Five questions to ask any matchmaker before you sign

Ask who will actually do your matching, and whether you will meet them. If the answer is a team you never see, you have found a database with a concierge desk.

Ask how many introductions are included and what happens if none of them work. A real service plans for that conversation.

Ask how members are screened, how long the average member stays, and whether the matchmaker will tell you honestly if you are not a good fit for their community.

The last question is the most revealing: ask for the names of couples who are willing to speak with you. Thirty years of work produces people happy to pick up the phone.