A composite of three photos: the Surfside condo collapse aftermath, an apartment block, and the Miami-Dade County Courthouse. What a year it's been for the real estate sector in South Florida. A Miami lawyer helped negotiate one of the year's biggest fights, frustrations rose as a courthouse closed amid building safety concerns, and the multifamily sector remained strong amid the pandemic.

Here are the top real estate stories of 2021:

8. 'Frustrating': Miami Litigators React as Courthouse Closed Indefinitely Amid Safety Concerns

Photo: Raychel Lean/ALM

Miami litigators expressed their frustration as their courthouse closed in July – right reopening after courts went remote during the pandemic. The closure followed an engineer's report, which identified safety concerns on various floors of the 28-story historic building.

The inspection by South Florida general contracting and engineering firm U.S. Structures Inc. uncovered visible signs of concrete spalling and cracks in some of the overhead beams and slabs, corrosion at steel column members and a water leak seeping through an existing beam on the third floor.