Global Love Report – March 11th, 2026
English summary by Margaret
For many singles today, finding the right partner is far from easy. For Adriana M., a 62-year-old marketing executive based in Rome, years of disappointing dates, overwhelming advice from those around her, and an unsettling experience on a dating app led her to seek a more professional approach, a high-end matchmaking agency.
The matchmaking agency Adriana decided to use is Macbeth Matchmaking, based in Geneva, Switzerland, founded by Rossana De Blasi. The matchmaking agency was built to help busy professionals who simply don’t have the time to find a partner on their own but very much want to. With matchmakers based in Bologna (Italy) and London (UK), most of whom work remotely, Macbeth Matchmaking operates across borders with a personal, hands-on approach and a strong focus on keeping client information private.
People who come to Macbeth Matchmaking generally value their privacy and prefer to keep their personal lives out of dating apps. To join, clients must be willing to follow the matchmaking agency’s process, complete detailed questionnaires, build a thorough personal profile, and be open to working on themselves along the way.
The process starts with a 30-minute video call to get to know the prospective client and determine whether the matchmaking agency can realistically help them. Not everyone is accepted. The agency doesn’t reject potential clients based on their looks, but on whether a person’s expectations are achievable. For example, men in their 40s or 50s who are only interested in women under 20 are turned away. The matchmaking agency considers a realistic age gap to be around 5 to 8 years. Anyone who openly states they are looking for a partner purely for financial reasons is also not taken on as a client.
Once accepted, clients put together a personal profile in as much detail and honesty as possible. This is very different from a dating app where a few photos and a short bio are enough. The matchmaking agency takes the process seriously and verifies almost everything, including whether a business someone claims to own actually exists, whether submitted documents are genuine, and whether the person’s identity checks out. Criminal background checks, however, are not part of the process.
According to Rossana De Blasi, almost every client is less than fully honest about something. Women tend to misrepresent their age, while men often misrepresent their income and weight. The matchmaking agency does not accept clients over the age of 65.
Physical appearance still plays a significant role in the matching process. Men tend to prioritize age and femininity in a partner, while women tend to focus on height and dental appearance. Interestingly, weight is less of a concern than most women expect, as men generally tend to appreciate curves.
The matchmaking agency’s team consists of 8 matchmakers, 4 dating coaches (focused on client support), and 2 recruiters. Fees start at €7,500 (US$8,100) and can go up to €30,000 (US$32,500), depending on how difficult it is to find a match for the client. Straightforward cases, usually involving younger clients aged 26 to 27 with flexible preferences, can be completed within 6 months at the lower end of the fee range. Fees go up as clients get older and as the number of specific, non-negotiable requirements increases. One interesting observation is that, despite being financially comfortable, almost all clients negotiate the price, and the wealthier the client, the harder they tend to bargain. The agency’s position on this is simple: take it or leave it.
When it comes to matching, each candidate profile is presented to the client one at a time. Every profile includes 3 to 4 photos and a detailed personal description, but no last name. The process typically starts with the female client being handed the candidate profile. If she is interested, the agency will then share her profile with the male candidate. If both express mutual interest, the matchmaking agency connects them by sharing phone numbers and email addresses, while last names are still kept private to avoid social media searches. All client information is treated with strict confidentiality and will never appear online.
On average, clients find the right match after reviewing around 8 to 9 candidates. The process can take several months, but the agency claims a success rate of 80%, made possible by a dedicated team of professionals working closely on each profile. Around 200 new members are accepted every 6 months. The matchmaking agency also has a global network of “ambassadors”. These “ambassadors” are people who aren’t registered clients but can recommend a single person they know for the agency’s database, with that person’s full consent.
If a client wants to pass on a proposed candidate, the agency handles the communication on their behalf, delivering the feedback in a respectful but honest way. One of the hardest parts of the job is keeping clients motivated and positive, especially after a series of dates that didn’t go as hoped.
Rossana De Blasi believes that the biggest obstacle to finding love is not a person’s flaws, but the standards they set for things that don’t really matter in the long run. She recalls a client who turned down a candidate simply because she was 5’7 tall rather than the 5.9 he had in mind. The matchmakers work with clients to help them become more flexible in their expectations, though this is not always an easy conversation to have. At the end of the day, very few people are willing to admit they are too selective, yet in one way or another, most of them are.
Originally published by: CORRIERE DELLA SERA
