diff --git a/src/agents/agents.service.ts b/src/agents/agents.service.ts
index fac1f43..9079b8a 100644
--- a/src/agents/agents.service.ts
+++ b/src/agents/agents.service.ts
@@ -97,7 +97,28 @@ export class AgentsService {
       throw new NotFoundException('Agent profile not found');
     }
 
-    return profile;
+    // Fetch serviceAreas from field values (not a direct column)
+    const serviceAreasField = await this.prisma.profileField.findFirst({
+      where: { slug: { in: ['service_areas', 'serviceAreas', 'city'] } },
+    });
+    let serviceAreas: string[] = [];
+    if (serviceAreasField) {
+      const fv = await this.prisma.agentProfileFieldValue.findUnique({
+        where: {
+          agentProfileId_fieldId: {
+            agentProfileId: profile.id,
+            fieldId: serviceAreasField.id,
+          },
+        },
+      });
+      if (fv?.jsonValue && Array.isArray(fv.jsonValue)) {
+        serviceAreas = (fv.jsonValue as string[]);
+      } else if (fv?.textValue) {
+        serviceAreas = [fv.textValue];
+      }
+    }
+
+    return { ...profile, serviceAreas };
   }
 
   async getProfileById(profileId: string, requestingUserId?: string) {
@@ -183,6 +204,11 @@ export class AgentsService {
       await this.syncPhoneToFieldValues(profile.id, dto.phone);
     }
 
+    // Sync serviceAreas to field values if provided
+    if (serviceAreas && serviceAreas.length > 0) {
+      await this.syncServiceAreasToFieldValues(profile.id, serviceAreas);
+    }
+
     return updatedProfile;
   }
 
@@ -221,6 +247,39 @@ export class AgentsService {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Sync serviceAreas to AgentProfileFieldValue
+   */
+  private async syncServiceAreasToFieldValues(
+    agentProfileId: string,
+    serviceAreas: string[],
+  ) {
+    const serviceAreasField = await this.prisma.profileField.findFirst({
+      where: {
+        slug: { in: ['service_areas', 'serviceAreas', 'city'] },
+      },
+    });
+
+    if (serviceAreasField) {
+      await this.prisma.agentProfileFieldValue.upsert({
+        where: {
+          agentProfileId_fieldId: {
+            agentProfileId,
+            fieldId: serviceAreasField.id,
+          },
+        },
+        create: {
+          agentProfileId,
+          fieldId: serviceAreasField.id,
+          jsonValue: serviceAreas,
+        },
+        update: {
+          jsonValue: serviceAreas,
+        },
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
   async searchAgents(dto: SearchAgentsDto) {
     const {
       search,
@@ -240,17 +299,8 @@ export class AgentsService {
     const skip = (page - 1) * limit;
 
     // Build where clause — only show admin-approved profiles in search
-    // Exclude agents who set profile_visibility to 'private'
     const where: Prisma.AgentProfileWhereInput = {
       verificationStatus: 'APPROVED',
-      NOT: {
-        user: {
-          privacyPreferences: {
-            path: ['privacySettings', 'profile_visibility'],
-            equals: 'private',
-          },
-        },
-      },
     };
 
     if (search) {
@@ -500,6 +550,7 @@ export class AgentsService {
               id: true,
               email: true,
               avatar: true,
+              privacyPreferences: true,
             },
           },
           agentType: true,
@@ -519,8 +570,14 @@ export class AgentsService {
       this.prisma.agentProfile.count({ where }),
     ]);
 
+    // Filter out private profiles (safe for null privacyPreferences)
+    const visibleAgents = agents.filter((agent: any) => {
+      const visibility = this.getProfileVisibility(agent.user?.privacyPreferences);
+      return visibility !== 'private';
+    });
+
     // Compute match score for each agent based on search context
-    const agentsWithScore = agents.map((agent: any) => {
+    const agentsWithScore = visibleAgents.map((agent: any) => {
       let score = 0;
       let maxScore = 0;
 
@@ -592,11 +649,14 @@ export class AgentsService {
       const rawPercentage = maxScore > 0 ? Math.round((score / maxScore) * 100) : 50;
       const matchPercentage = Math.max(50, Math.min(99, rawPercentage));
 
-      return { ...agent, matchPercentage };
+      // Strip privacyPreferences from response
+      const { user, ...agentWithoutUser } = agent;
+      const { privacyPreferences, ...userWithoutPrefs } = user || {};
+      return { ...agentWithoutUser, user: userWithoutPrefs, matchPercentage };
     });
 
     // Sort by match percentage (highest first)
-    agentsWithScore.sort((a, b) => b.matchPercentage - a.matchPercentage);
+    agentsWithScore.sort((a: any, b: any) => b.matchPercentage - a.matchPercentage);
 
     return {
       data: agentsWithScore,
@@ -615,14 +675,6 @@ export class AgentsService {
         isVerified: true,
         isFeatured: true,
         verificationStatus: 'APPROVED',
-        NOT: {
-          user: {
-            privacyPreferences: {
-              path: ['privacySettings', 'profile_visibility'],
-              equals: 'private',
-            },
-          },
-        },
       },
       take: limit,
       orderBy: [{ averageRating: 'desc' }, { totalReviews: 'desc' }],
@@ -647,14 +699,6 @@ export class AgentsService {
         isVerified: true,
         totalReviews: { gte: 5 },
         verificationStatus: 'APPROVED',
-        NOT: {
-          user: {
-            privacyPreferences: {
-              path: ['privacySettings', 'profile_visibility'],
-              equals: 'private',
-            },
-          },
-        },
       },
       take: limit,
       orderBy: [{ averageRating: 'desc' }, { totalReviews: 'desc' }],