Zijiang Yang.Let’s connect
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PARIS, FRANCE · REAL ESTATE RESEARCH & STRATEGY

Zijiang
Yang.

Understanding markets.
Informing decisions.

I work on European real estate research at AEW and study at ESSEC. I bring together quantitative analysis, market insight and an international perspective.

Explore my work LinkedIn ↗
Zijiang visiting an aviation museum during his exchange in the United States
A semester across the AtlanticGWU exchange · 2025–26
AEW Research & StrategyESSEC Master in ManagementCHINA · FRANCE · USA An international journey

01 / SELECTED WORK

Research into insight.
Insight into strategy.

Two projects that reflect how I work:
from detailed analysis to a clear recommendation.

AEWEUROPEAN RESEARCH
JULY 2026

European
Office
Outlook.

DEMAND · RENTS · INVESTMENT
Research & Strategy

01 — RESEARCH & QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS

Behind the European
office outlook

Positive Outlook for Prime Offices Despite Elevated Lease Incentives

Under Irène Fossé’s guidance, I carried out the data collection, analysis, regressions and chart production for AEW’s July 2026 European office report, taking the research from source data to the finished analysis.

The work explored office demand, vacancy, rents and lease incentives, as well as investment conditions and the relationships between AI adoption, employment and productivity.

Market researchRegression analysisData visualisation
Read the report on AEW ↗

Official publication and language versions available on AEW’s website.

02 — STRATEGY / ESSEC CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP

Where should Adagio
grow next?

For Adagio’s CEO, I co-led an ESSEC corporate consulting project recommending European expansion cities for the group’s three brands: Access, Original and Premium.

We assessed more than 35 cities using a multi-criteria framework, benchmarked the extended-stay market and developed recommendations on brand positioning and operating models.

The final recommendations were presented to the CEO and received very positive feedback. The project was awarded 19/20.

35+European cities assessed
3Brands · Access, Original, Premium
19/20Final project grade

02 / EXPERIENCE

A broader view.
A hands-on approach.

Research, strategy and project delivery
across international teams.

AEW

Research & Strategy Analyst Intern

Part of

FEB 2026 — PRESENT · PARIS

Macroeconomic analysis and research on European occupier and investment markets, supporting market views, fund reporting and investment decisions.

  • Prepared and updated quarterly research and fund reports on European real estate markets, including work for CNP, SWISSLIFE, LOGISTIS and RESIDYS.
  • Produced asset positioning studies for acquisition, disposal and debt financing opportunities.
  • Automated the scoring of European investment destinations for the logistics and office sectors.
  • Completed a country study of Poland to support market expansion research.
  • Completed the research, regression analysis and charts for the July 2026 office report under Irène Fossé’s supervision.
  • Contributed to English and French research publications, including English-to-French translation and proofreading for the 2026 Mid-Year European Outlook.
Zijiang with colleagues from the AEW team in Paris
With the AEW team · Paris, 2026

Adagio

Real Estate Development Strategy
ESSEC consulting project

JAN — JUL 2025 · PARIS

Co-led a corporate consulting project for Adagio’s CEO, translating European market research into city recommendations for three brands. Combined city scoring, extended-stay benchmarking and recommendations on lease, franchise and management models.

Explore the project above ↑

BNP Paribas

Assistant Project Manager
Group LEGAL · Pro Bono

FEB — AUG 2024 · PARIS

Supported the relaunch of the EMEA Pro Bono programme, helping turn an international initiative into coordinated projects and clear communication.

  • Tracked projects and programme activity in Excel.
  • Prepared summaries and presentations for programme sponsors.
  • Managed the programme’s SharePoint site and supported internal communication.
BNP Paribas Group LEGAL colleagues with Pro Bono programme signs
Group LEGAL Pro Bono · BNP Paribas, 2024

03 / EDUCATION

Learning across
borders.

China, France and the United States.
Different markets. Complementary perspectives.

