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“There’s no feeling quite like it — to see the faces of patients and their families when Superheroes enter the room — even though the kids are the real heroes,” Josh Lipton, Compass, said. Josh gets to relive that experience time and time again as a director of the Superhero Collective, a non-profit founded by his friend Tim Brigham, Wintrust Mortgage.
Two of the best things about the real estate industry are the professional connections you build with people from all backgrounds and the number of opportunities to give back and make an impact. “Our industry is competitive, but the best work happens when we leverage our relationships to help our clients and our community,” Josh said. That’s why he got involved with the Superhero Collective, whose latest mission is providing a home for a deserving Chicago family.
“The Collective is just that — a collective of people within the real estate industry who work together to give back,” Tim said. He was inspired to begin the charity after his son was brought to the emergency room; he would end up spending three days in the hospital to receive treatments before returning home. While Tim was in the hospital with his son, he witnessed the amazing work of the medical staff, who not only treated children but also kept families happy and comfortable during these stressful times. Tim felt a calling to give back to patients and assist the staff — and so, the collective was born.
The Superhero Collective is as cool as it sounds. Throughout the year, Tim dresses up as Batman and pays a visit to children’s hospitals to bring a smile to patients’ faces and help take their mind off the medical concerns that they so bravely battle every day. Their costumes aren’t like those you’d find at a costume store; they’re a little closer to something you’d see in the movies. “I treat this experience no differently than I treat meeting with clients,” Tim said. “Do it right, or don’t do it at all.”
Josh, who had worked with Tim professionally, admits that he was unsure of the idea initially, but his mind changed once he saw the impact the Superhero Collective was having on children and their families. He got involved, joined the Board of Directors and became
Tim’s sidekick on hospital visits. As support for the collective grew, Tim, Josh and the team began to see greater opportunities to give back. Looking at their connections and resources, they came up with an idea: they would purchase a home, renovate it and give it away to a
deserving family.
Josh put in a call to his friends at the Cook County Land Bank; shortly after, the Land Bank announced it would provide the collective with a home in Evergreen Park. Tim went on Facebook to share the news, and the support came rolling in. Friends, family, contractors, lenders — everyone wanted to know how they could be part of the project.
“The house needed a little bit of work, but on demo day, we were overwhelmed by the support,” Tim said. “48 people showed up to help.” As a result, they were able to quickly take care of a lot of cosmetic changes, including installing new cabinets and carpeting. The organization hopes to finish the renovations and select a deserving family soon.
“I know giving away the home is going to mean so much to everyone who helped out,” Josh said. “In the real estate community, we can accomplish so much just by picking up the phone and asking each other to lend a hand.”
“There’s no feeling quite like it — to see the faces of patients and their families when Superheroes enter the room — even though the kids are the real heroes,” Josh Lipton, Compass, said. Josh gets to relive that experience time and time again as a director of the Superhero Collective, a non-profit founded by his friend Tim Brigham, Wintrust Mortgage.
Two of the best things about the real estate industry are the professional connections you build with people from all backgrounds and the number of opportunities to give back and make an impact. “Our industry is competitive, but the best work happens when we leverage our relationships to help our clients and our community,” Josh said. That’s why he got involved with the Superhero Collective, whose latest mission is providing a home for a deserving Chicago family.
“The Collective is just that — a collective of people within the real estate industry who work together to give back,” Tim said. He was inspired to begin the charity after his son was brought to the emergency room; he would end up spending three days in the hospital to receive treatments before returning home. While Tim was in the hospital with his son, he witnessed the amazing work of the medical staff, who not only treated children but also kept families happy and comfortable during these stressful times. Tim felt a calling to give back to patients and assist the staff — and so, the collective was born.
The Superhero Collective is as cool as it sounds. Throughout the year, Tim dresses up as Batman and pays a visit to children’s hospitals to bring a smile to patients’ faces and help take their mind off the medical concerns that they so bravely battle every day. Their costumes aren’t like those you’d find at a costume store; they’re a little closer to something you’d see in the movies. “I treat this experience no differently than I treat meeting with clients,” Tim said. “Do it right, or don’t do it at all.”
Josh, who had worked with Tim professionally, admits that he was 
unsure of the idea initially, but his mind changed once he saw the impact the Superhero Collective was having on children and their families. He got involved, joined the Board of Directors and became
Tim’s sidekick on hospital visits. As support for the collective grew, Tim, Josh and the team began to see greater opportunities to give back. Looking at their connections and resources, they came up with an idea: they would purchase a home, renovate it and give it away to a
deserving family.
Josh put in a call to his friends at the Cook County Land Bank; shortly after, the Land Bank announced it would provide the collective with a home in Evergreen Park. Tim went on Facebook to share the news, and the support came rolling in. Friends, family, contractors, lenders — everyone wanted to know how they could be part of the project.
“The house needed a little bit of work, but on demo day, we were overwhelmed by the support,” Tim said. “48 people showed up to help.” As a result, they were able to quickly take care of a lot of cosmetic changes, including installing new cabinets and carpeting. The organization hopes to finish the renovations and select a deserving family soon.
“I know giving away the home is going to mean so much to everyone who helped out,” Josh said. “In the real estate community, we can accomplish so much just by picking up the phone and asking each other to lend a hand.”
