my guess is that the site has 0 users, so they do the registration bit, to build their membership.

since these guys sound like the MBA types, like everyone mentioned, my guess is that their business plan goes like this:

Year 1: Get driveby registrations, who driveby, register, find out the site is crap, and leave.

Year 2: Open up search results, so that users driveby, find a few results, register, find out they didn't get a response, and leave.

Year 3: Have the core group of users, who use the site and actually have results. Start charging $49.99 for something.

Year 4: Become profitable

Year 5: Sell for billions, make profile on the site, and try to get laid.