Southern Land hires Highland Homes vet to lead homebuilding

Southern Land Company has hired longtime Highland Homes executive Tony Marchbanks as national president of homebuilding, the company announced Monday.

Based in Southern Land Company’s Plano, Texas, office, Marchbanks will oversee the firm’s homebuilding platform as it expands master-planned communities in Tennessee, Texas and Colorado, according to the company announcement. The move comes as the firm’s current master-planned portfolio includes four active communities in those three states with more than 5,000 lots under ownership and development. 

Marchbanks is expected to lead homebuilding operations across land development, construction, purchasing, sales and architecture.

“I am thrilled to welcome Tony Marchbanks to Southern Land Company as national president, homebuilding,” Tim Downey, founder and CEO of Southern Land Company, said in the announcement. “Homebuilding and community development are foundational to our story, and we look forward to scaling our master-planned portfolio under Tony’s seasoned leadership.”

Brian Sewell, president and COO, said Marchbanks’ experience in Texas homebuilding will support the company’s plans to grow its national pipeline, including in its existing Texas communities and newer markets.

Marchbanks joins Southern Land after 34 years at Highland Homes, where he most recently served as president and chief operating officer. He joined Highland after college and helped scale its operations across major Texas markets, the release said.

While at Highland, Marchbanks launched the builder’s Houston division and grew it to about 1,000 homes a year. He later oversaw statewide operations that produced more than 4,000 luxury homes annually. 

Marchbanks said Southern Land’s focus on master-planned communities and customer experience was a key draw.

“I’m excited to join Southern Land Company and help build on the momentum it has created in developing award-winning master-planned communities,” Marchbanks said in the release.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in construction management from the University of Oklahoma and completed Stanford University’s Executive Development Program in 2025.