How to Find the Best Surrogacy Agency | A Guide for Intended Parents

Selecting a surrogacy agency is one of the most important steps on your family-building journey, but it can also be one of the most overwhelming parts of the process. In this guide, a surrogacy expert (and father through surrogacy himself) shares how to compare surrogacy agencies and find the best one for you. 

In this article:

• Surrogacy Agency vs Fertility Clinic
• How can I evaluate a surrogacy agency?
• 5 Aspects to Consider When Comparing Agencies
• Helpful Questions to Ask a Surrogacy Agency
• Surrogacy Agency Success Rates
• The Cost of Working with a Surrogacy Agency
• Pricing Questions to Ask a Surrogacy Agency
• How to Determine An Agency's Reputation
• The Right Team Makes All the Difference

Note: We will use the terms gestational carrier and surrogate interchangeably throughout this article. Both refer to gestational surrogacy (where the surrogate is not biologically related to the intended parents' future child). 

Surrogacy Agency vs. Fertility Clinic

Let's start at the very beginning and clarify the differences between a surrogacy agency and a fertility clinic, plus whether or not you really need both groups of professionals on your team. (Spoiler alert: The answer is yes!)

A fertility clinic handles the medical aspect of your surrogacy journey, which can include donor and surrogate screening, performing bloodwork and ultrasounds to measure progress, the egg retrieval procedure, in vitro fertilization (IVF), embryo transfer, and early pregnancy monitoring.

A surrogacy agency is responsible for finding qualified candidates, matching you with a gestational carrier (surrogate), taking care of the emotional needs of both the surrogate and intended parents, and coordinating the logistics of the surrogacy process with your chosen fertility clinic. An agency is also responsible for guiding you through the legal jargon associated with surrogacy, which can be incredibly difficult to navigate without expert help.

In short, intended parents pursuing surrogacy should look for both a fertility clinic and a surrogacy agency, as both will manage separate (and critical) aspects of the process.  

How can I evaluate a surrogacy agency?

Once you and your fertility specialist have decided that your family-building journey will include working with a surrogate, your next step is choosing a reputable surrogacy agency.

From how to determine each agency's reputation to which questions to ask their staff and former surrogates, the following guide will walk you through everything you need to know to find the best fit for you and your needs.

5 Aspects to Consider When Comparing Agencies

The United States does not regulate surrogacy on a federal level, which means that there is an abundance of surrogacy agencies on the market - without governmental oversight.

Because of this, it is critical to perform your own due diligence to ensure that your surrogacy experience goes as smoothly as possible and is supported by true experts in the field who have experience to back up their claims.

1. Reputation

The agency should have good existing relationships with fertility clinics, and they should offer psychological screening and counseling support for both you and your surrogate.

We will dive deeper into ways you can determine a surrogacy agency's reputation below.

2. Client Experience 

In addition to offering high-quality matching services and guiding you through mountains of legal paperwork, a good surrogacy agency should make the entire process feel both professional and seamless. Their staff should also be kind and understanding, as you will rely on them extensively for support throughout this very personal journey.

3. Pricing Structure

An agency's costs should be transparent and competitive when it comes to both fees and surrogate compensation. This is a big financial and physical investment for both the intended parent(s) and the surrogate, and you always want to feel confident that your surrogate is well cared for. 

4. Management

For intended parents, the smoothest path to parenthood involves working with a surrogacy agency that is a one-stop-shop for all your needs. From screening gestational carriers to connecting you with an experienced reproductive attorney, the agency should take care of organizing and facilitating the majority of the surrogacy process. 

5. Included Services

When considering each prospective option, it’s crucial to determine which services are included by the agency. If they don’t provide certain services (i.e. an in-house legal team), the agency's staff should be able to refer you to well-qualified experts they know and trust.

Do I really need an agency?

Learn more about why it's so important to work with both groups of professionals, how a clinic and an agency differ, and ways to find the perfect match of experts to support your surrogacy journey.

Helpful Questions to Ask a Surrogacy Agency

Prepare a list of questions and refer back to it as you assess your agency options. Here are a few essential things to take into consideration:

• How much are the surrogacy agency fees and what do they include?
• Does the agency have legal services in house?
• Does the agency have someone to help deal with escrow management?
• Will they help connect you with a lawyer or escrow specialist if they don’t offer these services on site?
• How many years has the agency been in business?
• What is the screening process for an egg donor and/or surrogate?
• Will the agency help you choose an insurance plan for your surrogate?
• Can they provide reviews from former clients and surrogates?
• What does your fertility specialist think about the agency?

