10-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

ýANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year endedDecember 31, 2016

or

o TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

Commission File Number: 000-54671

NORTHSTAR REAL ESTATE INCOME TRUST, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Maryland (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) 26-4141646 (IRS Employer Identification No.)

399 Park Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10022

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Including Zip Code)

(212) 547-2600

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934: None

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:

Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes o No ý

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes o No ý

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ý No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes ý No o

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or any amendment to this Annual Report on Form 10-K. o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer o Accelerated filer o Non-accelerated filer ý  (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) Smaller reporting company o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o    No ý

There is no established trading market for the registrant’s common stock, and therefore the aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates cannot be determined.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date:

The Company has one class of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, 120,003,412 shares outstanding as of March 10, 2017.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the definitive proxy statement for the registrant’s 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed within 120 days after the end of the registrant’s fiscal year endedDecember 31, 2016 are incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K in response to Part III, Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.

NORTHSTAR REAL ESTATE INCOME TRUST, INC.

FORM 10-K

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Index		Page
	PART I
Item 1.	Business	5
Item 1A.	Risk Factors	16
Item 1B.	Unresolved Staff Comments	54
Item 2.	Properties	54
Item 3.	Legal Proceedings	54
Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures	54
	PART II
Item 5.	Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities	55
Item 6.	Selected Financial Data	58
Item 7.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	58
Item 7A.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	84
Item 8.	Financial Statements and Supplementary Data	86
Item 9.	Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure	131
Item 9A.	Controls and Procedures	131
Item 9B.	Other Information	132
	PART III
Item 10.	Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance	133
Item 11.	Executive Compensation	133
Item 12.	Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters	133
Item 13.	Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence	133
Item 14.	Principal Accountant Fees and Services	133
	PART IV
Item 15.	Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules	134

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “potential,” “intend,” “expect,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “could,” “project,” “predict,” “continue,” “future” or other similar words or expressions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance and are based on certain assumptions, discuss future expectations, describe plans and strategies, contain projections of results of operations or of financial condition or state other forward-looking information. Such statements include, but are not limited to, those relating to our ability to make distributions to our stockholders, our reliance on our advisor and our sponsor, the operating performance of our investments, our financing needs, the effects of our current strategies and investment activities and our ability to effectively deploy capital. Our ability to predict results or the actual effect of plans or strategies is inherently uncertain, particularly given the economic environment. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, our actual results and performance could differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements and you should not unduly rely on these statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results in future periods to differ materially from those forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to:

• adverse economic conditions and the impact on the commercial real estate industry;

• our ability to deploy capital quickly and successfully;

• our dependence on the resources and personnel of our advisor, our sponsor and their affiliates, including our advisor’s ability to source and close on attractive investment opportunities on our behalf;

• the performance of our advisor, our sponsor and their affiliates;

• our liquidity and access to capital;

• our use of leverage;

• our ability to make distributions to our stockholders;

• the lack of a public trading market for our shares;

• the effect of economic conditions on the valuation of our investments;

• the effect of paying distributions to our stockholders from sources other than cash flow provided by operations;

• the impact of our sponsor’s recently completed merger with NorthStar Realty Finance Corp. and Colony Capital, Inc., and whether any of the anticipated benefits to our advisor’s and its affiliates’ platform will be realized in full or at all;

• our advisor’s and its affiliates’ ability to attract and retain qualified personnel to support our operations and potential changes to key personnel providing management services to us;

• our reliance on our advisor and its affiliates and sub-advisors/co-venturers in providing management services to us, the payment of substantial fees to our advisor, the allocation of investments by our advisor and its affiliates among us and the other sponsored or managed companies and strategic vehicles of our sponsor and its affiliates, and various potential conflicts of interest in our relationship with our sponsor;

• the impact of market and other conditions influencing the performance of our investments relative to our expectations and the impact on our actual return on invested equity, as well as the cash provided by these investments;

• changes in our business or investment strategy;

• the impact of economic conditions on borrowers of the debt we originate and acquire and the mortgage loans underlying the commercial mortgage backed securities in which we invest as well as on the tenants of the real property that we own;

• changes in the value of our portfolio;

• the impact of fluctuations in interest rates;

• our ability to realize current and expected returns over the life of our investments;

• any failure in our advisor’s and its affiliates’ due diligence to identify relevant facts during our underwriting process or otherwise;

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• illiquidity of debt investments, equity investments or properties in our portfolio;

• our ability to finance our assets on terms that are acceptable to us, if at all, including our ability to complete securitization financing transactions;

• environmental compliance costs and liabilities;

• risks associated with our joint ventures and unconsolidated entities, including our lack of sole decision making authority and the financial condition of our joint venture partners;

• increased rates of loss or default and decreased recovery on our investments;

• the degree and nature of our competition;

• the effectiveness of our risk and portfolio management strategies;

• the potential failure to maintain effective internal controls, disclosure and procedures;

• regulatory requirements with respect to our business generally, as well as the related cost of compliance;

• legislative and regulatory changes, including changes to laws governing the taxation of real estate investment trusts, or REITs, and changes to laws affecting non-traded REITs and alternative investments generally;

• our ability to maintain our qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes and limitations imposed on our business by our status as a REIT;

• the loss of our exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended;

• general volatility in capital markets;

• the adequacy of our cash reserves and working capital; and

• other risks associated with investing in our targeted investments, including changes in our industry, interest rates, the securities markets, the general economy or the capital markets and real estate markets specifically.

The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. All forward-looking statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are based on information available to us on the date hereof and we are under no duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this report to conform these statements to actual results.

Factors that could have a material adverse effect on our operations and future prospects are set forth in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, including the “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K beginning on page 16. The risk factors set forth in our filings with the SEC could cause our actual results to differ significantly from those contained in any forward-looking statement contained in this report.

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PART I.

Item 1. Business

References to “we,” “us” or “our” refer to NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. and its subsidiaries, in all cases acting through our external advisor, unless context specifically requires otherwise.

Overview

We were formed to originate, acquire and asset manage a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate, or CRE, debt, select equity and securities investments, predominantly in the United States. We may also invest in CRE investments internationally. CRE debt investments include first mortgage loans, subordinate mortgage and mezzanine loans and participations in such loans and preferred equity interests. Real estate equity investments include direct ownership in properties, which may be structurally senior to a third-party partner’s equity, as well as indirect interests in real estate through real estate private equity funds, or PE Investments. CRE securities primarily consist of commercial mortgage-backed securities, or CMBS, and may in the future include unsecured real estate investment trust, or REIT debt, collateralized debt obligation, or CDO, notes and other securities. In addition, we may own investments through joint ventures. We were formed in January 2009 as a Maryland corporation and commenced operations in October 2010. We elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, commencing with the taxable year ended December 31, 2010. We conduct our operations so as to continue to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

We are externally managed and have no employees. Prior to January 11, 2017, we were managed by an affiliate of NorthStar Asset Management Group Inc. (NYSE: NSAM), or NSAM. Effective January 10, 2017, NSAM completed its previously announced merger with Colony Capital, Inc., or Colony, NorthStar Realty Finance Corp., or NorthStar Realty, and Colony NorthStar, Inc., or Colony NorthStar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NSAM, which we refer to as the mergers, with Colony NorthStar surviving the mergers and succeeding NSAM as our Sponsor. As a result of the mergers, our Sponsor became an internally-managed equity REIT, with a diversified real estate and investment management platform and publicly-traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “CLNS”. In addition, following the mergers, NSAM J-NSI Ltd, an affiliate of NSAM, or our Advisor, became a subsidiary of Colony NorthStar. Our Advisor manages our day-to-day operations pursuant to an advisory agreement. The mergers had no material impact on our operations.

Our Sponsor and its affiliates also provide asset management and other services to NorthStar Realty Europe Corp. (NYSE: NRE), other sponsored public retail-focused companies, private funds and any other companies our Sponsor and its affiliates may manage in the future, or collectively the Managed Companies, both in the United States and internationally. As of February 28, 2017, our Sponsor had an aggregate of $56.0 billion of assets under management, adjusted for commitments to acquire or sell certain investments by our Sponsor and the Managed Companies.

Previously, we were managed by an affiliate of NorthStar Realty until June 30, 2014, when it spun-off its asset management business into NSAM. Concurrent with the spin-off our Advisor agreed to manage our day-to-day operations on terms substantially similar to those set forth in our prior advisory agreement with NS Real Estate Income Trust Advisor, LLC, or our Prior Advisor. References to our Prior Advisor herein refer to the services performed by and fees paid and accrued to our Prior Advisor during the period prior to June 30, 2014. The spin-off of NorthStar Realty’s asset management business had no impact on our operations.

Our primary investment types are as follows:

• Commercial Real Estate Debt - Our CRE debt investments include first mortgage loans, subordinate interests and mezzanine loans and participations in such loans, as well as preferred equity interests.

• Commercial Real Estate Equity - Our CRE equity investments include direct ownership in real estate, which may be structurally senior to a third-party partner’s equity and indirect interests in real estate through PE Investments since the underlying collateral in the funds is primarily real estate.

• Commercial Real Estate Securities - Our CRE securities investments may include CMBS, unsecured REIT debt, CDO notes and other securities.

We believe that our targeted investment types are complementary to each other due to their overlapping sources of investment opportunities, common reliance on real estate fundamentals and ability to apply similar portfolio management and servicing skills to maximize value and to protect shareholder capital. We believe our Advisor’s platform and experience provide us the flexibility to invest across the real estate capital structure.

We initially registered to offer up to 100,000,000 shares pursuant to our primary offering to the public, or our Primary Offering, and up to 10,526,315 shares pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan, or DRP, which we refer to collectively as the Offering. In April 2013, our board of directors authorized the reallocation of shares available under our DRP to our Primary Offering. Our

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Primary Offering (including 7.6 million shares reallocated from our DRP, or our Total Primary Offering) was completed on July 1, 2013 and all of the shares initially registered for our Offering were issued. As a result of an additional registration statement to offer up to 10.0 million shares pursuant to our DRP, we continue to offer DRP shares beyond our Total Primary Offering.

We have raised total gross proceeds of $1.1 billion in the Offering. In addition, from the close of the Primary Offering through March 10, 2017, we have raised an additional $0.2 billion in gross proceeds pursuant to our DRP.

Our Investments

The following table presents our investments as of December 31, 2016, adjusted for acquisitions, dispositions, and commitments to purchase and sell through March 10, 2017 (refer to the below and “Recent Developments”) (dollars in thousands):

Investment Type:	Count	Principal Amount/Cost(1)		% of Total
CRE Debt	Loans
First mortgage loans(2)(3)	12	$	500,753	31.2	%
Mezzanine loans(2)	5	77,639		4.8	%
Preferred equity interests	1	78,591		4.9	%
Total CRE debt	18	656,983		40.9	%
Operating Real Estate(4)	Properties
Industrial	23	107,351		6.7	%
Multi-tenant office	14	319,414		19.9	%
Multifamily	2	120,249		7.5	%
Student Housing	3	68,436		4.3	%
Total Operating Real Estate	42	615,450		38.4	%
PE Investments(2)
PE Investment I	1	31,655		2.0	%
PE Investment IIA	1	67,680		4.2	%
PE Investment IIB	1	60,692		3.8	%
PE Investment III	1	16,236		1.0	%
Total PE Investments	4	176,263		11.0	%
CRE Securities
CMBS	14	155,194		9.7	%
Total CRE securities	14	155,194		9.7	%
Total	78	$	1,603,890	100.0	%

___________________________________________________

(1) Based on principal amount for real estate debt and securities investments, fair value for our PE Investments and cost for real estate equity, which includes purchase price allocations related to net intangibles, deferred costs and other assets.

(2) Includes future funding commitments on CRE debt and the deferred purchase price for PE Investment IIA, PE Investment IIB and PE Investment III (as defined below).

(3) Excludes three senior participations in mortgage loans sold into a securitization financing transaction.

(4) Includes real estate owned, or REO, of $67.5 million.

For financial information regarding our reportable segments, refer to Note 14. “Segment Reporting” in our accompanying consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

Underwriting Process

We use a rigorous investment and underwriting process that has been developed and utilized by our Advisor’s and its affiliates’ senior management teams leveraging their extensive commercial real estate expertise over many years and real estate cycles which focuses on some or all of the following factors designed to ensure each investment is evaluated appropriately: (i) macroeconomic conditions that may influence operating performance; (ii) fundamental analysis of underlying real estate, including tenant rosters, lease terms, zoning, necessary licensing, operating costs and the asset’s overall competitive position in its market; (iii) real estate market factors that may influence the economic performance of the investment, including leasing conditions and overall competition; (iv) the operating expertise and financial strength and reputation of a tenant, operator, partner or borrower; (v) the cash flow in place and projected to be in place over the term of the investment and potential return; (vi) the appropriateness of the business plan and estimated costs associated with tenant buildout, repositioning or capital improvements; (vii) an internal and

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third-party valuation of a property, investment basis relative to the competitive set and the ability to liquidate an investment through a sale or refinancing; (viii) review of third-party reports including appraisals, engineering and environmental reports; (ix) physical inspections of properties and markets; (x) the overall legal structure of the investment, contractual implications and the lenders’ rights; and (xi) the tax and accounting impact.

Consistent with our investment strategy, a majority of our diversified portfolio is comprised of CRE debt investments and CRE securities. The remainder of the portfolio consists of operating real estate and PE investments.

The following section describes the major CRE asset classes in which we may invest and actively manage to maximize value and to protect capital.

Commercial Real Estate Debt

Overview

Our CRE debt investment strategy is focused on originating, acquiring and asset managing CRE debt investments, including first mortgage loans, subordinate mortgage and mezzanine loans and participations in such loans and preferred equity interests.

We emphasize direct origination of our debt investments as this allows us a greater degree of control over how they are underwritten and structured and it provides us the opportunity to syndicate all or portions of the loan (senior or subordinate interests) to maximize returns, if desired. Further, it facilitates a more direct relationship with our borrowers which helps us maintain a robust pipeline and provides an opportunity for us to earn origination and other fees.

Our Portfolio

As of December 31, 2016, adjusted for acquisitions, dispositions, and commitments to purchase and sell through March 10, 2017, $657.0 million, or 40.9%, of our assets were invested in CRE debt, consisting of 18 loans with an average investment size of $36.5 million. The weighted average extended maturity of our CRE debt portfolio is 4.4 years.

The following table presents a summary of our CRE debt investments as of December 31, 2016, adjusted for acquisitions, dispositions, and commitments to purchase and sell through March 10, 2017 (dollars in thousands):

								Weighted Average						Floating Rate as % of Principal Amount
Investment Type:	Count	Principal Amount(1)		Carrying Value		Allocation by Investment Type(2)		Fixed Rate		Spread over LIBOR(3)		Total Unleveraged Current Yield
First mortgage loans(4)	12	$	500,753	$	495,136	76.2	%	15.00	%	5.71	%	7.28	%	91.9	%
Mezzanine loans	5	77,639		77,621		11.8	%	12.16	%	11.00	%	12.12	%	36.7	%
Preferred equity interests(5)	1	78,591		79,008		12.0	%	10.00	%	—		10.00	%	—
Total/Weighted average	18	$	656,983	$	651,765	100.0	%	11.88	%	6.02	%	8.20	%	74.2	%

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(1) Includes future funding commitments of $6.2 million.

(2) Based on principal amount.

(3) As of March 10, 2017, we had $450.4 million principal amount of floating-rate loans subject to a weighted average LIBOR floor of 0.34%.

(4) Excludes three senior participations in mortgage loans sold into a securitization financing transaction.

(5) Excludes an $8.7 million proportionate interest in a preferred equity investment owned by a joint venture partner.

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The following presents our CRE debt portfolio’s diversity across investment type, property type and geographic location based on principal amount as of December 31, 2016, adjusted for acquisitions, dispositions, and commitments to purchase and sell through March 10, 2017:

Debt Investments by Investments Type

Debt Investments by Property Type	Debt Investments by Geographic Location

Operating Real Estate

Our operating real estate investment strategy focuses on direct ownership in commercial real estate with an emphasis on properties with stable cash flow, which may be structurally senior to a third-party partner’s equity. In addition, we may own operating real estate investments through joint ventures with one or more partners. As part of our real estate properties strategy, we explore a variety of real estate investments including multi-tenant office, multifamily, student housing and industrial. These properties are typically well-located with strong operating partners and we believe offer both attractive cash flow and returns.

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As of December 31, 2016, adjusted for acquisitions, dispositions, and commitments to purchase and sell through March 10, 2017, $615.5 million, or 38.4%, of our assets were invested in real estate properties and our portfolio was 92% occupied. The following table presents our real estate property investments as of December 31, 2016, adjusted for acquisitions, dispositions, and commitments to purchase and sell through March 10, 2017 (dollars in thousands):

Property Type	Number of Portfolios	Number of Properties	Capacity		Amount(1)
Industrial	1	23	2,077,743	square feet	$	107,351
Multi-tenant office(2)	3	14	1,878,968	square feet	319,414
Multifamily	2	2	1,422	units	120,249
Student Housing	1	3	2,166	beds	68,436
Total	7	42			$	615,450

_____________________________________________

(1) Based on cost which includes purchase price allocations related to net intangibles, deferred costs and other assets.

(2) Includes REO of $67.5 million.

Private Equity Investments

Our PE Investments own limited partnership interests in real estate private equity funds acquired in the secondary market and are managed by institutional-quality sponsors, which we refer to as fund interests. In addition, we may own PE Investments through joint ventures with one or more partners.

As of December 31, 2016, adjusted for acquisitions, dispositions, and commitments to purchase and sell through March 10, 2017, $176.3 million, or 11.0%, of our assets were invested in PE Investments through unconsolidated ventures.

The following tables present a summary of our PE Investments (dollars in thousands):

					Underlying Fund Interests
PE Investment(1)	Number of Funds	Number of General Partners	Amount(2)		Assets, at Cost		Implied Underlying Leverage(3)		Expected Future Contributions
PE Investment I(4)	49	26	$	31,655	$	14,100,000	42.5	%	$	207
PE Investment IIA(5)(6)	24	15	67,680		17,500,000		35.7	%	—
PE Investment IIB(6)	—	—	60,692		—		—		—
PE Investment III(7)	2	1	16,236		951,564		—		—
Total	75	42	$	176,263	$	32,551,564			$	207

_______________________________________________________________

(1) Based on financial data reported by the underlying funds as of September 30, 2016, which is the most recent financial information from the underlying funds, except as otherwise noted.

(2) Includes the deferred purchase price for PE Investment IIA, PE Investment IIB and PE Investment III.

(3) Represents implied leverage for funds with investment-level financing, calculated as the underlying borrowing divided by assets at fair value.

(4) We, together with our Sponsor (as successor to NorthStar Realty), have an ownership interest in PE Investment I of 51.0%, of which we own 29.5% and our Sponsor owns 70.5%.

(5) We, our Sponsor (as successor to NorthStar Realty) and funds managed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management each had an initial ownership interest in PE Investment IIA of 15.0%, 70.0% and 15.0%, respectively. PE Investment IIA paid an initial amount of $504.8 million and will pay the remaining $411.4 million, or 45.0% of the purchase price, or the Deferred Amount, by the last day of the fiscal quarter after the four year anniversary of the applicable closing date of each fund interest.

(6) In February 2016, we purchased an additional 14.0% of our Sponsor’s (as successor to NorthStar Realty) interest in PE Investment IIA. We acquired PE Investment IIB for $26.5 million based on a net asset value, or NAV, of $660.6 million as of September 30, 2015, adjusted for distributions and contributions. This add-on investment increased our total ownership in PE Investment II from 15.0% to 29.0% and as of December 31, 2016, PE Investment IIA and PE Investment IIB are collectively responsible for 29.0% of the Deferred Amount, or $85.7 million.

(7) In March 2016, we acquired PE Investment III for $15.1 million based on a NAV of March 31, 2015, adjusted for contributions and distributions from such date. At the time of closing, we paid $4.2 million, net of a $1.8 million deposit for a total of $6.0 million, or 40% of the purchase price adjusted for contributions and distributions. In December 2016, $4.5 million of the purchase price (the “Deferred Purchase Price”) was paid down. The remaining Deferred Purchase Price, or $4.5 million, will be paid in December 2017.

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	Our Proportionate Share of PE Investments
	Income		Return of Capital		Distributions		Contributions(1)		Net
PE Investment I
Year ended December 31, 2016	$	9,441	$	30,641	$	40,082	$	415	$	39,667
Year ended December 31, 2015	19,462		16,764		36,226		838		35,388
February 15, 2013 to December 31, 2016(1)	74,640		99,443		174,083		129,115		44,968
PE Investment IIA
Year ended December 31, 2016	$	5,974	$	18,923	$	24,897	$	8,842	$	16,055
Year ended December 31, 2015	10,757		23,505		34,262		9,201		25,061
July 3, 2013 to December 31, 2016(1)	34,207		73,476		107,683		98,727		8,956
PE Investment IIB
February 9, 2016 to December 31, 2016(2)	$	6,950	$	14,470	$	21,420	$	33,798	$	(12,378	)
PE Investment III
March 30, 2016 to December 31, 2016(2)	$	1,771	$	355	$	2,126	$	16,591	$	(14,465	)

______________________________________________________________

(1) Includes initial investments, before distribution and contribution closing statement adjustments, and subsequent contributions, including deferred purchase price fundings.

(2) Represents activity from the respective initial closing date through December 31, 2016.

The following presents the underlying fund interests in our PE Investments by investment type and geographic location based on NAV as of September 30, 2016 (the most recently available information):

PE Investments by Underlying Investment Type(1)	PE Investments by Underlying Geographic Location(1)

_________________________________

(1) Based on individual fund financial statements.

Real Estate Securities

Our CRE securities investments include CMBS and may in the future include unsecured REIT debt and CDO notes backed primarily by CRE securities and debt. Substantially all of our CRE securities have credit ratings assigned by at least one of the major rating agencies (Moody’s Investors Services, Standard & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings, Morningstar, DBRS and/or Kroll).

As of December 31, 2016, adjusted for acquisitions, dispositions, and commitments to purchase and sell through March 10, 2017, $155.2 million, or 9.7%, of our assets were invested in CRE securities and consisted of 14 CMBS investments purchased at an aggregate $77.7 million, or 50.1%, discount to par and our average investment size was $11.1 million. As of March 10, 2017, the weighted average expected maturity of our CMBS was 7.4 years.

Financing Strategy

We use asset-level financing as part of our investment strategy and we seek to match-fund our assets and liabilities by having similar maturities and like-kind interest rate benchmarks (fixed or floating) to manage refinancing and interest rate risk and utilize non-recourse liabilities whenever possible. Our Advisor is responsible for managing such refinancing and interest rate risk on our behalf. We intend to pursue a variety of financing arrangements such as securitization financing transactions, credit facilities,

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mortgage notes and other term borrowings. We continue to seek and prefer long-term, non-recourse financing, including non mark-to-market financing that may be available through securitization.

Although we have a limitation on the maximum leverage for our portfolio, which approximates 75% of the aggregate cost of our investments, excluding indirect leverage held through our unconsolidated venture investments, before deducting loan loss reserves, other non-cash reserves and depreciation, we do not have a targeted debt-to-equity ratio on an asset-by-asset basis, as we believe the appropriate leverage for the particular assets we finance depends on the specific credit characteristics of each asset. We use leverage for the sole purpose of financing our investments and diversifying our equity and we do not employ leverage to speculate on changes in interest rates. Our current overall portfolio leverage is 45%.

Borrowing levels for CRE investments may change depending upon the nature of the assets and the related financing. Our financing strategy for our CRE debt and securities investments is dependent on our ability to obtain match-funded borrowings at rates that provide a positive net spread, generally using credit facilities and securitization financing transactions. Our financing strategy for our real estate is typically to use long-term, non-recourse mortgage notes.

Our credit facilities currently include three secured term loan facilities, or our Term Loan Facilities, that provide for an aggregate of up to $550.0 million to finance the origination of first mortgage loans and senior loan participations secured by commercial real estate and five CMBS Credit Facilities to finance the acquisition of CMBS. In November 2012 and August 2013, we closed securitization financing transactions, which provide permanent, non-recourse, non-mark-to-market financing for our debt investments that were mainly previously financed on our Term Loan Facilities. In January 2015, the outstanding obligations with respect to one of the securitizations were repaid in full. As of December 31, 2016, we had $39.8 million issued as part of Securitization 2013-1. In January 2017, Securitization 2013-1 was repaid in full.

In November 2016, we bifurcated three first mortgage loans with an aggregate principal amount of $44.4 million into senior participations in mortgage loans of $29.5 million and junior participations in the related mortgage loans of $14.9 million to facilitate the financing of our mortgage loans through a securitization financing transaction, or secured borrowing, entered into by NorthStar Real Estate Income II, Inc. (“NorthStar Income II”), a company managed by an affiliate of our Sponsor. We sold three senior participations at cost into the securitization transaction. We did not retain any legal interest in the senior participations and retained the junior participations on an unleveraged basis. As a result of U.S. GAAP requirements for transfers of financial assets, the senior participations transferred into the securitization financing transaction are accounted for as a secured borrowing and presented as loan collateral payable, net, related party on our consolidated balance sheets. Refer to Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in our accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information. As of December 31, 2016, the carrying value of CRE debt investments recorded in real estate debt investments, net was $23.7 million with an offsetting secured borrowing recorded in loan collateral payable, net, related party of $23.3 million.

As of December 31, 2016, we had $227.0 million outstanding under our Term Loan Facilities and $22.2 million outstanding under our CMBS Credit Facilities. As of March 10, 2017, we have $323.0 million of available borrowing under our Term Loan Facilities.

Refer to “Liquidity and Capital Resources” for further disclosure regarding our financing transactions.

