Blake Roberts & Legend Homes: Growth Through Change

When housing markets tighten, many builders instinctively pull back. For Blake Roberts, president of Legend Homes in Houston, uncertainty is not a signal to panic. It is a moment to adapt.

That mindset has helped Legend Homes navigate more than one difficult market cycle. From the 2007 downturn to the disruption caused by COVID-19, the Texas-based homebuilder has leaned into new models, stronger operations and a disciplined focus on affordable housing.

“Legend’s owners have always been fully invested in the business and when times are tough, they’re here to support us,” Roberts says.

That support, he explains, extends beyond ownership. It has shaped a company culture built around resilience, trust and a shared belief that challenges can lead to better outcomes.

Finding a smarter path forward

Legend Homes faced one of its biggest tests in early 2007. As the market weakened, the company had hundreds of newly built homes ready for sale. Rather than slash prices and damage long-term value, the company chose a different route: it leased the homes until the market improved.

That decision eventually opened the door to a much larger opportunity.

By 2012, demand for rental homes remained strong even as the retail housing market began to recover. A separate company, Camillo Properties, was formed to focus on a fully integrated build-to-rent model. Camillo built, leased and managed homes as long-term investment properties.

The model grew across Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and College Station. According to the original feature, Camillo’s portfolio included 7,000 single-family homes and 800 multifamily properties at the time of publication.

For renters, the offering delivered what Roberts described as “a true new home experience” without the responsibilities of ownership.

Staying steady through COVID-19

When COVID-19 disrupted the economy in 2020, Roberts and his team had already learned how to respond to changing market conditions. Legend Homes and Camillo Properties were separate businesses, but their models worked well together.

Legend served first-time and move-up buyers. Camillo served families who needed a quality home but were not ready to purchase. Together, the two businesses created flexibility during an unpredictable period.

“As leaders, we brought the best of what we have to offer to our operations and teams,” Roberts says.

Even during uncertain times, the company’s focus remained on growth. Legend aimed to become one of the top builders in each of its major metro markets, including Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and College Station, with future expansion planned around Austin.

“The big focus for us, even during these times, is growth,” Roberts says.

That growth was already visible. The original article noted that Legend had reached its highest sales year, ranking 41st nationally among large homebuilders, with $375 million in business and 1,417 closings. The company was also targeting 1,850 closings across all markets in 2020.

Returning to the basics

For Roberts, growth did not come from chasing every possible opportunity. It came from knowing what the company did best.

Legend focused on affordable homes, especially for first-time buyers. At the time, starting prices ranged from the $170s to the $250s, depending on market and location. The goal was to remain a value leader in every primary market the company served.

“We try to focus on what we’re good at,” Roberts says.

That simple approach gave the company stability. Affordable homes, clear market positioning and a strong team helped Legend continue moving forward even when conditions were difficult.

A career built from the ground up

Roberts first entered home construction at age 20. He quickly developed an appreciation for the full building process and later started his own small homebuilding company. Over the next decade, that experience expanded into several real estate-related ventures.

In late 2012, Roberts met the owners of Legend Homes and saw a new opportunity: helping lead and grow an established business while learning from experienced industry mentors.

“I have truly learned from the founder,” Roberts says.

That mentorship helped shape his leadership style. Roberts values structure, humility and the importance of surrounding himself with capable people.

He joined Camillo Properties in 2012 as its third employee under then-CEO Margaret Potter. He became vice president of construction and purchasing, then vice president of operations in 2014, president in 2016 and CEO in January 2020. He was also appointed president and CEO of Legend Homes in 2017.

Leading through culture

Roberts believes successful growth depends on more than strategy. It depends on people.

His leadership approach centers on financial discipline, strong teams and an environment where employees can succeed. He sees his role as continuing the vision built by Legend’s owners while improving and expanding it.

“My role here is to take the vision the owners built and continue to build on and improve upon that,” he says.

For Roberts, the most rewarding part of the work is seeing both the company and its people grow. Helping customers experience their first home is another major source of satisfaction.

That same team-first mindset also helped Camillo become an early leader in the large-scale build-to-rent space.

“We were the first to do it at this scale and level of integration,” he says.

In Roberts’ view, that kind of success only happens when culture comes first. A company can have strong individuals, but shared goals create stronger results.

“With a growing company we must always be working on the team concept first,” Roberts says.