When it comes to finding love in the D.C. area, some people reach out for a little help finding that perfect match. A local matchmaker said they’ve seen nearly four times the average number of clients under 30 in the past year.
“We’re seeing younger people more than ever before,” said Kat Markiewicz, a matchmaker at Three Day Rule.
Markiewicz works with clients in the D.C. area. She said her organization is seeing younger people signing up: “People who are in their early to mid-20s are saying, ‘I’m already tired of the apps, I’m already burned out.'”
She said one of the biggest complaints she hears about dating apps is they feel like they’re not getting results and some people don’t take it seriously.
“They feel like they swipe and they swipe and they swipe, and they spend so much time and they just don’t really get anywhere. And even if they end up on a date, often, people are ghosting and flaking,” she said.
A Forbes Health Survey showed that 78% of dating app users reporting burnout when it came to using them to find love.
Markiewicz said with matchmaking, she feels as if people are dating intentionally.
“People are invested like they’re not going to flake. They’re going to show up for these dates. They’re going to do the work. They’re going to talk to their date coach, they’re going to talk to their matchmaker,” she said.
While it sounds like an old school alternative, the price tag depending on the package can be in the thousands.
“The price point does exclude some people from working with a matchmaker,” she said.
But Markiewicz said you can still sign up to be in their dating pool for free even if you’re not a client.
“We can have singles sign up to be in our free database, and then they can be matched with paying clients for free. So that’s always a good place for people to start. I always tell everyone, ‘join the free database. You never know who you’re going to meet,'” she said. “You might be a great fit for somebody that we’re already working with.”
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