Portfolio Management

Our Advisor and its affiliates maintain a comprehensive portfolio management process that generally includes day-to-day oversight by the portfolio management and servicing team, regular management meetings and an exhaustive quarterly credit review process. These processes are designed to enable management to evaluate and proactively identify asset-specific credit issues and trends on a portfolio-wide basis. Nevertheless, we cannot be certain that our Advisor’s review will identify all issues within our portfolio due to, among other things, adverse economic conditions or events adversely affecting specific assets; therefore, potential future losses may also stem from investments that are not identified during these credit reviews. The portfolio management team, under the direction of our Advisor’s investment committee, uses many methods to actively manage our asset base to preserve our income and capital. Credit risk management is the ability to manage our assets in a manner that preserves principal/cost and income and minimizes credit losses that could decrease income and portfolio value. For CRE debt and real estate investments, frequent re-underwriting and dialogue with borrowers/tenants/partners and regular inspections of our collateral and owned properties have proven to be an effective process for identifying issues early. During the quarterly credit review, or more frequently as necessary, investments are put on highly-monitored status and identified for possible loan loss reserves/asset impairment, as appropriate, based upon several factors, including missed or late contractual payments, significant declines in collateral performance and other data which may indicate a potential issue in our ability to recover our invested capital from an investment. Our Advisor uses an experienced portfolio management and servicing team that monitors these factors on our behalf.

Our investments are reviewed on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as necessary, to assess whether there are any indicators that the value of our investments may be impaired or that its carrying value may not be recoverable. In conducting these reviews, we consider macroeconomic factors, including real estate sector conditions, together with asset and market specific circumstances among other factors. To the extent an impairment has occurred, the loss will be measured as compared to the carrying amount of

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the investment. An allowance for a doubtful account for a tenant receivable is established based on a periodic review of aged receivables resulting from estimated losses due to the inability of tenants to make required rent and other payments contractually due. Additionally, we establish, on a current basis, allowance for future tenant credit losses on unbilled rents receivable based upon an evaluation of the collectability of such amounts.

Each of our debt investments is secured by CRE collateral and requires customized portfolio management and servicing strategies for dealing with potential credit situations. The complexity of each situation depends on many factors, including the number of properties, the type of property, macro and local market conditions impacting supply/demand, cash flow and the financial condition of our collateral and our borrowers’/tenants’ ability to further support the collateral. Further, many of our investments may be considered transitional in nature because the business plan is to re-position, re-develop or otherwise lease-up the property in order to improve the collateral. At the time of origination or acquisition, the underlying property revenues may not be sufficient to support debt service, lease payments or generate positive net operating income. The business plan may necessitate an interest or lease reserve or other reserves, whether through proceeds from our loans, borrowings, offering proceeds or otherwise, to support debt service or lease payments and capital expenditures during the implementation of the business plan. There may also be a requirement for the borrower, tenant, guarantor or us, to refill these reserves should they become deficient during the applicable period for any reason.

As of December 31, 2016, each of our CRE debt investments was performing in accordance with the contractual terms of its governing documents in all material respects. There can be no assurance that our investments will continue to perform in accordance with the contractual terms of the governing documents or underwriting and we may, in the future, record loan loss reserves/asset impairment, as appropriate, if required.

Independent Directors’ Review of Our Policies

As required by our charter, our independent directors have reviewed our policies, including but not limited to our policies regarding investments, leverage, conflicts of interest and investment allocation, and determined that they are in the best interests of our stockholders. Our key policies that provide the basis for such determination are summarized herein.

Regulation

We are subject, in certain circumstances, to supervision and regulation by state and federal governmental authorities and are subject to various laws and judicial and administrative decisions imposing various requirements and restrictions, which, among other things:

• regulate our public disclosures, reporting obligations and capital raising activity;

• require compliance with applicable REIT rules;

• establish loan servicing standards;

• regulate credit granting activities;

• require disclosures to customers;

• govern secured transactions;

• set collection, taking title to collateral, repossession and claims-handling procedures and other trade practices;

• regulate land use and zoning;

• regulate the foreign ownership or management of real property or mortgages;

• regulate the ability of foreign persons or corporations to remove profits earned from activities within the country to the person’s or corporation’s country of origin;

• regulate tax treatment and accounting standards; and

• regulate use of derivative instruments and our ability to hedge our risks related to fluctuations in interest rates and exchange rates.

We elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code, commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2010. If we continue to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we will generally not be subject to federal income tax on our taxable income that we distribute as dividends to our stockholders. If we fail to continue to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year after electing REIT status, we will be subject to federal income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate income tax rates and will generally not be permitted to qualify for treatment as a REIT for federal income tax purposes for four years following

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the year in which our qualification is denied. Such an event could materially and adversely affect our net income and cash available for distribution. However, we believe that we are organized and expect to operate in a manner that enables us to qualify for treatment as a REIT for federal income tax purposes and we intend to continue to operate so as to remain qualified as a REIT for federal income tax purposes thereafter.

On December 18, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, an omnibus spending bill, with a provision referred to as the Protecting Americans From Tax Hikes Act of 2015, or the PATH Act. On June 7, 2016, the Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, issued temporary Treasury Regulations under the PATH Act, finalized in part in Treasury Regulations issued on January 17, 2017. The PATH Act and the accompanying Treasury Regulations change certain of the rules affecting REIT qualification and taxation of REITs and REIT stockholders described under the heading “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in our Prospectus included in our Registration Statement on Form S-3, filed with the SEC on July 2, 2013, relating to sales of our shares pursuant to the DRP. These changes are briefly summarized as follows:

• For taxable years beginning after 2017, the percentage of a REIT’s total assets that may be represented by securities of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries, or TRSs, is reduced from 25% to 20%.

• For distributions in taxable years beginning after 2014, the preferential dividend rules no longer apply to us as a “publicly offered REIT,” as defined in new Internal Revenue Code Section 562(c)(2).

• For taxable years beginning after 2015, debt instruments issued by publicly offered REITs are treated as real estate assets for purposes of the 75% asset test, but interest on debt of a publicly offered REIT will not be qualifying income under the 75% gross income test unless the debt is secured by real property. Under a new asset test, not more than 25% of the value of a REIT’s assets may consist of debt instruments that are issued by publicly offered REITs and would not otherwise be treated as qualifying real estate assets.

• For taxable years beginning after 2015, to the extent rent attributable to personal property is treated as rents from real property (because rent attributable to the personal property for the taxable year does not exceed 15% of the total rent for the taxable year for such real and personal property), the personal property will be treated as a real estate asset for purposes of the 75% asset test. Similarly, a debt obligation secured by a mortgage on both real and personal property will be treated as a real estate asset for purposes of the 75% asset test, and interest thereon will be treated as interest on an obligation secured by real property, if the fair market value of the personal property does not exceed 15% of the fair market value of all property securing the debt.

• For taxable years beginning after 2015, a 100% excise tax will apply to “redetermined services income,” i.e., non-arm’s-length income of a REIT’s TRS attributable to services provided to, or on behalf of, the REIT (other than services provided to REIT tenants, which are potentially taxed as redetermined rents).

• For taxable years beginning after 2014, the period during which dispositions of properties with net built-in gains acquired from C corporations in carry-over basis transactions will trigger the built-in gains tax is reduced from ten years to five years.

• REITs are subject to a 100% tax on net income from “prohibited transactions,” i.e., sales of dealer property (other than “foreclosure property”). These rules also contain safe harbors under which certain sales of real estate assets will not be treated as prohibited transactions. One of the requirements for the current safe harbors is that (I) the REIT does not make more than seven sales of property (subject to specified exceptions) during the taxable year at issue, or (II) the aggregate adjusted bases (as determined for purposes of computing earnings and profits) of property (other than excepted property) sold during the taxable year does not exceed 10% of the aggregate bases in the REIT’s assets as of the beginning of the taxable year, or (III) the fair market value of property (other than excepted property) sold during the taxable year does not exceed 10% of the fair market value of the REIT’s total assets as of the beginning of the taxable year. If a REIT relies on clause (II) or (III), substantially all of the marketing and certain development expenditures with respect to the properties sold must be made through an independent contractor. For taxable years beginning after December 18, 2015, clauses (II) and (III) are liberalized to permit the REIT to sell properties with an aggregate adjusted basis (or fair market value) of up to 20% of the aggregate bases in (or fair market value of) the REIT’s assets as long as the 10% standard is satisfied on average over the three-year period comprised of the taxable year at issue and the two immediately preceding taxable years. In addition, for taxable years beginning after 2015, for REITs that rely on clauses (II) or (III), a TRS may make the marketing and development expenditures that previously had to be made by independent contractors.

• A number of changes applicable to REITs are made to the FIRPTA rules for taxing non-US persons on gains from sales of US real property interests, or USRPIs:

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◦ For dispositions and distributions on or after December 18, 2015, the stock ownership thresholds for exemption from FIRPTA taxation on sale of stock of a publicly traded REIT and for recharacterizing capital gain dividends as ordinary dividends is increased from not more than 5% to not more than 10%.

◦ Effective December 18, 2015, new rules simplified the determination of whether we are a “domestically controlled qualified investment entity.”

◦ For dispositions and distributions after December 18, 2015, “qualified foreign pension funds” as defined in new Internal Revenue Code Section 897(l)(2) and entities that are wholly owned by a qualified foreign pension fund are exempted from FIRPTA and FIRPTA withholding. New FIRPTA rules also apply to “qualified shareholders” as defined in new Internal Revenue Code Section 897(k)(3).

◦ For sales of USRPIs occurring after February 16, 2016, the FIRPTA withholding rate for sales of USRPIs and certain distributions generally increases from 10% to 15%.

We believe that we are not, and intend to conduct our operations so as not to become, regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act. We have relied, and intend to continue to rely, on current interpretations of the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC in an effort to continue to qualify for an exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act. For more information on the exemptions that we use refer to Item 1A. “Risk Factors-Maintenance of our Investment Company Act exemption imposes limits on our operations.”

We are also subject to regulation governing mortgage lending. Although most states do not regulate commercial real estate finance, certain states impose limitations on interest rates and other charges and on certain collection practices and creditor remedies and require licensing of lenders and financiers and adequate disclosure of certain contract terms. We are also required to comply with certain provisions of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act that are applicable to CRE loans.

Real estate properties owned by us and the operations of such properties are subject to various international, federal, state and local laws and regulations concerning the protection of the environment, including air and water quality, hazardous or toxic substances and health and safety. In addition, such properties are required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, or the ADA, the Fair Housing Act, applicable fire and safety regulations, building codes and other land use regulations.

In the judgment of management, while we do incur significant expense complying with the various regulations to which we are subject, existing statutes and regulations have not had a material adverse effect on our business. However, it is not possible to forecast the nature of future legislation, regulations, judicial decisions, orders or interpretations, nor their impact upon our future business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

For additional information regarding regulations applicable to us, refer to Item 1A. “Risk Factors.”

Competition

Although we have completed our Offering and continue to see a robust pipeline of opportunities to invest any capital we may have, we are subject to increased competition in seeking CRE investments. We compete with many third parties engaged in real estate investment activities including publicly-traded REITs, non-traded REITs, insurance companies, commercial and investment banking firms, private equity funds and other investors. Some of these competitors, including other REITs and private real estate companies and funds, have substantially greater financial resources than we do. Such competitors may also enjoy significant competitive advantages that result from, among other things, a lower cost of capital and enhanced operating efficiencies.

Future competition from new market entrants may limit the number of suitable investment opportunities offered to us. It may also result in higher prices, lower yields and a narrower spread over our borrowing costs, making it more difficult for us to originate or acquire new investments on attractive terms.

Employees

As of December 31, 2016, we had no employees. Our Advisor or its affiliates provide management, acquisition, advisory, marketing, investor relations and certain administrative services for us.

Corporate Governance and Internet Address

We emphasize the importance of professional business conduct and ethics through our corporate governance initiatives. Our board of directors consists of a majority of independent directors. The audit committee of our board of directors is composed exclusively of independent directors. We have adopted corporate governance guidelines and a code of ethics, which delineate our standards for our officers and directors.

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Our internet address is www.northstarsecurities.com/income. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We make available, free of charge through a link on our website, our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to such reports, if any, as filed or furnished with the SEC, as soon as reasonably practicable after such filing or furnishing. Our site also contains our code of ethics, corporate governance guidelines and our audit committee charter. Within the time period required by the rules of the SEC, we will post on our website any amendment to our code of ethics as defined in the code of ethics.

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Item 1A. Risk Factors

The following risk factors and other information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K should be carefully considered. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently deem immaterial or that generally apply to all businesses also may adversely impact our business. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition, operating results, cash flow and liquidity could be materially adversely affected.

Risks Related to Our Business

Adverse changes in general economic conditions could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our success is dependent upon general economic conditions in the United States and in the international geographic areas where our investments are located. Adverse changes in economic conditions in the United States or these countries or regions would likely have a negative impact on real estate values and, accordingly, our financial performance, the market prices of our securities, and our ability to pay dividends.

Our business is also closely tied to general economic conditions in the real estate industry. As a result, our economic performance, the value of our real estate and real estate related investments, and our ability to implement our business strategies may be significantly and adversely affected by changes in economic conditions in the United States and in the international geographic areas where a substantial number of our investments are located. The condition of the real estate markets in which we operate is cyclical and depends on the condition of the economy in the United States, Europe, China and elsewhere as a whole and to the perceptions of investors of the overall economic outlook. Rising interest rates, declining employment levels, declining demand for real estate, declining real estate values or periods of general economic slowdown or recession, increasing political instability or uncertainty, or the perception that any of these events may occur have negatively impacted the real estate market in the past and may in the future negatively impact our operating performance. In addition, the economic condition of each local market where we operate may depend on one or more key industries within that market, which, in turn, makes our business sensitive to the performance of those industries.

We have only a limited ability to change our portfolio promptly in response to economic or other conditions. Certain significant expenditures, such as debt service costs, real estate taxes, and operating and maintenance costs, are generally not reduced when market conditions are poor. These factors impede us from responding quickly to changes in the performance of our investments and could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to Our Advisor

Colony NorthStar, our Sponsor and the parent company of our Advisor, recently completed its previously announced mergers with Colony and NorthStar Realty, which could have an adverse impact on our business.

In January 2017, Colony NorthStar, our Sponsor and the parent company of our Advisor, completed its mergers with Colony and NorthStar Realty, becoming publicly-traded and the successor to NSAM. As a result of the mergers, Colony NorthStar became an internally-managed equity REIT, with a diversified real estate and investment management platform. In addition, as a result of the mergers, our Advisor became a subsidiary of Colony NorthStar.

Uncertainty about the effect of the mergers on employees, clients and business of Colony NorthStar may have an adverse effect on Colony NorthStar and subsequently, us and the other Managed Companies following the mergers. These uncertainties could disrupt Colony NorthStar’s business and impair its ability to attract, retain and motivate key personnel, and cause clients and others that deal with Colony NorthStar to seek to change existing business relationships, cease doing business with Colony NorthStar or cause potential new clients to delay doing business with Colony NorthStar. Retention and motivation of certain employees may be challenging due to the uncertainty and difficulty of integration or a desire not to remain with Colony NorthStar. As a result of the foregoing, management of our company may be adversely affected. Further, the completion of the mergers may give rise to additional conflicts of interest and competition for investment opportunities among Colony NorthStar, us and other companies managed by Colony NorthStar and its affiliates.

Our Advisor may not be successful, or there may be delays, in locating suitable investments, which could limit our ability to make distributions and lower the overall return on stockholders’ investment.

We rely upon our Advisor or its affiliates’ investment professionals, including Messrs. Thomas J. Barrack, David T. Hamamoto, Richard B. Saltzman, Mark M. Hedstrom, Kevin P. Traenkle, Daniel R. Gilbert, Sujan S. Patel and Robert C. Gatenio, to identify suitable investments. The other Managed Companies also rely on such investment professionals for investment opportunities. Our Advisor may not be successful in locating suitable investments on financially attractive terms, and we may not achieve our objectives. If we, through our Advisor, are unable to find suitable investments promptly, we may hold the funds available for

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investment in an interest-bearing account or invest the proceeds in short-term assets. We expect that the income we earn on these temporary investments will not be substantial. Further, we may use the principal amount of these investments, and any returns generated on these investments, to pay for fees and expenses in connection with our distributions. Therefore, delays in investing proceeds we receive from payoffs or sales of our assets could impact our ability to generate cash flow for distributions or to achieve our investment objectives.

Our Advisor may acquire assets on our behalf where the returns are substantially below expectations or which result in net losses. In the event we are unable to timely locate suitable investments, we may be unable or limited in our ability to pay distributions and we may not be able to meet our investment objectives. Our Advisor or its affiliates’ investment professionals face competing demands upon their time, including in instances when we have capital ready for investment and consequently we may face delays in execution. Further, the more money we have available for investment, the more difficult it will be to invest the funds promptly and on attractive terms. Delays we encounter in the selection and origination or acquisition of investments would likely limit our ability to pay distributions to stockholders and lower their overall return.

Our ability to achieve our investment objectives and to pay distributions depends in substantial part upon the performance of our Advisor and third-party servicers.

Our ability to achieve our investment objectives and to pay distributions depends in substantial part upon the performance of our Advisor in the origination and acquisition of our investments, including the determination of any financing arrangements, as well as the performance of the third-party servicers of our real estate debt investments. Stockholders must rely entirely on the management abilities of our Advisor and the oversight of our board of directors, along with those of our third-party servicers. Our Advisor and its affiliates receive fees in connection with transactions involving the origination, acquisition, management and sale of our investments regardless of their quality or performance or the services provided. As a result, our Advisor may be incentivized to allocate investments that have a greater cost to increase the amount of fees payable to them.

We and our Advisor have adopted an investment allocation policy with the intent of eliminating the impact of any conflict that our Advisor or its affiliates’ investment professionals might encounter in allocating investment opportunities among us, our Sponsor and any other Managed Company, however, there is no assurance that the investment allocation policy will continue or successfully eliminate the impact of any such conflicts. Further, following the merger of our Sponsor with Colony and NorthStar Realty, our Sponsor became an internally-managed REIT and, as a result, may compete with us for certain real estate debt investments. In addition, we may be more likely to co-invest in any such opportunities with our Sponsor. If our Advisor performs poorly and as a result is unable to originate and acquire our investments successfully, we may be unable to achieve our investment objectives or to pay distributions to stockholders at presently contemplated levels, if at all. Similarly, if our third-party servicers perform poorly, we may be unable to realize all cash flow associated with our real estate debt investments.

Because we are dependent upon our Advisor and its affiliates to conduct our operations, any adverse changes in the financial health of these entities or our relationship with them could hinder our operating performance and the return on stockholders’ investment.

We are dependent on our Advisor and its affiliates to manage our operations and our portfolio. Our Advisor and its affiliates depend upon the fees and other compensation or reimbursement of costs that they receive from us and other Managed Companies in connection with the origination, acquisition, management and sale of assets to conduct their operations. Any adverse changes in the financial condition of our Advisor or its affiliates or our relationship with them could hinder their ability to successfully support our business and growth, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

The loss of or the inability to obtain key investment professionals at our Sponsor or its affiliates could delay or hinder implementation of our investment strategies, which could limit our ability to make distributions and decrease the value of stockholders’ investments.

Our success depends to a significant degree upon the contributions of key personnel at our Sponsor or its affiliates, such as Messrs. Barrack, Hamamoto, Saltzman, Hedstrom, Traenkle, Gilbert, Darren J. Tangen, Ronald M. Sanders, Patel, Gatenio and Frank V. Saracino and Jenny B. Neslin, among others, each of whom would be difficult to replace. We cannot assure stockholders that they will continue to be associated with our Sponsor or its affiliates in the future. If any of these persons were to cease their association with us or our Sponsor or its affiliates, our operating results could suffer. We do not intend to maintain key person life insurance on any person. We believe that our future success depends, in large part, upon our Sponsor and its affiliates’ ability to hire and retain highly-skilled managerial, operational and marketing professionals. Competition for such professionals is intense, and our Sponsor and its affiliates may be unsuccessful in attracting and retaining such skilled individuals. If our Sponsor loses or is unable to obtain the services of highly-skilled professionals, our ability to implement our investment strategies could be delayed or hindered and the value of our common stock may decline.

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Our Sponsor may determine not to provide assistance, personnel support or other resources to our Advisor or us, which could impact our ability to achieve our investment objectives and pay distributions.

We rely on our Sponsor and its affiliates’ personnel and other support for the purposes of originating, acquiring and managing our investment portfolio. Our Sponsor, however, may determine not to provide assistance to our Advisor or us. Consequently, if our Sponsor and its professionals determine not to provide our Advisor or us with any assistance or other resources, we may not achieve the same success that we would expect to achieve with such assistance, personnel support and resources. Further, in connection with the mergers in order to achieve anticipated synergies or otherwise during periods of economic retraction, our Sponsor and/or our Advisor may be incented to reduce its personnel and costs, which could have an adverse effect on us.

Our Advisor’s platform may not be as scalable as we anticipate and we could face difficulties growing our business without significant new investment in personnel and infrastructure from our Advisor.

If our business grows substantially, our Advisor may need to make significant new investments in personnel and infrastructure to support that growth. In addition, service providers to whom our Advisor may delegate certain functions may also be strained by our growth. Our Advisor may be unable to make significant investments on a timely basis or at reasonable costs and its failure in this regard could disrupt our business and operations.

Risks Related to Our Investments

Our CRE debt, select equity and securities investments are subject to the risks typically associated with CRE.

Our CRE debt, select equity and securities investments are subject to the risks typically associated with real estate, including:

• local, state, national or international economic conditions, including market disruptions caused by regional concerns, political upheaval, the sovereign debt crisis and other factors;

• real estate conditions, such as an oversupply of or a reduction in demand for real estate space in an area;

• lack of liquidity inherent in the nature of the assets;

• tenant/operator mix and the success of the tenant/operator business;

• the ability and willingness of tenants/operators/managers to maintain the financial strength and liquidity to satisfy their obligations to us and to third parties;

• reliance on tenants/operators/managers to operate their business in a sufficient manner and in compliance with their contractual arrangements with us;

• ability and cost to replace a tenant/operator/manager upon default;

• property management decisions;

• property location and conditions;

• property operating costs, including insurance premiums, real estate taxes and maintenance costs;

• the perceptions of the quality, convenience, attractiveness and safety of the properties;

• branding, marketing and operational strategies;

• competition from comparable properties;

• the occupancy rate of, and the rental rates charged at, the properties;

• the ability to collect on a timely basis all rent;

• the effects of any bankruptcies or insolvencies;

• the expense of leasing, renovation or construction;

• changes in interest rates and in the availability, cost and terms of mortgage financing;

• unknown liens being placed on the properties;

• bad acts of third parties;

• the ability to refinance mortgage notes payable related to the real estate on favorable terms, if at all;

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• changes in governmental rules, regulations and fiscal policies;

• tax implications;

• changes in laws, including laws that increase operating expenses or limit rents that may be charged;

• the impact of present or future environmental legislation and compliance with environmental laws, including costs of remediation and liabilities associated with environmental conditions affecting properties;

• cost of compliance with the ADA;

• adverse changes in governmental rules and fiscal policies;

• social unrest and civil disturbances;

• acts of nature, including earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters;

• terrorism;

• the potential for uninsured or underinsured property losses;

• adverse changes in state and local laws, including zoning laws; and

• other factors which are beyond our control.

The value of each property is affected significantly by its ability to generate cash flow and net income, which in turn depends on the amount of rental or other income that can be generated net of expenses required to be incurred with respect to the property. Many expenses associated with properties (such as operating expenses and capital expenses) cannot be reduced when there is a reduction in income from the properties.

These factors may have a material adverse effect on the value and the return that we can realize from our assets, as well as the ability of our borrowers to pay their loans and the ability of the borrowers on the underlying loans securing our securities to pay their loans.

A prolonged economic slowdown, a lengthy or severe recession or declining real estate values could harm our investments.

Many of our investments may be susceptible to economic slowdowns or recessions, which could lead to financial losses and a decrease in revenues, earnings and assets. An economic slowdown or recession, in addition to other non-economic factors such as an excess supply of properties, could have a material negative impact on the values of our investments. Declining real estate values will likely reduce our level of new loan originations, since borrowers often use increases in the value of their existing properties to support the purchase or investment in additional properties. Borrowers may also be less likely to achieve their business plans and be able to pay principal and interest on our CRE debt investments if the economy weakens and property values decline. Further, declining real estate values significantly increase the likelihood that we will incur losses on our investments in the event of a default because the value of our collateral may be insufficient to cover our cost. In addition, declining real estate values will reduce the value of any of our properties, as well as ability to refinance properties and use the value of existing properties to support the purchase or investment in additional properties. Slower than expected economic growth pressured by a strained labor market, along with overall financial uncertainty, could result in lower occupancy rates and lower lease rates across many property types and may create obstacles for us to achieve our business plans. We may also be less able to pay principal and interest on our borrowings, which could cause us to lose title to properties securing our borrowings. Any sustained period of increased payment delinquencies, taking title to collateral or losses could adversely affect both our CRE investments as well as our ability to originate, sell and securitize loans, which would significantly harm our revenues, results of operations, financial condition, business prospects and our ability to make distributions to stockholders.

We are subject to significant competition and we may not be able to compete successfully for investments.

We are subject to significant competition for attractive investment opportunities from other real estate investors, some of which have greater financial resources than us, including publicly-traded REITs, non-traded REITs, insurance companies, commercial and investment banking firms, private institutional funds, hedge funds, private equity funds and other investors. We have observed increased competition in recent years and expect that to continue into 2017. We may not be able to compete successfully for investments. In addition, the number of entities and the amount of funds competing for suitable investments may increase. If we pay higher prices for investments or originate loans on less advantageous terms to us, our returns may be lower and the value of our assets may not increase or may decrease significantly below the amount we paid for such assets. As we reinvest capital, we may not realize risk adjusted returns that are as attractive as those we have realized in the past. If such events occur, we may experience lower returns on our investments.

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We have no established investment criteria limiting the geographic or industry concentration or investment type of our investments. If our investments are concentrated in a particular region or asset class that experiences adverse economic conditions, our investments may lose value and we may experience losses.

