After viewing 65 homes in six months and putting down nine offers, Brandi Ricci and her husband finally landed their dream home in Hamilton. They never expected to be dealing with multiple bidding wars during a pandemic, but Ontarios real estate sector has remained strong even as other areas of the economy experienced a downturn since March.

Usually it's dirty looks or insults, but sometimes, bus drivers working inToronto's COVID-19 hot spots are subjected to much worse.

Now that the pandemic has closed bars and shut down indoor dining, cinemas and concerts, those tiny shoebox condos in Toronto's trendy neighbourhoods don't seem like such a good deal anymore. Real estate experts say that's why many young tenants are opting for bigger spaces farther from the downtown core, pushing rents down.