About the Author: Steve Ward
Steve Ward is the Owner and CEO of Master Matchmakers and a second-generation matchmaker who built the firm alongside his mother and co-founder JoAnn Ward. He hosted and executive-produced VH1's Tough Love for six seasons, co-authored Crash Course in Love (Simon & Schuster), and has been featured as a dating expert by CNN, the Today Show, Oprah, Glamour, People, and Cosmopolitan. He has spent more than 25 years personally coaching and matching relationship-minded singles nationwide.
Quick answer: The Matchmaking Company is a large, human-driven matchmaking service founded in 1999, with 47 offices nationwide and an in-depth interview intake. Client reviews are mixed, with a 3.69 out of 5 BBB rating across 204 reviews. Master Matchmakers is the better fit for verified, background-checked introductions, with fees starting at $3,500.
If you searched for The Matchmaking Company reviews, you are probably trying to decide whether one of the largest matchmaking networks in the country is worth your time and your money. It is a fair question. The Matchmaking Company has been in business since 1999, runs 47 local offices, and has a genuinely large team behind it. I'm Steve Ward, and I've spent more than 25 years running Master Matchmakers, a much smaller, high-touch firm, so I am not a neutral bystander here. But you deserve a specific, honest answer rather than another marketing page, so let's look at what The Matchmaking Company actually is, what its real client reviews say, and where a boutique alternative fits better.
Every claim below about The Matchmaking Company comes from its own website or from a verifiable third party, like the Better Business Bureau, not from guesswork. Every claim about Master Matchmakers is one we can stand behind. If you are a serious, relationship-minded professional weighing your options, that kind of clarity should be table stakes.
What Is The Matchmaking Company?
The Matchmaking Company started in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1999 as a small video dating service and has grown into what it calls the largest brick-and-mortar matchmaking service in the country, with 47 local offices nationwide and more than 150 matchmakers, coaches, and relationship specialists on staff. Founder Charlee Brotherton is one of only 12 Master Certified Matchmakers in the world, which is a genuine, verifiable credential in this industry.
Their process starts with an in-depth, one-on-one interview to learn a client's values, goals, and relationship preferences. Matchmakers then curate introductions and collect feedback afterward to refine future matches. Every new client goes through a criminal background check before being accepted, and the company states that phone numbers are exchanged only once both people have accepted an introduction. Coaching staff are certified by relationship expert Dr. Terri Orbuch, which is a specific, real credential worth acknowledging.
What The Matchmaking Company Costs
The Matchmaking Company does not publish pricing on its site. It says cost is discussed during your consultation and reflects the time and guidance involved, which is common in this industry. It also means the number attached to a package can vary a lot by office and client. Third-party reports and client accounts put packages in the roughly $3,750 to $10,000-plus range, though that reflects individual experiences rather than a published price list.
For someone who wants a locally based, in-person matchmaking relationship at that price point, the investment can be a reasonable one. For someone who wants price clarity before they ever sit down for a consultation, the lack of a published number is worth knowing going in.
What Reviewers Actually Say
Credit where it belongs. The Matchmaking Company holds an A rating and BBB accreditation, with an average customer review score of 3.69 out of 5 across 204 reviews on that platform. Reviewers frequently praise specific coaches for being attentive, patient, and genuinely invested in understanding what a client wants. That kind of national footprint, a 25-plus year track record, and a standardized intake process is real infrastructure that most smaller firms cannot match.
Some reviewers report the opposite experience: longer waits between introductions, matches that did not reflect stated preferences, and less consistent communication from the assigned matchmaker. None of that makes The Matchmaking Company a bad company. It is a large network, and a large network will always produce a wider spread of individual experiences than a small, hands-on team. What it does mean is that if you are considering them, ask directly how many introductions are typical for someone with your criteria, how often you will hear from your matchmaker, and what happens if the first few matches miss.
The Matchmaking Company vs. Master Matchmakers
Broadly, the two firms sit at different points on the same spectrum: a large national network built around local offices, versus a smaller, boutique team built around verification and accountability. Here is how each is best positioned.