Certain of our investments may be secured by a single property or properties in one geographic location or asset class. Additionally, properties that we may acquire may be concentrated in a geographic location or in a particular asset class. These investments carry the risks associated with significant geographical or industry concentration. We have not established and do not plan to establish any investment criteria to limit our exposure to these risks for future investments. As a result, our properties and/or properties underlying our investments may be overly concentrated in certain geographic areas or industries or asset classes and we may experience losses as a result. For example, one of our debt investments representing more than 10% of our interest income in 2016 is secured by shopping malls. A worsening of economic conditions, a natural disaster or civil disruptions in a geographic area in which such investment or our other investments may be concentrated or economic upheaval with respect to a particular asset class could have an adverse effect on our business, including reducing the demand for new financings, limiting the ability of borrowers to pay financed amounts and impairing the value of our collateral or the properties we may acquire, which may in turn limit our ability to make required payments under our financings or refinance such borrowings.

We have no established investment criteria limiting the size of each investment we make in CRE debt, select equity and securities investments. If we have an investment that represents a material percentage of our assets and that investment experiences a loss, the value of stockholders’ investment in us could be significantly diminished.

We are not limited in the size of any single investment we may make and certain of our CRE debt, select equity and securities investments may represent a significant percentage of our assets. Any such investment may carry the risk associated with a significant asset concentration. Should any investment representing a material percentage of our assets experience a loss on all or a portion of the investment, we could experience a material adverse effect, which would result in the value of stockholders’ investment in us being diminished.

We may not be effective in originating and managing our investments.

We, through our Advisor, originate and generally manage our investments. Our origination capabilities depend on our ability to leverage our relationships in the market and deploy capital to borrowers and tenants that hold properties meeting our underwriting standards. Managing these investments requires significant resources, adherence to internal policies and attention to detail. Managing investments may also require significant judgment and, despite our expectations, we may make decisions that result in losses. If we are unable to successfully originate investments on favorable terms, or at all, and if we are ineffective in managing those investments, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

The CRE debt we originate and invest in and mortgage loans underlying the CRE securities we invest in are subject to risks of delinquency, taking title to collateral, loss and bankruptcy of the borrower under the loan. If the borrower defaults, it may result in losses to us.

Our CRE debt investments are secured by commercial real estate and are subject to risks of delinquency, loss, taking title to collateral and bankruptcy of the borrower. The ability of a borrower to repay a loan secured by commercial real estate is typically dependent primarily upon the successful operation of such property rather than upon the existence of independent income or assets of the borrower. If the net operating income of the property is reduced or is not increased, depending on the borrower’s business plan, the borrower’s ability to repay the loan may be impaired. If a borrower defaults or declares bankruptcy and the underlying asset value is less than the loan amount, we will suffer a loss. In this manner, real estate values could impact the value of our CRE debt and securities investments. Therefore, our CRE debt and securities will be subject to the risks typically associated with real estate.

Additionally, we may suffer losses for a number of reasons, including the following, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial performance:

• If the value of real property or other assets securing our CRE debt deteriorates. The majority of our CRE debt investments are fully or substantially non-recourse. In the event of a default by a borrower on a non-recourse loan, we will only have recourse to the real estate-related assets (including escrowed funds and reserves, if any) collateralizing the debt. There can be no assurance that the value of the assets securing our CRE debt investments will not deteriorate over time due to factors beyond our control, as was the case during the credit crisis and as a result of the recent economic recession. Further, we may not know whether the value of these properties has declined below levels existing on the dates of origination. If the value of the properties drop, our risk will increase because of the lower value of the collateral and reduction in borrower equity associated with the related CRE debt. If a borrower defaults on our CRE debt and the mortgaged real estate or other borrower assets collateralizing our CRE debt are insufficient to satisfy the loan, we may suffer a loss of principal or interest.

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• If a borrower or guarantor defaults on recourse obligations under a CRE debt investment. We sometimes obtain personal or corporate guarantees from borrowers or their affiliates. These guarantees are often triggered only upon the occurrence of certain trigger, or “bad boy,” events. In cases where guarantees are not fully or partially secured, we will typically rely on financial covenants from borrowers and guarantors which are designed to require the borrower or guarantor to maintain certain levels of creditworthiness. As a result of challenging economic and market conditions, many borrowers and guarantors faced, and continue to face, financial difficulties and were unable, and may continue to be unable, to comply with their financial covenants. If the economy does not strengthen, our borrowers could experience additional financial stress. Where we do not have recourse to specific collateral pledged to satisfy such guarantees or recourse loans, we will only have recourse as an unsecured creditor to the general assets of the borrower or guarantor, some or all of which may be pledged to satisfy other lenders. There can be no assurance that a borrower or guarantor will comply with its financial covenants or that sufficient assets will be available to pay amounts owed to us under our CRE debt and related guarantees.

• Our due diligence may not reveal all of a borrower’s liabilities and may not reveal other weaknesses in its business. Before making a loan to a borrower, we assess the strength and skills of an entity’s management and other factors that we believe are material to the performance of the investment. This underwriting process is particularly important and subjective with respect to newly-organized entities because there may be little or no information publicly available about the entities. In making the assessment and otherwise conducting customary due diligence, we rely on the resources available to us and, in some cases, an investigation by third parties. There can be no assurance that our due diligence processes will uncover all relevant facts or that any investment will be successful. Furthermore, historic performance evaluated in connection with our underwriting process may not be indicative of future performance.

• Delays in liquidating defaulted CRE debt investments could reduce our investment returns. The occurrence of a default on a CRE debt investment could result in our taking title to collateral. However, we may not be able to take title to and sell the collateral securing the loan quickly. Taking title to collateral can be an expensive and lengthy process that could have a negative effect on the return on our investment. Borrowers often resist when lenders, such as us, seek to take title to collateral by asserting numerous claims, counterclaims and defenses, including but not limited to lender liability claims, in an effort to prolong the foreclosure action. In some states, taking title to collateral can take several years or more to resolve. At any time during a foreclosure proceeding, for instance, the borrower may file for bankruptcy, which would have the effect of staying the foreclosure action and further delaying the foreclosure process. The resulting time delay could reduce the value of our investment in the defaulted loans. Furthermore, an action to take title to collateral securing a loan is regulated by state statutes and regulations and is subject to the delays and expenses associated with lawsuits if the borrower raises defenses, counterclaims or files for bankruptcy. In the event of default by a borrower, these restrictions, among other things, may impede our ability to take title to and sell the collateral securing the loan or to obtain proceeds sufficient to repay all amounts due to us on the loan. In addition, we may be forced to operate any collateral for which we take title for a substantial period of time, which could be a distraction for our management team and may require us to pay significant costs associated with such collateral. We may not recover any of our investment even if we take title to collateral.

We may make certain CRE debt and securities investments that involve high risks.

We may make investments in certain assets that involve greater risks, such as transitional assets, non-performing assets and construction or development assets. These types of investments may involve greater risks than investments in stabilized, performing assets and make our future performance more difficult to predict. For example:

• Transitional properties are often associated with floating-rate loans and increases in a borrower’s monthly payment as a result of an increase in prevailing market interest rates may make it more difficult for the borrowers with floating-rate loans to repay the loan and could increase the risk of default of their obligations under the loan.

• Non-performing real estate assets are challenging to evaluate as they do not have a consistent stream of cash flow to support normalized debt service, lack stabilized occupancy rates and may require significant capital for repositioning. Further, strategies available to create value in a non-performing real estate investment, including development, redevelopment or lease-up of a property or negotiating a reduced payoff, may not be successful.

• Construction loans have the potential for cost overruns, the developer’s failing to meet a project delivery schedule, market downturns and the inability of a developer to sell or refinance the project at completion in accordance with its business plan and repay our CRE debt.

In addition, we may invest in subordinate, unrated or distressed mortgage loans or unrated or non-investment grade CRE securities, which typically result from increased leverage, lack of strong operating history, borrowers’ credit history, underlying cash flow

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from the properties and other factors. As a result, these investments typically have higher risk of default and loss, particularly during economic downturns.

We may be subject to risks associated with future advance or capital expenditure obligations, such as declining real estate values and operating performance.

Our CRE debt investments may require us to advance future funds. We may also need to fund capital expenditures and other significant expenses for our real estate property investments. Future funding obligations subject us to significant risks, such as a decline in value of the property, cost overruns and the borrower and tenant may be unable to generate enough cash flow and execute its business plan, or sell or refinance the property, in order to repay its obligations to us. We could determine that we need to fund more money than we originally anticipated in order to maximize the value of our investment even though there is no assurance additional funding would be the best course of action. Further, future funding obligations may require us to maintain higher liquidity than we might otherwise maintain and this could reduce the overall return on our investments. We could also find ourselves in a position with insufficient liquidity to fund future obligations.

We may be unable to restructure our investments in a manner that we believe maximizes value, particularly if we are one of multiple creditors in a large capital structure.

In order to maximize value, we may be more likely to extend and work out an investment rather than pursue other remedies such as taking title to collateral. However, in situations where there are multiple creditors in large capital structures, it can be particularly difficult to assess the most likely course of action that a lender group or the borrower may take and it may also be difficult to achieve consensus among the lender group as to major decisions. Consequently, there could be a wide range of potential principal recovery outcomes, the timing of which can be unpredictable, based on the strategy pursued by a lender group or other applicable parties. These multiple creditor situations tend to be associated with larger loans. If we are one of a group of lenders, we may not independently control the decision making. Consequently, we may be unable to restructure an investment in a manner that we believe would maximize value.

CRE debt restructurings may reduce our net interest income.

While the U.S. economy is stronger today, a return to weak economic conditions in the future may cause our borrowers to be at increased risk of default and we, or a third party, may need to restructure loans if our borrowers are unable to meet their obligations to us and we believe restructuring is the best way to maximize value. In order to preserve long-term value, we may determine to lower the interest rate on loans in connection with a restructuring, which will have an adverse impact on our net interest income. We may also determine to extend the maturity and make other concessions with the goal of increasing overall value, however, there is no assurance that the results of our restructurings will be favorable to us. Restructuring an investment may ultimately result in us receiving less than had we not restructured the investment. We may lose some or all of our investment even if we restructure in an effort to increase value.

Our CRE debt and securities investments may be adversely affected by changes in credit spreads.

Our CRE debt we originate or acquire and securities investments we invest in are subject to changes in credit spreads. When credit spreads widen, the economic value of our investments decrease even if such investment is performing in accordance with its terms and the underlying collateral has not changed.

Provision for loan losses are difficult to estimate, particularly in a challenging economic environment.

In a challenging economic environment, we may experience an increase in provisions for loan losses and asset impairment charges, as borrowers may be unable to remain current in payments on loans and declining property values weaken our collateral. Our determination of provision for loan losses requires us to make certain estimates and judgments, which may be difficult to determine, particularly in a challenging economic environment. Our estimates and judgments are based on a number of factors, including projected cash flow from the collateral securing our CRE debt, structure, including the availability of reserves and recourse guarantees, likelihood of repayment in full at the maturity of a loan, potential for refinancing and expected market discount rates for varying property types, all of which remain uncertain and are subjective. Our estimates and judgments may not be correct, particularly during challenging economic environments, and therefore our results of operations and financial condition could be severely impacted.

Both our borrowers’ and tenants’ forms of entities may cause special risks or hinder our recovery.

Most of the borrowers for our CRE debt investments and our tenants in the real estate that we own, as well as borrowers underlying our CRE securities, are legal entities rather than individuals. The obligations these entities will owe us are typically non-recourse so we can only look to our collateral, and at times, the assets of the entity may not be sufficient to recover our investment. As a result, our risk of loss may be greater than for leases with or originators of loans made to individuals. Unlike individuals involved in bankruptcies, these legal entities will generally not have personal assets and creditworthiness at stake. As a result, the default

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or bankruptcy of one of our borrowers or tenants, or a general partner or managing member of that borrower or tenant may impair our ability to enforce our rights and remedies under the related mortgage or the terms of the lease agreement, respectively.

The subordinate CRE debt we originate and invest in may be subject to risks relating to the structure and terms of the related transactions, as well as subordination in bankruptcy, and there may not be sufficient funds or assets remaining to satisfy our investments, which may result in losses to us.

We originate, structure and acquire subordinate CRE debt investments secured primarily by commercial properties, which may include subordinate mortgage loans, mezzanine loans and participations in such loans and preferred equity interests in borrowers who own such properties. We have not placed any limits on the percentage of our portfolio that may be comprised of these types of investments, which may involve a higher degree of risk than the type of assets that we expect will constitute the majority of our debt investments, namely first mortgage loans secured by real property. These investments may be subordinate to other debt on commercial property and are secured by subordinate rights to the commercial property or by equity interests in the borrower. In addition, real properties with subordinate debt may have higher loan-to-value ratios than conventional debt, resulting in less equity in the real property and increasing the risk of loss of principal and interest. If a borrower defaults or declares bankruptcy, after senior obligations are met, there may not be sufficient funds or assets remaining to satisfy our subordinate interests. Because each transaction is privately negotiated, subordinate investments can vary in their structural characteristics and lender rights. Our rights to control the default or bankruptcy process following a default will vary from transaction to transaction. The subordinate investments that we originate and invest in may not give us the right to demand taking title to collateral as a subordinate real estate debt holder. Furthermore, the presence of intercreditor agreements may limit our ability to amend our loan documents, assign our loans, accept prepayments, exercise our remedies and control decisions made in bankruptcy proceedings relating to borrowers. Similarly, a majority of the participating lenders may be able to take actions to which we object, but by which we will be bound. Even if we have control, we may be unable to prevent a default or bankruptcy and we could suffer substantial losses. Certain transactions that we originate and invest in could be particularly difficult, time consuming and costly to work out because of their complicated structure and the diverging interests of all the various classes of debt in the capital structure of a given asset.

We may make investments in assets with lower credit quality, which will increase our risk of losses.

We may invest in unrated or non-investment grade CRE securities, enter into leases with unrated tenants or participate in subordinate, unrated or distressed mortgage loans. The non-investment grade ratings for these assets typically result from the overall leverage of the loans, the lack of a strong operating history for the properties underlying the loans or securities, the borrowers’ credit history, the properties’ underlying cash flow or other factors. Because the ability of obligors of properties and mortgages, including mortgage loans underlying CMBS, to make rent or principal and interest payments may be impaired during an economic downturn, prices of lower credit quality investments and CRE securities may decline. As a result, these investments may have a higher risk of default and loss than investment grade rated assets. The existing credit support in the securitization structure may be insufficient to protect us against loss of our principal on these investments. Any loss we incur may be significant and may reduce distributions to stockholders and may adversely affect the value of our common stock.

Investments in non-performing real estate assets involve greater risks than investments in stabilized, performing assets and make our future performance more difficult to predict.

We may make investments in non-performing real estate assets in which the operating cash flow generated from the underlying property is insufficient to support current debt service payments. Traditional performance metrics of real estate assets are generally not as reliable for non-performing real estate assets as they are for performing real estate assets. Non-performing properties, for instance, do not have stabilized occupancy rates and may require significant capital for repositioning. Similarly, non-performing loans do not have a consistent stream of cash flow to support normalized debt service. In addition, for non-performing loans, often there is greater uncertainty as to the amount or timeliness of principal repayment. Borrowers will typically try to create value in a non-performing real estate investment, including by development, redevelopment or lease-up of a property. However, none of these strategies may be effective and the subject properties may never generate sufficient cash flow to support debt service payments. If this occurs, we may negotiate a reduced payoff, restructure the terms of the loan or enforce rights as lender and take title to collateral securing the loan with respect to CRE debt investments. It is challenging to evaluate non-performing investments, which increases the risks associated with such investments. We may suffer significant losses with respect to these investments which would negatively impact our operating performance and our ability to make distributions to stockholders.

Floating-rate CRE debt, which is often associated with transitional assets, may entail greater risks of default to us than fixed-rate CRE debt.

Floating-rate loans are often, but not always, associated with transitional properties as opposed to those with highly stabilized cash flow. Floating-rate CRE debt may have higher delinquency rates than fixed-rate loans. Borrowers with floating-rate loans may be exposed to increased monthly payments if the related interest rate adjusts upward from the initial fixed rate in effect during the initial period of the loan to the rate calculated in accordance with the applicable index and margin. Increases in a borrower’s

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monthly payment as a result of an increase in prevailing market interest rates may make it more difficult for the borrowers with floating-rate loans to repay the loan and could increase the risk of default of their obligations under the loan.

We may be subject to risks associated with construction lending, such as declining real estate values, cost overruns and delays in completion.

Our CRE debt investments may include loans made to developers to construct prospective projects, which may include ground-up construction or repositioning an existing asset. The primary risks to us of construction loans are the potential for cost overruns, the developer’s failing to meet a project delivery schedule, market downturns and the inability of a developer to sell or refinance the project at completion in accordance with its business plan and repay our CRE debt. These risks could cause us to have to fund more money than we originally anticipated in order to complete the project.

Insurance may not cover all potential losses on CRE investments, which may impair the value of our assets.

We generally require that each of the borrowers under our CRE debt investments obtain comprehensive insurance covering the collateral, including liability, fire and extended coverage. We also generally obtain insurance directly on any property we acquire. However, there are certain types of losses, generally of a catastrophic nature, such as earthquakes, floods and hurricanes that may be uninsurable or not economically insurable. We may not obtain, or require borrowers to obtain, certain types of insurance if it is deemed commercially unreasonable. Inflation, changes in building codes and ordinances, environmental considerations and other factors also might make it infeasible to use insurance proceeds to replace a property if it is damaged or destroyed. Further, it is possible that our borrowers could breach their obligations to us and not maintain sufficient insurance coverage. Under such circumstances, the insurance proceeds, if any, might not be adequate to restore the economic value of the property, which might decrease the value of the property and in turn impair our investment.

We may obtain only limited warranties when we purchase a property, which will increase the risk that we may lose some or all of our invested capital in the property or rental income from the property which, in turn, could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results from operations and our ability to make distributions to stockholders.

The seller of a property often sells such property in an “as is” condition on a “where is” basis and “with all faults,” without any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular use or purpose. In addition, the related real estate purchase and sale agreements may contain only limited warranties, representations and indemnifications that will only survive for a limited period after the closing. Despite our efforts, we may fail to uncover all material risks during our diligence process. The purchase of properties with limited warranties increases the risk that we may lose some or all of our invested capital in the property, as well as the loss of rental income from that property if an issue should arise that decreases the value of that property and is not covered by the limited warranties. If any of these results occur, it may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to make distributions to stockholders.

We depend on borrowers and tenants for a substantial portion of our revenue and, accordingly, our revenue and our ability to make distributions to stockholders will be dependent upon the success and economic viability of such borrowers and tenants.

The success of our origination or acquisition of investments significantly depends on the financial stability of the borrowers and tenants underlying such investments. The inability of a single major borrower or tenant, or a number of smaller borrowers or tenants, to meet their payment obligations could result in reduced revenue or losses. In particular, for the year ended December 31, 2016, two of our debt investments each accounted for more than 10% of our interest income during that period. A failure of the borrowers to make required interest payments to us could materially reduce our revenues and result in losses.

If we overestimate the value or income-producing ability or incorrectly price the risks of our investments, we may experience losses.

Analysis of the value or income-producing ability of a commercial property is highly subjective and may be subject to error. We value our potential investments based on yields and risks, taking into account estimated future losses on the CRE loans and the properties included in the securitization’s pools or select CRE equity investments and the estimated impact of these losses on expected future cash flow and returns. In the event that we underestimate the risks relative to the price we pay for a particular investment, we may experience losses with respect to such investment.

Lease defaults, terminations or landlord-tenant disputes may reduce our income from our real estate investments.

The creditworthiness of tenants in our real estate investments has been, or could become, negatively impacted as a result of challenging economic conditions or otherwise, which could result in their inability to meet the terms of their leases. Lease defaults or terminations by one or more tenants may reduce our revenues unless a default is cured or a suitable replacement tenant is found promptly. In addition, disputes may arise between the landlord and tenant that result in the tenant withholding rent payments, possibly for an extended period. These disputes may lead to litigation or other legal procedures to secure payment of the rent withheld or to evict the tenant. Upon a lease default, we may have limited remedies, be unable to accelerate lease payments and

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have limited or no recourse against a guarantor. Tenants as well as guarantors may have limited or no ability to satisfy any judgments we may obtain. We may also have duties to mitigate our losses and we may not be successful in that regard. Any of these situations may result in extended periods during which there is a significant decline in revenues or no revenues generated by a property. If this occurred, it could adversely affect our results of operations.

A significant portion of our leases may expire in the same year.

A significant portion of the leases for our real estate investments may expire in the same year. For certain of our properties, such as multifamily and student housing, leases are short term in nature and therefore subject to heightened lease turnover risk. As a result, we could be subject to a sudden and material change in value of our real estate investments and available cash flow from such investments in the event that these leases are not renewed or in the event that we are not able to extend or refinance the mortgage notes payable on the properties that are subject to these leases.

We may not be able to relet or renew leases at the properties underlying CRE debt investments or the properties held by us on favorable terms, or at all.

Our investments in real estate will be pressured if economic conditions and rental markets continue to be challenging. For instance, upon expiration or early termination of leases for space located at our properties, the space may not be relet or, if relet, the terms of the renewal or reletting (including the cost of required renovations or concessions to tenants) may be less favorable than current lease terms. We may be receiving above market rental rates which will decrease upon renewal, which will adversely impact our income and could harm our ability to service our debt and operate successfully. Weak economic conditions would likely reduce tenants’ ability to make rent payments in accordance with the contractual terms of their leases and lead to early termination of leases. Furthermore, commercial space needs may contract, resulting in lower lease renewal rates and longer releasing periods when leases are not renewed. Any of these situations may result in extended periods where there is a significant decline in revenues or no revenues generated by a property. Additionally, to the extent that market rental rates are reduced, property-level cash flow would likely be negatively affected as existing leases renew at lower rates. If we are unable to relet or renew leases for all or substantially all of the space at these properties, if the rental rates upon such renewal or reletting are significantly lower than expected, or if our reserves for these purposes prove inadequate, we will experience a reduction in net income and may be required to reduce or eliminate cash distributions to stockholders.

The bankruptcy, insolvency or financial deterioration of any of our tenants could significantly delay our ability to collect unpaid rents or require us to find new tenants.

Our financial position and our ability to make distributions to stockholders may be adversely affected by financial difficulties experienced by any of our major tenants, including bankruptcy, insolvency or a general downturn in the business, or in the event any of our major tenants do not renew or extend their relationship with us as their lease terms expire.

We are exposed to the risk that our tenants may not be able to meet their obligations to us or other third parties, which may result in their bankruptcy or insolvency. Although our leases and loans permit us to evict a tenant, demand immediate repayment and pursue other remedies, bankruptcy laws afford certain rights to a party that has filed for bankruptcy or reorganization. A tenant in bankruptcy may be able to restrict our ability to collect unpaid rents or interest during the bankruptcy proceeding. Furthermore, dealing with a tenants’ bankruptcy or other default may divert management’s attention and cause us to incur substantial legal and other costs.

Bankruptcy laws provide that a debtor has the option to assume or reject an unexpired lease within a certain period of time of filing for bankruptcy, but generally requires such assumption or rejection to be made in its entirety. Thus, a debtor cannot choose to keep the beneficial provisions of a contract while rejecting the burdensome ones; the contract must be assumed or rejected as a whole. However, where under applicable law a contract (even though it is contained in a single document) is determined to be divisible or severable into different agreements, or similarly, where a collection of documents is determined to constitute separate agreements instead of a single, integrated contract, then in those circumstances a debtor/trustee may be allowed to assume some of the divisible or separate agreements while rejecting the others. If the debtor has the ability, and chooses, to assume some of the divisible agreement while rejecting the other divisible agreements, or if a non-debtor tenant is unable to comply with the terms of an agreement, we may be forced to modify the agreements in ways that are unfavorable to us.

Because real estate investments are relatively illiquid, we may not be able to vary our portfolio in response to changes in economic and other conditions, which may result in losses to us.

Many of our investments are illiquid. A variety of factors could make it difficult for us to dispose of any of our assets on acceptable terms even if a disposition is in the best interests of stockholders. We cannot predict whether we will be able to sell any property for the price or on the terms set by us or whether any price or other terms offered by a prospective purchaser would be acceptable to us. We also cannot predict the length of time needed to find a willing purchaser and to close the sale of a property. Certain properties may also be subject to transfer restrictions that materially restrict us from selling that property for a period of time or

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impose other restrictions, such as a limitation on the amount of financing that can be placed or repaid on that property. We may be required to expend cash to correct defects or to make improvements before a property can be sold, and we cannot assure that we will have cash available to correct those defects or to make those improvements. The Internal Revenue Code also places limits on our ability to sell certain properties held for fewer than two years.

Borrowers under certain of our CRE debt investments may give their tenants or other persons similar rights with respect to the collateral. Similarly, we may also determine to give our tenants a right of first refusal or similar options. Such rights could negatively affect the residual value or marketability of the property and impede our ability to sell the collateral or the property.

As a result, our ability to sell investments in response to changes in economic and other conditions could be limited. To the extent we are unable to sell any property for its book value or at all, we may be required to take a non-cash impairment charge or loss on the sale, either of which would reduce our earnings. Limitations on our ability to respond to adverse changes in the performance of our investments may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to make distributions to stockholders.

To the extent capital improvements are not undertaken, the ability of our tenants to manage our properties effectively and on favorable terms may be affected, which in turn could materially adversely affect our business, financial conditions and results of operations and our ability to make distributions to stockholders.

To the extent capital improvements are not undertaken or are deferred, occupancy rates and the amount of rental and reimbursement income generated by the property may decline, which would negatively impact the overall value of the affected property. We may be forced to incur unexpected significant expense to maintain properties that are net leased. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to make distributions to stockholders.

Environmental compliance costs and liabilities associated with our properties or our real estate-related investments may materially impair the value of our investments and expose us to liability.

