How To Choose A Surrogacy Agency
When I think about the process of surrogacy, I’m always reminded of how many layers there are to this path to parenthood. Surrogacy can be one of the most meaningful experiences for both the surrogate and intended parents, but it also requires guidance, structure, and a great deal of trust. Choosing the right surrogacy agency can make a tremendous difference in the success of your surrogacy journey. With so many surrogacy agencies available today, the decision can feel complicated and overwhelming, especially for anyone pursuing surrogacy for the first time.
That’s why today I’m sharing a comprehensive guide on how to choose a surrogacy agency that fits your needs, preferences, and budget. The goal is to help you feel confident as you explore agencies, compare services, and decide who you want to support you through your family building journey.
If you want a detailed look at the full timeline of the surrogacy process, you can also read my post on the surrogacy timeline.
How To Choose A Surrogacy Agency
Selecting a surrogacy agency is a deeply personal decision, and it goes far beyond comparing agency fees or success rates. You want an agency that feels trustworthy, transparent, supportive, and aligned with what you value most. In this section, I’ll walk you through specific steps you can take to approach this decision with clarity and confidence—whether you’re just beginning to explore gestational surrogacy or already preparing questions to ask a surrogacy agency.
Each of these tips is designed to help you narrow down your options, focus on what matters most, and make an informed decision as you move along your path to parenthood.
Tip 1: Identify Your Priorities and Non-Negotiables
Before you speak with any agency, take time to get clear on what matters most to you. For some intended parents, the most important factor is the agency fee. For others, it’s the level of support provided, the experience working with a surrogacy team, or the type of screening process they use for gestational carriers.
When you know what you value, it becomes easier to evaluate agencies and avoid feeling overwhelmed by choices. Ask yourself what qualities you want in an agency, how hands-on you’d like their involvement to be, and what your expectations are for communication, transparency, and match timelines.
Tip 2: Schedule Consultations With Multiple Agencies
Consultations are one of the most revealing parts of selecting a surrogacy agency. They give you an opportunity to understand the agency’s personality, approach, and process. Speaking with multiple agencies also helps you develop a realistic understanding of how gestational surrogacy typically works and allows you to compare everything from timelines to tone to professionalism.
Come prepared with questions to ask a surrogacy agency—these can include details about their matching process, how they coordinate with a fertility clinic, or whether they offer support for egg donor cycles if needed.
Tip 3: Evaluate Communication Style and Transparency
How an agency communicates—and how consistently—can tell you a lot about what it will be like working with a surrogacy agency from start to finish. Pay attention to whether they answer your questions directly, how clearly they explain the surrogacy process, and whether they take the time to understand your unique story.
An agency that communicates early and often can help you feel more grounded and supported throughout your family building journey.
Tip 4: Understand the Breakdown of Agency Fees
Every agency structures fees differently, and understanding these costs upfront is essential. Some agencies offer comprehensive packages, while others break their fees into smaller phases throughout the surrogacy journey.
Ask for itemized details: What is included? What isn’t? What portion covers surrogate support? Does the fee include coordination with the fertility clinic or egg donor programs? Clear and transparent agency fees are a sign of an agency that prioritizes honesty and long-term trust.
Tip 5: Ask About Support for Both Surrogates and Intended Parents
Surrogacy is successful only when both the gestational carrier and intended parents feel supported. Ask the agency about the resources they provide, whether they offer counseling, support groups, or dedicated case managers.
You want an agency that genuinely values the well-being of everyone involved and understands the emotional demands of pursuing surrogacy.
Tip 6: Review Their Matching Philosophy
Matching is one of the most important stages of the surrogacy journey, and each agency approaches it differently. Some prioritize personality and lifestyle compatibility, while others focus on logistics such as geography or experience with past families through surrogacy.
When choosing a surrogacy agency, ask how they determine compatibility, how long matching usually takes, and what role you have in selecting your gestational carrier.
Tip 7: Prioritize Ethical Practices and Clear Policies
Ethical care is one of the pillars of a healthy surrogacy process. A reputable agency will have strict guidelines and policies in place to ensure everyone is protected, respected, and fully informed.
This includes a transparent screening process for surrogates, clear contract requirements, and communication guidelines designed to protect both sides.
What To Look For In A Gestational Surrogacy Agency
Once you begin meeting with agencies, it can be helpful to know what specific qualities separate a strong agency from an average one. Here are the key things to look for when choosing a surrogacy agency.
Experience and Expertise
Experience matters in gestational surrogacy. Agencies with a long history of coordinating families through surrogacy often have stronger relationships with clinics, legal professionals, and repeat gestational carriers. They also know how to respond to unexpected challenges and keep intended parents informed throughout the surrogacy journey.
A Comprehensive and Ethical Screening Process
The screening process for a gestational carrier should be thorough, structured, and grounded in medical and psychological standards. This protects everyone involved and dramatically increases the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy and smooth surrogacy experience.
Ask how they evaluate surrogates, what medical criteria they use, how psychological evaluations are performed, and whether they coordinate directly with your fertility clinic.
Strong Relationships With Reputable Fertility Clinics
A surrogacy agency does not operate alone—it works hand in hand with your fertility clinic. Agencies with strong clinical partnerships can significantly reduce stress along your path to parenthood.
Transparent Success Rates
Success rates are one of the clearest indicators of an agency’s performance and reliability. A strong agency will willingly share data about the number of successful surrogacies they have facilitated, the frequency of healthy full-term pregnancies, and their overall match success rate.
The numbers don’t have to be perfect, but they should be honest, consistent, and clearly explained.
Holistic Support for Surrogates and Intended Parents
Look for agencies that prioritize emotional well-being, education, and ongoing support. An agency that treats intended parents and surrogates as whole people—rather than just participants in a process—tends to create healthier matches and smoother experiences overall.
How To Verify Success Rates Of Surrogacy Agencies
Understanding success rates is an important part of selecting a surrogacy agency, but it’s also an area where numbers can sometimes be confusing or misrepresented. To verify success rates effectively, here are a few steps you can follow:
1. Ask for written documentation or reports.
Reputable agencies track their data over time and should be able to provide metrics on completed cycles, successful pregnancies, and live births.
2. Compare their success rates with those of your fertility clinic.
Because fertilization, embryo quality, and embryo transfer outcomes depend heavily on the clinic, it’s useful to see how the agency’s results align with clinic standards.
3. Ask how they calculate success rates.
Some agencies report success per transfer, others per match, and others per completed surrogacy. Make sure you understand which method they use so you can accurately evaluate the numbers.
4. Look for consistency, not perfection.
A reliable agency shouldn’t promise guaranteed outcomes. Instead, they should demonstrate stable performance over time and willingness to discuss both strengths and limitations.
5. Read testimonials and third-party reviews.
Stories from families who have completed the surrogacy process can offer meaningful insight into the agency’s transparency, support, communication, and professionalism.
Choosing a surrogacy agency is one of the most important steps in your family building journey. When you take the time to research, ask questions, compare services, and listen to your instincts, you give yourself the best possible chance of finding an agency that truly aligns with your values.
The right agency will help you feel confident, supported, and informed as you move through each stage of gestational surrogacy and continue along your path to parenthood.