GLOBE AND MAIL – Matchmaking services range up to $9k and higher. Matchmakers have been playing cupid since ancient times. Online dating eclipsed them. Reality TV shows such as Netflix's Indian Matchmaking convinced viewers that matchmakers may be the way to find love today, even when dating apps offer love at their fingertips. Now, others such as Jewish Matchmaking and Match Me Abroad are following suit. They offer the guidance of a real person – coach, expert, cheerleader.
In October, Tinder introduced Tinder Matchmaker, letting friends suggest matches. Single to Shaadi serves South Asians and is based in U.S.A. Pat Wright, is a matchmaker in Calgary, and points to personality. "I know all of my clients extremely well. We talk to them all the time". Clients call her back, not e-mail or text, after a first date so they can explore how it went.
by Keena Al-Wahaidi
See full article at Globe and Mail
Mark Brooks: Matchmakers charge a premium for layering in coaching services. They get to know their clients best after they've seen them go through multiple dates and they've heard their feedback. They are then able to form a better sense of who the client is and what they really appear to want, along with the idiosyncracies and true character. Matchmakers excel at providing pre-date preparation (i.e. selling the couples on each other) and post-date feedback (i.e. hearing their gripes). Matchmakers suffer for generally lacking choice, so the best matchmakers will network with other trusted matchmakers and share their inventory of clients for matching. btw, I own Matchmaker.com and we're building it to solve these problems. Watch this space. We're fascinated by matchmakers and matchmaking.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL – From Gen Z to seniors, many are tired of online dating due to mind games, ghosting, rejection, scammers, and increasing costs. App downloads for Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble have declined since 2020. Pew Research Center found that 11% of hetero couples and nearly 30% of LGBTQIA+ couples met online, but many now find online dating too much work with little payoff. In response, Tinder and Bumble have added features, but user dissatisfaction persists. Speed dating and matchmaking services are making a comeback, offering real-world interactions and personalized matchmaking, often at a premium cost. This shift reflects a desire to return to more traditional dating methods.
