What began as a simple idea between a father and his three children has grown into RNL Homes: a company defined by thoughtful design, a streamlined process and a highly personalized customer experience.
In 2009, the three Reyna siblings were living in Bryan-College Station, attending Texas A&M University and Blinn College, when their father, who had spent decades working in construction in northern Mexico, called with a question: what if they built a few homes in Texas?
The idea came shortly after the family had gone through their own home search, giving them a clear sense of what buyers were looking for and what could be done better. Despite economic uncertainty, they decided to give it a try.
“As 20-year-olds, we thought, ‘How difficult can it be?’” President Ricardo Reyna said.
Built from the ground up
The siblings started without employees or established systems. They learned every aspect of the business in real time. They managed construction, built relationships with trade partners and worked directly with clients.
Their approach was, and is, rooted in what their father had modeled for years: treat people well, do the right thing every time, and be intentional in every detail. Early on, that meant setting expectations for quality and consistency, and following through.
As they completed their first homes, referrals quickly followed, allowing the company to grow through word of mouth.
The defining decision
After four years of building homes at a smaller scale, the family revisited the idea that started it all. This time, with a bigger question: keep it small or fully commit?
“That was about a 30-second conversation,” Reyna said.
By early 2014, all three siblings had stepped fully into the business, leaving other opportunities behind to focus on building the company together.
The early years were defined by long hours and hands-on experience across every role.
Today, the company has reworked the traditional homebuilding experience into a process that is highly customizable and significantly more efficient.
How the homebuilding process works
“One of the biggest gaps we identified early on—after working with dozens of families—was the disconnect between perception and reality. Building a custom home is often seen as complex, lengthy and stressful—something that starts with hiring an architect, then a builder and quickly turns into what feels like a full-time job,” Reyna said. “We’ve spent years intentionally removing that complexity. While it has required continuous effort and investment, the reward has been seeing families move into their brand-new custom home just eight or nine months after our initial conversation.”
The process begins with buyers selecting both a community in the Bryan-College Station area and the homesite for their new home. RNL Homes currently builds in Mission Ranch, Greens Prairie Reserve, Oakmont, Miramont, Stella Ranch and Bonham Trace. RNL also offers the flexibility to build on a homesite clients already own—whether in another community or on land outside of BCS.
From there, buyers select a starting point from RNL’s curated collection of floor plans, along with a range of pre-designed structural options that allow them to tailor the home to their family’s needs. Rather than starting from scratch, this approach provides both flexibility and efficiency—giving families the ability to personalize their home without the complexity typically associated with custom construction.
For example, a family may begin with a single-story plan—such as the Harper—and personalize it by adding a freestanding tub in the owner’s suite, extending the patio with an outdoor kitchen, or selecting from a variety of architectural styles, including Texas Traditional, Craftsman and more—all within a seamless, streamlined experience.
Structural options vary by plan, but may also include adding a game room or media room upstairs (transforming a one-story into a one-and-a-half-story layout), incorporating a third garage and other enhancements.
The design studio experience
Once structural decisions are finalized, clients are hosted in RNL’s design studio, where they collaborate with a dedicated design team over multiple visits to thoughtfully select every detail—from flooring and cabinetry to fixtures, finishes, and exterior materials—all in one place.
“RNL Homes is truly one of the top builders in the area and is producing high-quality homes,” RNL clients Russell and Jamie said. “From the beginning, we knew that they’d help bring our dream home to life for us. Finalizing selections prior to construction made the whole process a lot less stressful. Also, there was always someone available if we had questions or concerns. Nora, especially, was awesome and really helped my wife and I feel at ease with all of our decisions. RNL is definitely doing things differently and the team/process they have created is what separates them from everyone else. If you are in the market to build a new home, you should definitely consider RNL. If we had to do it all over again, I would choose RNL.”
Expanding the RNL way
As the company continues to grow, it remains focused on investing in both the customer experience and its internal operations. RNL Homes is preparing to break ground on an approximately 20,000-square-foot office and design studio in the coming months—further enhancing the experience it delivers to clients.
In addition, the company recently introduced homebuilding services on privately owned land—a long-requested offering from clients. This expansion is being rolled out intentionally to ensure the same level of quality and service RNL Homes is known for.
A philosophy that guides it all
While much has evolved over the years, the company’s core philosophy remains unchanged—guiding every step of the process, from the first interaction to long after homeowners move in. Reyna often reflects on a principle their father instilled in them growing up, one that continues to shape RNL Homes today:
“You don’t have to do extraordinary things; you have to do every single ordinary thing in an extraordinary manner.”
Visit an RNL model home, or click here to learn more about RNL Homes today.
The above story was produced by Senior Multi-Platform Journalist Sydney Heller with Community Impact’s Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their “sponsored content” purchase through our advertising team.