Selective Search
In short: Selective Search is a Chicago-based executive matchmaking company founded by Barbie Adler, a former executive recruiter. It offers human-led, confidential matchmaking and says it has made more than 4,000 matches. Dating Industry Insights cites it as an example of high-end traditional matchmaking with retainers of $25,000 or more.
Key facts
| Type | Events and matchmaking |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Chicago, United States |
| Website | selectivesearch.com |
| Founder | Barbie Adler is the founder and president of Selective Search; she spent 15 years as an executive recruiter before founding it [Selective Search, 2026] |
| Headquarters | Selective Search lists its headquarters at 35 E. Wacker Drive, Suite 725, Chicago, Illinois [Selective Search, 2026] |
| Owner | The site footer names Selective Search Holdings, LLC as the copyright holder [Selective Search, 2026] |
| Fact | The company states an 89% success rate, more than 4,000 couples matched and nearly three decades in business [Selective Search, 2026] |
| Fact | Dating Industry Insights cited Selective Search's retainers as $25,000 or more, in a piece on traditional matchmaking [Dating Industry Insights, January 2026] |
About Selective Search
Selective Search is a US matchmaking company with its headquarters at 35 E. Wacker Drive in Chicago, according to its website. The legal entity named in the site footer is Selective Search Holdings, LLC. Its founder and president is Barbie Adler, who spent 15 years as an executive recruiter before applying a recruiting-style vetting process to matchmaking. The company describes its service as human-led, elite matchmaking for busy professionals, with clients and candidate programmes and a strong emphasis on privacy and discretion.
The company says it has been the nation's premier matchmaking company for nearly three decades. It states an 89% success rate, more than 4,000 couples and 185 years of combined matchmaking experience across its team. These are the company's own claims and have not been independently verified. It also says it was included in Global Dating Insights' 2026 Power Book, a list of figures shaping the dating industry.
Dating Industry Insights, in a January 2026 article about UK matchmaker Dating Options, cited Selective Search as an example of traditional matchmaking aimed at ultra-high-net-worth clients, with retainers of $25,000 or more. That figure is DII's and was not confirmed on the company's website.
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Questions about Selective Search
Where is Selective Search based?
Its website lists its headquarters at 35 E. Wacker Drive in Chicago.
Who founded Selective Search?
Barbie Adler, a former executive recruiter, is the founder and president.
How many couples has Selective Search matched?
The company states more than 4,000 couples. This is a self-reported figure.
What does Selective Search do?
Selective Search is a Chicago-based executive matchmaking company founded by Barbie Adler, a former executive recruiter. It offers human-led, confidential matchmaking and says it has made more than 4,000 matches.
Also known as: Selective Search Holdings, LLC.