Matchmakers Report 400% Surge in Gen Z Clients

Luxury matchmaking service Three Day Rule saw nearly five times the average number of clients aged 27 or younger. With Gen Z deleting their dating app accounts and opting for in-person matchmakers, it’s looking like the matchmaking industry is entering a golden age. 

It’s the influx of matchmaking clients in their 20s that is virtually unprecedented. But how to account for this sudden interest in matchmaking?

In truth, any dating industry professional worth their salt knows that this interest is far from sudden. Although the new film “Materialists” has shined a light on modern-day matchmaking, people have been seeking the expertise of matchmakers for generations.  

DatingNews spoke to Three Day Rule matchmaker Erika Kaplan, and then to the CEO of Agape Match, Maria Avgitidis, about how Gen Z’s interest in matchmaking is a long time coming. 

Dating Apps Have Lost Their Mystique With Gen Z

“People are hiring matchmakers earlier in their adult dating journey,” Erika told DatingNews. “Many of them have been on dating apps since college, so by their mid-20s, they’re already feeling the burnout.” 

Young daters don’t only feel burned out, they crave the authenticity and spontaneous spark that only an in-person connection can provide. 

“There’s certainly an increase in people in their 20s [in] the last year,” Maria told us. “And I think it is because Gen Z, while they do make up a big part of the slice in online dating, a lot of them have logged off and instead are participating in in-person events.”

The idea of 20-somethings seeking romance from a matchmaker and not from an app may be hard to believe, but it’s a promising sign that Gen Z isn’t as controled by technology as some of us might think. 

Algorithmic matches, heavily-edited photos, and filtered profiles leave much of the dating process to chance, something some singles no longer have the patience for. 

The common bad behaviors that run rampant on dating apps have also gotten old. “[Young daters are] tired of the superficial nature of the apps and the constant ghosting or mismatched values,” Erika said. 

Gen Z wants to make deep, authentic connections in real life, whether romantic or otherwise, something younger generations may not know how to do without a phone in their hands. 

“I do think that there is a certain lack of community and vulnerability in Gen Z,” Maria told us. “They’re allergic to cringe and they really value deep authenticity, and I can see why matchmaking might be a solution for them.” 

After all, even the greatest AI innovations can’t replace the authentic human connection of a matchmaker and their client, something Erika told us today’s Gen Z daters value. “Working with a matchmaker feels refreshing. It’s human, it’s thoughtful, and it feels like someone is finally in their corner,” she explained.

AI Can’t Replicate A Matchmaker’s Passion and Expertise 

In an economically and politically uncertain time, singles don’t — or can’t — spend all their time and energy trying to make something work on dating apps. “They’d rather have an expert do it,” Maria said. “They’d rather have someone else coordinating matches than swiping.” 

Ah, swiping: The modern dating method that once drew people in has now left daters questioning whether a single swipe can lead them to their true love. It’s possible that matchmakers can provide a more personalized matchmaking process than a dating app, too. 

“We meet Gen Z clients where they are, both emotionally and practically. That means staying fluent in the realities of modern dating and communicating in ways that feel natural to them, like texting,” Erika explained. 

She added, “We also offer support around things like dating burnout, anxiety, and attachment styles —because it’s not just about setting them up, it’s about helping them date with intention and self-awareness.” Intention and self-awareness: two things an AI matchmaker will never be able to replicate. 

Some singles may be willing to pay more for a matchmaker than for a dating app they’ve tried (and been disappointed by) in the past. A boutique matchmaking experience may be more expensive, but for the most part, it’s also more high quality, “which is … going to show up in the matches and feedback,” Maria explained. 

With “the best services” priced at over $10,000, according to Maria, it’s clear that consumers want a matchmaking service that prioritizes quality matches over quantity, though they’re also drawn to matchmakers who can provide a wide breadth of options. 

But as Erika mentioned earlier, a dating app will never be able to replicate the intentionality and self-awareness that makes matchmaking an enriching experience for young daters. And there’s another uniquely human quality that only a matchmaker can bring to the process: passion.