Under various federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations, a current or previous owner of real property, such as us and our tenants, may be liable in certain circumstances for the costs of investigation, removal or remediation of, or related releases of, certain hazardous or toxic substances, including materials containing asbestos, at, under or disposed of in connection with such property, as well as certain other potential costs relating to hazardous or toxic substances, including government fines and damages for injuries to persons and adjacent property. In addition, some environmental laws create a lien on the contaminated site in favor of the government for damages and the costs it incurs in connection with the contamination. These laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner knew of, or was responsible for, the presence or disposal of such substances and liability may be imposed on the owner in connection with the activities of a tenant at the property. The presence of contamination or the failure to remediate contamination may adversely affect our or our tenants’ ability to sell or lease real estate, or to borrow using the real estate as collateral, which, in turn, could reduce our revenues. We, or our tenants, as owner of a site, including if we take ownership through foreclosure, may be liable under common law or otherwise to third parties for damages and injuries resulting from environmental contamination emanating from the site. The cost of any required investigation, remediation, removal, fines or personal or property damages and our or our tenants’ liability could significantly exceed the value of the property without any limits.

The scope of the indemnification our tenants have agreed to provide us may be limited. For instance, some of our agreements with our tenants do not require them to indemnify us for environmental liabilities arising before the tenant took possession of the premises. Further, we cannot assure stockholders that any such tenant would be able to fulfill its indemnification obligations. If we were deemed liable for any such environmental liabilities and were unable to seek recovery against our tenant, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Furthermore, we may invest in real estate, or mortgage loans secured by real estate, with environmental problems that materially impair the value of the real estate. Even as a lender, if we take title to collateral with environmental problems or if other circumstances arise, we could be subject to environmental liability. There are substantial risks associated with such an investment.

Our joint venture partners could take actions that decrease the value of an investment to us and lower our overall return.

We currently have, and may in the future enter into, joint ventures with third parties, affiliates of our Advisor and other Managed Companies to make investments. We may also make investments in partnerships or other co-ownership arrangements or participations. Such investments may involve risks not otherwise present with other methods of investment, including, for instance, the following risks:

• our joint venture partner in an investment could become insolvent or bankrupt;

• fraud or other misconduct by our joint venture partners;

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• we may share decision-making authority with our joint venture partner regarding certain major decisions affecting the ownership of the joint venture and the joint venture property, such as the sale of the property or the making of additional capital contributions for the benefit of the property, which may prevent us from taking actions that are opposed by our joint venture partner;

• such joint venture partner may at any time have economic or business interests or goals that are or that become in conflict with our business interests or goals, including for example the operation of the properties;

• such joint venture partner may be in a position to take action contrary to our instructions or requests or contrary to our policies or objectives;

• our joint venture partners may be structured differently than us for tax purposes and this could create conflicts of interest and risk to our REIT status;

• we may rely upon our joint venture partners to manage the day-to-day operations of the joint venture and underlying assets, as well as to prepare financial information for the joint venture and any failure to perform these obligations may have a negative impact our performance and results of operations;

• our joint venture partner may experience a change of control, which could result in new management of our joint venture partner with less experience or conflicting interests to ours and be disruptive to our business;

• the terms of our joint ventures could restrict our ability to sell or transfer our interest to a third party when we desire on advantageous terms, which could result in reduced liquidity;

• our joint venture partners may not have sufficient personnel or appropriate levels of expertise to adequately support our initiatives; and

• to the extent we partner with other Managed Companies, our Sponsor may have conflicts of interest that may not be resolved in our favor.

Any of the above might subject us to liabilities and thus reduce our returns on our investment with that joint venture partner. In addition, disagreements or disputes between us and our joint venture partner could result in litigation, which could increase our expenses and potentially limit the time and effort our officers and directors are able to devote to our business.

Further, in some instances, we and/or our partner may have the right to trigger a buy-sell arrangement, which could cause us to sell our interest, or acquire our partner’s interest, at a time when we otherwise would not have initiated such a transaction. Our ability to acquire our partner’s interest may be limited if we do not have sufficient cash, available borrowing capacity or other capital resources. In such event, we may be forced to sell our interest in the joint venture when we would otherwise prefer to retain it.

We have in the past and expect to continue to make opportunistic investments that may involve asset classes and structures with which we have less familiarity, thereby increasing our risk of loss.

We have in the past and may continue to make opportunistic investments that may involve asset classes and structures with which we have less familiarity. When investing in asset classes with which we have limited or no prior experience, we may not be successful in our diligence and underwriting efforts. We may also be unsuccessful in preserving value, especially if conditions deteriorate, and we may expose ourselves to unknown substantial risks. Furthermore, these assets could require additional management time and attention relative to assets with which we are more familiar. All of these factors increase our risk of loss.

We have significant investments in joint ventures owning real estate private equity funds and there is no assurance these investments will achieve the returns expected upon initial execution of the respective investments.

As of December 31, 2016, $176.3 million of our assets were invested in PE Investments. The success of our PE Investments in general is subject to a variety of risks, including, without limitation, risks related to: (i) the quality of the management of the portfolio funds in which we invest and the ability of such management to successfully select investment opportunities; (ii) general economic conditions; and (iii) the ability of the portfolio funds and, if applicable, us, to liquidate investments on favorable terms or at all. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations include, but are not limited to, the possibility that: (a) the agreed upon NAV does not necessarily reflect the fair value of the fund interests on such date and the current fair value could be materially different; (b) the actual amount of future capital commitments underlying all of the fund interests that will be called and funded by us could vary materially from our expectations; and (c) because, among other matters, the sponsors of the private equity funds, rather than us, will control the investments in those funds, we could lose some or all of our investment. Furthermore, the timing in which we will realize proceeds, if any, from our PE Investments could differ materially from expectations and our actual yield could be substantially lower than our assumed yield. There can be no assurance that the

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management team of a portfolio fund or any successor will be able to operate the portfolio fund in accordance with our expectations or that we will be able to recover on our investments. In addition, investments in a real estate private equity fund generally will entail the payment of certain expenses, plus management fees and carried interest to the general partner or investment manager of the fund, which are in addition to the fees and expenses incurred directly by us. In certain cases, as a result of our Sponsor’s recently completed merger with Colony, the general partner or investment manager of the fund may be our Sponsor. Such fees and expenses reduce our returns. Furthermore, we have and may continue to acquire PE Investments as co-investments with our Sponsor or other Managed Companies, which increases the likelihood that our Advisor could have conflicts of interest with that company.

Our acquisitions of PE Investments in Secondary Transactions (as defined below) are based on available information and assumptions.

We generally will acquire PE Investments from one or more sellers who is/are existing limited partners in the portfolio funds in one or more transactions on the secondary market, or Secondary Transactions. The overall performance of PE Investments acquired in a Secondary Transaction will depend largely on the acquisition price paid for such PE Investments, which may be negotiated based on incomplete or imperfect information, including valuations provided by the portfolio fund managers, which may be based on interim unaudited financial statements, research, market data or other information available to the manager. Such information may prove to be incomplete or imperfect, which could adversely affect the performance of the PE Investments. Additionally, in determining the acquisition price, we will be relying on certain assumptions with respect to the investments held by the portfolio funds, projected exit dates, future operating results, market conditions, the timing and manner of dispositions and other similar considerations. Actual realized returns on PE Investments will depend on various factors, including future operating results, market conditions at the time of disposition, legal and contractual restrictions on transfer that may limit liquidity, any related transaction costs, and the timing and manner of disposition, all of which may materially differ from the assumptions on which we relied in negotiating the acquisition price.

We may agree to a deferred component of the purchase price for the acquisition of a PE Investment, which increases our leverage and may create additional risks.

We may agree with a seller for all or a portion of the purchase price for a PE Investment acquired in a Secondary Transaction to be paid by over a period of time, or a Deferred Purchase Price Acquisition, which increases our leverage by the amount of the deferred payment obligation. In addition, the terms of any Deferred Purchase Price Acquisition may require us to pay all or a portion of cash flows received from the portfolio funds to the seller to reduce the unpaid purchase price. Therefore, there may be little or no near term cash flow available to us following the PE Investment.

PE Investments acquired in Secondary Transactions may include a pool of portfolio funds that are acquired on an “all or nothing” basis.

We may have the opportunity to acquire a portfolio of portfolio funds from a seller on an "all or nothing" basis. Certain of the portfolio funds in the portfolio may be less attractive (for commercial, tax, legal or other reasons) than others, and certain of the sponsors of such portfolio funds may be more familiar to us than others, or may be more experienced or highly regarded than others. In such cases, it may not be possible for us to carve out from such purchases those investments which we consider (for commercial, tax, legal or other reasons) less attractive. In addition, because the purchaser in a Secondary Transaction generally will step into the position of the seller, we generally will not have the ability to modify or amend a portfolio fund’s constituent documents (e.g. limited partnership agreement) or otherwise negotiate the legal or economic terms of the interests being acquired. Additionally, our acquisition of portfolio funds in a Secondary Transaction will generally be subject to the consent of each portfolio fund manager and may, in some cases, be subject to rights of first refusal or similar rights by existing portfolio fund investors. In the event a portfolio fund manager withholds its consent to a transfer to us or the investors in a portfolio fund exercise any rights of first refusal to acquire all or a portion of the interests to be transferred to us, it could adversely impact the performance of the PE Investment portfolio and us.

PE Investments are short-lived assets and we may not be able to reinvest capital in comparable investments.

As of December 31, 2016, our PE Investments have a weighted average life of approximately 1.6 years based on our projections and assumptions. Because these PE Investments are short-lived, we may be unable to reinvest the distributions received from the portfolio funds in investments with similar returns, which could adversely impact our performance.

We invest in CRE securities, including CMBS and other subordinate securities, which entail certain heightened risks.

We invest in a variety of CRE securities, including CMBS and other subordinate securities, subject to the first risk of loss if any losses are realized on the underlying mortgage loans. CMBS entitle the holders thereof to receive payments that depend primarily on the cash flow from a specified pool of commercial or multifamily mortgage loans. Consequently, CMBS and other CRE securities will be adversely affected by payment defaults, delinquencies and losses on the underlying mortgage loans, which

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increase during times of economic stress and uncertainty. Furthermore, if the rental and leasing markets deteriorate, including by decreasing occupancy rates and decreasing market rental rates, it could reduce cash flow from the mortgage loan pools underlying our CMBS investments. The market for CRE securities is dependent upon liquidity for refinancing and may be negatively impacted by a slowdown in new issuance.

Additionally, CRE securities such as CMBS may be subject to particular risks, including lack of standardized terms and payment of all or substantially all of the principal only at maturity rather than regular amortization of principal. The value of CRE securities may change due to shifts in the market’s perception of issuers and regulatory or tax changes adversely affecting the CRE debt market as a whole. Additional risks may be presented by the type and use of a particular commercial property, as well as the general risks relating to the net operating income from and value of any commercial property. The exercise of remedies and successful realization of liquidation proceeds relating to CRE securities may be highly dependent upon the performance of the servicer or special servicer. Expenses of enforcing the underlying mortgage loan (including litigation expenses) and expenses of protecting the properties securing the loan may be substantial. Consequently, in the event of a default or loss on one or more loans contained in a securitization, we may not recover a portion or all of our investment. Ratings for CRE securities can also adversely affect their value.

We may change our targeted investments and investment guidelines without stockholder consent and make riskier investments.

Our board of directors may change our targeted investments and investment guidelines at any time without the consent of stockholders, which could result in our making investments that are different from, and possibly riskier than, the investments described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. A change in our targeted investments or investment guidelines may increase our exposure to interest rate risk, default risk and real estate market fluctuations, all of which could adversely affect the value of our common stock and our ability to make distributions to stockholders.

We may invest in CDO notes, which may involve significant risks.

We may invest in CDO notes which are multiple class securities secured by pools of assets, such as CMBS, mortgage loans, subordinate mortgage and mezzanine loans and REIT debt. Like typical securitization structures, in a CDO, the assets are pledged to a trustee for the benefit of the holders of the CDO bonds. Like CMBS, CDO notes are affected by payments, defaults, delinquencies and losses on the underlying loans or securities. CDOs often have reinvestment periods that typically last for five years during which proceeds from the sale of a collateral asset may be invested in substitute collateral. Upon termination of the reinvestment period, the static pool functions very similarly to a CMBS where repayment of principal allows for redemption of bonds sequentially. To the extent we may invest in the equity interest of a CDO, we will be entitled to all of the income generated by the CDO after the CDO pays all of the interest due on the senior securities and its expenses. However, there may be little or no income or principal available to the holders of CDO equity interests if defaults or losses on the underlying collateral exceed a certain amount. In that event, the value of our investment in any equity interest of a CDO could decrease substantially. In addition, the equity interests of CDOs are illiquid and often must be held by a REIT and because they represent a leveraged investment in the CDO’s assets, the value of the equity interests will generally have greater fluctuations than the value of the underlying collateral. Moreover, CDO notes generally do not qualify as real estate assets for purposes of the gross asset and income requirements that apply to REITs, which could adversely affect our ability to qualify for tax treatment as a REIT.

Some of our investments are carried at estimated fair value as determined by us and, as a result, there may be uncertainty as to the value of these investments.

Some of our investments are recorded at fair value but have limited liquidity or are not publicly traded. The fair value of these investments that have limited liquidity or are not publicly traded may not be readily determinable. We estimate the fair value of these investments on a quarterly basis. Because such valuations are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on numerous estimates and assumptions, our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a readily available market for these securities existed. If our determination regarding the fair value of these investments are materially different than the values that we ultimately realize upon their disposal, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to make distributions to stockholders.

The price we pay for acquisitions of real property and the terms of our debt investments will be based on our projections of market demand, occupancy and rental income, as well as on market factors, and our return on our investment may be lower than expected if any of our projections are inaccurate.

The price we pay for real property investments and the terms of our debt investments will be based on our projections of market demand, occupancy levels, rental income, the costs of any development, redevelopment or renovation of a property, borrower expertise and other factors. In addition, as the real estate market continues to strengthen with the improvement of the U.S. economy, we will face increased competition, which may drive up prices for real estate assets or make loan origination terms less favorable to us. If any of our projections are inaccurate or we ascribe a higher value to assets and their value subsequently drops or fails to rise because of market factors, returns on our investment may be lower than expected and could experience losses.

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Risks Related to Our Financing Strategy

We may not be able to access financing sources on attractive terms, if at all, which could adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan.

We require outside capital to fund and grow our business. Our business may be adversely affected by disruptions in the debt and equity capital markets and institutional lending market, including the lack of access to capital or prohibitively high costs of obtaining or replacing capital. A primary source of liquidity for us has been the debt and equity capital markets. Access to the capital markets and other sources of liquidity were severely disrupted during the recession that began in 2008. While there have been improvements from that recession, increasing concerns over diminished economic growth, inflation and worldwide economic conditions have recently resulted in a significant deterioration in the markets, and our access to the capital markets could be limited in the future. We cannot assure stockholders that financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all, or that we will be able to satisfy the conditions precedent required to use our credit facilities, which could reduce the number, or alter the type, of investments that we would make otherwise. This may reduce our income. To the extent that financing proves to be unavailable when needed, we may be compelled to modify our investment strategy to optimize the performance of our portfolio. If we cannot obtain sufficient debt and equity capital on acceptable terms, our ability to grow our business, operate and make distributions to stockholders could be severely impacted.

Our portfolio is highly leveraged, which may adversely affect our return on our investments and may reduce cash available for distribution.

We leverage our portfolio generally through the use of securitization financing transactions and our credit facilities. The type and percentage of financing varies depending on our ability to obtain credit and the lender’s estimate of the stability of the portfolio’s cash flow. High leverage can, particularly during difficult economic times, increase our risk of loss and harm our liquidity. Moreover, we may have to incur more recourse borrowings, including recourse borrowings that are subject to mark-to-market risk, in order to obtain financing for our business.

We may not successfully align the maturities of our liabilities with the maturities on our assets, which could harm our operating results and financial condition.

Our general financing strategy is focused on the use of “match-funded” structures. This means that we seek to align the maturities of our liabilities with the maturities on our assets in order to manage the risks of being forced to refinance our liabilities prior to the maturities of our assets. In addition, we plan to match interest rates on our assets with like-kind borrowings, so fixed-rate investments are financed with fixed-rate borrowings and floating-rate assets are financed with floating-rate borrowings, directly or indirectly through the use of interest rate swaps, caps and other financial instruments or through a combination of these strategies. We may fail to appropriately employ match-funded structures on favorable terms, or at all. We may also determine not to pursue a fully match-funded strategy with respect to a portion of our financings for a variety of reasons. If we fail to appropriately employ match-funded strategies or determine not to pursue such a strategy, our exposure to interest rate volatility and exposure to matching liabilities prior to the maturity of the corresponding asset may increase substantially, which could harm our operating results, liquidity and financial condition.

Our performance can be negatively affected by fluctuations in interest rates and shifts in the yield curve may cause losses.

Our financial performance is influenced by changes in interest rates, in particular, as such changes may affect our CRE securities, floating-rate borrowings and CRE debt to the extent such debt does not float as a result of floors or otherwise. Changes in interest rates, including changes in expected interest rates or “yield curves,” affect our business in a number of ways. Changes in the general level of interest rates can affect our net interest income, which is the difference between the interest income earned on our interest-earning assets and the interest expense incurred in connection with our interest-bearing borrowings and hedges. Changes in the level of interest rates also can affect, among other things, our ability to acquire CRE securities, acquire or originate CRE debt at attractive prices and enter into hedging transactions. Also, if market interest rates increase, the interest rate on any variable rate borrowings will increase and will create higher debt service requirements, which would adversely affect our cash flow and could adversely impact our results of operations. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors, including governmental monetary and tax policies, domestic and international economic and political conditions and other factors beyond our control.

Interest rate changes may also impact our net book value as our CRE securities and hedge derivatives are recorded at fair value each quarter. Generally, as interest rates increase, the value of our fixed rate securities decreases, which will decrease the book value of our equity.

Furthermore, shifts in the U.S. Treasury yield curve reflecting an increase in interest rates would also affect the yield required on our CRE securities and therefore their value. For instance, increasing interest rates would reduce the value of the fixed rate assets we hold at the time because the higher yields required by increased interest rates result in lower market prices on existing fixed

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rate assets in order to adjust the yield upward to meet the market and vice versa. This would have similar effects on our CRE securities portfolio and our financial position and operations as a change in interest rates generally.

In a period of rising interest rates, our interest expense could increase while the interest we earn on our fixed-rate assets or LIBOR capped floating rate assets would not change, which would adversely affect our profitability.

Our operating results depend in large part on differences between the income from our assets less our operating costs, reduced by any credit losses and financing costs. Income from our assets may respond more slowly to interest rate fluctuations than the cost of our borrowings. Consequently, changes in interest rates, particularly short-term interest rates, may adversely influence our net income. Increases in these rates may decrease our net income. Interest rate fluctuations resulting in our interest expense exceeding the income from our assets would result in operating losses for us and may limit our ability to make distributions to stockholders. In addition, if we need to repay existing borrowings during periods of rising interest rates, we could be required to liquidate one or more of our investments at times that may not permit realization of the maximum return on those investments, which would adversely affect our profitability.

Hedging against interest rate and currency exposure may adversely affect our earnings, limit our gains or result in losses, which could adversely affect cash available for distribution to stockholders.

We may enter into swap, cap or floor agreements or pursue other interest rate or currency hedging strategies. Our hedging activity will vary in scope based on interest rate levels, currency exposure, the type of investments held and other changing market conditions. Interest rate and/or currency hedging may fail to protect or could adversely affect us because, among other things:

• interest rate and/or currency hedging can be expensive, particularly during periods of rising and volatile interest rates;

• available interest rate and/or currency hedging may not correspond directly with the interest rate risk for which protection is sought;

• the duration of the hedge may not match the duration of the related liability or asset;

• our hedging opportunities may be limited by the treatment of income from hedging transactions under the rules determining REIT qualification;

• the credit quality of the party owing money on the hedge may be downgraded to such an extent that it impairs our ability to sell or assign our side of the hedging transaction;

• the counterparties with which we trade may cease making markets and quoting prices in such instruments, which may render us unable to enter into an offsetting transaction with respect to an open position;

• the party owing money in the hedging transaction may default on its obligation to pay; and

• we may purchase a hedge that turns out not to be necessary, i.e., a hedge that is out of the money.

Any hedging activity we engage in may adversely affect our earnings, which could adversely affect cash available for distribution to stockholders. Therefore, while we may enter into such transactions to seek to reduce interest rate and/or currency risks, unanticipated changes in interest rates or exchange rates may result in poorer overall investment performance than if we had not engaged in any such hedging transactions. In addition, the degree of correlation between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the portfolio positions being hedged or liabilities being hedged may vary materially. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, we may not be able to establish a perfect correlation between hedging instruments and the investments being hedged. Any such imperfect correlation may prevent us from achieving the intended hedge and expose us to risk of loss. We may also be exposed to liquidity issues as a result of margin calls or settlement of derivative hedges. Our hedging activities, if not undertaken in compliance with certain federal income tax requirements, could also adversely affect our ability to qualify for taxation as a REIT.

Hedging instruments often are not traded on regulated exchanges, guaranteed by an exchange or its clearinghouse or regulated by any U.S. or foreign governmental authorities and involve risks and costs.

The cost of using hedging instruments increases as the period covered by the instrument lengthens and during periods of rising and volatile interest rates. We may increase our hedging activity and thus increase our hedging costs during periods when interest rates are volatile or rising and hedging costs have increased. In addition, hedging instruments involve risk since they often are not traded on regulated exchanges, guaranteed by an exchange or its clearing house, or regulated by any U.S. or foreign governmental authorities. Consequently, there are no regulatory or statutory requirements with respect to record keeping, financial responsibility or segregation of customer funds and positions. Furthermore, the enforceability of agreements underlying derivative transactions may depend on compliance with applicable statutory, commodity and other regulatory requirements and, depending on the identity of the counterparty, applicable international requirements. The business failure of a hedging counterparty with whom we enter

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into a hedging transaction will most likely result in a default. Default by a party with whom we enter into a hedging transaction may result in the loss of unrealized profits and force us to cover our resale commitments, if any, at the then current market price. It may not always be possible to dispose of or close out a hedging position without the consent of the hedging counterparty and we may not be able to enter into an offsetting contract in order to cover our risk. We cannot assure stockholders that a liquid secondary market will exist for hedging instruments purchased or sold, and we may be required to maintain a position until exercise or expiration, which could result in losses.

Refer to the below risk factor “The direct or indirect effects of the Dodd-Frank Act, enacted in July 2010 for the purpose of stabilizing or reforming the financial markets, may have an adverse effect on our interest rate hedging activities” for a discussion of how the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, or the Dodd-Frank Act, may affect the use of hedging instruments.

We use short-term borrowings to finance our investments and we may need to use such borrowings for extended periods of time to the extent we are unable to access long-term financing. This may expose us to increased risks associated with decreases in the fair value of the underlying collateral, which could have an adverse impact on our results of operations.

While we have and may continue to seek non-recourse, non-mark-to-market, long-term financing through securitization financing transactions or other structures, such financing may be unavailable to us on favorable terms or at all. Consequently, we may be dependent on short-term financing arrangements that are not matched in duration to our financial assets. Short-term borrowing through repurchase arrangements, credit facilities and other types of borrowings may put our assets and financial condition at risk. Furthermore, the cost of borrowings may increase substantially if lenders view us as having increased credit risk during periods of market distress. Any such short-term financing may also be recourse to us, which will increase the risk of our investments. We currently have three Term Loan Facilities that provide for an aggregate of up to $550.0 million to finance loan originations and three CMBS Credit Facilities to finance the acquisition of CMBS. As of December 31, 2016, we have $323.0 million of available borrowings under our Term Loan Facilities and $22.2 million borrowings outstanding under our CMBS Credit Facilities. We may obtain additional facilities and increase our lines of credit on existing facilities in the future.

In addition, the value of assets underlying any such short-term financing may be marked-to-market periodically by the lender, including on a daily basis. To the extent these financing arrangements contain mark-to-market provisions, if the market value of the investments pledged by us declines due to credit quality deterioration, we may be required by our lenders to provide additional collateral or pay down a portion of our borrowings. In a weakening economic environment, we would generally expect credit quality and the value of the investment that serves as collateral for our financing arrangements to decline, and in such a scenario, it is likely that the terms of our financing arrangements would require partial repayment from us, which could be substantial.

These facilities may also be restricted to financing certain types of assets, such as first mortgage loans, which could impact our asset allocation. In addition, such short-term borrowing facilities may limit the length of time that any given asset may be used as eligible collateral. As a result, we may not be able to leverage our assets as fully as we would choose, which could reduce our return on assets. Further, such borrowings may require us to maintain a certain amount of cash reserves or to set aside unleveraged assets sufficient to maintain a specified liquidity position that would allow us to satisfy our collateral obligations. Currently, our Term Loan Facilities provide for an unrestricted cash covenant of at least $3.75 million and a maximum of $22.5 million. In the event that we are unable to meet the collateral obligations for our short-term borrowings, our financial condition could deteriorate rapidly.

We use leverage in connection with our investments, which increases the risk of loss associated with our investments and may significantly impact our liquidity position.

We use a variety of structures to finance our investments. We finance the origination and acquisition of a portion of our investments with our credit facilities, securitization financing transactions and other term borrowings, including repurchase agreements. Although the use of leverage may enhance returns and increase the number of investments that we can make, it may also substantially increase the risk of loss. Our ability to execute this strategy depends on various conditions in the financing markets that are beyond our control, including liquidity and credit spreads. We may be unable to obtain additional financing on favorable terms or, with respect to our investments, on terms that parallel the maturities of the debt originated or acquired, if we are able to obtain additional financing at all. If our strategy is not viable, we will have to find alternative forms of long-term financing for our assets, as secured revolving credit facilities and repurchase agreements may not accommodate long-term financing. This could subject us to more restrictive recourse borrowings and the risk that debt service on less efficient forms of financing would require a larger portion of our cash flow, thereby reducing cash available for distribution to stockholders, for our operations and for future business opportunities.

