Matchmaking Agencies: The Reality for Men
You're at the age to get married, but there's no one around to meet,
and friends have stopped setting you up, so you're thinking about joining a matchmaking agency. A lot of men have been there.
But agency fees aren't pocket change. They run from a month's salary to well beyond that.
Can I really find my lifelong partner by spending this kind of money? It's a fair worry.
So here's the reality of whether or not to sign up with an agency, from the perspective of a man in his 30s.
This is the story of one of my clients who actually registered with an agency.
1. The Manager
First, when you go in for the initial consultation, the managers pile on the compliments to build your hopes up.
"With specs like yours, a match is practically guaranteed."
And since clients already have a rough idea of the price and came in with a need, they end up paying.
After payment, plenty of agencies pay you so little attention you'll wonder whether that manager ever existed.
2. The Women
What you're most curious about is probably: what kind of women will I be matched with?
At an agency, women size you up and weigh your specs far more than anywhere else. Enough to make the so-called "high standards" you've run into outside agencies look like nothing.
Because the goal of 'marriage' is so clearly on the table, it doesn't start from simple romantic feelings. They look very hard at the conditions.
Salary, job, education, looks, personality, fashion, manners, conversation and so on... If even one of these doesn't measure up, you get passed over. That's the reality, apparently...
So once your specs line up and a meeting gets scheduled, is that it?
If you can't show the woman something attractive at that meeting, you're out immediately.
For reference, when profiles get exchanged, the managers apparently retouch the photos so heavily that people are unrecognizable in person.
It's gotten to the point where people are saying it should be legally punishable as fraud lol
3. The Sign-Up Fee
You've probably searched for the costs online, but you'll want to know the real numbers.
If you're in your late 30s, the base price starts in the high 2,000,000 KRW range, and if your own requirements are demanding, it climbs to several million or even tens of millions of KRW.
The matches average 3 to 4, plus around 4 bonus matches?
The refund conditions are extremely strict, so realistically, once you pay, assume you're almost never getting it back.
In the end, what matters isn't the number of matches.
It's having the right conditions in place before you get matched, and since you can still get rejected after a match,
you need to know how to come across as attractive to the women you want. Only then can you get a hundred percent out of an agency.
If you're wondering how to prepare for all of this,
every situation calls for a different strategy, so submit a diagnosis questionnaire and I can help you from there. Leave it with me.
