Austin Developer Todd Wallace, a JLL Executive, Has Died

Todd Wallace, one of Austin’s most influential real estate figures, died in late July after a six-year battle with cancer. He was 53.

Wallace was president of JLL’s Central Texas region and CEO of CSW Development. At JLL, he transformed the firm’s Austin and San Antonio offices into a 150-person operation, cementing its place as one of the market’s dominant brokerages, the Austin Business Journal reported. At CSW, he guided a slate of shopping centers, industrial complexes and mixed-use projects that helped reshape the metro’s commercial footprint.

Wallace began his career with stints at the Weitzman Group and SRS Real Estate Partners. He joined JLL in 2013 as a senior managing director and was promoted to president in 2022. His brokerage chops were formidable: in 2015, he leased more retail space than any other broker in Austin, with over 267,000 square feet.

JLL’s Will Douglas and Russell Young will co-lead the office on an interim basis.

“He always put his people first, lifting careers through his belief in us, his guidance, and the opportunities he opened,” Douglas said. “Todd’s influence is the foundation on which our team operates, and we are honored to carry it forward.”

Colleagues and peers remembered him as a market force and a mentor.

CSW co-president Robert O’Farrell, Wallace’s business partner, said his greatest legacy was his generosity.

Beyond his deals and leadership, Wallace was known for keeping family and faith at the center of his life. Colleagues noted he often spoke about them first, even in the boardroom.

For Austin’s real estate community, Wallace’s death leaves a void not just in the market’s power structure, but in the personal networks he built over decades. His imprint, they said, will endure in the teams he grew and the city he helped shape.

— Eric Weilbacher