Misha Ezratti, president of GL Homes, measures success by the positive impact his company has on Florida communities rather than by financial growth alone. By combining thoughtful homebuilding with strategic philanthropy, GL Homes invests in families and neighborhoods, ensuring each project contributes to long-term community well-being.
GL Homes employees actively volunteer with local nonprofits, offering hands-on support to meet pressing needs. From South Florida to communities across the state, the company’s initiatives go beyond construction to strengthen families and create lasting opportunities.
Ezratti believes that real wealth is reflected in strong relationships, generosity, and the overall health of the communities he serves. Through partnerships with local organizations and sustainable development projects, he continues to redefine what it means to be a leader in the Florida real estate industry.
A Legacy Built on People, Not Just Projects
Under Misha Ezratti’s leadership, GL Homes has delivered homes to more than 100,000 families while maintaining a strong focus on community engagement. He defines success by the quality of life in the neighborhoods GL Homes develops and the connections residents form within them.
Misha Ezratti’s vision for smart development, combined with his passion for philanthropy, reinforces his reputation as a leader in community development.
Driven by Misha’s planning initiatives, GL Homes integrates thoughtful design, sustainable development, and community engagement into its projects, creating neighborhoods where residents can build relationships, enjoy their surroundings, and thrive. This balance between business success and social responsibility defines Misha Ezratti’s leadership.
Throughout its 50-year history as one of South Florida’s premier homebuilders, GL Homes has created dozens of master-planned communities that exemplify smart development, balancing the needs of homebuyers with environmental stewardship. GL Homes also provides residents with an exceptional community lifestyle through intentional design, sustainable planning, and engaging programming.
Wellness is a central component of Misha Ezratti’s approach to community planning and is incorporated into each GL Homes neighborhood to support healthier, more connected living.
Residents enjoy fulfilling community experiences where outdoor spaces, modern facilities, and thoughtfully designed programs encourage togetherness. Whether through fitness, sports, social clubs, or events, wellness, connection, and enjoyment are seamlessly integrated into daily life.
See also: Gear and Gadgets That Make Life Smarter
Philanthropy as a Measure of Leadership
Inspired by a family dedication to community activism, Misha Ezratti spearheaded GL Homes Philanthropy, an ongoing, company-wide mission that stems from his vision of a more compassionate, supportive and inclusive Florida.
GL Homes Philanthropy focuses on everyday needs that can make a direct and sustainable difference to help Florida residents and communities thrive. The company’s philanthropic efforts extend across a wide spectrum but focus on three pillars: breaking the cycle of homelessness, combating hunger, and supporting children and education.
In every effort, Misha Ezratti’s goal has remained the same: invest in people, uplift communities and do the right thing.
Enriching the lives of underserved children is a key pillar of Misha Ezratti and GL Homes’ mission to strengthen communities. Through close collaboration with groups like the Boys and Girls Clubs, GL Homes has helped design and build playgrounds in neighborhoods across Florida as part of its Passion for Playgrounds initiative.
These bright, safe spaces give kids a place to run, play, and simply be kids while also strengthening the fabric of the surrounding community.
Another cornerstone of GL Homes Philanthropy is the “Make a House a Home” initiative, which turns surplus building materials, appliances and furnishings into meaningful support for low-income families.
Through partnerships with organizations like Habitat for Humanity ReStore and Gulfstream Goodwill Industries, GL Homes helps transform leftover inventory into opportunities for others transitioning from homelessness to independent living.
Ezratti’s housing-oriented volunteer efforts also include the Good Night’s Sleep program, which was inspired by the simple idea that everyone deserves a comfortable place to rest.
Through this initiative, GL Homes provides essentials like beds, blankets, and even laundry detergent to individuals and families transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing.
Additionally, GL Homes has expanded its role in the fight against hunger, collaborating with food banks and nonprofits like Feeding South Florida and The Lord’s Place Meal Mobile to help deliver thousands of meals across the state.
GL Homes has also been a dedicated partner of The Senator Philip D. Lewis Center in West Palm Beach, which provides essential services to help the community’s most vulnerable members get back on their feet.
Community Impact in Action
Through his hands-on, boots-on-the-ground approach to philanthropic initiatives, Misha Ezratti embodies his belief that leadership carries a responsibility to give back. Rooted in community impact, Misha leads GL Homes with purpose, collaboration, and compassion.
In January, GL Homes donated high-quality and gently used home furnishings, including beds, appliances, décor and lighting, from a Valencia community in Boynton Beach. The items were donated to Gulfstream Goodwill Industries to furnish homes for the nonprofit’s clients, offering them a sense of pride and dignity.
Earlier this year, Misha Ezratti and his wife Jessica volunteered at Feeding South Florida in Boynton Beach, helping prepare nutritious meals for homebound seniors across the region. With food costs up 23% and over 1.2 million South Floridians facing food insecurity, the need for food has never been greater.
Outside of hands-on activism, GL Homes has donated land, built essential roadways and supported local housing initiatives, ensuring critical civic needs are met across Florida.
The company frequently donates land for schools, parks, libraries, fire and police stations, and civic centers, providing a framework that allows communities to grow and thrive. Earlier this year, the 32,000-square-foot west of Boynton, Canyon Branch Library in Boynton Beach, Florida, opened on land donated by GL Homes.
Inspiring a Broader Definition of Wealth
Misha Ezratti believes that wealth is not just personal or corporate; it’s collective.
Whether it’s building intentional neighborhoods that shape how people live, connect and thrive, or spearheading a sustained focus on improving the lives of vulnerable fellow Floridians, Ezratti’s purpose is rooted in the very people who give meaning to “home” and “community.”
The saying, “it takes a village,” rings true for Misha. He believes communities teach, inspire and build leaders. In turn, leaders across the real estate sector should pay it forward, giving back to the people who help make their success possible while also championing the leaders of tomorrow.
Misha Ezratti’s community leadership in Florida real estate is defined by his belief that true wealth lies not in what you accumulate, but in what you contribute to others. This mindset has helped him redefine the real estate industry’s role in shaping Florida’s future through social responsibility.
With Misha at the helm, GL Homes continues to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to philanthropy, its South Florida neighbors, and countless communities across Florida in which the company builds.
The impact of GL Homes’ giving and people-first design is not only seen, but felt in the hearts of countless Floridians whose lives have been transformed thanks to initiatives made possible by philanthropists like Misha Ezratti.
