Friday, September 11, 2026 / by Lauren Kerschen
TCU's nearly 13,000 students and over-capacity on-campus housing push demand into surrounding Fort Worth neighborhoods, driving investor activity and rising property values. UT Arlington's 41,000-student base creates broad rental demand across Arlington. Both universities make their surrounding submarkets worth watching for buyers and investors in 2026.
How do TCU and UT Arlington affect Fort Worth and Arlington real estate?
TCU's enrollment of nearly 13,000 students, with residence halls running above 101% capacity as of fall 2025, pushes consistent housing demand into the surrounding Fort Worth neighborhoods, fueling investor activity and rising property values near campus. UT Arlington's 41,000-student population creates a broader, more distributed rental market across Arlington. Together, these two universities are among the most consequential forces shaping housing demand in the southern DFW Metroplex.
Key Takeaways
TCU reported total enrollment of 12,980 stude ...
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dfw real estate 2026, fort worth realtor, arlington real estate, tarrant county, tcu fort worth
Tuesday, August 25, 2026 / by Lauren Kerschen
In Texas, sellers are no longer required to offer buyer-agent compensation, and MLS listings can no longer advertise it. Whether you pay is now fully negotiable, spelled out in your purchase contract, and reflected on the closing statement prepared by your DFW title company.
Do sellers still have to pay the buyer's agent commission in Texas?
No. Since August 17, 2024, Texas sellers are not required to offer buyer-agent compensation, and that offer can no longer be published on the MLS. Whether a seller contributes anything toward a buyer's agent fee is now entirely negotiable, written into the purchase contract, and settled through the title company at closing. There is no standard rate, no automatic obligation, and no Texas law that mandates a seller pay the buyer's agent.
If you're selling a home in Arlington, Mansfield, Fort Worth, or anywhere across the southern DFW Metroplex, this is probably the question you've been asking since you started hearing about the rule c ...
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dfw real estate 2026, home buying process, real estate agent, fort worth realtor, lauren kerschen
Friday, August 14, 2026 / by Lauren Kerschen
Southern DFW's luxury market spans Colleyville, Mansfield, Waxahachie, Keller, and Arlington corridors, offering spacious estates and contemporary builds. Buyers should prioritize title review, deed restrictions, floodplain checks, and the updated 2026 Texas Seller's Disclosure Notice. Working with a local team that knows these submarkets is the single biggest advantage you can give yourself.
What should buyers know about purchasing a luxury home in the southern DFW Metroplex?
Southern DFW's luxury market spans suburban and exurban corridors from Colleyville and Keller to Mansfield, Waxahachie, and Midlothian, offering everything from gated estates on acreage to sleek contemporary builds with resort-style outdoor living. Buyers should expect a more layered due-diligence process than in entry-level purchases, covering title exceptions, deed restrictions, survey conditions, floodplain exposure, and Texas's updated 2026 Seller's Disclosure requirements. Getting the right local tea ...
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Thursday, August 13, 2026 / by Lauren Kerschen
ps. The DFW Metroplex is not one uniform market, pricing timelines, disclosure requirements, and county-level processes vary sharply from Tarrant County to Ellis County to Collin County, and a generalist agent can cost you real money or real time.
Why the DFW Market Demands a Specialist, Not a Generalist
Here is what most people get wrong when they start searching for an agent: they treat the whole Metroplex as one market. It isn't. A home in Mansfield, a home in Colleyville, and a home in Midlothian are operating under different supply dynamics, different buyer pools, and different price-per-square-foot trends, sometimes within the same month.
The National Association of REALTORS® consistently finds that buyers and sellers who work with agents who know their specific submarket close with fewer surprises and stronger outcomes. That tracks with what I see every week across Arlington, Mansfield, Fort Worth, and the southern DFW corridor.
DFW is also one of the most tr ...
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Tuesday, August 11, 2026 / by Lauren Kerschen
How does the probate and estate listing process work in Dallas-Fort Worth?
Selling a probate or estate property in DFW means the personal representative, executor or administrator, must first be formally appointed by the court and issued Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration before anyone can sign a listing agreement or transfer title. Once that authority is in place, the sale process follows a path similar to a standard listing, with a title company confirming the chain of authority, preparing the deed, and coordinating the closing. The timeline is longer than a typical sale, but with a clear plan it is absolutely manageable.
The Legal Foundation: Authority to Sell Comes First
The single most important thing I tell families who come to me with an inherited property is this: before we talk about price, staging, or timing, we need to confirm who has the legal authority to sell. In Texas, that authority flows from the probate court.
When someone passes away with a will ...
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dfw real estate 2026, dfw housing market trends, home buying process, real estate agent, serious home buyers, fort worth realtor, home selling tips dfw, lauren kerschen, dfw real estate
