Matchmaker gives tips on dating trends ahead of Valentine's Day

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Valentine's Day is rapidly approaching and a local matchmaker is giving singles advice on navigating the dating scene.

Erika Kybartas is a matchmaker and dating expert with Its Just Lunch, nationwide dating service for busy professionals whose flagship office was established in Chicago in 1991. She has been successful in the dating and matchmaking industry for more than a decade and is responsible for relationships and marriages.

Stability and security are the new "sexy" in 2022. In fact, a recent survey finds daters value emotional maturity more than physical attractiveness when it comes to choosing a partner during the pandemic.

The three biggest dating trends taking place this year are intentional dating, "situationships fizzle," and expansion of personality types.

"Singles are tired of dating the same types of people they've dated before," Kybartas said. "They still want certain characteristics in a partner, but they're broadening their definitions of what their type really is."