Contrary to common confusion, models can be signed to multiple agencies, and petite models are no exception. All of my friends who are booked and busy have representation in multiple domestic and international markets.
There are two ways to approach this as a model: 1) signing with a mother agent whose job is to place you in different markets, or 2) signing multiple non-exclusive contracts in different markets. Both scenarios have their pros and cons depending on where you are in your career, and in this article I will explain in-depth the process and situations for each.
Getting Signed to Multiple Modeling Agencies via a Mother Agent
If you are new in your modeling career, finding a good mother agent will help you accelerate your career much more effectively than navigating the industry on your own.
The only catch is that finding a good Mother agent who is willing to take petite talent is not easy, since many MAs specialize in developing runway and high fashion models for international markets. Furthermore, good mother agents often have small rosters with low turnover, so they do not always have the bandwidth for new talent.
Once you get signed with a mother agent, they will begin developing you by organizing portfolio shoots. When you have a strong enough portfolio, they will pitch you to multiple agencies domestically and internationally. The mother agent shares commission with the booking agency, so the more markets you are placed in and booking consistently, the more money the MA makes.
While MAs will place you domestically, they often also have contacts with international agencies as well. In these cases, models often stay overseas on contract for a few months out of the year. Your MA will handle the visa, housing, and logistics process with the local agency.
Mother agents are financially incentivized to place you with agencies that will book you work. Therefore if you are not working, a good MA will also be quick to switch agencies for their models when a booking agency is not booking work for their models.
In general, the major advantage of having a mother agent is the connections. When MAs reach out to the booking agency, the MA comes with a good reputation and sometimes an existing relationship. Because of this, their models are much more likely to be signed with the booking agency, than if the model applied directly on the website without an MA.
Getting Signed to Multiple Modeling Agencies by Yourself via Non-Exclusive Contracts
If you can’t find a Mother Agent, you can “place yourself” in multiple markets. This is common for models in Europe and in the US, where it is easier to travel and work within different cities as a local.
For example, a model’s home base might be in LA, but they can have non-exclusive contracts in LA, Seattle, Chicago, New York, and New England respectively. The contracts might be exclusive to the city in which they are represented (i.e. the Seattle agency will require exclusivity for Seattle) but outside of that city, they are free to sign with other agencies.
When you sign with multiple agencies without a mother agent, it’s imperative that your contracts are non-exclusive outside of that city. No agency should be offering you a contract for “worldwide” representation. If so, this is either a Mother Agency contract, which should have been discussed, or an extremely limiting contract.
If you want a guide to know what to look out for in your modeling contracts, here is everything you should know before signing a modeling contract.
Non-exclusive contracts will allow you to sign with agencies in different markets. Furthermore, you will often be expected to work as a local, which means you fund your own travel and boarding expenses for shoots. Because travel costs will eat into your payment, you’ll want an agent who has clients with rates high enough to justify funding your own travel for these jobs.
Why Models Should Sign with Multiple Agencies
Unfortunately, agencies cannot guarantee you work. Being a working model is wholly dependent on a multitude of factors, including market trends, seasonality, and an agency’s client pool.
The highest chance a model has to book work regularly is to work with multiple agencies. All of your agents should be submitting you for jobs, and the more agents you have submitting you for work, the more castings you get, and the higher chance you have for booking jobs.
Having agencies in different markets often means quite a bit of last minute travel, as models often don’t get confirmed for jobs until the week of the job (or sometimes up to 2 days before!). If you are okay with that, signing with multiple agencies is the best way to be a working model.
Should You Get an MA or Apply to Agencies on your Own?
If you’re new to modeling, signing with a good mother agent will advance your career much more quickly than going at it on your own. They will help develop you, strategize your career, and pitch you to partner agencies.
However, if you have been modeling for some time and perhaps even have signed with an agency in the past, you can also apply to agencies on your own. It may be a bit harder to get interest from agencies without an MA vouching for you, but finding representation in different markets on your own is completely doable.
With petite models who don’t have an MA, the easiest way to be signed to multiple agencies is seeking out talent agencies. They often have clients for print and commercial work, which don’t require a height minimum. Here is a list of agencies I have compiled that sign petite models. This list primarily serves the larger LA/NYC markets, so if you live in a smaller market, do a quick google search of modeling and talent agencies in your area, and apply on their websites.
Key Takeaways
The best way to become a working model is to have representation all over the US and internationally. Signing with an MA brings you more credibility as a model, and can get you placed and working internationally. Finding agencies by yourself is also possible with strong digitals and good research.
With the unpredictability of the industry, signing with multiple agencies is the best way to work regularly.
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