Blarian

To get the full benefit of an agent. I think you need to have a high enough call back % that you can't handle everything yourself, first and foremost. Secondly, you need to be very talented or very marketable so they can actually do something with you other than take your money. It also comes down to the particular agent and making sure they are working to get you booked, rather than make a quick buck for themselves.

The most important think to remember is that an Agency is a business. They are in it to MAKE MONEY. If you are a no-name actor, most likely they don't care about you and will take the quick buck over advancing your career (unless there's long term value in it for them.)