Al Brende

In Memorium 1945-2025

We dedicate this page to Al Brende, who passed away on August 26, 2025 after nearly 30 years as co-founder and leader of Land Tejas Development. His contributions have set the stage for a new Land Tejas that is committed to building on a lifetime of success. 

Al Brende came to Houston In the mid 1990’s, lured by the developer-friendly climate that was unheard of in Southern California and Nevada. He saw there were no gated neighborhoods except in the more exclusive areas. He also noticed a sameness in the new-home landscape, and with it a world of opportunities to shake things up.

The rest is history.

If there was one constant in his determination it was that Al Brende wanted to be the first to offer home-buyers something extra. It started with gated communities, followed by built-in technology with bundled services, recreation centers with splash pads instead of just a swimming pool. The ideas became bigger and more newsworthy: solar powered homes, energy-saving partnerships and ultimately his most ambitious quest, to bring the Crystal Lagoon® beach concept to Houston neighborhoods.

Mr. Brende’s commitment to innovation reached a milestone with the development of Houston’s first Crystal Clear Lagoons® amenity at Balmoral, redefining expectations for master-planned community living. Under his leadership, Land Tejas developed nearly 25 master-planned communities with a total of more than 40,000 homes, earning numerous honors, including Developer of the Year and recognition as Houston’s Largest Real Estate Developer.

By all accounts, Al Brende left an indelible mark on Houston’s residential real estate industry. His spirit, the historic list of accomplisments, the accolades and the generosity he showed will be remembered forever. Each milestone a part of Houston history.