The modeling agency is the true golden apple of the modeling business. If you sign with the right agency, you’re essentially in business as a model. Of course, finding the “right” agency is not an easy task, and in certain areas, it might be impossible. When considering modeling agencies, realize that the agencies falling into three different categories:

Top Modeling Agencies

Based in New York, the fashion capital of America, the New York modeling agencies such as Ford or Elite, work closely with the fashion industry. This relationship gives the agencies discretionary funds and allows them to train new talent so long as they feel the talent will be profitable. Most of the top modeling agencies have branches in other major cities, but the hub is almost always New York City.

Working with a top modeling agency, you’ll likely sign an exclusive contract that gives the agency a certain percentage of your commissions earned while you model. In return, the modeling agency will groom you, send you off for the right photo shoots, prepare your marketing materials with you, and work closely with you to be one of the industry’s premier models.

Of course, so long as you are getting jobs with companies following this intense grooming, you’ll stay with the agency. If you turn out to be a bad investment, the agency will drop you in favor of other promising new talent. Signing with a top agency will give you unlimited opportunities, but you can never sit back thinking the job is done. Modeling at this level is an ongoing challenge.

Secondary Agencies

Outside of New York and other huge cities, most modeling agencies are second tier. These can be wonderful agencies and work hard to get their models into jobs, but they do not have the resources the top agencies do. As most are located outside of New York, there are simply fewer jobs and less advertising powerhouses to support them in training or locating new talent.

The secondary agencies focus on assisting potential models with the right connections and advice so that the models can handle their own photographs and marketing materials. These agencies usually contain a manager who helps the models stay current in the industry and works on the model’s behalf to find gigs and take the necessary steps to be desirable in the current market.

The manager should be a wealth of knowledge and guidance, even if the agency can’t afford to sponsor the model on its own. The booking agent in the modeling agency arranges the shoots and handles the details of finding and arranging modeling jobs. So long as the secondary agency is working hard to find you opportunities, they are a solid agency to sign with, especially if you’re signing a non-exclusive contract. The agency doesn’t get paid unless you do if you’re working with a reputable company, so they should be working hard to ensure you and the agency are getting a paycheck.

Modeling Schools

At the bottom of the modeling agencies are modeling schools that also have a small agency as part of the program. These are not highly regarded within the industry, however, as the money-making part of the program is the modeling school, not commissions from gigs located for promising models.