Agency vs Independent: What’s the Difference?

This guide is tailored for United States and nearby searches (including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Diego, and Dallas).

You’ll often see listings described as “independent” or “agency”.

In general

• Independent: managed by the individual provider.
• Agency: managed by an agency or manager.

Neither is automatically “better”. What matters:

• clear policies
• respectful communication
• consistent information
• safety and trust