The Sydney Morning Herald — From matchmakers to coaches: Why more singles are investing big in happily ever after
Dating agencies may have once been considered a relic of an era now superseded by dating apps, but Celine Song’s much-anticipated rom-com/drama, Materialists, suggests they may be gaining renewed relevance.
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Matchmaking, of course, is nothing new. But in 2025, as dating app fatigue grows, more hopeful singles are investing serious money in finding the one.
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Susie Kim, a relationship and dating coach based in Sydney, also says demand for her services is growing. She offers one-on-one sessions as well as a six-week group program, with prices starting at about $3000. The aim is to address underlying issues in people’s dating lives.
“It’s still quite a new-ish concept, but compared to five years ago, it’s a more familiar concept, this idea of, ‘I’ve got a problem in this area, so why wouldn’t I hire a specialist?’” she says.
Kim works with singles, couples and people of all sexual orientations and genders, but her core demographic is professional women in their 30s.
Alongside growing dating app fatigue, Kim, who has a master’s degree in counselling, thinks demand for her services is driven by the increasingly crowded relationship advice space, often populated by dubious voices.
Keywords: dating, apps, matchmaker, love, relationship, advice.