Like most posts, there is a lot of good information but also a lot of misinformation. I'm an MLS Realtor so I'm going to address some of the comments.
Properties of The Villages: If you want a new home, they are the only choice. They can also buy/sell pre-owned but ONLY in The Villages. They do NOT work with MLS agents at all, there are not 'some' that will. They are not Realtors, but that does not make them evil.
They currently sell all new properties and about 50% of the pre-owned properties in The Villages. Since they are not in MLS, they are also not listed in Zillow, Redfin, etc online, only in The Daily Sun, their website and radio station. They have about 300 agents.
MLS: MLS agents and POV agents do NOT cooperate with each other, so if you see a property listed on MLS, Zillow, etc, you CANNOT use a POV agent. There are about 1,000 MLS agents in the greater TV area. MLS agents can buy/sell anywhere in Florida. About 50% of pre-owned properties are sold by MLS Realtors.
As you can see by the above, things work a little bit differently in TV compared to other places. That's why many people choose both a POV agent and an MLS Realtor when looking to buy. I hope this clears things up for you!