We may also seek securitization financing transactions with respect to some of our investments, but we may be unable to do so on favorable terms, if at all. If alternative financing is not available on favorable terms, or at all, we may have to liquidate assets at unfavorable prices to pay off such financing. Our return on our investments and cash available for distribution to stockholders

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may be reduced to the extent that changes in market conditions cause the cost of our financing to increase relative to the earnings that we can derive from the assets we originate or acquire.

Further, short-term borrowing through repurchase agreements, credit facilities and other borrowings may put our assets and financial condition at risk. Repurchase agreements economically resemble short-term, floating-rate financing and usually require the maintenance of specific loan-to-collateral value ratios. Posting additional collateral to support our financing arrangements could significantly reduce our liquidity and limit our ability to leverage our assets. In the event we do not have sufficient liquidity to meet such requirements, our lenders can accelerate our borrowings, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.

Some of our credit facilities contain recourse obligations and any default could materially adversely affect our business, liquidity and financial condition.

We finance certain of our CRE investments through the use of repurchase agreements with one or more financial institutions. Obligations under certain repurchase agreements could be recourse obligations to us and any default thereunder could result in margin calls and further force a liquidation of assets at times when the pricing may be unfavorable to us. Our default under such repurchase agreements could negatively impact our business, liquidity and financial condition.

Lenders may require us to enter into restrictive covenants relating to our operations, which could limit our ability to make distributions to stockholders.

When providing financing, a lender may impose restrictions on us that affect our distribution and operating policies and our ability to incur additional borrowings. Financing arrangements that we may enter into may contain covenants that limit our ability to further incur borrowings and restrict distributions to stockholders or that prohibit us from discontinuing insurance coverage or replacing our Advisor. Our credit facilities contain financial covenants, including a minimum unrestricted cash covenant. These or other limitations would decrease our operating flexibility and our ability to achieve our operating objectives, including making distributions to stockholders.

We are subject to risks associated with obtaining mortgage financing on our real estate, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to make distributions to stockholders.

As of December 31, 2016, our real estate portfolio had $396.6 million of total mortgage financing.We are subject to risks normally associated with financing, including the risks that our cash flow is insufficient to make timely payments of interest or principal, that we may be unable to refinance existing borrowings or support collateral obligations and that the terms of refinancing may not be as favorable as the terms of existing borrowing. If we are unable to refinance or extend principal payments due at maturity or pay them with proceeds from other capital transactions or the sale of the underlying property, our cash flow may not be sufficient in all years to make distributions to stockholders and to repay all maturing borrowings. Furthermore, if prevailing interest rates or other factors at the time of refinancing result in higher interest rates upon refinancing, the interest expense relating to that refinanced borrowing would increase, which could reduce our profitability, result in losses and negatively impact the amount of distributions we are able to pay to stockholders. Moreover, additional financing increases the amount of our leverage, which could negatively affect our ability to obtain additional financing in the future or make us more vulnerable in a downturn in our results of operations or the economy generally.

We have broad authority to use leverage and high levels of leverage could hinder our ability to make distributions and decrease the value of stockholders’ investment.

Our charter does not limit us from utilizing financing until our borrowings exceed 300% of our net assets, which is generally expected to approximate 75% of the aggregate cost of our investments, before deducting loan loss reserves, other non-cash reserves and depreciation. Further, we can incur financings in excess of this limitation with the approval of a majority of the stockholders who vote on the proposal. High leverage levels would cause us to incur higher interest charges and higher debt service payments and the agreements governing our borrowings may also include restrictive covenants. These factors could limit the amount of cash we have available to distribute to stockholders and could result in a decline in the value of stockholders’ investment.

We may be unable to complete additional securitization financing transactions due to, among other things, a decrease in liquidity in the CRE market.

We historically accessed the securitization markets to finance our CRE debt investments with non-recourse, non-mark to market, permanent financing which were structured as a CMBS. In November 2012, August 2013 and November 2016, we entered into or participated in securitization financing transactions, however, we may be unable to complete similar transactions in the future due to several factors, including decreased liquidity in the CRE market. If we are unsuccessful in accessing this market, we may be exposed to less favorable financing terms, if any, which could adversely affect our business.

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If we breach representations or warranties that we made in our securitization financing transaction, our financial condition could be harmed.

In November 2016, we entered into a securitization financing transaction, in which a subsidiary of ours made certain customary representations, warranties and covenants. If there is a breach of those representations and warranties or a defect in the documentation of any of the contributed assets, which breach or defect materially and adversely affects the value of the subject contributed asset, then we will be required to either cure the breach, repurchase the affected contributed asset from the issuing entity, replace the affected contributed asset with another asset or make a loss of value payment, as the case may be. Any such loss could be material and have an adverse effect on our financial condition.

We may enter into similar transactions in the future and those transactions could likely entail similar and other substantial risks.

Risks Related to Our Company

Any adverse changes in our Sponsor’s financial health, the public perception of our Sponsor, or our relationship with our Sponsor or its affiliates could hinder our operating performance and the return on stockholders’ investment.

We have engaged our Advisor to manage our operations and our investments. Our ability to achieve our investment objectives and to pay distributions is dependent upon the performance of our Sponsor and its affiliates as well as our Sponsor’s investment professionals in the identification and origination or acquisition of investments, the determination of any financing arrangement, the management of our assets and operation of our day-to-day activities.

Because our Sponsor is a publicly-traded company, any negative reaction by the stock market reflected in its stock price or deterioration in the public perception of our Sponsor or other Managed Companies that are publicly traded, such as NorthStar Realty Europe Corp. (NYSE: NRE), could result in an adverse effect on our ability to acquire assets and obtain financing from third parties on favorable terms or at all. Recently, our Sponsor completed a merger which combined NSAM, Colony Capital and NorthStar Realty into Colony NorthStar, and a failure to achieve the anticipated benefits of the merger or integrate effectively may disrupt our operations and potentially harm our business. Any adverse changes in our Sponsor’s financial condition or our relationship with our Sponsor, our Advisor and their respective affiliates could hinder our Advisor’s ability to successfully manage our operations and our portfolio of investments.

We do not own the NorthStar name, but were granted a license by our Sponsor to use the NorthStar name. Use of the name by other parties or the termination of our license may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to make distributions to stockholders.

Pursuant to our advisory agreement, we were granted a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the name “NorthStar.” Under this license, we have a right to use the “NorthStar” name as long as our Advisor continues to advise us. Our Sponsor will retain the right to continue using the “NorthStar” name. We are unable to preclude our Sponsor from licensing or transferring the ownership of the “NorthStar” name to third parties, some of whom may compete against us. Consequently, we will be unable to prevent any damage to the goodwill associated with our name that may occur as a result of the activities of our Sponsor or others related to the use of our name. In addition, in the event the license is terminated, we will be required to change our name and cease using the “NorthStar” name. Furthermore, “NorthStar” is commonly used and our Sponsor’s right to use the name could be challenged, which could be expensive and disruptive with an uncertain outcome. Any of these events could disrupt our recognition in the market place, damage any goodwill we may have generated and may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to make distributions to stockholders.

Stockholders may be more likely to sustain a loss on their investment because our Sponsor does not have as strong an economic incentive to avoid losses as do sponsors who have made significant equity investments in their companies.

While our Sponsor has incurred substantial costs and devoted significant resources to support our business, our Sponsor has not purchased any shares of our common stock and has no obligation to do so in the future. In addition, as of December 31, 2016, our Sponsor has only invested $5.8 million in us through the purchase by its subsidiary (previously a subsidiary of NorthStar Realty) of 645,847 shares of our common stock including amounts related to its obligation under the distribution support agreement with us that terminated in connection with the completion of our initial public offering. As a result, our Sponsor has minimal exposure to loss in the value of our shares. Without greater exposure, stockholders may be at a greater risk of loss because our Sponsor does not have as much to lose from a decrease in the value of our shares as do those sponsors who make more significant equity investments in their sponsored companies.

If our Advisor’s portfolio management systems are ineffective, we may be exposed to material unanticipated losses.

Our Advisor refines its portfolio management techniques, strategies and assessment methods. However, our Advisor’s portfolio management techniques and strategies may not fully mitigate the risk exposure of our operations in all economic or market environments, or against all types of risk, including risks that we might fail to identify or anticipate. Any failures in our Advisor’s

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portfolio management techniques and strategies to accurately quantify such risk exposure could limit our ability to manage risks in our operations or to seek adequate risk adjusted returns and could result in losses.

We are highly dependent on information systems and systems failures could significantly disrupt our business.

As a diversified CRE company, our business is highly dependent on information technology systems, including systems provided by our Sponsor and third parties for which we have no control. Various measures have been implemented to manage our risks related to the information technology systems, but any failure or interruption of our systems could cause delays or other problems in our activities, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial performance. Potential sources for disruption, damage or failure of our information technology systems include, without limitation, computer viruses, security breaches, human error, cyber attacks, natural disasters and defects in design.

Failure to implement effective information and cyber security policies, procedures and capabilities could disrupt our business and harm our results of operations.

We are dependent on the effectiveness of our information and cyber security policies, procedures and capabilities to protect our computer and telecommunications systems and the data that resides on or is transmitted through them. An externally caused information security incident, such as a hacker attack, virus or worm, or an internally caused issue, such as failure to control access to sensitive systems, could materially interrupt business operations or cause disclosure or modification of sensitive or confidential information and could result in material financial loss, loss of competitive position, regulatory actions, breach of contracts, reputational harm or legal liability.

The use of estimates and valuations may be different from actual results, which could have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

We make various estimates that affect reported amounts and disclosures. Broadly, those estimates are used in measuring the fair value of certain financial instruments, establishing provision for loan losses and potential litigation liability. Market volatility may make it difficult to determine the fair value for certain of our assets and liabilities. Subsequent valuations, in light of factors then prevailing, may result in significant changes in the values of these financial instruments in future periods. In addition, at the time of any sales and settlements of these assets and liabilities, the price we ultimately realize will depend on the demand and liquidity in the market at that time for that particular type of asset and may be materially lower than our estimate of their current fair value. Estimates are based on available information and judgment. Therefore, actual values and results could differ from our estimates and that difference could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements.

We provide stockholders with information using funds from operations attributable to our common stockholders, or FFO, and modified funds from operations attributable to our common stockholders, or MFFO, which are non-GAAP financial measures that may not be meaningful for comparing the performances of different REITs and that have certain other limitations.

We provide stockholders with information using FFO and MFFO which are non-GAAP measures, as additional measures of our operating performance. We compute FFO in accordance with the standards established by National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, or NAREIT. We compute MFFO in accordance with the definition established by the Investment Program Association, or the IPA, and adjust for certain items, such as accretion of a discount and amortization of a premium on borrowings and related deferred financing costs, as such adjustments are comparable to adjustments for debt investments and will be helpful in assessing our operating performance. We also adjust MFFO for deferred tax benefit or expense, as applicable, as such items are not indicative of our operating performance. However, our computation of FFO and MFFO may not be comparable to other REITs that do not calculate FFO or MFFO using these definitions without further adjustments.

Neither FFO nor MFFO is equivalent to net income or cash generated from operating activities determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income, as an indicator of our operating performance or as an alternative to cash flow from operating activities as a measure of our liquidity.

Our distribution policy is subject to change.

Our board of directors determines an appropriate common stock distribution based upon numerous factors, including our targeted distribution rate, REIT qualification requirements, the amount of cash flow generated from operations, availability of existing cash balances, borrowing capacity under existing credit agreements, access to cash in the capital markets and other financing sources, our view of our ability to realize gains in the future through appreciation in the value of our assets, general economic conditions and economic conditions that more specifically impact our business or prospects. Future distribution levels are subject to adjustment based upon any one or more of the risk factors set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as other factors that our board of directors may, from time-to-time, deem relevant to consider when determining an appropriate common stock distribution.

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We may not be able to make distributions in the future.

Our ability to generate income and to make distributions may be adversely affected by the risks described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and any document we file with the SEC. All distributions are made at the discretion of our board of directors, subject to applicable law, and depend on our earnings, our financial condition, maintenance of our REIT qualification and such other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant from time-to-time. We may not be able to make distributions in the future.

Our ability to make distributions is limited by the requirements of Maryland law.

Our ability to make distributions on our common stock is limited by the laws of Maryland. Under applicable Maryland law, a Maryland corporation may not make a distribution if, after giving effect to the distribution, the corporation would not be able to pay its liabilities as the liabilities become due in the usual course of business, or generally if the corporation’s total assets would be less than the sum of its total liabilities plus the amount that would be needed if the corporation were dissolved at the time of the distribution, to satisfy the preferential rights upon dissolution of the stockholders whose preferential rights are superior to those receiving the distribution. Accordingly, we may not make a distribution on our common stock if, after giving effect to the distribution, we would not be able to pay our liabilities as they become due in the usual course of business or generally if our total assets would be less than the sum of our total liabilities plus the amount that would be needed to satisfy the preferential rights upon dissolution of the holders of shares of any class or series of preferred stock then outstanding, if any, with preferences senior to those of our common stock.

Stockholders have limited control over changes in our policies and operations, which increases the uncertainty and risks they face as stockholders.

Our board of directors determines our major policies, including our policies regarding growth, REIT qualification and distributions. Our board of directors may amend or revise these and other policies without a vote of the stockholders. We may change our investment policies without stockholder notice or consent, which could result in investments that are different than, or in different proportion than, those described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Under the Maryland General Corporation Law, or MGCL, and our charter, stockholders have a right to vote only on limited matters. Our board of directors’ broad discretion in setting policies and stockholders’ inability to exert control over those policies increases the uncertainty and risks stockholders face. Under MGCL and our charter, stockholders have a right to vote only on:

• the election or removal of directors;

• amendment of our charter, except that our board of directors may amend our charter without stockholder approval to (i) increase or decrease the aggregate number of our shares of stock of any class or series that we have the authority to issue; (ii) effect certain reverse stock splits; and (iii) change our name or the name or other designation or the par value of any class or series of our stock and the aggregate par value of our stock;

• our liquidation or dissolution;

• certain reorganizations of our company, as provided in our charter; and

• certain mergers, consolidations or sales or other dispositions of all or substantially all our assets, as provided in our charter.

Pursuant to Maryland law, all matters other than the election or removal of a director must be declared advisable by our board of directors prior to a stockholder vote. Our board of directors’ broad discretion in setting policies and stockholders’ inability to exert control over those policies increases the uncertainty and risks stockholders face.

Our board of directors’ broad discretion in setting policies and stockholders’ inability to exert control over those policies increases the uncertainty and risks stockholders face.

If stockholders fail to meet the fiduciary and other standards under the Employment Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA, or the Internal Revenue Code as a result of an investment in our stock, stockholders could be subject to criminal and civil penalties.

Special considerations apply to the purchase of shares by employee benefit plans subject to the fiduciary rules of Title I of ERISA, including pension or profit sharing plans and entities that hold assets of such plans, or ERISA Plans, and plans and accounts that are not subject to ERISA, but are subject to the prohibited transaction rules of Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code, including IRAs, Keogh Plans, and medical savings accounts (collectively, we refer to ERISA Plans and plans subject to Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code as “Benefit Plans”). If stockholders are investing the assets of any Benefit Plan, stockholders should consult with their own counsel and satisfy themselves that:

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• their investment is consistent with the fiduciary obligations under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code or any other applicable governing authority in the case of a government plan;

• their investment is made in accordance with the documents and instruments governing the Benefit Plan, including the Benefit Plan’s investment policy;

• their investment satisfies the prudence and diversification requirements of Sections 404(a)(1)(B) and 404(a)(1)(C) of ERISA, if applicable and other applicable provisions of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code;

• their investment will not impair the liquidity of the Benefit Plan;

• their investment will not unintentionally produce unrelated business taxable income for the Benefit Plan;

• stockholders will be able to value the assets of the Benefit Plan annually in accordance with the applicable provisions of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code; and

• their investment will not constitute a non-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Fiduciaries may be held personally liable under ERISA for losses as a result of failure to satisfy the fiduciary standards of conduct and other applicable requirements of ERISA. In addition, if an investment in our shares constitutes a non-exempt prohibited transaction under ERISA or the Internal Revenue Code, the fiduciary of the Benefit Plan who authorized or directed the investment may be subject to imposition of excise taxes with respect to the amount invested and an IRA investment in our shares may lose its tax-exempt status.

Governmental plans, church plans and foreign plans that are not subject to ERISA or the prohibited transaction rules of the Internal Revenue Code may be subject to similar restrictions under other laws. A plan fiduciary making an investment in our shares on behalf of such a plan should satisfy themselves that an investment in our shares satisfies both applicable law and is permitted by the governing plan documents.

We expect that our common stock qualifies as publicly offered securities such that investments in shares of our common stock will not result in our assets being deemed to constitute “plan assets” of any Benefit Plan investor. If, however, we were deemed to hold “plan assets” of Benefit Plan investors: (i) ERISA’s fiduciary standards may apply to us and might materially affect our operations, and (ii) any transaction with us could be deemed a transaction with each Benefit Plan investor and may cause transactions into which we might enter in the ordinary course of business to constitute prohibited transactions under ERISA and/or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Stockholders’ interest in us will be diluted if we issue additional shares, which could reduce the overall value of stockholders’ investment.

Stockholders do not have preemptive rights to any shares we issue in the future. Our charter authorizes us to issue a total of 450,000,000 shares of capital stock, of which 400,000,000 shares are classified as common stock and 50,000,000 shares are classified as preferred stock. Our board of directors may amend our charter from time to time to increase or decrease the number of authorized shares of capital stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we have authority to issue without stockholder approval. Our board of directors may elect to: (i) sell additional shares in one or more future public offerings; (ii) issue equity interests in private offerings; (iii) issue shares to our Advisor, or its successors or assigns, in payment of an outstanding fee obligation; (iv)  issue shares of our common stock to sellers of assets we acquire in connection with an exchange of limited partnership interests of our operating partnership; or (v) issue shares of our common stock to pay distributions to existing stockholders. To the extent we issue additional equity interests, including additional shares issued pursuant to our DRP, stockholders’ percentage ownership interest in us will be diluted, unless they participate in these stock issuances. In addition, depending upon the terms and pricing of any additional offerings and the value of our investments, stockholders may also experience dilution in the book value and fair value of their shares.

Our charter permits our board of directors to issue stock with terms that may subordinate the rights of our common stockholders or discourage a third party from acquiring us in a manner that could result in a premium price to stockholders.

Our board of directors may classify or reclassify any unissued common stock or preferred stock into other classes or series of stock and establish the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption of any such stock. Thus, our board of directors could authorize the issuance of preferred stock with priority as to distributions and amounts payable upon liquidation over the rights of the holders of our common stock. Such preferred stock could also have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us, including an extraordinary transaction (such as a merger, tender offer or sale of all or substantially all of our assets) that might provide a premium price to holders of our common stock. Our board of directors may determine to issue different classes of stock

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that have different fees and commissions from those being paid with respect to the shares sold in our Offering. Additionally, our board of directors may amend our charter from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of authorized shares of stock or the number of authorized shares of any class or series of stock without stockholder approval.

Our umbrella partnership real estate investment trust, or UPREIT, structure may result in potential conflicts of interest with limited partners in our operating partnership whose interests may not be aligned with those of stockholders.

Limited partners in our operating partnership have the right to vote on certain amendments to the partnership agreement, as well as on certain other matters. Persons holding such voting rights may exercise them in a manner that conflicts with the interests of stockholders. As general partner of our operating partnership, we are obligated to act in a manner that is in the best interest of our operating partnership. Circumstances may arise in the future when the interests of limited partners in our operating partnership may conflict with the interests of stockholders. These conflicts may be resolved in a manner stockholders do not believe are in their best interests.

In addition, NorthStar OP Holdings, LLC, or the Special Unit Holder, is an affiliate of our Advisor and, as the special limited partner in our operating partnership may be entitled to: (i) certain cash distributions upon the disposition of certain of our operating partnership’s assets; or (ii) a one-time payment in the form of cash or shares in connection with the redemption of the special units upon the occurrence of a listing of our shares on a national stock exchange or certain events that result in the termination or non-renewal of our advisory agreement. The Special Unit Holder will only become entitled to the compensation after stockholders have received, or are deemed to receive, in the aggregate, cumulative distributions equal to their invested capital plus an 8.0% cumulative, non-compounded annual pre-tax return on such invested capital. This potential obligation to make substantial payments to the holder of the special units would reduce the overall return to stockholders to the extent such return exceeds 8.0%.

Stockholders are limited in their ability to sell their shares of common stock pursuant to our share repurchase program, or our Share Repurchase Program. Stockholders may not be able to sell any of their shares of common stock back to us, and if they do sell their shares, they may not receive the price they paid upon subscription.

Our Share Repurchase Program may provide stockholders with an opportunity to have their shares of common stock repurchased by us after stockholders have held them for one year. We anticipate that shares of our common stock may be repurchased on a quarterly basis. However, our Share Repurchase Program contains certain restrictions and limitations, including those relating to the number of shares of our common stock that we can repurchase at any given time and limiting the repurchase price. Specifically, we presently intend to limit the number of shares to be repurchased during any calendar year to no more than: (i) 5% of the weighted average of the number of shares of our common stock outstanding during the prior calendar year; and (ii) those that could be funded from the net proceeds from the sale of shares under our DRP in the prior calendar year plus such additional cash as may be reserved for that purpose by our board of directors. In addition, our board of directors reserves the right to reject any repurchase request for any reason or no reason or to amend or terminate our Share Repurchase Program at any time upon ten-days’ notice except that changes in the number of shares that can be repurchased during any calendar year will only take effect upon ten business days prior written notice. Therefore, stockholders may not have the opportunity to make a repurchase request prior to a potential termination of our Share Repurchase Program and stockholders may not be able to sell any of their shares of common stock back to us pursuant to our Share Repurchase Program. Moreover, if stockholders do sell their shares of common stock back to us pursuant to our Share Repurchase Program, they may not receive the same price they paid for any shares of our common stock being repurchased.

Our board of directors determined an estimated value per share of $9.87 for our shares of common stock as of December 31, 2015. You should not rely on the estimated value per share as being an accurate measure of the current value of our shares of common stock or in making an investment decision.

In April 2016, our board of directors approved and established an estimated value per share of $9.87 for our common stock as of December 31, 2015. Our board of directors’ objective in determining the estimated value per share was to arrive at a value, based on the most recent data available, that it believed was reasonable. However, the market for commercial real estate assets can fluctuate quickly and substantially and values are expected to change in the future and may decrease. Also, our board of directors did not consider certain other factors, such as a liquidity discount. In connection with its determination of the estimated value of our shares of common stock, our board of directors also determined that, effective April 1, 2016, distributions may be reinvested in shares of our common stock pursuant to the DRP at a price of $9.87 per share, which is equal to the estimated value per share, and the price paid for shares redeemed under the Share Repurchase Program will be $9.87 per share.

As with any valuation methodology, the methodologies used to determine the estimated value per share are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that may prove later to be inaccurate or incomplete. Further, different market participants using different assumptions and estimates could derive different estimated values. The estimated value per share may also not represent the price that the shares of our common stock would trade at on a national securities exchange, the amount realized in a sale, merger or liquidation or the amount a stockholder would realize in a private sale of shares.

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The estimated value per share of our common stock was calculated as of a specific date and is expected to fluctuate over time in response to future events, including but not limited to, changes in market interest rates for commercial real estate debt investments, changes to commercial real estate values, changes in capitalization rates, rental and growth rates, returns on competing investments, changes in administrative expenses and other costs, the amount of distributions on our common stock, repurchases of our common stock, changes in the number of shares of our common stock outstanding, the proceeds obtained for any common stock transactions, local and national economic factors and the factors specified these risk factors. There is no assurance that the methodologies used to estimate value per share would be acceptable to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA, or in compliance with ERISA guidelines with respect to their reporting requirements.

The terms of our Share Repurchase Program require us to repurchase shares at a price of $9.87 per share, which is equal to the estimated value per share of our common stock as of December 31, 2015. If the actual NAV of our shares is less than the price paid for the shares to be repurchased, any repurchases made would be immediately dilutive to our remaining stockholders.

The terms of our Share Repurchase Program require us to repurchase shares at a price of $9.87 per share, which is equal to the estimated value per share of our common stock as of December 31, 2015. The estimated value per share of our common stock was calculated as of a specific date and is expected to fluctuate over time in response to future events. However, we anticipate only determining an estimated value per share annually. In the event that the value of our shares decrease due to market or other conditions, the price at which we repurchase our shares pursuant to our Share Repurchase Program might reflect a premium to NAV. If the actual NAV of our shares is less than the price paid for the shares to be repurchased, any repurchases made would be immediately dilutive to our remaining stockholders.

The current price for shares under our DRP may exceed the book value of our shares.

We are currently issuing shares in our DRP at a purchase price of $9.87 per share, which is equal to the estimated value per share of our common stock as of December 31, 2015. The estimated value per share of our common stock was calculated as of a specific date and is expected to fluctuate over time in response to future events. However, we anticipate only determining an estimated value per share annually. In the event that the value of our shares increases due to market or other conditions, the price at which we sell in our DRP might reflect a premium to book value. If the actual book value of our shares is less than the price paid to purchase shares in our DRP, such purchases would be immediately dilutive for DRP participants.

Payment of fees to our Advisor and its affiliates reduces cash available for investment and distribution and increases the risk that stockholders will not be able to recover the amount of their investment in our shares.

Our Advisor and its affiliates perform services for us in connection with the selection, acquisition, origination, management and administration of our investments. We pay them substantial fees for these services, which results in immediate dilution to the value of stockholders’ investment and reduces the value of cash available for investment or distribution to stockholders. We may increase the compensation we pay to our Advisor subject to approval by our board of directors and other limitations in our charter, which would further dilute stockholders’ investment and the amount of cash available for investment or distribution to stockholders.

Affiliates of our Advisor could also receive significant payments even without our reaching the investment-return thresholds should we seek to become self-managed. Due to the apparent preference of the public markets for self-managed companies, a decision to list our shares on a national securities exchange might well be preceded by a decision to become self-managed. Given our Advisor’s familiarity with our assets and operations, we might prefer to become self-managed by acquiring entities affiliated with our Advisor. Such an internalization transaction could result in significant payments to affiliates of our Advisor irrespective of whether stockholders received the returns on which we have conditioned incentive compensation.