Surrogacy Agency Success Rates

A surrogacy agency’s overall success may be measured differently depending on who you ask. While the number one marker of success is (of course) a healthy baby, a surrogacy agency may also take into account other aspects of the journey when determining successful outcomes.

With that in mind, consider asking the agency's team more in-depth questions regarding their success rates and what makes up a "successful" surrogacy journey to them, such as:

• How do you determine success?
• What are your overall success rates?
• How many surrogates have a successful pregnancy after the first embryo transfer versus the third embryo transfer?
• How compatible are initial agency matches between surrogates and intended parents?
• How many surrogates return to work with your agency again?

If anything remains unclear after this conversation, don't hesitate to ask for clarification!

The Cost of Working with a Surrogacy Agency

Like most things in life, you get what you pay for! At agencies with lower fees or minimal "up-front" costs, you may have to wait longer for everything from administrative answers and emails to matching with the right gestational carrier.

While we’re not suggesting you need to cough up hundreds of thousands to the most expensive surrogacy agency on the market, it is important to balance your expectations for these services with your budget.

Keep in mind: Surrogacy agency fees can range anywhere from $22,000 to $50,000 or more, and this doesn't include compensation for your egg donor or surrogate, legal fees, or the cost of in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Pricing Questions to Ask a Surrogacy Agency

As you explore your agency options, consider asking each one the following questions in order to better understand how they handle pricing and financing:

• What is included in your agency fees?
• Are there any hidden costs?
• Is the pricing structure easy to understand?
• What types of payment schedules are offered?
• Do you offer financing or other options?
• Will I be required to pay a lump sum up front? If so, how much?

How to Determine An Agency's Reputation

Just as you wouldn’t purchase a car without reading lots of reviews and taking it out for a test drive, you should never blindly jump into a relationship with a surrogacy agency without first carefully assessing its reputation.

Talking to your fertility clinic about which agencies they recommend is the best way to start your search, as agencies and clinics work together on a regular basis. Here are a few key questions to ask your fertility clinic team - as well as any prospective surrogacy agency:

Does the agency fully screen its surrogates (both medically and psychologically)?

A comprehensive mental and physical screening process ensures that your surrogate has chosen this pathway for the right reasons, and that she’s both psychologically and medically fit to carry your future child.

Does the agency adequately compensate its surrogates?

The better the agency treats its surrogates, the more likely you are to have a happy and healthy gestational carrier. They should be treated with the utmost respect and compassion, in addition to being well compensated.

The best way to learn the truth about an agency? Talk to one of their surrogates! Ask if the agency can put you in touch with a former surrogate, or see if their website or social media channels have video testimonials.

Meet Savannah

Hear why one woman's experience working in a fertility clinic led her to become a surrogate herself.

What is the agency’s match history?

Has the agency completed many successful matches, or have there been issues in the past?

What is the agency’s typical match time?

No one wants to wait years for a baby, especially considering the amount of time you’ve already invested in your fertility journey. That said, you want to be sure your agency is dedicated to finding a great match for your family, and these things do take time.

Does your fertility clinic enjoy working with the agency?

Poor communication, slow response times, and disorganization can not only affect your personal level of satisfaction (or frustration), but it can wreak havoc on your clinic’s ability to work effectively with an agency.

Extra points if your clinic has used the surrogacy agency before, though this isn’t vital.

Is the agency too big or too small?

Just as you don’t want to go for the cheapest surrogacy agency, nor do you want to choose the largest. As a general rule, the bigger the organization, the slower the response times.

Sometimes, though, the opposite is true. A larger agency will boast more staff, meaning you’ll have greater resources for care when you need it most (i.e. during a crisis or when you have a time-sensitive question).

The Right Team Makes All the Difference

Once you’ve chosen the best surrogacy agency for you and your needs, the next big step is finding a surrogate match. This person will be an integral part of your child's origin story, and will often be someone who remains in your family's circle for many years to come.

Finding the right match is key to ensuring your experience is as smooth, stress-free, and joyous as possible. The team at your chosen surrogacy agency will help guide you through a pool of gestational carrier candidates that align with any specific criteria you're looking for in a surrogate.

As you navigate your path to parenthood, keep open lines of communication with both your fertility clinic and surrogacy agency and lean on them for support and information - they are there to help you, and want to see you succeed!