NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Beatles famously sang “money can’t buy me love,” but they may not have realized money can buy you a matchmaker.

The centuries-old way of meeting a partner is gaining popularity in Nashville and across the country as young singles move to new cities and grow frustrated with dating apps, according to matchmaker Amanda Rose.

Rose said the website for her business, Prestige Connections, has seen traffic double over the past five years.

“So many people are moving to Nashville,” Rose said. “It’s oversaturated with people. You would think it would be a great city to date in, but the thing is it’s a big city, but it has like the small town, you know, kind of fill where everybody knows everybody somehow; there’s like this one degree of separation.”

Rose added many of her clients in Nashville and other southern cities are looking for a new pool of potential suitors, and matchmaking shows have made them more willing to try hiring a professional.

“I am a headhunter for love,” Rose explained. “So, I take on my clients. I interview them. I screen them. I try to step into their shoes to see what they’re attracted to, who they’re most compatible with…and then we get out there and start headhunting.”

Rose will approach people on the street, scroll through social media and even go to charity events to find her clients a match.

However, this type of individualized matchmaking comes at a price. Rose said professional, experienced matchmakers can cost clients anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000.

She explained it takes hours to find, vet, and set people up with matches, so their efforts save clients time, money, and heartache.

“You’re a little blinded about maybe this red flag that’s going off, but we see it immediately; we’ll just push that person to the side,” she said. “As a matchmaker in Nashville, I come across a lot of people that they say they’re commitment-minded, and when we get to that, down to it, the seriousness of a relationship, you can tell they’re not ready. They don’t want to settle down.”

Rose is far from alone in seeing and meeting the demand for matchmaking services in Nashville. Luma Luxury Matchmaking owner and matchmaker April Davis is based in Music City and has clients from around the country.

“Nashville has become a huge hotspot and there are a lot of more, a lot more females that have moved here,” Davis said. “They’re looking to settle down and they want to get married. Maybe they lived in a bigger city before and it was just hustle and bustle, but now they can come here and actually have a yard and, you know, find that person that they can have a family with someday.”

Davis said many of her clients have found most people on the popular dating apps aren’t looking for a serious relationship.

“It’s more entertainment for a lot of people. They’re just looking for that, you know, a quick adrenaline rush or like endorphin rush because they are getting some attention through the app,” she said.

Yet, as the industry grows, it also gets more specific.

Tammy Shaklee founded H4M, a matchmaking service for gay and lesbian people, about 10 years ago.

“I was looking for an LGBT matchmaker for a friend,” she said. “When I learned that the firm that I used didn’t match gay and lesbian singles, I thought, ‘I’ll find him one,’ and I couldn’t. There was no one serving the industry. I knew marriage equality was coming and I knew that this market needed to be served.”

Shaklee said the industry hit a peak in 2021 and she is seeing more and more LGBT singles reach out to her.

“Folks started watching the shows about love. The streaming shows, ‘Indian Matchmaking’, now “Jewish Matchmaking” and so they will Google…so, now that they know what’s available, our industry is booming,” she explained.

All three matchmakers said their first consultation calls are free and most do have options for people who simply want to be considered as a match for clients.

“I encourage all singles to interview with the matchmaker. Simply interview with the matchmaker. You will learn about yourself. You may or may not retain them, but they won’t forget you as an eligible single,” Shaklee said.