Therefore, these fees increase the risk that the amount available for distribution to common stockholders upon a liquidation of our portfolio would be less than the purchase price of the shares in our Offering. These substantial fees and other payments also increase the risk that stockholders will not be able to resell their shares at a profit, even if our shares are listed on a national securities exchange.

If we terminate our advisory agreement with our Advisor, we may be required to pay significant fees to an affiliate of our Sponsor, which will reduce cash available for distribution to stockholders.

Upon termination of our advisory agreement for any reason, including for cause, our Advisor will be paid all accrued and unpaid fees and expense reimbursements earned prior to the date of termination and the Special Unit Holder may be entitled to a one-time payment upon redemption of the special units (based on an appraisal or valuation of our portfolio) in the event that the Special Unit Holder would have been entitled to a subordinated distribution had the portfolio been liquidated on the termination date. If special units are redeemed pursuant to the termination of our advisory agreement, there may not be cash from the disposition of assets to make a redemption payment; therefore, we may need to use cash from operations, borrowings or other sources to make the payment, which will reduce cash available for distribution to stockholders.

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No public trading market for our shares currently exists, and as a result, it will be difficult for stockholders to sell their shares and, if stockholders are able to sell their shares, stockholders will likely sell them at a substantial discount to the price paid for those shares.

Our charter does not require our board of directors to seek stockholder approval to liquidate our assets by a specified date, nor does our charter require us to list our shares for trading on a national securities exchange by a specified date or otherwise pursue a transaction to provide liquidity to stockholders. There is no public market for our shares and we currently have no plans to list our shares on a national securities exchange. Until our shares are listed, if ever, stockholders may not sell their shares unless the buyer meets the applicable suitability and minimum purchase standards. In addition, our charter prohibits the ownership of more than 9.8% in value of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of our stock of any class or series or more than 9.8% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of our common stock, unless exempted by our board of directors, which may inhibit large investors from purchasing stockholders’ shares. We have adopted our Share Repurchase Program that may enable stockholders to sell their shares to us in limited circumstances. Share repurchases will be made at the sole discretion of our board of directors. In its sole discretion, our board of directors could amend, suspend or terminate our Share Repurchase Program upon ten-days prior written notice to stockholders except that changes in the number of shares that can be redeemed during any calendar year will only take effect upon ten-business days prior written notice. Further, our Share Repurchase Program includes numerous restrictions that would limit stockholders’ ability to sell their shares. Therefore, it will be difficult for stockholders to sell their shares promptly or at all. If stockholders are able to sell their shares, stockholders would likely have to sell them at a substantial discount to the public Offering price paid for those shares. It is also likely that stockholders’ shares would not be accepted as the primary collateral for a loan. Because of the illiquid nature of our shares, stockholders should purchase our shares only as a long-term investment and be prepared to hold them for an indefinite period of time.

We have paid, and may continue to pay, distributions from sources other than our cash flow from operations, therefore we will have less cash available for investments and stockholders’ overall return may be reduced.

Our organizational documents permit us to pay distributions from any source, including offering proceeds, borrowings or sales of assets. We have not established a limit on the amount of proceeds we may use to fund distributions and we may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations to fund distributions. For the year endedDecember 31, 2016, we declared distributions of $96.7 million compared to cash flow provided by operations of $60.8 million, representing approximately 63% of such distributions declared. During this period, the remaining 37% of distributions declared were paid using proceeds from our DRP. During our initial public offering, pursuant to a distribution support agreement, in certain circumstances where our cash distributions exceeded our MFFO, an affiliate of our Sponsor (previously a subsidiary of NorthStar Realty) purchased $4.6 million of shares of our common stock at $9.00 per share to provide additional cash to support distributions to stockholders. The sale of these shares resulted in the dilution of the ownership interests of our public stockholders. Our distribution support agreement expired in July 2013. We may not have sufficient cash available to pay distributions at the rate we had paid during preceding periods or at all. If we pay distributions from sources other than our cash flow provided by operations, we will have less cash available for investments, we may have to reduce our distribution rate, our NAV may be negatively impacted and stockholders’ overall return may be reduced.

Our rights and the rights of stockholders to recover claims against our independent directors are limited, which could reduce stockholders’ and our recovery against them if they negligently cause us to incur losses.

Maryland law provides that a director has no liability in that capacity if he or she performs his or her duties in good faith, in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in our best interests and with the care that an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. Our charter generally provides that: (i) no director shall be liable to us or stockholders for monetary damages (provided that such director satisfies certain applicable criteria); (ii) we will generally indemnify non-independent directors for losses unless they are negligent or engage in misconduct; and (iii) we will indemnify independent directors for losses unless they are grossly negligent or engage in willful misconduct. As a result, stockholders and we may have more limited rights against our independent directors than might otherwise exist under common law, which could reduce stockholders’ and our recovery from these persons if they act in a negligent manner. In addition, we may be obligated to fund the defense costs incurred by our independent directors (as well as by our other directors, officers, employees (if we ever have employees) and agents) in some cases, which would decrease the cash otherwise available for distribution to stockholders.

If we do not successfully implement a liquidity transaction, stockholders may have to hold their investments for an indefinite period.

Our charter does not require our board of directors to pursue a transaction providing liquidity to stockholders. If our board of directors determines to pursue a liquidity transaction, we would be under no obligation to conclude the process within a set time. If we adopt a plan of liquidation, the timing of the sale of assets will depend on real estate and financial markets, economic conditions in areas in which our investments are located and federal income tax effects on stockholders that may prevail in the future. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to liquidate all of our assets on favorable terms, if at all. In addition, we are not restricted from effecting a liquidity transaction with a Managed Company, which may result in certain conflicts of interest. After

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we adopt a plan of liquidation, we would likely remain in existence until all our investments are liquidated. If we do not pursue a liquidity transaction or delay such a transaction due to market conditions, our common stock may continue to be illiquid and stockholders may, for an indefinite period of time, be unable to convert stockholders’ shares to cash easily, if at all, and could suffer losses on their investment in our shares.

If we internalize our management functions, stockholders’ interests in us could be diluted and we could incur other significant costs associated with being self-managed.

Our board of directors may decide in the future to internalize our management functions. If we do so, we may elect to negotiate to acquire our Advisor’s assets and/or to directly employ the personnel of our Advisor or its affiliates used to perform services for us.

Additionally, while we would no longer bear the costs of the various fees and expenses we expect to pay to our Advisor under our advisory agreement, our additional direct expenses would include general and administrative costs, including certain legal, accounting and other expenses related to corporate governance, SEC reporting and compliance matters that are borne by our Advisor. We would also be required to employ personnel and would be subject to potential liabilities commonly faced by employers, such as workers disability and compensation claims, potential labor disputes and other employee-related liabilities and grievances, as well as incur the compensation and benefits costs of our officers and other employees and consultants that are paid by our Advisor or its affiliates. We may issue equity awards to officers, employees and consultants, which awards would decrease net income and MFFO and may further dilute stockholders’ investments. We cannot reasonably estimate the amount of fees to our Advisor we would save or the costs we would incur if we became self-managed. If the expenses we assume as a result of an internalization are higher than the expenses we avoid paying to our Advisor, our net income and MFFO would be lower as a result of the internalization than it otherwise would have been, potentially decreasing the amount of cash available to distribute to stockholders and the value of our shares.

Internalization transactions involving the acquisition of advisors affiliated with entity sponsors have also, in some cases, been the subject of litigation. We could be forced to spend significant amounts of money defending claims which would reduce the amount of funds available for us to invest and cash available to pay distributions.

If we internalize our management functions, we could have difficulty integrating these functions as a stand-alone entity. Currently, our Advisor and its affiliates perform asset management and general and administrative functions, including accounting and financial reporting, for multiple entities. These personnel have substantial know-how and experience which provides us with economies of scale. We may fail to properly identify the appropriate mix of personnel and capital needs to operate as a stand-alone entity. Certain key employees may not become employees of our Advisor but may instead remain employees of our Sponsor or its affiliates. An inability to manage an internalization transaction effectively could thus result in our incurring excess costs and suffering deficiencies in our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal control over financial reporting. Such deficiencies could cause us to incur additional costs and our management’s attention could be diverted from most effectively managing our investments.

We depend on third-party contractors and vendors and our results of operations and the success of our business could suffer if our third-party contractors and vendors fail to perform or if we fail to manage them properly.

We use third-party contractors and vendors including, but not limited to, our external legal counsel, auditors, research firms, property managers, appraisers, insurance brokers, environmental engineering consultants, construction consultants, financial printers, proxy solicitation firms and transfer agent. If our third-party contractors and vendors fail to successfully perform the tasks for which they have been engaged to complete, either as a result of their own negligence or fault, or due to our failure to properly supervise any such contractors or vendors, we could incur liabilities as a result and our results of operations and financial condition could be negatively impacted.

Risks Related to Conflicts of Interest

The fees we pay to our Advisor and its affiliates in connection with the origination, acquisition and management of our investments were not determined on an arm’s length basis; therefore, we do not have the benefit of arm’s length negotiations of the type normally conducted between unrelated parties.

The fees to be paid to our Advisor and its affiliates for services they provide for us were not determined on an arm’s length basis. As a result, the fees have been determined without the benefit of arm’s length negotiations of the type normally conducted between unrelated parties and may be in excess of amounts that we would otherwise pay to third parties for such services.

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Our organizational documents do not prevent us from buying assets from or selling assets to the Sponsor or another Managed Company or from paying our Advisor an acquisition fee or a disposition fee related to such a purchase or sale.

If we buy an asset from or sell an asset to the Sponsor or another Managed Company, our organizational documents would not prohibit us from paying our Advisor an acquisition fee or a disposition fee, as applicable. As a result, our Advisor may not have an incentive to pursue an independent third-party buyer, rather than us or the Sponsor or one of the other Managed Companies. Our charter does not require that such transaction be the most favorable transaction available or provide any other restrictions on our Advisor recommending a purchase or sale of assets among the Sponsor or the Managed Companies. As a result, our Advisor may earn an acquisition or disposition fee despite the transaction not being the most favorable to us or stockholders.

Our executive officers and our Advisor or its affiliates’ key professionals face conflicts of interest caused by their compensation arrangements with us, which could result in actions that are not in the long-term best interests of our company.

Our executive officers and the key investment professionals relied upon by our Advisor are also officers, directors and managers of certain of our Sponsor’s other managed companies. Our Advisor and its affiliates receive substantial fees from us. These fees could influence the advice given to us by the key personnel of our Advisor and its affiliates, including our Advisor’s investment committee. Among other matters, these compensation arrangements could affect their judgment with respect to:

• the continuation, renewal or enforcement of our agreements with our Advisor and its affiliates, including our advisory agreement;

• future public offerings of equity by us, which may entitle the Dealer Manager to dealer manager fees and will likely entitle our Advisor to increased acquisition fees and asset management fees;

• originations and acquisitions of investments, which entitle our Advisor to acquisition fees and asset management fees and, in the case of acquisitions of investments from the other Managed Companies, might entitle affiliates of our Advisor to disposition fees in connection with services for the seller;

• sales of investments, which entitle our Advisor to disposition fees;

• borrowings to originate or acquire CRE debt or securities investments, which borrowings will increase the acquisition fees and asset management fees payable to our Advisor, as well as increase the amount of allocable expenses that may be reimbursed by us;

• whether and when we seek to list our common stock on a national securities exchange, which listing could entitle the Special Unit Holder to have its interest in our operating partnership redeemed;

• whether we seek approval to internalize our management, which may entail acquiring assets from our Sponsor (such as office space, furnishings and technology costs) and employing our Advisor or its affiliates’ professionals performing services for us for consideration that would be negotiated at that time and may result in these investment professionals receiving more compensation from us than they currently receive from our Advisor or its affiliates; and

• whether and when we seek to sell our company or its assets, which would entitle the Special Unit Holder to a subordinated distribution.

The fees our Advisor receives in connection with transactions involving the origination or acquisition of an asset are based on the cost of the investment, and not based on the quality of the investment or the quality of the services rendered to us. In addition, the Special Unit Holder, an affiliate of our Advisor, may be entitled to certain distributions subject to our stockholders receiving an 8.0% cumulative, non-compounded annual pre-tax return. This may influence our Advisor and its affiliates’ key professionals to recommend riskier transactions to us.

In addition to the management fees we pay to our Advisor, we reimburse our Advisor for costs and expenses incurred on our behalf, including indirect personnel and employment costs of our Advisor and its affiliates and these costs and expenses may be substantial.

We pay our Advisor substantial fees for the services it provides to us and we also have an obligation to reimburse our Advisor for costs and expenses it incurs and pays on our behalf. Subject to certain limitations and exceptions, we reimburse our Advisor for both direct expenses as well as indirect costs, including personnel and employment costs of our Advisor and its affiliates, which may include certain executive officers of our Advisor and its affiliates, as well as rental and occupancy, technology, office supplies, travel and entertainment and other general and administrative costs and expenses. The costs and expenses our Advisor incurs on our behalf, including the compensatory costs incurred by our Advisor and its affiliates can be substantial. However, there is no reimbursement for personnel costs related to executive officers, although there may be reimbursement for certain executive officers of our Advisor. There are conflicts of interest that arise when our Advisor makes allocation determinations. For the year ended

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December 31, 2016, our Advisor allocated $12.7 million in costs and expenses to us. Our Advisor could allocate costs and expenses to us in excess of what we anticipate and such costs and expenses could have an adverse effect on our financial performance and ability to make cash distributions to our stockholders.

Professionals acting on behalf of our Advisor face competing demands relating to their time and this may cause our operations and stockholders’ investment to suffer.

Professionals acting on behalf of our Advisor that perform services for us, including Messrs. Barrack, Hamamoto, Saltzman, Hedstrom, Traenkle, Gilbert, Tangen, Sanders, Patel, Gatenio and Saracino and Ms. Neslin are also executive officers of our Sponsor and/or certain other Managed Companies. As a result of their interests in other Colony NorthStar entities and the fact that they engage in and they continue to engage in other business activities on behalf of themselves and others, these individuals face conflicts of interest in allocating their time among us, our Advisor and its affiliates, the other Managed Companies and other business activities in which they are involved. These conflicts of interest could result in less effective execution of our business plan as well as declines in the returns on our investments and the value of stockholders’ investment.

Our executive officers and our Advisor’s and its affiliates’ key investment professionals who perform services for us face conflicts of interest related to their positions and interests in our Advisor and its affiliates which could hinder our ability to implement our business strategy and to generate returns to stockholders.

Our executive officers and the key investment professionals of our Advisor and its affiliates, including members of our Advisor’s investment committee, who perform services for us may also be executive officers, directors and managers of our Advisor and its affiliates. As a result, they owe duties to each of these entities, their members and limited partners and investors, which duties may from time-to-time conflict with the fiduciary duties that they owe to us and stockholders. In addition, our Sponsor may grant equity interests in our Advisor and the Special Unit Holder to certain management personnel performing services for our Advisor. The loyalties of these individuals to other entities and investors could result in action or inaction that is detrimental to our business, which could harm the implementation of our business strategy and our investment opportunities. If we do not successfully implement our business strategy, we may be unable to generate the cash needed to make distributions to stockholders and to maintain or increase the value of our assets.

Our Advisor faces conflicts of interest relating to performing services on our behalf and such conflicts may not be resolved in our favor, meaning that we could invest in less attractive assets, which could limit our ability to make distributions and reduce stockholders’ overall investment.

We rely on our Advisor’s or its affiliates’ investment professionals to identify suitable investment opportunities for our company as well as the other Managed Companies. Our investment strategy may be similar to that of, and may overlap with, the investment strategies of the other Managed Companies, as well as other companies, funds or vehicles that may be co-sponsored, co-branded and co-founded by, or subject to a strategic relationship between, our Sponsor or one of its affiliates, on the one hand, and a strategic or joint venture partner of our Sponsor, or a partner, on the other, which we refer to collectively as the Strategic Vehicles. Therefore, many investment opportunities sourced by our Advisor or its affiliates or one or more of the partners that are suitable for us may also be suitable for other Managed Companies and/or Strategic Vehicles.

Our Advisor and its affiliates may allocate investment opportunities sourced by a partner directly to the associated Strategic Vehicle or, as applicable, among multiple associated Strategic Vehicles on a rotating basis, which we refer to as a Special Allocation. For all investment opportunities other than Special Allocations, our Advisor and its affiliates will allocate, in their sole discretion, each investment opportunity to one or more of the Managed Companies, including us, and, as applicable, Strategic Vehicles or our Sponsor, for which such investment opportunity is most suitable. When determining the entity for which an investment opportunity would be the most suitable, the factors that our Advisor and its affiliates may consider include, without limitation, the following:

• investment objectives, strategy and criteria;

• cash requirements;

• effect of the investment on the diversification of the portfolio, including by geography, size of investment, type of investment and risk of investment;

• leverage policy and the availability of financing for the investment by each entity;

• anticipated cash flow of the asset to be acquired;

• income tax effects of the purchase;

• the size of the investment;

• the amount of funds available;

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• cost of capital;

• risk return profiles;

• targeted distribution rates;

• anticipated future pipeline of suitable investments;

• the expected holding period of the investment and the remaining term of the Managed Company, if applicable;

• affiliate and/or related party considerations; and

• whether a Strategic Vehicle has received a Special Allocation.

A dedicated mandate may cause certain Managed Companies to have priority over other Managed Companies (including us) with respect to specific investment opportunities. A priority right may result in fewer of such investment opportunities being made available to us to the extent they are within our investment strategy.

If, after consideration of the relevant factors, our Advisor and its affiliates determine that an investment is equally suitable for more than one company, the investment will be allocated on a rotating basis. If, after an investment has been allocated to a particular company, including us, a subsequent event or development, such as delays in structuring or closing on the investment, makes it, in the opinion of our Advisor and its affiliates, more appropriate for a different entity to fund the investment, our Advisor and its affiliates may determine to place the investment with the more appropriate entity while still giving credit to the original allocation. In certain situations, our Advisor and its affiliates may determine to allow more than one Managed Company, including us, and/or a Strategic Vehicle to co-invest in a particular investment. In discharging their duties under the investment allocation, our Advisor and its affiliates endeavor to allocate all investment opportunities among the Managed Companies, the Strategic Vehicles and our Sponsor in a manner that is fair and equitable over time.

While these are the current procedures for allocating investment opportunities, our Sponsor or its affiliates may sponsor or co-sponsor, co-brand or co-found additional investment vehicles in the future and, in connection with the creation of such investment vehicles or otherwise, our Advisor and its affiliates may revise the investment allocation policy. The result of such a revision to the investment allocation policy may, among other things, be to increase the number of parties who have the right to participate in investment opportunities sourced by our Advisor and its affiliates and/or its partners, thereby reducing the number of investment opportunities available to us. Changes to the investment allocation policy that could adversely impact the allocation of investment opportunities to us in any material respect may be proposed by our Advisor and must be approved by our board of directors.

The decision of how any potential investment should be allocated among us and other Managed Companies or Strategic Vehicles for which such investment may be most suitable may, in many cases, be a matter of highly subjective judgment which will be made by our Advisor and its affiliates in their sole discretion. Stockholders may not agree with the determination and such determination could have an adverse effect on our investment strategy. Our right to participate in the investment allocation process described above will terminate once we are no longer advised by our Advisor or its affiliates.

In addition, subject to compliance with Investment Advisers Act of 1940 rules, we may enter into principal transactions with our Advisor or its affiliates or cross-transactions with other Managed Companies or Strategic Vehicles. For certain cross-transactions, our Advisor may receive a fee from us or another Managed Company and conflicts may exist. There is no guarantee that any such transactions will be favorable to us. Because our interests and the interests of Sponsor and our Advisor may not be aligned, we may face conflicts of interest that result in action or inaction that is detrimental to us.

Further, there are conflicts of interest that arise when our Advisor makes expense allocation determinations, as well as in connection with any fees payable between us and our Advisor. These fees and allocation determinations are sometimes based on estimates or judgments, which may not be correct and could result in our Advisor’s failure to allocate certain fees and costs to us appropriately.

Our ability to operate our business successfully would be harmed if key personnel terminate their employment with our Sponsor.

Our future success depends, to a significant extent, upon the continued services of key personnel of our Sponsor, such as Messrs. Barrack, Hamamoto, Saltzman, Hedstrom, Traenkle, Gilbert, Tangen, Sanders, Patel, Gatenio and Saracino, and Ms. Neslin. We do not have employment agreements with any of our executive officers. If the management agreement with our Advisor were to be terminated, we may lose the services of our executive officers and other of our Sponsor’s investment professionals acting on our behalf. Furthermore, if any of our executive officers ceased to be employed by our Sponsor, such individual may also no longer serve as one of our executive officers. Any change in our Sponsor’s relationship with any of our executive officers may be disruptive to our business and hinder our ability to implement our business strategy. For instance, the extent and nature of the experience of our executive officers and the nature of the relationships they have developed with real estate professionals

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and financial institutions are critical to the success of our business. We cannot assure stockholders of their continued employment with our Sponsor. The loss of services of certain of our executive officers could harm our business and our prospects.

Risks Related to Regulatory Matters and Our REIT Tax Status

We are subject to substantial regulation, numerous contractual obligations and extensive internal policies and failure to comply with these matters could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We and our subsidiaries are subject to substantial regulation, numerous contractual obligations and extensive internal policies. Given our organizational structure, we are subject to regulation by the SEC, FINRA, the Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, and other federal, state and local governmental bodies and agencies and state blue sky laws. These regulations are extensive, complex and require substantial management time and attention. If we fail to comply with any of the regulations that apply to our business, we could be subjected to extensive investigations as well as substantial penalties and our business and operations could be materially adversely affected. Our lack of compliance with applicable law could result in, among other penalties, our ineligibility to contract with and receive revenue from the federal government or other governmental authorities and agencies. We also expect to have numerous contractual obligations that we must adhere to on a continuous basis to operate our business, the default of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. Our internal policies may not be effective in all regards and, further, if we fail to comply with our internal policies, we could be subjected to additional risk and liability.

The direct or indirect effects of the Dodd-Frank Act enacted in July 2010 for the purpose of stabilizing or reforming the financial markets, may have an adverse effect on our interest rate hedging activities.

In July 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act became law in the United States. Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act provided for significantly increased regulation of and restrictions on derivatives markets and transactions that could affect our interest rate hedging or other risk management activities, including: (i) regulatory reporting for swaps; (ii) mandated clearing through central counterparties and execution through regulated exchanges or electronic facilities for certain swaps; and (iii) margin and collateral requirements. While the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or CFTC, has finalized many of these Dodd-Frank Act requirements, many other requirements have not yet taken effect. Interest rate swaps are subject to a mandatory clearing order, which could significantly increase margin requirements, which may undermine the benefit of such hedging because of the increased costs. Additionally, it is currently unknown what impact, if any, the new U.S. Administration will have on the existing rules and regulations of the CFTC or on the Dodd-Frank Act. An inability to efficiently hedge our interest rate risk may have an adverse effect on our business.

Maintenance of our Investment Company Act exemption imposes limits on our operations.

Neither we, nor our operating partnership, nor any of the subsidiaries of our operating partnership intend to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. We intend to make investments and conduct our operations so that we are not required to register as an investment company. If we were obligated to register as an investment company, we would have to comply with a variety of substantive requirements under the Investment Company Act that impose, among other things:

• limitations on capital structure;

• restrictions on specified investments;

• prohibitions on transactions with affiliates; and

• compliance with reporting, recordkeeping, voting, proxy disclosure and other rules and regulations that would significantly increase our operating expenses.

Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act defines an investment company as any issuer that is or holds itself out as being engaged primarily in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities. Section 3(a)(1)(C) of the Investment Company Act defines an investment company as any issuer that is engaged or proposes to engage in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading in securities and owns or proposes to acquire investment securities having a value exceeding 40% of the value of the issuer’s total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis, which we refer to as the 40% test. Excluded from the term “investment securities,” among other things, are U.S. government securities and securities issued by majority-owned subsidiaries that are not themselves investment companies and are not relying on the exception from the definition of investment company set forth in Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act. Moreover, we take the position that general partnership interests in joint ventures structured as general partnerships are not considered securities at all and thus are not investment securities.

Because we are a holding company that conducts its businesses through subsidiaries, the securities issued by our subsidiaries that rely on the exception from the definition of “investment company” in Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act,

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together with any other investment securities we may own directly, may not have a combined value in excess of 40% of the value of our total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. This requirement limits the types of businesses in which we may engage through these subsidiaries.

We must monitor our holdings and those of our operating partnership to ensure that they comply with the 40% test. Through our operating partnership’s wholly-owned or majority-owned subsidiaries, we and our operating partnership will be primarily engaged in the non-investment company businesses of these subsidiaries, namely the business of purchasing real estate properties or otherwise originating or acquiring mortgages and other interests in real estate.

Most of these subsidiaries will rely on the exclusion from the definition of an investment company under Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act, which is available for entities “primarily engaged in [the business of] purchasing or otherwise acquiring mortgages and other liens on and interests in real estate.” This exclusion generally requires that at least 55% of a subsidiary’s portfolio must be comprised of qualifying real estate assets and at least 80% of its portfolio must be comprised of qualifying real estate assets and real estate-related assets (and no more than 20% comprised of miscellaneous assets). Qualification for exclusion from registration under the Investment Company Act will limit our ability to acquire or sell certain assets and also could restrict the time at which we may acquire or sell assets. For purposes of the exclusion provided by Section 3(c)(5)(C), we will classify our investments based in large measure on no-action letters issued by the SEC staff and other SEC interpretive guidance and, in the absence of SEC guidance, on our view of what constitutes a qualifying real estate asset and a real estate related asset. These no-action positions were issued in accordance with factual situations that may be substantially different from the factual situations we may face and a number of these no-action positions were issued more than twenty years ago. In August 2011, the SEC issued a concept release in which it asked for comments on various aspects of Section 3(c)(5)(C), and, accordingly, the SEC or its staff may issue further guidance in the future. Future revisions to the Investment Company Act or further guidance from the SEC or its staff may force us to re-evaluate our portfolio and our investment strategy.

