Mario Garcia-Serra, an environmental and land use attorney with the Miami office of Gunster, said April was his busiest month so far this year by billable hours in spite of the shelter-in-place conditions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

"That's in part explained by the fact that we have all been forced to be more efficient," Garcia-Serra told DBR affiliate GlobeSt.com. "There is no time lost commuting to the office or between meetings. We have been busy."

Garcia-Serra, who represents major developers before government boards and regulatory agencies, said Miami-Dade County construction has proceeded unobstructed, save for social-distancing requirements. But he said the new rules have produced few issues.

"Luckily for my area of work, things have been moving forward pretty well, and projects are moving forward," he said. "As far as the permitting and approval side of things, it has been somewhat slow, but even so government agencies are innovating, and we are having virtual zoning hearings. On the building permits side, it's been unique because those municipalities that have electronic plans submissions methods already in place, it's been a little easier for them to adjust than those who still require hard copy."

Projects move slower when agencies that require hard copies are involved because the documents have to be quarantined for a period of time, creating a lag. Nevertheless, business continues to be conducted, Garcia-Serra said.

"The projects that are in the pipeline are certainly moving forward," he said. "For newer projects, there has been some interest, and people are looking at opportunities, but we are seeing some limitations because of the current situation and not being able to meet in person. But overall, the construction and development business in Miami-Dade has been more resilient than other businesses that were more exposed to the downside of this quarantine."

Garcia-Serra predicts multifamily will be the first real estate sector to rebound due to the continuing need for housing in the region. He puts assisted living in the same category. On the down side, he said the hard-hit hotel industry will take more time to come back as will retail.

"Office will be interesting," he said. "Let's see if this experience has pushed us in the direction of more people working remotely from home and therefore less office space is needed. I think the jury is still out on that."