Chein: I don’t know where in NY you live, but in the chassidishe and yeshiva/livtvishe style communites cash is certainly a very common (if not the most common and most expected) form of compensation. (i think in a situation where the shadchan is a comfortable individual many ppl may choose to by a very nice gift e.g. a expensive piece of jewelery for a lady in lieu of cash). Either way this is a serious monetary halacha shayla and should be dealt with as such.
In the more modern communinties (especially where a lot of dating is not even done via shadchan) or done via vehicles such as SYAS i think token gifts may be more common, but i am not sure.
Why not ask around friends and family as well as 30 different ppl who are involved in shidduchim and report back.