We may in the future organize special purpose subsidiaries of the operating partnership that will borrow under or participate in government sponsored incentive programs to the extent they exist. We expect that some of these subsidiaries will rely on Section 3(c)(7) for their Investment Company Act exclusion and, therefore, our operating partnership’s interest in each of these subsidiaries would constitute an “investment security” for purposes of determining whether the operating partnership passes the 40% test. Also, we may in the future organize one or more subsidiaries that seek to rely on the Investment Company Act exclusion provided to certain structured financing vehicles by Rule 3a-7. Any such subsidiary would need to be structured to comply with any guidance that may be issued by the SEC staff on the restrictions contained in Rule 3a-7. In certain circumstances, compliance with Rule 3a-7 may require, among other things, that the indenture governing the subsidiary include limitations on the types of assets the subsidiary may sell or acquire out of the proceeds of assets that mature, are refinanced or otherwise sold, on the period of time during which such transactions may occur, and on the amount of transactions that may occur.

The loss of our Investment Company Act exclusion could require us to register as an investment company or substantially change the way we conduct our business, either of which may have an adverse effect on us and the value of our common stock.

On August 31, 2011, the SEC published a concept release (Release No. 29778, File No. S7-34-11, Companies Engaged in the Business of Acquiring Mortgages and Mortgage Related Instruments), pursuant to which it is reviewing whether certain companies that invest in mortgage-backed securities and rely on the exclusion from registration under Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act, such as us, should continue to be allowed to rely on such an exclusion from registration. If the SEC or its staff takes action with respect to this exclusion, these changes could mean that certain of our subsidiaries could no longer rely on the Section 3(c)(5)(C) exclusion, and would have to rely on Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7), which would mean that our investment in those subsidiaries would be investment securities. This could result in our failure to maintain our exclusion from registration as an investment company.

If we fail to maintain an exclusion from registration as an investment company, either because of SEC interpretational changes or otherwise, we could, among other things, be required either: (i) to substantially change the manner in which we conduct our operations to avoid being required to register as an investment company; or (ii) to register as an investment company, either of which could have an adverse effect on us and the value of our common stock. If we are required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we would become subject to substantial regulation with respect to our capital structure (including our ability to use leverage), management, operations, transactions with affiliated persons (as defined in the Investment Company Act), portfolio composition, including restrictions with respect to diversification and industry concentration and other matters.

Our Advisor is subject to extensive regulation, including as an investment adviser in the United States, as a fund services business in the Bailiwick of Jersey, which could adversely affect its ability to manage our business.

Certain of our Sponsor’s affiliates, including our Advisor, are subject to regulation as investment advisers and/or fund managers by various regulatory authorities that are charged with protecting the interests of the Managed Companies, including us. Instances

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of criminal activity and fraud by participants in the investment management industry and disclosures of trading and other abuses by participants in the financial services industry have led the U.S. government and regulators in foreign jurisdictions to consider increasing the rules and regulations governing, and oversight of, the financial system. This activity is expected to result in continued changes to the laws and regulations governing the investment management industry and more aggressive enforcement of the existing laws and regulations. Our Advisor could be subject to civil liability, criminal liability, or sanction, including revocation of its registration as an investment adviser in the United States or its registration in the Bailiwick of Jersey, revocation of the licenses of its employees, censures, fines or temporary suspension or permanent bar from conducting business if it is found to have violated any of these laws or regulations. Any such liability or sanction could adversely affect its ability to manage our business.

Our Advisor must continually address conflicts between its interests and those of its managed companies, including us. In addition, the SEC, the Jersey Financial Services Commission and other regulators have increased their scrutiny of potential conflicts of interest. However, appropriately dealing with conflicts of interest is complex and difficult and if our Advisor fails, or appears to fail, to deal appropriately with conflicts of interest, it could face litigation or regulatory proceedings or penalties, any of which could adversely affect its ability to manage our business.

Certain provisions of Maryland law may limit the ability of a third party to acquire control of us.

Certain provisions of the MGCL may have the effect of inhibiting a third-party from acquiring us or of impeding a change of control under circumstances that otherwise could provide our stockholders with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price of such shares, including:

• “business combination” provisions that, subject to limitations, prohibit certain business combinations between an “interested stockholder” (defined generally as any person who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of the voting power of our outstanding shares of voting stock or an affiliate or associate of the corporation who, at any time within the two-year period immediately prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 10% or more of the voting power of the then outstanding stock of the corporation) or an affiliate of any interested stockholder and us for five years after the most recent date on which the stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, and thereafter imposes two super-majority stockholder voting requirements on these combinations; and

• “control share” provisions that provide that holders of “control shares” of our company (defined as voting shares of stock that, if aggregated with all other shares of stock owned or controlled by the acquirer, would entitle the acquirer to exercise one of three increasing ranges of voting power in electing directors) acquired in a “control share acquisition” (defined as the direct or indirect acquisition of issued and outstanding “control shares”) have no voting rights except to the extent approved by stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, excluding all interested shares.

Pursuant to the Maryland Business Combination Act, our board of directors has by resolution opted out of the business combination provisions. Our bylaws contain a provision exempting from the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act any and all acquisitions by any person of shares of our stock. There can be no assurance that these resolutions or exemptions will not be amended or eliminated at any time in the future.

Our charter includes a provision that may discourage a person from launching a mini-tender offer for our shares.

Our charter provides that any tender offer made by a person, including any “mini-tender offer,” must comply with most provisions of Regulation 14D of the Exchange Act. A “mini-tender offer” is a public, open offer to all stockholders to buy their stock during a specified period of time that will result in the bidder owning less than 5% of the class of securities upon completion of the mini-tender offer process. Absent such a provision in our charter, mini-tender offers for shares of our common stock would not be subject to Regulation 14D of the Exchange Act. Tender offers, by contrast, result in the bidder owning more than 5% of the class of securities and are automatically subject to Regulation 14D of the Exchange Act. Pursuant to our charter, the offeror must provide our company notice of such tender offer at least ten business days before initiating the tender offer. If the offeror does not comply with these requirements, our company will have the right to redeem the offeror’s shares, including any shares acquired in the tender offer. In addition, the noncomplying offeror shall be responsible for all of our company’s expenses in connection with that offeror’s noncompliance and no stockholder may transfer any shares to such noncomplying offeror without first offering the shares to us at the tender offer price offered by such noncomplying offeror. This provision of our charter may discourage a person from initiating a mini-tender offer for our shares and prevent stockholders from receiving a premium price for their shares in such a transaction.

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Our failure to continue to qualify as a REIT would subject us to federal income tax and reduce cash available for distribution to stockholders.

We elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code commencing with the taxable year ended December 31, 2010. We intend to continue to operate in a manner so as to continue to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. Qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex Internal Revenue Code provisions for which only a limited number of judicial and administrative interpretations exist. Even an inadvertent or technical mistake could jeopardize our REIT status. Our continued qualification as a REIT will depend on our satisfaction of certain asset, income, organizational, distribution, stockholder ownership and other requirements on a continuing basis. Moreover, new tax legislation, administrative guidance or court decisions, in each instance potentially with retroactive effect, could make it more difficult or impossible for us to continue to qualify as a REIT. If we fail to continue to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, we would be subject to federal and applicable state and local income tax on our taxable income at corporate rates, in which case we might be required to borrow or liquidate some investments in order to pay the applicable tax. Losing our REIT status would reduce our net income available for investment or distribution to stockholders because of the additional tax liability. In addition, distributions to stockholders would no longer qualify for the dividends-paid deduction and we would no longer be required to make distributions. Furthermore, if we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year for which we have elected to be taxed as a REIT, we would generally be unable to elect REIT status for the four taxable years following the year in which our REIT status is lost.

Complying with REIT requirements may force us to borrow funds to make distributions to stockholders or otherwise depend on external sources of capital to fund such distributions.

To continue to qualify as a REIT, we are required to distribute annually at least 90% of our taxable income, subject to certain adjustments, to stockholders. To the extent that we satisfy the distribution requirement, but distribute less than 100% of our taxable income, we will be subject to federal corporate income tax on our undistributed taxable income. In addition, we may elect to retain and pay income tax on our net long-term capital gain. In that case, if we so elect, a stockholder would be taxed on its proportionate share of our undistributed long-term gain and would receive a credit or refund for its proportionate share of the tax we paid. A stockholder, including a tax-exempt or foreign stockholder, would have to file a federal income tax return to claim that credit or refund. Furthermore, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax if the actual amount that we distribute to stockholders in a calendar year is less than a minimum amount specified under federal tax laws.

From time-to-time, we may generate taxable income greater than our net income (loss) for U.S. GAAP, due to among other things, amortization of capitalized purchase premiums, fair value adjustments and reserves. In addition, our taxable income may be greater than our cash flow available for distribution to stockholders as a result of, among other things, investments in assets that generate taxable income in advance of the corresponding cash flow from the assets (for instance, if a borrower defers the payment of interest in cash pursuant to a contractual right or otherwise).

If we do not have other funds available in the situations described in the preceding paragraphs, we could be required to borrow funds on unfavorable terms, sell investments at disadvantageous prices or find another alternative source of funds to make distributions sufficient to enable us to distribute enough of our taxable income to satisfy the REIT distribution requirement and to avoid corporate income tax and the 4% excise tax in a particular year. These alternatives could increase our costs or reduce our equity.

Because of the distribution requirement, it is unlikely that we will be able to fund all future capital needs, including capital needs in connection with investments, from cash retained from operations. As a result, to fund future capital needs, we likely will have to rely on third-party sources of capital, including both debt and equity financing, which may or may not be available on favorable terms or at all. Our access to third-party sources of capital will depend upon a number of factors, including our current and potential future earnings and cash distributions.

We could fail to continue to qualify as a REIT if the IRS successfully challenges our treatment of our mezzanine loans or repurchase agreements.

We intend to continue to operate in a manner so as to continue to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. However, qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex Internal Revenue Code provisions for which only a limited number of judicial and administrative interpretations exist. If the IRS disagrees with the application of these provisions to our assets or transactions, including assets we have owned and past transactions, our REIT qualification could be jeopardized. For instance, IRS Revenue Procedure 2003-65 provides a safe harbor pursuant to which a mezzanine loan, if it meets each of the requirements contained therein, will be treated by the IRS as a real estate asset for purposes of the REIT asset tests and interest derived from it will be treated as qualifying mortgage interest for purposes of the 75% income test. Although Revenue Procedure 2003-65 provides a safe harbor on which taxpayers may rely, it does not prescribe rules of substantive tax law. While mezzanine loans in which we invest may not meet all of the requirements for reliance on this safe harbor, we expect to invest in mezzanine loans in a manner that we believe will enable us to continue to satisfy the REIT gross income and asset tests.

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In addition, we have entered into sale and repurchase agreements under which we nominally sold certain of our mortgage assets to a counterparty and simultaneously entered into an agreement to repurchase the sold assets. We believe that we will be treated for federal income tax purposes as the owner of the mortgage assets that are the subject of any such sale and repurchase agreement notwithstanding that we transferred record ownership of the assets to the counterparty during the term of the agreement. It is possible, however, that the IRS could assert that we did not own the mortgage assets during the term of the sale and repurchase agreement, in which case our ability to continue to qualify as a REIT could be adversely affected.

Even if the IRS were to disagree with one or more of our interpretations and we were treated as having failed to satisfy one of the REIT qualification requirements, we could maintain our REIT qualification if our failure was excused under certain statutory savings provisions. However, there can be no guarantee that we would be entitled to benefit from those statutory savings provisions if we failed to satisfy one of the REIT qualification requirements, and even if we were entitled to benefit from those statutory savings provisions, we could be required to pay a penalty tax.

Despite our qualification for taxation as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we may be subject to other tax liabilities that reduce our cash flow and our ability to make distributions to stockholders.

Despite our qualification for taxation as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we may be subject to certain federal, state and local taxes on our income and assets, including taxes on any undistributed income or property. Any of these taxes would decrease cash available for distribution to stockholders. For instance:

• In order to continue to qualify as a REIT, we must distribute annually at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (which is determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction or net capital gain for this purpose) to stockholders. To the extent that we satisfy the distribution requirement but distribute less than 100% of our REIT taxable income, we will be subject to federal corporate income tax on the undistributed income.

• We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the amount, if any, by which distributions we pay in any calendar year are less than the sum of 85% of our ordinary income, 95% of our capital gain net income and 100% of our undistributed income from prior years.

• If we have net income from the sale of foreclosure property that we hold primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business or other non-qualifying income from foreclosure property, we must pay a tax on that income at the highest corporate income tax rate.

• If we sell an asset, other than foreclosure property, that we hold primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business and do not qualify for a safe harbor in the Internal Revenue Code, our gain would be subject to the 100% “prohibited transaction” tax.

• Any domestic TRS of ours will be subject to federal corporate income tax on its income, and on any non-arm’s-length transactions between us and any TRS, for instance, excessive rents charged to a TRS could be subject to a 100% tax.

• We may be subject to tax on income from certain activities conducted as a result of taking title to collateral.

• We may be subject to state or local income, property and transfer taxes, such as mortgage recording taxes.

Complying with REIT requirements may cause us to forego otherwise attractive opportunities or liquidate otherwise attractive investments.

To continue to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we must continually satisfy tests concerning, among other things, the sources of our income, the nature and diversification of our assets, the amounts we distribute to stockholders and the ownership of our stock. As discussed above, we may be required to make distributions to stockholders at disadvantageous times or when we do not have funds readily available for distribution. Additionally, we may be unable to pursue investments that would be otherwise attractive to us in order to satisfy the requirements for qualifying as a REIT.

We must also ensure that at the end of each calendar quarter, at least 75% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash items, government securities and qualified real estate assets, including certain mortgage loans and mortgage-backed securities. The remainder of our investment in securities (other than government securities and qualified real estate assets) generally cannot include more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer or more than 10% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer. In addition, in general, no more than 5% of the value of our assets can consist of the securities of any one issuer (other than government securities and qualified real estate assets) and no more than 25% (20% after 2017) of the value of our gross assets may be represented by securities of one or more TRSs. Finally, for the taxable years after 2015, no more than 25% of our assets may consist of debt investments that are issued by “publicly offered REITs” and would not otherwise be treated as qualifying real estate assets. If we fail to comply with these requirements at the end of any calendar quarter, we must correct such failure within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter to avoid losing our REIT status and suffering adverse tax

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consequences, unless certain relief provisions apply. As a result, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of profit maximization and may require us to liquidate investments from our portfolio, or refrain from making, otherwise attractive investments. These actions could have the effect of reducing our income and amounts available for distribution to stockholders.

Modification of the terms of our CRE debt investments and mortgage loans underlying our CMBS in conjunction with reductions in the value of the real property securing such loans could cause us to fail to continue to qualify as a REIT.

Our CRE debt and securities investments may be materially affected by a weak real estate market and economy in general. As a result, many of the terms of our CRE debt and the mortgage loans underlying our CRE securities may be modified to avoid taking title to a property. Under Treasury Regulations, if the terms of a loan are modified in a manner constituting a “significant modification,” such modification triggers a deemed exchange of the original loan for the modified loan. In general, under applicable Treasury Regulations, or the Loan-to-Value Regulation, if a loan is secured by real property and other property and the highest principal amount of the loan outstanding during a taxable year exceeds the fair market value of the real property securing the loan determined as of the date we agreed to acquire the loan or the date we significantly modified the loan, a portion of the interest income from such loan will not be qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test although it may nevertheless be qualifying income for purposes of the 95% gross income test. Although the law is not entirely clear, a portion of the loan will likely be a non-qualifying asset for purposes of the 75% asset test. The non-qualifying portion of such a loan would be subject to, among other requirements, the requirement that a REIT not hold securities representing more than 10% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer, or the 10% Value Test. For taxable years beginning after 2015, debt obligations secured by a mortgage on both real and personal property will be treated as a real estate asset for purposes of the 75% asset test, and interest thereon will be treated as interest on an obligation secured by real property, if the fair market value of the personal property does not exceed 15% of the fair market value of all property securing the debt.

IRS Revenue Procedure 2014-51 provides a safe harbor pursuant to which we will not be required to redetermine the fair market value of the real property securing a loan for purposes of the gross income and asset tests discussed above in connection with a loan modification that is: (i) occasioned by a borrower default; or (ii) made at a time when we reasonably believe that the modification to the loan will substantially reduce a significant risk of default on the original loan. No assurance can be provided that all of our loan modifications have or will qualify for the safe harbor in Revenue Procedure 2014-51. To the extent we significantly modify loans in a manner that does not qualify for that safe harbor, we will be required to redetermine the value of the real property securing the loan at the time it was significantly modified. In determining the value of the real property securing such a loan, we generally will not obtain third-party appraisals, but rather will rely on internal valuations. No assurance can be provided that the IRS will not successfully challenge our internal valuations. If the terms of our debt investments and mortgage loans underlying our CMBS are “significantly modified” in a manner that does not qualify for the safe harbor in Revenue Procedure 2014-51 and the fair market value of the real property securing such loans has decreased significantly, we could fail the 75% gross income test, the 75% asset test and/or the 10% Value Test. Unless we qualified for relief under certain Internal Revenue Code cure provisions, such failures could cause us to fail to continue to qualify as a REIT.

Our acquisition of debt or securities investments may cause us to recognize income for federal income tax purposes even though no cash payments have been received on the debt investments.

We may acquire debt or securities investments in the secondary market for less than their face amount. The amount of such discount will generally be treated as a “market discount” for federal income tax purposes. If these debt or securities investments provide for “payment-in-kind” interest, we may recognize “original issue discount,” or OID, for federal income tax purposes. Moreover, we may acquire distressed debt investments that are subsequently modified by agreement with the borrower. If the amendments to the outstanding debt constitute “significant modifications” under the applicable Treasury Regulations, the modified debt may be considered to have been reissued to us in a debt-for-debt exchange with the borrower. In that event, if the debt is considered to be “publicly-traded” for federal income tax purposes, the modified debt in our hands may be considered to have been issued with OID to the extent the fair market value of the modified debt is less than the principal amount of the outstanding debt. In the event the debt is not considered to be “publicly traded” for federal income tax purposes, we may be required to recognize taxable income to the extent that the principal amount of the modified debt exceeds our cost of purchasing it. Also, certain loans that we originate and later modify and certain previously modified debt we acquire in the secondary market may be considered to have been issued with the OID at the time it was modified.

In general, we will be required to accrue OID on a debt instrument as taxable income in accordance with applicable federal income tax rules even though no cash payments may be received on such debt instrument on a current basis.

In the event a borrower with respect to a particular debt instrument encounters financial difficulty rendering it unable to pay stated interest as due, we may nonetheless be required to continue to recognize the unpaid interest as taxable income. Similarly, we may be required to accrue interest income with respect to subordinate mortgage-backed securities at the stated rate regardless of when their corresponding cash payments are received.

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In order to meet the REIT distribution requirements, it might be necessary for us to arrange for short-term, or possibly long-term borrowings, or to pay distributions in the form of our shares or other taxable in-kind distributions of property. We may need to borrow funds at times when the market conditions are unfavorable. Such borrowings could increase our costs and reduce the value of a stockholders’ investment. In the event in-kind distributions are made, a stockholder’s tax liabilities associated with an investment in our common stock for a given year may exceed the amount of cash we distribute to stockholders during such year.

Complying with REIT requirements may limit our ability to hedge effectively.

The REIT provisions of the Internal Revenue Code may limit our ability to hedge our operations effectively. Our aggregate gross income from non-qualifying hedges, fees and certain other non-qualifying sources cannot exceed 5% of our annual gross income. As a result, we might have to limit our use of advantageous hedging techniques or implement those hedges through a TRS. Any hedging income earned by a TRS would be subject to federal, state and local income tax at regular corporate rates. This could increase the cost of our hedging activities or expose us to greater risks associated with interest rate or other changes than we would otherwise incur.

Liquidation of assets may jeopardize our REIT qualification.

To continue to qualify as a REIT, we must comply with requirements regarding our assets and our sources of income. If we are compelled to liquidate our investments to satisfy our obligations to our lenders, we may be unable to comply with these requirements, ultimately jeopardizing our qualification as a REIT, or we may be subject to a 100% prohibited transaction tax on any resulting gain if we sell assets that are treated as dealer property or inventory.

The prohibited transactions tax may limit our ability to engage in transactions, including disposition of assets and certain methods of securitizing loans, which would be treated as sales for federal income tax purposes.

A REIT’s net income from prohibited transactions is subject to a 100% tax. In general, prohibited transactions are sales or other dispositions of dealer property, other than foreclosure property, but including loans held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. We might be subject to the prohibited transaction tax if we were to dispose of or securitize loans in a manner that is treated as a sale of the loans, for federal income tax purposes. Therefore, in order to avoid the prohibited transactions tax, we may choose not to engage in certain sales of loans and may limit the structures that we use for any securitization financing transactions, even though such sales or structures might otherwise be beneficial to us. Additionally, we may be subject to the prohibited transaction tax upon a disposition of real property. Although a safe-harbor exception to prohibited transaction treatment is available, we cannot assure stockholders that we can comply with such safe harbor or that we will avoid owning property that may be characterized as held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of our trade or business. Consequently, we may choose not to engage in certain sales of real property or may conduct such sales through a TRS.

It may be possible to reduce the impact of the prohibited transaction tax by conducting certain activities through a TRS. However, to the extent that we engage in such activities through a TRS, the income associated with such activities will be subject to a corporate income tax.

We also may not be able to use secured financing structures that would create taxable mortgage pools, other than in a TRS or through a subsidiary REIT.

We may recognize substantial amounts of REIT taxable income, which we would be required to distribute to stockholders, in a year in which we are not profitable under U.S. GAAP or other economic measures.

We may recognize substantial amounts of REIT taxable income in years in which we are not profitable under U.S. GAAP or other economic measures as a result of the differences between U.S. GAAP and tax accounting methods. For instance, certain of our assets have been marked-to-market for U.S. GAAP purposes but not for tax purposes, which could result in losses for U.S. GAAP purposes that are not recognized in computing our REIT taxable income. Additionally, we may deduct our capital losses only to the extent of our capital gains in computing our REIT taxable income for a given taxable year. Consequently, we could recognize substantial amounts of REIT taxable income and would be required to distribute such income to stockholders, in a year in which we are not profitable under U.S. GAAP or other economic measures.

We may distribute our common stock in a taxable distribution, in which case stockholders may sell shares of our common stock to pay tax on such distributions, and stockholders may receive less in cash than the amount of the dividend that is taxable.

We may make taxable distributions that are payable in cash and common stock. The IRS has issued private letter rulings to other REITs treating certain distributions that are paid partly in cash and partly in stock as taxable distributions that would satisfy the REIT annual distribution requirement and qualify for the dividends paid deduction for federal income tax purposes. Those rulings may be relied upon only by taxpayers to whom they were issued, but we could request a similar ruling from the IRS. Accordingly, it is unclear whether and to what extent we will be able to make taxable distributions payable in cash and common stock. If we made a taxable dividend payable in cash and common stock, taxable stockholders receiving such distributions will be required to

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include the dividend, as taxable income to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, as determined for federal income tax purposes. As a result, stockholders may be required to pay income tax with respect to such distributions in excess of the cash distributions received. If a U.S. stockholder sells the common stock that it receives as a dividend in order to pay this tax, the sales proceeds may be less than the amount recorded in earnings with respect to the dividend, depending on the market price of our common stock at the time of the sale. Furthermore, with respect to certain non-U.S. stockholders, we may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax with respect to such dividends, including in respect of all or a portion of such dividend that is payable in common stock.

REIT distribution requirements could adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan.

We generally must distribute annually at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (which is determined without regard to the dividends-paid deduction or net capital gain for this purpose) in order to continue to qualify as a REIT. We intend to make distributions to stockholders to comply with the REIT requirements of the Internal Revenue Code and to avoid corporate income tax and the 4% excise tax. We may be required to make distributions to stockholders at times when it would be more advantageous to reinvest cash in our business or when we do not have funds readily available for distribution. Thus, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits.

Distributions paid by REITs do not qualify for the reduced tax rates that apply to other corporate distributions.

The maximum tax rate for “qualified dividends” paid by corporations to non-corporate stockholders is currently 20%. Distributions paid by REITs, however, generally are taxed at ordinary income rates (subject to a maximum rate of 39.6% for non-corporate stockholders), rather than the preferential rate applicable to qualified dividends. The more favorable rates applicable to regular corporate distributions could cause potential investors who are individuals to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the stocks of non-REIT corporations that pay qualified distributions, which could adversely affect the value of the stock of REITs, including our common stock.

Our qualification as a REIT could be jeopardized as a result of our interest in joint ventures or investment funds.

We may hold certain limited partner or non-managing member interests in partnerships and limited liability companies that are joint ventures or investment funds. If a partnership or limited liability company in which we own an interest takes or expects to take actions that could jeopardize our qualification as a REIT or require us to pay tax, we may be forced to dispose of our interest in such entity. In addition, it is possible that a partnership or limited liability company could take an action which could cause us to fail a REIT gross income or asset test, and that we would not become aware of such action in time to dispose of our interest in the partnership or limited liability company or take other corrective action on a timely basis. In that case, we could fail to continue to qualify as a REIT unless we are able to qualify for a statutory REIT savings provision, which may require us to pay a significant penalty tax to maintain our REIT qualification.

Our qualification as a REIT may depend upon the accuracy of legal opinions or advice rendered or given or statements by the issuers of assets we acquire.

When purchasing securities, we may rely on opinions or advice of counsel for the issuer of such securities, or statements made in related offering documents, for purposes of determining, among other things, whether such securities represent debt or equity securities for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the value of such securities, and also to what extent those securities constitute qualified real estate assets for purposes of the REIT asset tests and produce qualified income for purposes of the 75% gross income test. The inaccuracy of any such opinions, advice or statements may adversely affect our ability to qualify as a REIT and result in significant corporate-level tax.

