A company that finds models work and settles the money with clients, taking a percentage of the fee.
What it is and is not
It is not an employer: it stands between the model and the client. Obligations under a booking run through the agency, and tax remains the model’s own. Nobody is owed a wage or a minimum number of jobs.
What an agency does
Keeps a board of models and puts the right ones in front of each brief. Negotiates rates and usage. Runs the chart. Invoices, chases late payment and withholds its commission. Develops new faces — tests, digitals, a composite card, and placements abroad.
How agencies differ by market
In the fashion capitals they deal directly with houses, brands and advertising agencies. Elsewhere the job is different: prepare a model and place her where the market is, which is why the relationship there is closer to management than to booking.
How to tell a real one
It takes no money up front — not for a viewing, a portfolio, a course or “registration”. It has a legal entity, an address and a board you can look at. It answers written questions in writing. Any of these missing is the whole answer.
What to establish before signing
Commission on both sides, the term and territory, whether the contract is exclusive, who pays for tests and cards, and how money reaches you — «Reading Your First Agency Contract: Clauses That Matter».
Whether you need one at all
It depends on the segment: runway is closed without an agency, while commercial and beauty work can be built directly — «Agency or Freelance: An Honest Career Map for Models».
