“See that one? We built that,” he tells his kids as they drive through town.
That’s the achievement that matters most. The Merger That Wasn’t a Merger The idea started as a joke. “We were at breakfast one Thursday morning and Matthew says, ‘Maybe I should just come work for StoryBuilt,’” Chastity recalls. “We laughed. But it stuck.” What followed were months of breakfasts, strategy sessions, and soul-level conversations. “We realized quickly that where I’m strong, he needs support. And where I’m weak, he’s rock solid,” says Chastity.
CHASTITY WHITE | CEO
Back then, he was newly married and moonlighting on construction jobs after work. Eventually, he took the leap. “We moved into a small house. My wife helped me paint signs. That was the start.” From his first $200,000 home in an aging neighborhood to full-scale developments, Royal grew by word of mouth and a relentless focus on people.
“There’s no perfect build,” he told clients. “But I’ll be here. Always.”
His firm was named Custom Builder of the Year in 2017 , and he served as President of the Greater Houston Builders Association in 2024 . But spend even a minute with Matthew, and it’s clear: accolades aren’t what drive him. 62
MATTHEW REIBENSTEIN | CSO
BUILDERS EDITION Legacy
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