly, the newest Emerging Trends in Real Estate report by PwC and the Urban Land Institute ranked Dallas-Fort Worth as the No. 1 market to watch in 2026 for overall investment and development prospects — the second consecutive year our region has topped the rankings — driven by job growth, population trends, business climate and, yes, real estate fundamentals. Come see what’s happening, at luxuryoutlook.com.
I’ve said it before: There is no better place to be during a real estate renaissance than right here in North Texas.
Russ Anderson
President and CEO, Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty
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