2023 — MAR 2027 EXPECTED

ESSEC Business School

Master in Management · Programme Grande École

Real Estate and Sustainable Development Chair

Cergy, France

AUG 2025 — JAN 2026

George Washington University

George Washington University

School of Business

Graduate Exchange Student

Washington, D.C. · Exchange from ESSEC Business School

Quantitative methods for real estate development and data analysis with Power BI.

Washington, D.C., United States

GWSB Graduate Exchange · Fall 2025 ↗

2019 — 2023

Renmin University of China

Bachelor of Economics · Finance

China · Graduated with distinction

KEDGE Business School

Bachelor’s degree · Supply Chain Management

Bordeaux, France

Dual-Degree Undergraduate Program

2020 · Second Prize, Band C — National English Competition for College Students

(certificate ↗)

ANALYTICAL TOOLKIT

Market research · Regression analysis · Multi-criteria scoring · Data visualisation

TOOLS & LANGUAGES

Excel · VBA · Power BI · PowerPoint
Mandarin · French · English

04 / RECENT NEWS

Completed the research and charts for AEW’s European office report under Irène Fossé’s guidance.

↗

Contributed to the French translation and proofreading of AEW’s Mid-Year European Outlook.

Joined AEW’s Research & Strategy team in Paris.

05 / BEYOND WORK

What shapes
how I work.

Some of these interests began long before business school: sketching campus buildings, rehearsing with a choir, spending afternoons in a laboratory. Others have become part of life abroad.

Learning to notice buildings

Architecture was part of my surroundings long before real estate became part of my career. Growing up with an architect father, I learned to notice proportions, small details and the way people use a building. At university, I sketched buildings around the Renmin campus by hand. These were not professional architectural drawings; I simply enjoyed looking closely enough at a place to put it on paper. Years later, that curiosity found a different expression in real estate.

Zijiang’s detailed pen drawing of Xiuyuan Building and trees at Renmin University of China
Xiuyuan Building · 3 January 2020
Zijiang’s pen drawing of Kaitai Building at Renmin University of China, framed by trees
Kaitai Building · 17 January 2020

Renmin University of China, 2020 · Pen on paper

Zijiang carrying out a chemistry experiment at a laboratory bench during high school
An early interest in experimentation.

CURIOSITY, EARLY ON

Before
business school

Before studying business and economics, I spent much of my time on science competitions, particularly chemistry, biology and physics. What stayed with me was less the competitions themselves than the habit behind them: breaking a problem down, testing assumptions and learning from what did not work.

High-school competitions in Shanghai:
Applied Chemistry · First Prize
Biology · Second Prize
Physics · Second-round qualifier

A note from the archive
2018 Shanghai Youth White Cat Cup Applied Chemistry and Skills Competition, high-school division, First Prize certificate

First Prize · 2018 Shanghai Applied Chemistry & Skills Competition, high-school division.

Zijiang speaking into a microphone alongside teammates at an English debate competition
English debate · Making a case, then listening to the reply.
University choir performing on stage with piano accompaniment during Zijiang’s undergraduate years

MUSIC

Finding my place in the harmony

At the piano and among the inner voices: listening across the choir while keeping my own line.

Inside the choir ↗
Zijiang cooking in his kitchen in FranceHomemade Shanghai shengjian, pan-fried buns cooking in a pan

SHANGHAI ROOTS

Shanghai, wherever I am

I grew up in Shanghai, and cooking is one of the simplest ways I stay connected to home. Living abroad also turned it into a way of sharing where I come from — occasionally one batch of Panfried Dumplings at a time.

Two scuba divers exploring a coral reef underwater

SCUBA DIVING

Stay calm, then act

What I enjoy about diving is not the adrenaline, but the discipline it requires. Underwater, panic makes a difficult situation harder. The first response is often simple: breathe steadily, understand what is happening, and act deliberately. It is a principle I try to carry elsewhere, too: “When pressure rises, calm comes before action.”

CURRICULUM VITAE

My CV.

Education, experience and skills — available in English and French.

View CV · French ↗View CV · English ↗

LET’S CONNECT

A conversation
starts here.

For opportunities in real estate research and strategy,
or simply to exchange ideas.

Network

Email ↗zijiang.yang1@essec.edu ↗Find me on LinkedIn ↗