3 Bethesda Metro
Center
Suite 700
Bethesda, MD 20814 (301-961-1982)
www.LeoraHoffman.com
Leora Hoffman, age
43, is a professional matchmaker in Bethesda, with
over 700 clients. She started her business 11 years
ago. Leora will personally arrange private meetings
between you and persons she selects for you--persons
with whom you share common interests, beliefs and
goals. LHA says that it is not a “dating service”.
Rather, it is a small, extraordinarily person-alized
membership organization where clients invest in an
annual member-ship, the costs of which are
determined by the amount of time Leora devotes to
the clients. While LHA employs consultants and
networkers, you deal only with Leora, who is solely
responsible for recommending the matches throughout
the entire process.
Services
Hofman requires
all new members to fill out an 11-page
questionnaire, a Myers-Briggs test, used to help her
better understand her clients’ personality and
needs. Questions range from eating habits and
spending tendencies to political orientation and
drug use.
Hoffman claims a
30% success rate (matches that lead to either
marriage or a long-term relationship), with clients
who pay the basic membership fee. She says, “I
operate like a search firm, and actually go out and
recruit people for my clients.”
LHA offers its
members:
1. Introductions…
to people with similar goals and interests whom she
feels can possibly lead to a committed relationship.
All applicants for membership are screened with the
greatest of care.
2. Individualized
Searches… Leora will design an action plan
specifically tailored to each client in order to
recruit prospective, eligible candidates. This is
accompanied by extensive networking, advertising,
and community outreach.
3. Personality
Assessment… The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is used
to assist Leora to better understand your
personality and needs. Results are professionally
evaluated by an educational diagnostician.
4.
Relationship Consultation Services… Leora offers
individual relationship counseling to help you
clarify and achieve your personal goals.
5. Image
Consulting…. Members are offered the option of
consulting with a specialist whose goal is to
enhance your personal style.
Fees
Fees are assessed
by annual membership, rather than a quota of dates.
The “average” client pays about $2,500 a year for a
basic membership. However, fees start as low as $500
for the “contributing level” membership wherein
someone just registers to be included in Leora’s
“pool” or database. Fees can go as high as $7,500,
where her firm acts more like an executive search
firm, using a personality test and other more
intensive methods.
She does very
little paid advertising, but does write an advice
column and does lectures and workshops about
relationships. She also attends many singles fairs
and claims that these events are a good recruiting
vehicle for clients.
Ms. Hoffman could
not estimate how many matchmakers there are
operating in the United States, or their typical
revenues, but felt that $100,000+ was a reasonable
estimate for a successful matchmaker. Ms. Hoffman
says that it’s impossible to make any guarantees in
this business, and occasional disputes will always
occur between clients and matchmakers. She claims a
50/50% mix of male/female clients.