How to select the best agency for you

In the era of online dating, you would be forgiven forthinking that matchmakers and traditional agencies are a dying breed, but youcouldn’t be further from the truth. While online dating apps have attracted theattention of singletons worldwide offering the premise of easy dating, manypeople have quickly become disenchanted with the labour-intensive scrolling ofpotential dates, the casual hookups and the alarming number of fake profiles.

When looking for a potential life partner you are essentially looking for a joint CEO

of your life. Someone who shares your values, aspirations and lifestyle and is genuinely looking for a long-term committed relationship – all areas where dating apps can fall short. As a result, there are a vast number of matchmaking and introduction agencies out there to help those looking for love, but with so many to choose from how do you know which is the right agency for you? Our guide on selecting a dating agency will reveal all.

Extensive expertise to help you get the best from yourdating journey

You wouldn’t buy a car from a pushy salesman with nocredentials, so why should outsourcing your dating journey to a professional beany different? While it is easy to play matchmaker for friends and family whoyou know well, it is an entirely different ball game when it comes to findingthat life partner for a client.

An experienced matchmaker will spend some time getting to know all the little details that make you, you. It is not simply enough to know who you are and what it is you want from a partner. Sometimes the smallest nuggets of information that you give can help experienced matchmakers find a partner with similar interests, ambitions and aspirations. These nuggets can be crucial if you are to find that successful lifelong partnership you are looking for – but can be glossed over by inexperienced matchmakers, leading to unsuitable matches and a delay to your dating journey.

Matchmakers can help you learn so much about yourself too. You may think you know exactly what you want in a partner but find that after a few conversations with your matchmaker, they raise some good points that cause you to re-evaluate what you are really looking for in a relationship. Utilising the expertise of an experienced matchmaker when selecting a dating agency, can lead to more successful and fulfilling relationships overall, not to mention more fun and less stress on the dating journey as you go through!

Reputation and knowledge of the industry is priceless

When looking to select an agency, bear in mind thatreputation and knowledge of the industry can be key differentiators when it comesto finding that perfect partner for you. Like most industries, technology andnew fads have an impact on the dating sector and every year, new platforms ortrends arise to “help” those looking for love, creating a minefield whenlooking for the one that is right for you.

Knowledge of the dating industry is key, and you will findthat most reputable agencies have either been around for a long time or theyare run by individuals with extensive expertise and previous roles within theindustry. Always ask about the agency history as this will give you a goodinsight into how the agency came about and the people that are behind it.

This goes hand in hand with reputation. Matchmaking agenciesthat have been operating for a substantial length of time or run by individualsthat have been involved in the industry for a long time generally have astronger reputation than those that haven’t. Reputation is not something thatcan be bought, so look out for reviews and testimonials from clients as thiswill give you a good indicator as to how others have found the journey.Coverage in well-respected media publications is also a good indicator of thosewith strong reputations as it showcases their expertise and knowledge of theindustry in an unbiased way.

Identity checks and in-depth interviews for peace of mind

One of the biggest downfalls of dating apps and unreputableagencies is the lack of checks, allowing people to be whoever they want to be. Thismakes them a prime location for fraudulent profiles and cybercriminals lookingto prey on the unsuspecting and vulnerable.

Safety and security are high priorities for matchmaking and introduction agencies, and they will always carry out ID checks to make sure that every individual is legitimate and who they say they are. After all, they do not want to introduce a client to somebody that has not been through the same verification process that their clients have undertaken.

Qualifications speak a thousand words

Matchmakers and relationship coaches or therapists arecompletely different entities. While matchmakers make good sounding boards todiscuss the emotionally-charged process of looking for love – often providingsupport and encouragement along the way – they are not qualified professionalstrained to provide advice and opinions on matters of relationships or emotionaldisorders.

If services like these are necessary, a reputable agencywill have specially trained professionals that they can refer you to ratherthan giving you that advice and guidance themselves, unless they have thequalifications to support it.

While selecting a dating agency that is reputable is important, it is even more important that you choose a matchmaker that is right for you. You will be working closely with this individual and have to trust them to understand you and what you are looking for, in order to find that perfect partner for you. To build this close working relationship you need to be sure that they are open, honest and empathetic towards your situation. Your matchmaker will use their skills, emotional intelligence and time to help you find the life partner for you – and trust us, once you’ve found the right agency and matchmaker for you, you’ll be glad you put your love life in their very capable hands.

At Ignite Dating, we pride ourselves on our extensive expertise, knowledge and understanding of the industry to ensure that you get the best out of your dating journey. Our expert matchmakers have a decade of combined experience under their belts and using a mixture of Myers Briggs personality profiling, intuition and proficiency, we will help you to find the perfect partner for you. Your dedicated matchmaker will work closely with you to get a better understanding of what it is that you are looking for in a relationship before presenting you with carefully selected and vetted matches so you can begin your journey to achieving the ultimate goal of a lifetime partner. Ready to commit? Get in touch and let us find the perfect partner for you.