What is an agency?

In general terms, an agency is a business or organisation that focuses on providing a specific service or set of services. 

Employment agencies will work as matchmakers, pairing those looking for jobs with potential employers. This definition can be narrowed to agencies within the modelling industry, with certain firms aiming to find work for individuals and others looking to fill vacancies.

The two main types of agency

It is crucial to understand that agencies within the industry can be divided into two key forms: model agencies and casting agencies.

Put simply, a model agency is an organisation that represents models within the industry. By creating opportunities for their models through liaising with clients, the model agency will often gain its profitability through commission-based earnings.

Casting agencies instead act as the initial point of contact between models and the wider industry. As effective scouts for talent, casting agencies will work to pitch models for different opportunities across a range of channels, without necessarily having an exclusive contract with the individual.

The key differences between model and casting agencies

Firstly, it should be pointed out that model agencies and casting agencies are by no means mutually exclusive. Many models are represented by an agent while simultaneously operating with a profile on a casting site.

Yet, there are some crucial differences to be discussed - not least the question of sign up fees. As aforementioned, model agencies often gain their revenues via commission-based earnings, meaning that there should not be a sign up fee for a model when entering an agreement with the model agency that will represent them.

The situation for casting agencies is, however, slightly different. A casting agency will tend to charge a reasonable fee to allow a model's profile to remain on the company's database, in turn maintaining the potential for future working opportunities.