Should you sign with a modelling agency in 2024?

Agencies have long been the gateway for new and existing models, but with Instagram and TikTok driving discovery where is the value in agencies?

It used to be that brands went straight to agencies when they were planning a shoot, agencies would send through some suitable models and the brand would pick who they wanted to work with. Now you’ve got the power of social, particularly TikTok that just gave us this boom of UGC, where brands were working directly with creators and models. So where do agencies factor in today, and should you sign, or go it solo?

What good agencies do

Agencies match models with commercial projects that suit them, and they handle the booking, negotiating and communication. A good agency advocates for the models on their books to get them work they love, and make sure they get paid fairly and on time. They’re also invested in building your portfolio and skillset over time.

Agencies also protect models. Their knowledge of rates and budgets gives them the power to negotiate effectively for you, and their experience with contracts prevents you from getting into a deal you don’t really want to be in. All of this work is done for you, and you don’t have to deal with any of the back-and-forth with businesses, you just take the deal and show up.

When you’re dealing directly with a brand, particularly when you’re starting out, it’s easy to be intimidated by fancy emails and long contracts, and even easier to be pressured into a bad deal. Agencies take care of this.

How to spot a bad agency

With any industry there are bad actors, modelling is definitely not an exception. While great agencies advocate for you and protect you in the projects you take on, others have also cropped up to take advantage of the models they sign, and there are some red flags to keep an eye out for:

Signing fees
If an agency want to charge you a “signing fee”, it’s worth a closer look. Agencies that see talent in you know they’ll make their money by getting you good projects. Although it might not always be the case, signing fees typically indicate an agency will make their money from signing you up, not getting you work

Lots of faces
Again, not a dealbreaker, but if an agency has a huge book with pages and pages of faces, it’s a sign they’re not selective and don’t have the time to invest in their models. I’ve known countless models who have paid to sign, been put on the website and that’s where it ends.

Paid portfolio
Your agency will expect you to have some kind of portfolio going in, and they might expect you to keep building this before you get paid gigs. This is normal, and it’s great to get experience without the pressure. But some agencies expect you to pay for headshots and portfolio shoots with an in-house or contract photographer. Again, you shouldn’t be paying your agency. It’s in the interest of a good agency to invest in your growth and development.

Bad deal
Exclusivity clauses are pretty standard in the bigger agencies, they want to know that if they invest in you, they’ll have you available to shoot. Don’t be too concerned by this. Some agencies won’t require you to book all your jobs through them, but they also shouldn’t be asking for a cut of the jobs you get yourself.