I have always preferred indy over agency mainly because I wonder if they are legit, if they treat their ladies well, and I see them as  targets for le, not to mention over booking. There are a couple of ladies I want to see who work or have worked for an agency. How do I find out if the agency is safe and reliable?

...there is a drop down menu under search where you can search by agency.

Some agencies are local (to one city or area) only. Other agencies book in several different geographic and demographic regions. They might be good in Florida but not as good in New York. In any case, you can check your local board to see if the agency is mentioned (use the search button) or of the agency reps contribute to the local board.  

Many agency reps participate on the Boston board. No one gives them grief ("Stop posting. Your ads use fake pics and your girls underperform."). The absence of a negative is not a positive, but posted negatives are negative.  Not so many agency reps are on the NY Board.  

And you can always start your own thread asking about agencies in your local area.