The novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has upended traditional office life as well as the real estate market.
Business Insider reports suburban homes that once languished on the market for months are being snatched up by New Yorkers.
Real estate agents say New Yorkers are buying homes "sight unseen" in Connecticut towns and New York's Hudson Valley and Catskills regions.
About 420,000 New Yorkers left the city during the pandemic for areas like the Hamptons, upstate New York, and Connecticut.
Folks are buying sight unseen. And at a time when we're not able to meet with clients, with guidelines imposed on us to get properties shown without putting anyone in danger. Jeff Serouya, Berkshire Hathaway agent Hudson Valley, New York
There's a growing exodus from major cities like San Francisco and New York.
After months of lockdown, people are heading to suburbs and less-dense cities with lower costs of living and more space.