Itzhak Ezratti is the founder and chairman of GL Homes, one of Florida’s largest privately held homebuilders. He started the company in 1976 with a focus on quality construction and carefully planned communities. In 2026, GL Homes marked 50 years of building homes in Florida, a milestone that brings fresh attention to the man who started it all.
For many Floridians, the GL Homes name is familiar from the neighborhoods they drive past or call home. Fewer know much about the person behind it. Itzhak Ezratti has kept a low public profile throughout his career, preferring to let the company’s work speak for itself.
This article looks at his professional path, the principles he built the company on and how those principles continue to guide GL Homes today.
Founding GL Homes
Ezratti founded GL Homes in 1976, at a time when South Florida’s housing market was still taking shape. The company started small and local, with a hands-on approach to building. Early on, that meant close attention to job sites, construction details and the needs of individual buyers.
From the beginning, GL Homes was privately held, and it has stated that way for five decades. That independence has shaped how the company operates. Without pressure to meet quarterly targets for outside shareholders, GL Homes has been able to make decisions with a longer view. Land purchases, community designs and construction standards could be planned years in advance rather than adjusted to every short-term market swing.
Fifty years of continuous operation is a notable achievement in a cyclical industry. Homebuilding is sensitive to interest rates, land costs and shifts in buyer demand. Many builders that launched in the same era are no longer in business. The company’s staying power reflects the steady, patient approach Itzhak Ezratti put in place from the start.
Itzhak Ezratti’s philosophy built on communities, not just homes
At the center of Ezratti’s approach is a simple idea: a home is part of a larger community, not a standalone structure. A well-built house matters, but so do the streets around it, the shared spaces nearby and the sense of belonging residents feel when they come home.
That belief has guided how GL Homes designs neighborhoods. Rather than building scattered homes on individual lots, the company has long focused on master-planned communities. These developments are designed as a whole, with attention to layout, amenities and how residents will use the space over time.
Several core principles have defined the company’s culture under Itzhak Ezratti’s leadership:
Quality construction
Homes are built to last, with an emphasis on materials, craftsmanship and attention to detail.
Integrity
Clear communication and follow-through with buyers, partners and employees is one of the most important things to GL Homes and Itzhak Ezratti.
Long-term planning
Ezratti has planned and continues to think years ahead about land, design and community needs.
A people first culture
Treating homebuyers, team members and neighbors with respect.
These values describe how GL Homes has made decisions across five decades, from the communities it chooses to build to the way it works with the people who live in them.
Long-range land planning is a good example. Homebuilders depend on having a pipeline of future sites, and gaps between projects can stall growth. Ezratti has long emphasized looking ahead so the company always has its next community in view. That discipline has helped Gl Homes grow steadily rather than in sudden bursts.
Growth across Florida
What began as a South Florida builder has grown into a company with a presence on both of the state’s coasts. Over the years, GL Homes has built communities across Palm Beach, Broward and the surrounding region becoming one of the most recognized names in South Florida real estate.
More recently, the company has expanded into markers on Florida’s west coast, including Fort Meyers, Naples and the Tampa area. Each new market brings its own mix of buyers, land conditions and community needs. The company’s approach has stayed consistent: plan carefully, build quality and design neighborhoods people want to live in for the long haul.
GL Homes builds for a range of buyers, including families looking for room to grow and active adults seeking a resort-style lifestyle. That variety reflects the company’s understanding that Florida’s housing needs are diverse, and that good community design looks different depending on who will live there.
GL Homes’ leadership today
Today, Itzhak Ezratti serves as chairman of GL Homes, while Misha Ezratti leads the company’s day-to-day operations as president. The leadership structure reflects continuity of the values that have defined the company since 1976.
The standards Ezratti established remain part of how Gl Homes operates. Decisions about land, design, and construction still reflect the long-term thinking and people-first approach he introduced decades ago. As the company continues to expand across Florida, those founding principles serve as a steady foundation.
Itzhak Ezratti’s commitment to community
For Itzhak Ezratti, building strong communities has never stopped at the property line. Under his leadership, philanthropy became a natural extension of the company’s mission. The belief is straightforward: thriving neighborhoods depend on investing in people, not just structures.
GL Homes supports a number of community organizations across Florida. Its longtime partners include:
- Feeding South Florida, which works to fight hunger and food insecurity across the region.
- Habitat for Humanity, which helps families build and access affordable homes.
- Boys & Girls Club, which helps provide safe after-school and summer programs that support academic success, healthy lifestyles and leadership skills for children and teens.
These are a few of the many partnerships GL Homes has created with charities and organizations across the region, all of which connect to the same idea that shaped the company’s homebuilding: communities are stronger when people have access to the basics they need, from food and shelter to safe places to gather and play.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Itzhak Ezratti?
Itzhak Ezratti is the founder and chairman of GL Homes, a Florida-based homebuilder known for quality construction and master-planned communities.
When did Itzhak Ezratti found GL Homes?
He founded GL Homes in 1976. The company marks 50 years of homebuilding in Florida in 2026.
What is Itzhak Ezratti’s role at GL Homes today?
Itzhak Ezratti serves as chairman of GL Homes. Misha Ezratti serves as president and oversees day-to-day operations.
What does GL Homes build?
GL Homes builds new homes and master-planned communities across Florida, including neighborhoods designed for families and active adults.
Does GL Homes support community causes?
Yes. GL Homes partners with many organizations including Feeding South Florida and Habitat for Humanity.
Building on 50 years
Half a century after Itzhak Ezratti founded GL Homes, the company he started continues to grow across Florida. Its communities have changed with the times, and its footprint now stretches from coast to coast. Yet the core ideas remain the same: build with quality, plan for the long term and put people first.
For anyone asking who Itzhak Ezratti is, the clearest answer may be found in the neighborhoods and communities GL Homes has built over the past 50 years.
