Inside the Work of One of LA’s Top Matchmakers

The Short Version: People who take life seriously can’t spare time for dating that isn’t serious. We spoke with Maria Silba, one of the top matchmakers in LA, about her curated approach, which she designed for accomplished professionals looking for genuine partnerships.

Choosing a matchmaker means weighing a handful of key factors. One is the personal side: you want a matchmaker who will make the effort to know you well.

Since this person will handpick who you go out with, it matters that you can trust them and feel comfortable being open with them.

Most advice on matchmakers zeroes in on that personal element, and it certainly matters. The best matchmakers set aside real time for you and stay closely involved from start to finish. They keep an open mind about what you’re looking for and give you expert encouragement as you go.

Matchmaking has a bottom line, though. A matchmaker can only be as good as the clients they represent.

Maria Silba, who ranks among LA’s top matchmakers, spoke with us.

Your matchmaker could be the kindest, most empathetic, most experienced pro out there. Without a strong, well-curated, and current pool of single profiles to choose from, though, they aren’t your best option.

We sat down with Maria Silba to discuss why the client base matters so much, how her introductions agency works, and some common myths about matchmaking. Her agency, Exquisite Introductions, operates out of Los Angeles and works with clients around the world.

In matchmaking circles, Maria is famous for her roster of clients. It’s large yet carefully curated, and pulling off both at once is hard. She walked us through her distinctive onboarding process, which she says sets a high bar for anyone hoping to join.

Those high standards pay off: Maria reports a success rate of 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.”

How Maria Found Her Way to Matchmaking

Maria never expected matchmaking to turn into her passion when she first began helping other matchmakers build their businesses.

But the more she saw how she could raise the level of the service, the more natural it felt. Getting to know clients and hearing about their hopes and goals made her love the work even more.

“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.”

At her first agency, Maria met a huge number of clients. Her network expanded so quickly that other matchmakers took note, and before long rival agencies were asking for her help. At that point she understood she could go it alone.

“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.”

The Exquisite Introductions office sits in Century City, a neighborhood of Los Angeles.

And so, in 2020, Exquisite Introductions opened its doors. Maria provides luxury matchmaking and dating coaching, plus membership and VIP Concierge services for members. She’s been working as a matchmaker for years, and she said referrals have kept arriving steadily.

Though Maria and her team work from Los Angeles, their ultra-wealthy clients live all over the world. Right from the start, Maria wanted Exquisite Introductions to be where top professionals go for anything related to romance.

If you put in grueling hours each week, travel often, and are rarely home, the subtleties of dating can get even harder to manage. Once you do bring in an expert, you want one who grasps your circumstances without needing a long explanation.

Four years on, both men and women keep coming to Maria for matchmaking.

“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.”

How Maria Chooses Her Clients

Deciding whether a prospective client belongs at Exquisite Introductions involves weighing a great deal. To be Maria’s ideal client, a well-paid job alone won’t cut it.

“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.”

It starts with an application. You’ll share your basic details (so the team can do a background check) and tell them about your career and the way you live. According to Maria, the team works hard to confirm that each applicant really lives the life they describe.

Pass the background screening, and if the team thinks you might suit the agency, you’ll sit down with a matchmaker. Maria said that even at this stage, the matchmakers are still judging whether you’re the right fit.

Singles who come to the agency tend to be serious, successful, and high-profile.

“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.”

Being a high-achieving entrepreneur won’t, on its own, earn you a membership or a place among the clients. On top of everything else, you need to be ready to commit to a partner you want to share your life with.

Because matchmaking is meant for serious daters, applying to work with a matchmaker filters out anyone who isn’t ready to commit. Exquisite Introductions builds extra steps into that process so its membership stays highly curated.

After joining Exquisite Introductions, each client gets personal, hands-on attention from a professional team. That support goes past matchmaking to include coaching, image consulting, portrait photography, and personal styling.

Clearing Up Myths About Matchmaking

According to Maria, a misconception she hears all the time is that matchmakers just arrange dates that go nowhere. First-time clients can feel nervous about a date planned entirely by a matchmaker, but Maria assures them there’s no reason to worry.

“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.”

Dating people who are a poor match wears you out. According to Maria, the agency never wants a client’s time wasted, so every date is carefully considered and planned. After each one, you’ll have a chance to tell your matchmaking team how you felt and what you took away from it.

Throughout your dating journey, your matchmaker is the person you turn to.

Keep in mind that your team does more than make pairings. They’re there to back you up while you date, get to know others, and discover more about yourself. Matchmaking makes plenty of dating easier, but it’s dating all the same, and your heart is on the line. Keeping your matchmaker informed is key.

“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.”

When Exquisite Introductions accepts you into its matchmaking program, Maria and her team officially become your biggest fans and stay in your corner throughout the process. In the matchmaking world, a 90% success rate is remarkable, and it reflects how dedicated Maria and her team are to the people they serve.

“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.”