In two weeks, Realtors from throughout the state will converge on Beacon Hill for their annual lobbying day. One of the items on their agenda will concern the amount of classroom hours real estate agents are required to take to earn their license.

Currently, real estate agents in Massachusetts must complete 24 hours of instruction before they can take the licensing test. That 24 hours of instruction is far short of what states like Texas and California require, and well below the national average of 60 hours.

The Massachusetts Association of Realtors supports a bill that would increase the hours spent in a classroom to 40. Increased educational requirements would certainly be a benefit to consumers and agents alike. It could discourage some people who aren’t serious about pursuing real estate as a full-time career from jumping into the field. And it may help agents better prepare for the less-than-thorough home inspectors, pushy mortgage brokers, nervous buyers and anxious homeowners they’re sure to encounter.

But for most agents, the real education and training begins when they start working with other agents. Unfortunately, while they’re learning the ropes, they may also be picking up on some of the sloppy habits and unprofessional behavior of their peers.

How many times does a buyer get an agency disclosure form to sign just moments before they’re ready to put in an offer on a property? And how many times are buyers or renters of color treated differently or steered to a specific neighborhood when searching for a home?

To be clear, the bad habits that get passed along in real life happen in a lot of trades and professions, not just real estate. Realtor associations do a solid job of stressing ethics and offering continuing education – all in an effort to promote professionalism. And they should continue their good work on that front.

But education is only part of the equation. There has to be more monitoring, and consequences when agents and brokers don’t act responsibly or ethically. The Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons licenses agents and brokers and handles complaints against licensees. In an ideal world, the board would be more proactive and examine and investigate real estate offices and practices to identify unscrupulous agents.

But realistically, that could prove challenging at a time when the state budget crisis has led to fewer resources for all agencies and boards.

It’s often said that 10 percent of agents do 90 percent of business. And it’s probably true that buyers and sellers can trust those agents whose hard-won reputations allow them to handle most of the state’s business.

But it seems likely that more education – and more effective policing – would help even more agents grab a share of that business.