A Very Personal Shopper

People shop all over Dallas, but Robin Oberlander may be the only person in Dallas who takes a shopping list to
parties. Oberlander, a professional matchmaker, searches for possible spouses at charity balls, bachelor bids and
society fetes.

“I go with my shopping list, and 1 take down 80 names without telling them what I have in mind,” she says. Ringless
guests are invited to a singles party. Then, after extensive interviewing. Oberlander gives her clients phone numbers
of good potential spouses. The prospects may never know who set diem up.

Her services don’t come cheap. Oberlander charges $ 1,800 up front and another $3,600 at marriage. By comparison,
matchmaker Sarah Norton charges $3, 000 for a year of prospecting, no guarantees and no money back if you don’t get
matched. Norton accepts only male clients and says she introduces them to “a lot of beautiful girls.”

Since she opened Devonshire Ltd. in 1991, Oberlander has conducted 20 searches, yielding seven committed
relationships, three engagements and four marriages. She says her half-male, half-female, mostly divorced, moneyed
clientele range in age from 24-70. They all own homes and many own their own businesses. Why do they use a matchmaker?
“They’re busy people,” Oberlander says.

Though she hasn’t been in business long, Oberlander has already encountered some unusual cases. One man wanted her to
find a mate not for him, but for his ex-wife. Why? He figured the matchmaker’s fee would be less than alimony
payments.