What It Takes to be One of LA’s Top Matchmakers

The Short Version: Serious people don’t have time for unserious dating. We talked to one of LA’s top matchmakers, Maria Silba, about her curated process, which has been tailored for successful professionals who are searching for authentic partnerships.

When you’re looking for a matchmaker, you need to consider a few important factors. You need to think about the interpersonal angle and search for a matchmaker who’s going to really get to know you. 

This is the person who’s going to be hand-selecting your dates, so you want to make sure you can trust them and open up to them.

Advice about matchmakers tends to focus on the interpersonal aspect – which is undoubtedly essential. A great matchmaker will give you dedicated time and will work with you closely throughout the process. They’ll be open-minded to what you want and offer expert encouragement along the way.

But with matchmaking, there’s a bottom line. Your matchmaker is only as good as their client base.

A matchmaker can be the nicest, most empathetic, and experienced person in the game. But if they don’t have a strong, curated, and fresh pool of single profiles to pull from, they’re not the best pick for you. 

We talked to matchmaker Maria Silba about the importance of a client base, her own introductions agency, and a few misconceptions surrounding matchmaking. Maria’s agency, Exquisite Introductions, is based in Los Angeles but serves clients across the globe. 

Maria is known in the matchmaking world for her client base. She’s achieved a client pool that’s not only extensive but highly curated– a difficult balance to strike. Maria gave us insights into her unique onboarding process, which she says holds high standards for potential clients.

The high standards don’t come without reward: Maria’s success rate is 90%.

“My clients are high-profile professionals who are successful in their careers,” Maria said. “They’re CEOs, founders, millionaires– they’re successful and serious people.”

When Maria started helping other matchmakers grow their companies, she didn’t expect it to become her passion.

However, as she discovered how she could elevate the matchmaking service, it felt like a natural fit for her. She enjoyed meeting clients and learning about their desires and aspirations, which deepened her love for the work.

“To achieve success, you need to understand people,” Maria told us. “You need strong relationships, with both men and women, and be able to build those connections everywhere you go.”

Maria met countless clients at her first agency. She grew her network at a rate that other matchmakers noticed, and soon competing agencies were reaching out to her for help. That’s when she realized that she could do it on her own.

“I decided to start my own company. I had the skills; I had built the database and I had everything I needed to grow my company,” Maria said. “So, I decided to take the leap and start my own company.”

With that, Exquisite Introductions was founded in 2020. Maria offers luxury matchmaking and dating coaching, along with membership and VIP Concierge services to members. She has been in the matchmaking game for years now, and Maria said there has been a steady stream of referrals.

Maria and the team are based in Los Angeles but serve ultra-wealthy clients from all over the world. From the get-go, Maria knew she wanted Exquisite Introductions to be the place where high-level professionals can turn to for all things romance.

When you’re working intense hours every week, traveling regularly, and spending little time at home, the nuances of dating can become even more difficult to navigate. When you do turn to a professional for help, you want someone who understands your situation– without you having to overexplain.

Four years later, men and women are both still flocking to matchmaking with Maria.

“We get hundreds of referrals,” Maria said. “That’s one of the most rewarding things about the business. When clients introduce their friends, it’s wonderful because we’re already familiar with them. But still– we’re very selective and really get to know these people.”

When Maria is selecting new clients, she has a lot to think about while deciding whether they’re right for Exquisite Introductions. You have to bring more to the table than a high-paying job to be the ideal client for Maria.

“We don’t approve everyone who applies,” Maria said. “We have to be very specific and only take people that we know are good for us, and, most importantly, our clients.”

The first step is the application. You’ll give the team your basic info (so they can run a background check) and also let them know about your professional background and lifestyle. Maria said the team goes to lengths to make sure every prospective client leads the life they claim.

Once you’ve been put through the background check and the team feels like you could be a good fit, you’ll meet with a matchmaker. Maria said matchmakers are still deciding if a client is a good fit during this step of the process.

“At this point, we don’t know if this person is nice,” Maria said. “We know where they live, their housing, what they drive, their financial situation, their professional situation– all of it. But we still need to get to know them.”

Just being a high-achieving entrepreneur isn’t enough to get you a membership or into the client base. Beyond all of these other factors, you have to be ready for a committed partnership with a person you’re ready to spend your life with.

Matchmaking is for serious daters, so the application process to work with a matchmaker will weed out people who aren’t ready for commitment. Exquisite Introductions adds additional steps to the process to create a highly curated cohort of members.

Once a client is taken into the Exquisite Introductions fold, they’ll receive personalized and hands-on attention from a team of professionals. The team can support you beyond matchmaking, with coaching, personal styling, image consulting, and portrait photography. 

Maria told us one of the misconceptions she’s most used to is that matchmakers simply set up dates without results. Newbie clients may feel intimidated by the thought of going on a date that’s solely organized by a matchmaker, but Maria reassures there’s nothing to worry about.

“People have come to us after working with other matchmakers and come with no results and have not found the right match,” Maria said. “They would say they couldn’t find them what they were looking for and kept on setting them up with the wrong people.”

Going on dates with mismatched people can become exhausting. Maria said Exquisite Introductions never wants to waste a client’s time, and every date you go on will be meticulously thought-out and planned. At the end of each date, you’ll get the opportunity to share your feelings and reflections with your matchmaking team.

Remember, your team is around for more than pairing. They are here to support you as you go on dates, learn about other people, and learn about yourself. Matchmaking simplifies many parts of dating, but it’s still dating. Your heart is involved. It’s essential to keep your matchmaker in the loop.

“We always ask, from the first time we match a person, what they think and how they feel,” Maria said. “And if they really click with someone, we can put their membership on hold while they explore things with that person.”

Once you’re accepted into the matchmaking program at Exquisite Introductions, Maria and the team are officially your biggest fans. They’re in your corner for the entire matchmaking journey. A 90% success rate is staggering in the matchmaking scene. It’s a testament to Maria and the team’s dedication to their clients.

“My clients know they can call and talk to me,” Maria told us. “My clients see me not just as a matchmaker, but also as their friend.”