Almost 25 years to the day Fiona Hatfield started work at Coldwell Banker Bermuda Realty as a secretary for the company’s principal at the time Arthur Jones.Four months later she qualified as a sales agent and the rest as they say is history.And with a host of sales to her name Ms Hatfield has now established herself as one of the most well-known and reputed real estate agents on the Island.“I was walking down the street and Arthur Jones said to me ‘Hey Fiona, come and sell real estate for me’,” she said.“I said ‘Me?, I don’t know how to sell real estate’.“Anyway, he convinced me and some time later I called him up and said ‘Do you want me to come and work for you?’ and he said ‘Of course, come on over’.”Starting on September 22, 1986, Ms Hatfield was encouraged to take a real estate exam and diligently studied the principles and practises of the trade for a couple of hours every afternoon, including the Rent Control Act.Passing the test with flying colours, she had literally just received her licence when she made her first sale to a gentleman who had coming in looking to buy a piece of land.Knowing of just such a plot out west, Ms Hatfield sent him up to Southampton to have a look and he returned saying it was perfect and put down a 10 percent deposit straight away.“I always say that selling real estate is like eating peanuts,” she said. “Once you start you can’t stop.“I have built up such an enormous upside-down pyramid of buyers and sellers and of course it is all about having the right connections.“I am truly blessed to have met so many different people from all over from north, south, east and west.”During her time in the industry, Ms Hatfield has seen the market experience some big ups and downs, most recently with the recent economic downturn.But one factor has remained constant her passion and dedication to the profession reflected by the numerous designations she has received along the way.Putting her success down to honesty and trust, Ms Hatfield said that she wouldn’t have got to where she is without the help of her reliable and hard-working personal assistant of 14 years Marsha Daniels.“She is my right hand lady my mover and shaker in the administrative world,” she said. “I believe in being totally honest and everybody trusts me and my knowledge.“Also it is about always getting back to your clients and following up, to be happy and friendly and know what you are selling if you are listing a house and when dealing with buyers knowing what they want and letting them speak and listen to what they have to say.“Similarly, when you are dealing with sellers give them the full knowledge of what is happening in the market and what is selling.”Coldwell Banker itself has also played a big part in her career with the infrastructure, systems and resources it has at its disposal from its in house marketing professionals to its global network.Such is its international perspective, Ms Hatfield has helped Bermudians find their dream homes abroad, with Florida and Atlanta in the US and Toronto and Victoria in British Columbia, Canada among the most popular places to buy property.“Arthur (Jones) and Brian (Madeiros, president and CEO of Coldwell Banker) both congratulated me and both said they look forward to a further 25 years,” she said.“My goal is to work until I am 84. Some people think I am crazy, but I believe that if you have the passion then you can continue on.“I have not lost the passion in 25 years and certainly do not think I will lose the passion for a further 25 years.”Throughout her time in the business she has been driven by a need to provide a good education for her two sons and was inspired by her mother Sheila Gosling, who was a real estate agent for Rego Ltd.In the future Ms Hatfield plans to help bring on the younger and newer sales representatives by getting them to shadow her on listings and working with buyers, passing on her breadth of experience and knowledge.