Rachel Russo Reviews: Best NYC Matchmaker For You?

Wondering if Rachel Russo is your ideal NYC matchmaker? You’re in the right spot.

From the small boutiques to the biggest industry players, our team of experts has reviewed over 200 matchmaking services. Our insight comes from 14+ years of firsthand experience, comprehensive research, real customer reviews, and a deep understanding of the matchmaking landscape.

This Rachel Russo Relationships review covers everything from her dating philosophy to her matchmaking process and cost, so you can decide if she’s the best personal matchmaker for you!

Let's jump right in and get to know the woman at the heart of it all - Rachel Russo.

Who Is Rachel Russo?

An industry veteran, Rachel Russo worked for several national matchmakers over the years before launching her own service in 2011. She was the Director of Matchmaking for Lisa Clampitt Matchmaking, and also worked with a few other services.

She’s a former marriage & family therapist, with an undergraduate psychology degree from Rutgers University and a master’s in Marriage & Family Therapy from Iona College.

It was her desire to combine matchmaking with ongoing relationship coaching that ultimately led her to branch out on her own with Rachel Russo Relationships.

As she explains on her website, her goal was to provide “so much more than the introductions and limited dating feedback that most matchmakers provide.”

Russo focuses on helping singles find - and keep - love in the tri-state area, with offices in NY and NJ. She typically works with singles in their 30s, 40s and 50s, and says on her website that she made a pact with herself to only work with clients that “I genuinely like.” 

As a relationship therapist, Russo often dispenses dating advice, both to her matchmaking and coaching clients, and via social media. 

She’s an experienced blogger and workshop host, and a frequent media contributor. 

Rachel Russo’s Dating Philosophy

In an interview, Russo explained that feeling overwhelmed by dating apps is one of the most common reasons that singles have problems finding a relationship. 

“People are having trouble making choices as to who is the best partner for them. They’re just overwhelmed, and sometimes they stop communicating with someone who could be a perfectly good fit just because they’re talking to others.”

Russo goes on to explain that the “perfect” person doesn’t exist, but singles keep swiping to find someone just "a little bit better".

“...Maybe a little more successful, maybe a little objectively hotter… they keep looking and looking for this elusive perfect person, but it doesn’t exist. These people can be single for years and decades, because they’re searching for something that’s not even real.” 

And that’s where one of her core dating philosophies comes into play: if you can get 80% of what you want, stop swiping. 

“I don’t know if you’re going to get that other 20% in the perfect package that is also going to like you back, and want you.”

As she explains on her website, she believes that finding lasting love requires putting in the work. Clients have come to her thinking that hiring a matchmaker will solve their romantic problems, but that’s not necessarily true. 

Not only do you need to understand yourself and what you need in a relationship, you also need to stay out of your own way when it comes to dating. 

For instance, in an interview with WeLoveDates.com, she explains that having a list of “must have” criteria can be a good thing, but only if you keep it reasonable. 

“The problem isn’t the idea of the list; it is that many women don’t have a realistic list. They have to realize that if their list is unrealistic, it will hold them back.”

Rachel Russo’s Matchmaking Process

The first step is booking a one-hour strategy session that takes place via phone or video, and costs $250. But there’s a catch - you need to have a quick consultation call first, and those are invite only.

Potential clients start by filling out an online profile for her confidential database. Alternatively, you can simply email her basic information about yourself, including photos. 

Rachel and her team will review that information, and reach out with the invitation to book the 15-minute complimentary consultation call if she’s interested in exploring working together.

Assuming both you and Russo decide to move forward after that first call, you’ll then purchase the strategy session. Be prepared to discuss the type of person you want to attract, and your “relationship readiness”, strengths, and weaknesses. 

Russo will use the information gathered during this call to tailor a matchmaking and/or coaching package for you. She also does customized packages that include personalized recruiting and creative strategies.

Packages typically include meeting up to 12 matches over the course of 6 months. Clients can use up to 1 year of “hold” time, meaning your contract can span 16 months.

Feedback and coaching is integrated into the process, as one of Russo’s matchmaking goals is helping her clients put their best face forward.

This includes understanding every client’s dating and relationship challenges, and teaching them how to make healthy relationship decisions. 

How Much Does Rachel Russo Relationships Cost?

Rachel Russo’s matchmaking packages start at $15,000 and can go up to $30,000+. 

There is a free option, which is just having your profile included in her database. That route, however, does not come with any guarantee you’ll ever meet anyone. You will only be contacted if your profile matches what a paying client is looking for. 

While her matchmaking packages include dating coaching, you can also purchase coaching sessions independently. Her coaching program starts at $1,000 per month for 1 to 6 months. 

Rachel Russo Relationships Reviews

While there are plenty of testimonials on Rachel Russo’s website, and this celebrity matchmaker has been featured on media outlets like Business Insider, PopSugar, Bustle, and more, you won’t find any client reviews on platforms like Yelp, BBB or Trustpilot.

A lack of reviews isn’t uncommon, considering matchmaking is a deeply personal service that some singles may not feel comfortable sharing on a public platform. 

And while reviews and that matchmaker’s response to them can provide valuable insights into a particular company’s approach to customer service, that’s only one piece of the equation.

Choosing the best matchmaking service for you comes down to what fits within your budget and how effective you feel that service will be in terms of pinpointing highly compatible matches for you.

For instance, some matchmakers pair you solely with other clients, or with matches procured from an internal database. While this can lead to meeting someone special, the odds of that happening are also largely dependent on the size of that database. 

Compatibility, after all, has to flow both ways, making it nearly impossible to make consistently high-quality pairings from a small source of singles. That’s why many high-end matchmaking services, such as Enamour and VIDA Select, select matches from an exclusive database as well as scout far beyond it.

No matter which matchmaker you’re thinking about hiring, you’ll want to ask about the process and where your matches come from during your consultation.

For even more insider’s advice on hiring the best matchmaking service for you, check out this handy guide!