How to choose a modeling agency: 7 checks before you sign

The fashion industry is worth billions and is often compared to a jungle, and the modeling business comes wrapped in legends and stereotypes. How do you find your way through it, and where do you start? Many people assume a modeling career is about looks alone. It is not that simple.

There is no shortage of beautiful people. What turns one of them into a working model is personality, hard work and specific know-how. Before stepping into the market a model has to learn to pose and to walk, build a set of professional pictures, develop a personal style and learn how to behave with clients. Learning all of that alone is hard, and reliable information is harder still to find. That is why most professional careers begin when a model joins a mother agency.

What a mother agency is, and why it comes first

A mother agency is a model's first agency, usually in their home country. It discovers the model, prepares them for work and introduces them to agencies in other markets: Paris, Milan, London, New York or Asia. A foreign agency represents the model in its own city, while the mother agency remains their main representative for the whole career.

This matters most for models from smaller markets. A new face from Vilnius, Riga or Tallinn rarely walks straight into a Paris agency. Their mother agency sends pictures, negotiates the placement and stays the point of contact when something goes wrong. Because careers often begin very young, the contract with a mother agency is also a safety net: it secures payment for work done and professional help in an emergency.

Why working without an agency is a risk

Some models consider working on their own. The Supermodels agency, which owns this magazine, warns against it: abroad and alone, nobody guarantees safe accommodation, genuine job offers, medical help in an emergency or payment for the work you did.

A professional agency secures safe working conditions and makes sure its models do only real modeling work: editorials, catalogues, advertising and runway shows. Never "promo" or party jobs.

How to check a modeling agency: 7 steps

The choice of a mother agency can shape an entire career, so take your time and look at the agency critically.

1. Find out who is behind it. A real agency is a registered company with a name, an address and contact details, not just a social media account. Company details can be checked in public registers.
2. Look at its models. The agency's site should show models with real work: magazine covers, campaigns, runway pictures. If you see only amateur photographs, ask where those models have worked.
3. Ask about partners abroad. A mother agency is worth its connections. Ask which agencies it works with, then check that its models really appear on those agencies' sites.
4. Check registration and membership. Rules differ by country. In France a modeling agency needs a state licence. In New York, model management companies have to register with the state Department of Labor under the Fashion Workers Act. In the UK, leading agencies belong to the British Fashion Model Agents Association.
5. Ask for the contract in advance. Professional agencies work only with written contracts. Without one the agency has no responsibility and no obligations towards you.
6. Get every fee in writing. Ask whether you will be asked to pay anything upfront and what commission the agency keeps from your jobs. The answer should be clear and should be in the contract.
7. Read what others say. Search for the agency online, look through its social media and forums, and talk to models who are or were signed there.

Signs of a legitimate agency	Warning signs
Registered company with a clear address and contacts	Only a social media account, contact by direct message alone
A written contract you may take home and read	Pressure to sign on the spot, or to work with no contract
Earns a commission on the model's jobs	Asks you to pay to register, to be seen or to "secure your spot"
Names its partners abroad and shows its models' work	Promises fast money and famous names but shows nothing
Meets under-18s only with a parent	Invites a minor to come alone or offers work abroad behind the parents' back

Do modeling agencies charge fees?

A model should never pay for the chance to apply to an agency or to be represented by it. A professional agency earns when the model earns: it keeps the commission set out in the contract. If you are asked for money before any work exists, for registration, "compulsory" classes or a photo shoot as a condition of joining, treat it as a warning sign.

Regulators say the same. The US Federal Trade Commission's advice is never to pay an agency upfront. New York's Fashion Workers Act, in force since 19 June 2025, bans upfront fees and caps an agency's commission at 20%. In the UK, an agency that finds work for photographic or fashion models is banned from charging an upfront fee for including their details in a publication.

Costs the agency advances are a different matter: travel, accommodation abroad and test shoots are usually deducted from later earnings and listed on the model's statement. Ask to see how such a statement looks before you sign.

The modeling contract: what to read before you sign

Once you have decided on an agency, read the contract carefully and clear up every doubt before signing. Pay attention to these points:

• Term and termination. How long the contract runs and how either side can end it.
• Exclusivity. Whether the agency represents you worldwide or only in certain markets.
• Commission and payment. What share the agency keeps, and when and how you are paid.
• Expenses. Who advances travel, housing and tests, and how they are repaid.
• Use of your pictures. Who may use your image, where and for how long.

If you do not understand a clause, ask for an explanation in writing or show the contract to a lawyer. A good agency will not object.

If the model is under 18

In Lithuania, as in most countries, the contract for an under-age model is signed by a legal representative, usually a parent, and it runs no longer than the model's 18th birthday, when they can decide for themselves. Many countries add their own rules on working hours, schooling and earnings for child models. New York, for example, covers child models under its child performer regulations.

Parents should visit the agency in person, meet the people who will work with their child and ask how trips are organised, who accompanies the model abroad and how work fits around school.

Where to look: agencies by country

Our modeling agency catalogue lists professional agencies with the facts that matter: which boards they run (women, men, kids), when they were founded, which agencies they work with abroad and how to apply. It covers Lithuania and the Baltics, where many scouts look for new faces, and France, including the agencies in Paris. Jurgita is owned by the Supermodels agency, and the catalogue marks it as our own.

Compare what matters to you rather than rankings: does the agency work with models of your age and type, where does it place them, and can you apply online?

What to prepare before you apply

• Simple digitals. Face from the front and in profile, full length, no make-up and no filters, in daylight. You do not need a professional shoot to apply.
• Accurate measurements. Height, bust or chest, waist, hips and shoe size. Our size guide shows how to measure and converts between EU, UK and US sizes.
• Age and contacts. For under-18s, a parent's contact details too.
• A composite card. Not needed for a first application, but useful at castings. See the composite card for models; you can make one at jurgita.cc.

What happens at the open call itself, what to wear and what to bring is in how to prepare for a model casting. To practise the walk, posing and digitals beforehand, see our model training.

Frequently asked questions

Do you have to pay a modeling agency?

No. You do not pay to apply or to be represented. The agency earns a commission on the jobs you do, and costs it advances, such as travel, housing and tests, are deducted from your earnings and shown on your statement.

What is a mother agency?

It is a model's first agency, usually in their home country. It prepares the model, places them with agencies abroad and remains their main representative throughout the career.

How old do you have to be to join a modeling agency?

It depends on the agency and the board: kids' divisions work with children, while fashion agencies usually scout new faces in their teens. Until the model is 18, applying and signing happens together with a parent or guardian.

Can you be signed to more than one modeling agency?

You normally have one mother agency and different partner agencies in different countries. Whether you can work with several agencies in the same market depends on the exclusivity clause of your contract.

How do you spot a modeling agency scam?

The usual signs: you are asked to pay upfront, there is no written contract, all contact happens over social media, you are promised quick money abroad, or a minor is invited to come without a parent. If you see even one of them, stop and run the seven checks above.