Hazel’s property career started in the public sector with York City and Middlesborough Borough Councils before moving in 1986 to Stewart Newiss where she was a director of the Newcastle office. In 1993 Hazel set up Waters & Co. a practice of property asset managers and investment agents in Bradford, by 1999 when the company was sold to ISG PLC it had grown to 6 offices and a turnover of £2.49m with clients in both the public and private sectors and property under management with a rent roll in excess of £52.5m. Hazel became a director of SGS in 2001.