What Exactly Do Matchmakers Look For When They Set Two People Up?

The Real Housewives of New Jersey's Jennifer Aydin was set up with her plastic surgeon hubby — and now she's paying it forward, setting up her brother Michael with a friend of hers who he actually met years ago.

A little background: Jennifer's Turkish family has had arranged marriages for generations, and MIchael, who runs the family business, also wants a wife to settle down with. On a recent Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen one caller asked Jennifer if she also wanted her kids to have arranged amrriages. "I know you had an arranged marriage, and I was wondering if you plan on doing that with your kids," the caller asked.

She answered, "So, I was actually set up. I didn't have to marry him if I didn't want to. We set each other up, and I would hope to do the same for my kids."

But first her brother. Personal Space asked Philadelphia-based matchmaker Kristi Price what makes a successful match. What does she look for when setting people up? How does she know who will be compatible?

"As a matchmaker, I believe the key to fantastic introductions for long term relationships is to line people up with similar value systems, relationship goals and lifestyle," Price says.

"What does this mean? That I get to know each client and the type of person they would like to meet by learning about their value systems, hobbies and interests, education, religion, politics, relationship and life goals, personality type and daily lifestyle, including activity level. Then I ask what qualities they absolutely can’t live without in a partner as well as what their deal breakers are."

Price says that the key to successful relationships is common values and goals. 

"You need to start with a good foundation of kindred value systems and relationship goals," she says. "These are important parallels for long-term relationship success. Then shared interests and hobbies, lifestyle, politics, education, religion and other desires come into play, as well as chemistry."