Agency Size

A small agency will usually have less clients. This means that you may get more specialized attention, and you also may wait longer to match. Smaller agencies are also often less experienced than larger agencies. 

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Christian

If you are Christian and you feel that you want religion to be a part of your journey, there are Christian agencies that you can work with. This can be a good place to turn if you want to match with a Christian surrogate or IPs, and/or if you do not want to terminate for religious reasons and want to find a like-minded match.

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1099s

For surrogates - This may not be a deal-breaker, but it is something that differs between agencies. Some agencies issue 1099 tax forms to their surrogates (basically, that's the tax form that independent contractors get, just like regular employees get W2s). Tax laws surrounding surrogacy are complicated. I will not give advice on this subject besides to say, ask a tax expert. You may find a 1099 restrictive, or you may find that it simplifies the tax issue. It's just one more thing to ask about and consider.

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Owner

Who owns the agency? Is it a former surrogate or IP? Is it a lawyer? Some people like the idea of an agency run by someone who has experienced the surrogacy journey first hand. Some people like the idea of an agency run by legal experts because the laws involved in surrogacy are so complex and so important to the process.

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Other Qualifications

See if you can find other clues as to what makes the agency qualified (or not). Besides the owner, who else works for or is affiliated with the agency? Do they participate in surrogacy conferences, seminars, etc.? (You can check out some worldwide surrogacy events here, on Men Having Babies's Events page, and see who attends and sponsors some of these events. There are not only agencies, but also fertility clinics, attorneys, and therapists.) How long have they been operating? What kind of special experience do they have?

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Financial Considerations

For IPs - How much do they charge for services? You should add up the costs of necessary services (agency fee, legal fees, matching fees, carrier fees, etc.). These costs can be broken out or presented differently by each agency, so make sure you look at the full picture when comparing agency costs. See how various agencies stack up to each with regards to the value of their services - what do you pay, and what do you get for that money?

For surrogates - Look at an agency's base fee amount or range, as well as the "extras" (e.g. multiples fee, c-section fee, loss of fertility/organs fee, transfer/cycle fee, termination fee, etc.). See if they do reimbursements or a set monthly amount to cover incidentals (either is fine; some surrogates may have a preference, some may not). Compare agencies. Every agency is a little bit different, but most will fall within a similar range. If there are any that seem noticeably different than the rest, be wary of those outliers.

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Communication

This is one that you can't tell just by looking at the agency's website; you have to actually reach out, make contact and observe the response. It is an important thing to pay attention to. If you are interested in finding out more about an agency, inquire with the agency and pay attention to 1) how long it takes the agency to respond to your inquiry(ies) and 2) if they communicate effectively (e.g. Do they answer all of your questions? Do they give sufficient detail/explanations?).

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Reviews

While you won't be able to find ratings or reviews for every agency, you should always attempt to do so. Google the agency's name by itself as well as + "reviews", and read through as many results as possible. Check to see if they have a Facebook page, Yelp listing, etc. which contains reviews posted by people who have used their services. Don't just trust the reviews that they highlight on their own website, because those are obviously likely to be a skewed selection of only positive reviews (they could also be made up entirely, quotes from friends, or otherwise untrue or misleading). I have also found a group on Facebook called Surrogacy Agency Reviews- U.S. ONLY, which is exactly what it sounds like. It is a closed group. You can request to join, and one of the admins will message you before accepting you into the group. You can then read through reviews that others have posted, as well as make a post asking for reviews and/or recommendations. Remember to return once your journey is complete (or at least well under way) and post a review of the agency you chose to help others! I would also like to direct you to the Men Having Babies's Agency Ratings page. There isn't a ton of data, but they did collect surveys from intended parents and post the results, which include useful information about some popular agencies. In addition, I conducted a survey in my BabyCenter surrogacy group, so please check out those results here. Again, the data pool is small, but I think that every bit of insight helps!

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