Best for Verified, High-Touch Introductions Master Matchmakers: Best Overall Value
Founded: 2001 | Starting investment: $3,500, total varies by your needs
We do not do blind dates or blind introductions. You review a verified profile and photo, and exchange phone numbers, before your first date, on top of a background check and identity, age, and photo verification on every member. Coaching and post-date feedback are built into every engagement, not an add-on, and contracts do not expire. Fees start at $3,500, and the more open you are about who and where you will be matched, the lower the fee.
Best for a Large, Local Network The Matchmaking Company: Best for In-Person, Local Offices
Founded: 1999 | Starting investment: Not published; consultation-based
The Matchmaking Company is a credible choice for someone who wants a physical office nearby and a large, established network with more than 150 staff across 47 locations. Its standardized intake process and 25-plus years in business are real strengths for clients who value that scale.
| | The Matchmaking Company | Master Matchmakers |
| Starting investment | Not published; third-party reports cite roughly $3,750 to $10,000+ packages | Starts at $3,500; total varies by your needs |
| Model | Local office network with a standardized intake interview | Personal matchmaker plus an integrated coaching team |
| Footprint | 47 local offices nationwide | Nationwide |
| Verification | Criminal background check before acceptance | Background checks plus identity, age, and photo verification; profiles and phone numbers exchanged before meeting |
| Best for | Singles who want a local office and a large, established network | Serious, relationship-minded professionals who want verified, high-touch introductions and accountability |
The Matchmaking Company's location count, founding year, and process details are stated on its own site. Its BBB rating, review average, and common review themes come from the Better Business Bureau. We do not have independently verified specifics on its matchmaker-to-client ratio or introduction cadence, so those are not compared here.
Which One Is Right for You?
If you want a local office, a large established network, and a standardized process backed by a 25-plus year track record, The Matchmaking Company is worth a conversation. Its size is a real strength for people who want a wide bench of potential matches in a specific metro area.
If you would rather work with a smaller team where verification happens on every introduction, where you see a profile and exchange contact information before meeting instead of hoping for the best, and where coaching and feedback are part of the process rather than an upsell, that is exactly the boutique model Master Matchmakers was built around. We work nationwide, and we have introduced more than 65,000 singles through a private network since 2001. Our How It Works page walks through that process in full.
Neither firm can promise you a specific outcome, and you should be skeptical of any matchmaker who says otherwise. What we do stand behind is the reliability of the information we give you about every match, so that when you sit down across from someone, they are exactly who we said they are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Matchmaking Company legit?
Yes. The Matchmaking Company is BBB accredited with an A rating and has operated since 1999 with more than 45 offices nationwide. Reviews are mixed, averaging 3.69 out of 5 on 204 BBB reviews, with common praise for attentive coaches and some critiques around match quality and communication.
How much does The Matchmaking Company cost?
The Matchmaking Company does not publish pricing; it says cost is discussed during your consultation. Third-party reports cite packages in the roughly $3,750 to $10,000-plus range. By comparison, Master Matchmakers publishes its starting fee: $3,500, with the total varying by your needs.
What do Matchmaking Company reviews say about match quality?
Client reviews are mixed. Many praise specific coaches for being attentive and thorough during intake. The most common critiques, per BBB reviews, involve introductions that did not match stated preferences and slower communication between matches.
What is a good alternative to The Matchmaking Company?
It depends on what you want. If a large network of local offices appeals to you, The Matchmaking Company is worth considering. If you want a smaller, high-touch firm with verified, background-checked introductions, integrated coaching, and no blind dates, Master Matchmakers is built for exactly that, with fees starting at $3,500.
How is Master Matchmakers different from The Matchmaking Company?
Master Matchmakers is a boutique firm, not a large office network. Every introduction is background-checked and verified, you review profiles and exchange phone numbers before meeting, there are no blind dates, and coaching with post-date feedback is built into every engagement. Fees start at $3,500.
Talk to Master Matchmakers About Your Search
The clearest way to know which fits you is to talk it through with someone who will scope it honestly. If you are a serious, relationship-minded professional who wants verified introductions instead of the wider spread you see across Matchmaking Company reviews, get started with Master Matchmakers today.