How to Become a Model Agent

Surprisingly, it is easy for our working and outgoing person to become a model agent. Most important factor in becoming a model agent is your ability to locate and motivate new models.

Become a Model Agent at an Existing Agency

First, you need to decide whether your ultimate career goal is to get hired at a big city agency, or be an independent startup modeling agency in your hometown.

Become a Model Agent in Your Hometown

In any case, the starting point is to be independent model agent first. If you want to become a model agent in a big city agency, then you need to first be able to show that you can book models from Model Jobs and you can find new models. You also need to have a list of models under your wing who are signed to contracts and you have obtained several modeling jobs through you. Any agency will want to know what higher-paying modeling jobs you obtained for your models. So, the starting point is to become an independent model agent in your city.

Avoid Mistakes When You Become a Model Agent

It is important to avoid the common pitfalls and mistakes that most people make when seeking to become a model agent. Many people who seek to become a model agent spend way too much on what they think a luxury image should be a model agent. They make the mistake of spending too much money on office space, office equipment, furniture, a website and all the other parts of having a luxury image. If you start out to become a model agent and go into debt in order to give an impressive image you are handicapping your business. It will be very difficult for you to maintain a positive cash flow, advance monies to models and keep your overall motivation - if you are constantly in debt because of your startup costs.

A model agent does not need to impress new models and clients by spending a bunch of money when starting up. You can impress new models and keep them happy simply by working hard in obtaining modeling jobs for them. Potential clients (professionals who hire your models) will never visit your location. All bookings will be done by phone or e-mail. If you need to meet a potential client face-to-face the client will want you to come to their office. So, the only thing an expensive office does is impress potential models.

Become a Model Agent Out of Your Home

When first starting out, it is completely acceptable to work out of your home. Ironically, smart model agents in small cities will work out their home for many years - because it saves money. Attracting and retaining models as a model agent is done by getting the modeling jobs, not by having an expensive chair or luxury sofa.

Two Things You Need to Become a Model Agent

The one thing you do need when seeking to become a model agent is a good-looking business card and an impressive logo. Do not make the mistake of spending a large amount of money with a design firm to design your logo. We highly suggest you use an offshore graphic designer, such as Supriya Agnihotri of Digi-corp.com. You simply e-mail design ideas to this designer. She returns one or two concepts for potential logos. You choose one and send it to my print. A few days later you have nice shiny business cards and you can begin recruiting models As a model agent.

One important thing to include on your business cards is the words "home office" next to one of your phone numbers. This tells potential models that you work out of your home. In this way, you will not need to explain that you work out of your home each time you arrange to meet a model.

Next you need a basic digital camera and cheap color printer. The models you recruit do not need expensive portfolios to get their first job. Ironically as a new model agent, your clients will want to see basic photographs that are not doctored or retouch. Potential clients do not like having models show up who look different from the photographs you submit to them. Assuring they are models show up in on time and look like the photographs you submitted to the client is about most importance.

Don't Spend Money on Photographs to Become a Model Agent

You may think you need your new models to have flashy luxurious photographs. You can shoot basic simple photographs that show exactly what your new models look like in your office or home provided you have adequate lighting - this means do not shoot your models in a dark room. As you begin to build your contacts with local photographers you can arrange free photo shoots with these photographers. However, you only want to arrange free photo shoots with models who have both signed a contract with you and who have proven that they are reliable.

When you seek to become a model agent, it is more important that you have reliable, stable, non-crazy models who will not piss off your clients. When your models this off your clients, you will lose these clients and develop a bad reputation as a model agent. Clients will spread word around town that your models are unreliable. Studio time, photographer time and staff time are expensive. So, it is very bad for your models to show up late or cancel. However, when working with new models is difficult to know which model is reliable and which one will blow you off because he or she got drunk the night before or has a girlfriend and boyfriend issues in our prior to the start of the modeling job.

Recruit Many Potential Models to Become a Model Agent

Your first step to becoming a model agent is to obtain a good crop of new models. This means you must start off as a model scout and hit the streets, nightclubs and campus and pass out your new business cards too good-looking young people. Keep in mind that not all people you stop will respond. A portion of the people who responded will not be reliable. Remember, it is very important that you recruit as many potential models as possible.

Campus Men gives you great advice on how and where to scout potential models in person.

CampusMen.com provides you with a whole set of tools to conduct model searches. By registering as a photographer on the site, you are given the model search page that will be found whenever someone searches for model search in your city name. You are also given a special widget that you can post on other websites including my space to invite potential models and your city to be part of your troupe of models.

Your First Client Submit as a Model Agent

After you have recruited and met with approximately 12-20 models, you need to obtain photographs of each of your models. Once again they do not need to be flashy. In most cases mug shot tied photos are best.

Once you have obtained size and height statistics, snapshot photographs and have signed contracts with your new models, you are ready to start submitting these models to local advertising agencies and photographers. Keep in mind during this vulnerable time that models you have recruited may get the idea of going to other agencies that are more established.

To avoid this, you need to sign them to a contract. Boilerplate, standard "personal manager" contracts are available for purchase for under $10. These people you recruit would have never been able to get involved with modeling if you had not discovered them, so they need to sign a contract with you. Remember, you will never be able to obtain high paying clients if those clients can hire models that you found from more established agencies because your discoveries have went to your competition. This is where your persuasive skills and business acumen will come in handy. You can't have your models going to your competition.

Building a website to become a model agent

It is a mistake to get bogged down in a flashy website when seeking to become a model agent. You are given all the tools you need free your charge through CampusMen.com. Most potential models are more interested in the opportunities you can find for them as a model agent rather than having a flashy website. Use the tools given to you by registering as a photographer on Campus Men.com to find as many potential models as you can.

Remember, your business card is for locating models you meet in person and your pages on campusmen.com are for reaching out to potential models on the Internet and having a functional Internet presence as a model agent.

Legal requirements to become a Model Agent

Model agents are only regulated in only a few states. To learn your states regulations, ask them what is required by contacting your state's secretary of state office. Usually, they will only require that you register your business name.