I think that anyone who is dating (and especially someone who has been dating for a while) must figure out what qualities are essential for them. I do not like all these articles and books that give a set number of things you are “allowed” to look for. You can use it as a guideline, but that’s it. There is no set number, and this does not depend on your age.
Telling someone what they are allowed to look for, and telling them that this depends on their age is ridiculous. You should never be willing to settle and you should never be looking for something unnecessary no matter how old you are. You just have to figure out what things are essential for YOU. There may be only one thing, and there may be 10.
I know an older single who heard that you should only have one quality on your list. She decided that all that mattered was that he had a good heart. So she married someone whose only noticeable positive quality was that he had a good heart (which he really did). That worked for her and they were very happy.
But it wouldn’t work for everyone.
So you really have to know yourself.