Our charter limits the number of shares a person may own, which may discourage a takeover that could otherwise result in a premium price paid to stockholders.

Our charter, with certain exceptions, authorizes our board of directors to take such actions as are necessary and desirable to preserve our qualification as a REIT. To help us comply with the REIT ownership requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, among other purposes, our charter prohibits a person from directly or constructively owning more than 9.8% in value of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of our stock of any class or series or more than 9.8% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of our common stock, unless exempted (prospectively or retroactively) by our board of directors. This restriction may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us, including an extraordinary transaction (such as a merger, tender offer or sale of all or substantially all of our assets) that might otherwise provide a premium price for holders of our shares of common stock.

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Legislative or regulatory tax changes could adversely affect us or stockholders.

At any time, the federal income tax laws can change. Laws and rules governing REITs or the administrative interpretations of those laws may be amended. Any of those new laws or interpretations may take effect retroactively and could adversely affect us or stockholders.

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Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2. Properties

Our real estate property investments are part of our real estate equity segment and are described under Item 1. “Business.” The following table presents information with respect to our real estate investments as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

Location City, State	Square Feet	Number of Properties	Percentage Occupied	Ownership Interest	Type	Lease Expiration Date(1)	Gross Carrying Value(2)		Borrowings Carrying Value
Clemson, SC	204,612	1	98%	80%	Student Housing	Various	$	20,036	$	12,644
Columbia, SC	234,800	1	99%	80%	Student Housing	Various	23,780		24,485
Farmington Hills, MI	702,130	1	98%	90%	Multifamily	Various	59,666		42,440
Kalamazoo, MI	278,412	1	94%	80%	Student Housing	Various	22,825		15,774
New Orleans, LA	354,988	1	93%	85%	Multifamily	Various	55,508		42,967
St. Louis, MO	892,306	7	89%	95%	Office	Feb-21	116,607		108,595
Warrendale, PA	554,474	5	100%	89%	Office	Sep-23	94,184		77,535
Columbus, OH	2,077,743	23	94%	88%	Industrial	Mar-20	85,870		68,970
Vienna, VA	432,188	2	56%	100%	Office	Jun-20	52,783		—
Total / weighted average	5,731,653	42	92%				$	531,259	$	393,410

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(1) All leases for multifamily and student housing properties are short term in nature. For office properties, based on initial term and represents the weighted average lease expiration date if more than one lease.

(2) Represents operating real estate before accumulated depreciation as presented in our consolidated financial statements. Refer to “Note 4. Operating Real Estate” of Part II, Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

As of December 31, 2016, we had no properties with a carrying value equal to or greater than 10% of our total assets. For the year endedDecember 31, 2016, we had two properties with gross revenues equal to or greater than 10% of our total revenues.

Item 3.    Legal Proceedings

We may be involved in various litigation matters arising in the ordinary course of our business. Although we are unable to predict with certainty the eventual outcome of any litigation, in the opinion of management, any current legal proceedings are not expected to have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

None.

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PART II.

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Market Information

There is no established public trading market for our shares of common stock. We do not expect that our shares will be listed for trading on a national securities exchange in the near future, if ever. Our board of directors will determine when, and if, to apply to have shares of our common stock listed for trading on a national securities exchange, subject to satisfying existing listing requirements. Our board of directors does not have a stated term for evaluating a listing on a national securities exchange as we believe setting a finite date for a possible, but uncertain future liquidity transaction may result in actions that are not necessarily in the best interest or within the expectations of our stockholders.

We provide an estimated value per share of our common stock in each annual report distributed to our stockholders, the method by which it was developed and the date of the data used to develop the estimated value to assist broker-dealers in connection with the obligations under FINRA Rule 5110 and to assist fiduciaries of retirement plans subject to the annual reporting requirements of ERISA in the preparation of their reports relating to an investment in our shares of common stock. On April 7, 2016, upon the recommendation of the audit committee of our board of directors, our board of directors, including all of our independent directors, approved and established an estimated value per share of our common stock of $9.87 as of December 31, 2015, or the Valuation Date. The estimated value per share is based upon the estimated value of our assets less the estimated value of our liabilities as of the Valuation Date. As of the Valuation Date, (1) the estimated value of our CRE debt investments was $1.14 billion, compared with an aggregate outstanding principal balance of $1.10 billion; (2) the estimated value of our CRE equity investments, including the value of our equity-like participations or other ownership interests associated with certain of our CRE debt investments, was $590.6 million, compared with an aggregate initial purchase price, including subsequent capital expenditures, of $429.1 million; (3) the estimated value of our PE Investments was $114.0 million, compared with a carrying value of $98.8 million; and (4) the estimated value of our CRE securities was $86.9 million, compared to a carrying value of $83.6 million. For additional information on the methodology used in calculating our estimated value per share, refer to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 8, 2016.

In April 2016, the DRP was amended and restated to provide that, effective on ten days’ notice, the price per share purchased pursuant to the DRP was $9.87, which is equal to the estimated value per share of our common stock as of December 31, 2015, until such time as we establish a new estimated per share value, at which time the purchase price will adjust to 100% of such estimated value per share. Prior to the April 2016 amendment, shares issued pursuant to the DRP were priced at 95.0% of our estimated value per share as of October 31, 2014, or $9.52. Prior to 2015, shares issued pursuant to the DRP were priced at $9.50 per share.

The board of directors currently expects that our next estimated value per share will be based upon our assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2016 and such value will be included in a Current Report on Form 8-K or such other filing with the SEC. We intend to continue to publish updated estimated values per share annually.

Stockholders

As of March 10, 2017, we had 23,549 stockholders of record.

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Distributions

The following table summarizes distributions declared for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014 (dollars in thousands):

	Distributions(1)
Period	Cash		DRP		Total
2016
First Quarter	$	13,052	$	10,987	$	24,039
Second Quarter	13,184		10,864		24,048
Third Quarter	13,482		10,858		24,340
Fourth Quarter	13,690		10,628		24,318
Total	$	53,408	$	43,337	$	96,745
2015
First Quarter	$	12,640	$	10,720	$	23,360
Second Quarter	12,910		10,882		23,792
Third Quarter	13,107		11,095		24,202
Fourth Quarter	13,169		11,145		24,314
Total	$	51,826	$	43,842	$	95,668
2014
First Quarter	$	12,369	$	10,338	$	22,707
Second Quarter	12,492		10,650		23,142
Third Quarter	12,674		10,885		23,559
Fourth Quarter	12,717		10,997		23,714
Total	$	50,252	$	42,870	$	93,122

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(1) Represents distributions declared for such period, even though such distributions are actually paid to stockholders the month following such period.

Distribution Reinvestment Plan

We adopted our DRP through which common stockholders may elect to reinvest an amount equal to the distributions declared on their shares in additional shares of our common stock in lieu of receiving cash distributions. The initial purchase price per share under our DRP was $9.50. In connection with its determination of the estimated value of our shares of common stock, and pursuant to our DRP, the board of directors determined that, effective April 1, 2016, distributions may be reinvested in shares of our common stock at a price of $9.87 per share, which is equal to the estimated value per share as of the Valuation Date.

No selling commissions or dealer manager fees are paid on shares issued pursuant to our DRP. Our board of directors may amend or terminate our DRP for any reason upon ten days’ notice to participants, except that we may not amend our DRP to eliminate a participant’s ability to withdraw from our DRP.

For the period from October 18, 2010 through December 31, 2016, we issued 18.2 million shares totaling $174.5 million of gross offering proceeds pursuant to our DRP.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

We adopted our Share Repurchase Program effective July 19, 2010, which enables stockholders to sell their shares to us in limited circumstances. We may not repurchase shares unless a stockholder has held shares for one year. However, we may repurchase shares held for less than one year in connection with a stockholder’s death or disability, if the disability is deemed qualifying by our board of directors, in their sole discretion, and after receiving written notice from the stockholder or the stockholder’s estate. We are not obligated to repurchase shares under our Share Repurchase Program. We fund repurchase requests received during a quarter with proceeds set aside for that purpose which are not expected to exceed proceeds received from our DRP. However, to the extent that the aggregate DRP proceeds are not sufficient to fund repurchase requests, our board of directors may, in its sole discretion, choose to use other sources of funds. Our board of directors may, in its sole discretion, amend, suspend or terminate our Share Repurchase Program at any time upon ten days’ notice except that changes in the number of shares that can be repurchased during any calendar year will take effect only upon ten business days’ prior written notice. In addition, our Share Repurchase

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Program will continue until a secondary market develops for our shares or our shares are listed on a national exchange or included for quotation in a national securities market.

For the year ended December 31, 2016, we repurchased shares of our common stock as follows:

Period	Total Number of Shares Purchased	Average Price Paid Per Share		Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plan or Program	Maximum Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plan or Program
January 1 to January 31	972,951	$	9.57	972,951	(1)
February 1 to February 29	—	—		—
March 1 to March 31	—	—		—
April 1 to April 30	1,169,310	9.57		1,169,310	(1)
May 1 to May 31	—	—		—
June 1 to June 30	—	—		—
July 1 to July 31	897,473	9.50		897,473	(1)
August 1 to August 31	—	—		—
September 1 to September 30	—	—		—
October 1 to October 31	—	—		—
November 1 to November 30	1,309,444	9.49		1,309,444	(1)
December 1 to December 31	—	—		—
Total	4,349,178			4,349,178

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(1) Subject to funds being available, we will limit the number of shares redeemed pursuant to our Share Repurchase Program to: (i) 5.0% of the weighted average number of shares of our common stock outstanding during the prior calendar year; and (ii) those that could be funded from the net DRP proceeds in the prior calendar year plus such additional funds as may be reserved for that purpose by our board of directors; provided, however, that the above volume limitations shall not apply to repurchases requested within two years after the death or qualifying disability of a stockholder.

As of December 31, 2016, we had no unfulfilled repurchase requests.

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities

During the three months ended December 31, 2016, we did not issue any equity securities that were not registered under the Securities Act. All prior sales of unregistered securities have been previously reported on quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or annual reports on Form 10-K.

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Item 6. Selected Financial Data

The information below should be read in conjunction with “Forward-Looking Statements” Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors,” Part II, Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014		2013		2012
Operating Data:	(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
Net interest income	$	60,983	$	75,132	$	81,597	$	62,374	$	21,302
Rental and other income	78,602		60,394		29,342		1,970		—
Expenses	125,942		112,733		70,341		31,355		6,569
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense)	10,211		10,685		52,759		32,989		15,304
Net income (loss)	32,207		45,591		88,953		61,017		15,304
Net income (loss) per share of common stock, basic/diluted	$	0.26	$	0.38	$	0.77	$	0.63	$	0.44
Distributions declared per share of common stock	$	0.80	$	0.80	$	0.80	$	0.80	$	0.80

	As of December 31,
	2016		2015		2014		2013		2012
Balance Sheet Data:	(Dollars in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents	$	153,039	$	127,890	$	35,755	$	119,595	$	213,727
Real estate debt investments, net	745,323		997,836		1,250,023		1,074,773		514,058
Operating real estate, net	488,839		365,327		403,347		125,168		—
Investments in unconsolidated ventures	90,579		157,843		195,860		156,616		—
Real estate securities, available for sale	93,975		83,622		79,636		66,450		29,582
Total assets	$	1,768,480	$	1,947,516	$	2,188,021	$	1,831,104	$	859,938
Total borrowings	682,328		819,716		996,178		637,752		250,812
Total liabilities	799,355		915,505		1,125,324		825,879		342,192
Total equity	969,125		1,032,011		1,062,697		1,005,225		517,746

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016			2015			2014			2013			2012
Other Data:	(Dollars in thousands)
Cash flow provided by (used in):
Operating activities	$	60,836		$	84,995		$	93,392		$	66,600		$	13,367
Investing activities	173,931			257,731			(504,087		)	(913,785		)	(444,395		)
Financing activities	(209,618		)	(250,591		)	326,855			753,053			590,896

Item 7.    Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplemental Data” and risk factors in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of this report. References to “we,’’ “us,’’ or “our’’ refer to NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. and its subsidiaries unless the context specifically requires otherwise.

Introduction

We were formed to originate, acquire and asset manage a diversified portfolio of CRE, debt, select equity and securities investments, predominantly in the United States. We may also invest in CRE investments internationally. CRE debt investments include first mortgage loans, subordinate mortgage and mezzanine loans and participations in such loans and preferred equity interests. Real estate equity investments include direct ownership in properties, which may be structurally senior to a third-party partner’s equity, as well as indirect interests in real estate through real estate private equity funds, or PE Investments. CRE securities primarily consist of CMBS, and may in the future include unsecured REIT debt, CDO, notes and other securities. In addition, we may own

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investments through joint ventures. We were formed in January 2009 as a Maryland corporation and commenced operations in October 2010. We elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, commencing with the taxable year ended December 31, 2010. We conduct our operations so as to continue to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

We are externally managed and have no employees. Prior to January 11, 2017, we were managed by an affiliate of NorthStar Asset Management Group Inc. (NYSE: NSAM), or NSAM. Effective January 10, 2017, NSAM completed its previously announced merger with Colony Capital, Inc., or Colony, NorthStar Realty Finance Corp., or NorthStar Realty, and Colony NorthStar, Inc., or Colony NorthStar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NSAM, which we refer to as the mergers, with Colony NorthStar surviving the mergers and succeeding NSAM as our Sponsor. As a result of the mergers, our Sponsor became an internally-managed equity REIT, with a diversified real estate and investment management platform and publicly-traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “CLNS”. In addition, following the mergers, NSAM J-NSI Ltd, an affiliate of NSAM, or our Advisor, became a subsidiary of Colony NorthStar. Our Advisor manages our day-to-day operations pursuant to an advisory agreement. The mergers had no material impact on our operations.

Our Sponsor and its affiliates also provide asset management and other services to NorthStar Realty Europe Corp. (NYSE: NRE), other sponsored public retail-focused companies, private funds and any other companies our Sponsor and its affiliates may manage in the future, or collectively the Managed Companies, both in the United States and internationally. As of February 28, 2017, our Sponsor had an aggregate of $56.0 billion of assets under management, adjusted for commitments to acquire or sell certain investments by our Sponsor and the Managed Companies.

Previously, we were managed by an affiliate of NorthStar Realty until June 30, 2014, when it spun-off its asset management business into NSAM. Concurrent with the spin-off our Advisor agreed to manage our day-to-day operations on terms substantially similar to those set forth in our prior advisory agreement with NS Real Estate Income Trust Advisor, LLC, or our Prior Advisor. References to our Prior Advisor herein refer to the services performed by and fees paid and accrued to our Prior Advisor during the period prior to June 30, 2014. The spin-off of NorthStar Realty’s asset management business had no impact on our operations.

Our primary investment types are as follows:

• Commercial Real Estate Debt - Our CRE debt investments include first mortgage loans, subordinate interests and mezzanine loans and participations in such loans, as well as preferred equity interests.

• Commercial Real Estate Equity - Our CRE equity investments include direct ownership in real estate, which may be structurally senior to a third-party partner’s equity and indirect interests in real estate through PE Investments since the underlying collateral in the funds is primarily real estate.

• Commercial Real Estate Securities - Our CRE securities investments may include CMBS, unsecured REIT debt, CDO notes and other securities.

We believe that our targeted investment types are complementary to each other due to their overlapping sources of investment opportunities, common reliance on real estate fundamentals and ability to apply similar portfolio management and servicing skills to maximize value and to protect shareholder capital. We believe our Advisor’s platform and experience provide us the flexibility to invest across the real estate capital structure.

We initially registered to offer up to 100,000,000 shares pursuant to our primary offering to the public, or our Primary Offering, and up to 10,526,315 shares pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan, or DRP, which we refer to collectively as the Offering. In April 2013, our board of directors authorized the reallocation of shares available under our DRP to our Primary Offering. Our Primary Offering (including 7.6 million shares reallocated from our DRP, or our Total Primary Offering) was completed on July 1, 2013 and all of the shares initially registered for our Offering were issued. As a result of an additional registration statement to offer up to 10.0 million shares pursuant to our DRP, we continue to offer DRP shares beyond our Total Primary Offering.

We have raised total gross proceeds of $1.1 billion in the Offering. In addition, from the close of the Primary Offering through March 10, 2017, we have raised an additional $0.2 billion in gross proceeds pursuant to our DRP.

Sources of Operating Revenues and Cash Flows

We primarily generate revenue from net interest income on our CRE debt and securities investments and net rental and other operating income from our real estate properties. Additionally, we record equity in earnings of unconsolidated ventures, including from PE Investments. Our income is primarily derived through the difference between net revenue and the cost at which we are able to finance our investments. We may also acquire investments which generate attractive returns without any leverage.

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Profitability and Performance Metrics

We calculate Funds from Operations, or FFO, and Modified Funds from Operations, or MFFO, (see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures-Funds from Operations and Modified Funds from Operations” for a description of these metrics), to evaluate the profitability and performance of our business.

Outlook and Recent Trends

The U.S. economy continues to demonstrate positive underlying fundamentals, with moderate gross domestic product, or GDP, growth and improving employment conditions during 2016, leading to increased levels of consumer confidence early in 2017. Although 2016 GDP growth of 1.6% remained below historical levels, the unemployment rate declined to 4.7% in December and wage levels are experiencing their first significant increases since 2009. Improved macroeconomic conditions have prompted the Federal Reserve to pursue measured interest rates increases, including the second rate increase in nine years in December 2016. The Federal Reserve has indicated that three additional interest rate increases are expected during 2017, further demonstrating its confidence in overall economic conditions.

Despite initial market volatility and uncertainty following the results of the non-binding referendum passed in the United Kingdom supporting the exit from the European Union and the U.S. Presidential election, the U.S. and global financial markets have since rebounded, with major market indices continuing to achieve record levels, including the Dow Jones Industrial Average surpassing 21,000 for the first time ever. In addition, benchmark 10-year interest rates in several key global economies, including England, Germany and Japan, have recently trended to positive territory, signaling normalized market conditions following periods of negative interest rates. While many global central banks continue to ease monetary policy to combat low inflation and economic stagnation, increased growth expectations in the United States may result in rising price levels and additional pressure to raise interest rates. The pace of these changes may create volatility in global debt and equity markets as the Federal Reserve seeks to reduce its large balance sheet holdings acquired in response to the financial crisis. In addition, the impact of potentially significant fiscal and regulatory policy changes, including potential infrastructure spending, healthcare reform and new trade policies, may also have a considerable impact on the trajectory of the U.S. and global economies during 2017.

CRE fundamentals remain relatively healthy across U.S. property types. Investor demand in 2016 for income-producing properties drove increased transaction activity, with rent levels, vacancy levels and property prices improving across most property sectors. Private real estate investment remained strong throughout early 2016 as many key markets and property types approached or surpassed their 2007 valuation peaks. Transaction activity slowed in late 2016, however, resulting in a flattening of price appreciation and concern that certain markets may be entering the late stage of the current real estate cycle. In addition, large amounts of ten-year debt originated during 2007 is set to mature in 2017, and these maturities may contribute to periodic volatility in the commercial real estate market. With CMBS issuance declining 25% in 2016, from $101.0 billion in 2015 to $76.0 billion in 2016, traditional capital sources such as banks and CMBS lenders may lack sufficient lending capacity to absorb the high refinancing demand. As regulatory uncertainty continues to limit CMBS issuance, these developments may provide attractive lending opportunities for new market participants such as alternative investment platforms, REITs and insurance companies. Industry experts estimate a projected total origination volume of approximately $55 billion for 2017, with the shift to non-traditional lenders resulting in higher underwriting standards that may support market stability and a protracted environment of increasing commercial real estate values.

Non-traded REIT capital raising was down approximately 55% year-over-year in 2016, with approximately $4.5 billion in equity raised in direct real estate programs. In April 2016, the retail industry experienced the implementation of FINRA 15-02 related to disclosure on broker-dealer account statements and the final ruling of the U.S. Department of Labor’s “fiduciary” standard for retirement accounts. Although the final fiduciary rule was more favorable to both sponsors and broker-dealers in the retail industry than initial proposals, the impact of both of these events has been a sharp decline overall capital raising activity. With the new administration in place, additional uncertainty exists with the delay of the implementation of the U.S. Department of Labor’s rule and speculation of a partial or full repeal of the regulation’s orders. Our Sponsor and other market participants continue to develop new products and compensation structures to reflect the changing regulatory landscape and our Sponsor remains focused on broadening the potential market for its retail offerings. We anticipate 2017 to be a transitional year for the non-traded markets, but expect the overall market and opportunity for retail products to improve as it adapts to these changes.

Our Strategy

Our primary business objectives are to originate and acquire real estate-related investments, with a focus on CRE debt that we expect will generate attractive risk-adjusted returns, stable cash flow for distributions and provide downside protection to our stockholders. Some of our CRE debt investments may be considered transitional in nature because the borrower or owner may have a business plan to improve the collateral and, as a result, we generally require the borrower to fund interest or other reserves, whether through loan proceeds or otherwise, to support debt service payments and capital expenditures. We, our borrower or owner, and possibly a guarantor, may be required to refill these reserves should they become deficient during the applicable period

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for any reason. We will also seek to realize growth in the value of our real estate equity investments through appreciation and/or by opportunistic sales to maximize value. We believe that our Advisor, and its affiliates, have a platform that derives a potential competitive advantage from the combination of experience, proven track record of successfully managing public companies, deep industry relationships and market-leading CRE credit underwriting and capital markets expertise which enables us to manage credit risk across our investments as well as to structure and finance our assets efficiently. In addition, we believe that such platform, and our Advisor’s and its affiliates’ capabilities, will be strengthened and enhanced as a result of the mergers of our Sponsor, Colony and NorthStar Realty as discussed above. We believe that our targeted investment types are complementary to each other due to their overlapping sources of investment opportunities, common reliance on CRE fundamentals and ability to apply similar portfolio management and servicing skills to maximize value and to protect capital. We use the proceeds from our DRP and other financing sources to carry out our primary business objectives of originating and acquiring real estate-related investments.

We began raising capital in late 2010 and completed our Total Primary Offering on July 1, 2013. Since the successful completion of our Total Primary Offering, we have only been raising new equity through our DRP. We also entered into term loan facilities that provide up to an aggregate of $550.0 million to finance the origination of CRE first mortgage loans, or our Term Loan Facilities, and our CMBS facilities to make new investments in CMBS, or our CMBS Credit Facilities, and collectively our Credit Facilities. In November 2012 and August 2013, we closed two securitization financing transactions to finance debt investments on a permanent, non-recourse, non-mark-to-market basis. The debt investments had previously been financed on our Term Loan Facilities. Our real estate portfolio is financed with long-term, non-recourse mortgage notes.

The following table presents our investment activity for the year endedDecember 31, 2016 and from inception through December 31, 2016, adjusted for our acquisitions and commitments through March 10, 2017 (dollars in thousands):

	Year Ended			From Inception Through
	December 31, 2016			March 10, 2017
Investment Type:	Count	Principal Amount/Cost		Count	Principal Amount/Cost(1)
CRE debt	6	$	142,350	52	$	1,945,305
Operating Real Estate(2)	25	174,844		42	615,450
PE Investments(3)	2	98,224		4	353,684
CRE securities	4	33,664		19	204,625
Total	37	$	449,082	117	$	3,119,064

____________________________________________________________

(1) Represents principal amount for real estate debt and securities and cost for real estate equity investments, which includes net purchase price allocation related to net intangibles, deferred costs and other assets.

(2) Includes REO for which we took title in May 2016.

(3) Excludes contributions related to future funding commitments.

Critical Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation

Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of us, our operating partnership, or Operating Partnership, and our consolidated subsidiaries. We consolidate variable interest entities, or VIEs, if any, where we are the primary beneficiary and voting interest entities which are generally majority owned or otherwise controlled by us. All significant intercompany balances are eliminated in consolidation.

Variable Interest Entities

A VIE is an entity that lacks one or more of the characteristics of a voting interest entity. A VIE is defined as an entity in which equity investors do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties. The determination of whether an entity is a VIE includes both a qualitative and quantitative analysis. We base the qualitative analysis on our review of the design of the entity, its organizational structure including decision-making ability and relevant financial agreements and the quantitative analysis on the forecasted cash flow of the entity. We reassess the initial evaluation of an entity as a VIE upon the occurrence of certain reconsideration events.

A VIE must be consolidated only by its primary beneficiary, which is defined as the party who, along with its affiliates and agents has both the: (i) power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance; and (ii) obligation to absorb the losses of the VIE or the right to receive the benefits from the VIE, which could be significant to the VIE. We determine whether we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE by considering qualitative and quantitative factors, including, but not limited to: which activities most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and which party controls such activities; the amount

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and characteristics of its investment; the obligation or likelihood for us or other interests to provide financial support; consideration of the VIE’s purpose and design, including the risks the VIE was designed to create and pass through to its variable interest holders and the similarity with and significance to our business activities and the other interests. We reassess the determination of whether we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE each reporting period. Significant judgments related to these determinations include estimates about the current and future fair value and performance of investments held by these VIEs and general market conditions.

We evaluate our investments and financings, including investments in unconsolidated ventures and securitization financing transactions, if any, to determine whether each investment or financing is a VIE. We analyze new investments and financings, as well as reconsideration events for existing investments and financings, which vary depending on type of investment or financing.

Voting Interest Entities

A voting interest entity is an entity in which the total equity investment at risk is sufficient to enable it to finance its activities independently and the equity holders have the power to direct the activities of the entity that most significantly impact its economic performance, the obligation to absorb the losses of the entity and the right to receive the residual returns of the entity. The usual condition for a controlling financial interest in a voting interest entity is ownership of a majority voting interest. If we have a majority voting interest in a voting interest entity, the entity will generally be consolidated. We do not consolidate a voting interest entity if there are substantive participating rights by other parties and/or kick-out rights by a single party or a simple majority vote.

We perform on-going reassessments of whether entities previously evaluated under the voting interest framework have become VIEs, based on certain events, and therefore subject to the VIE consolidation framework.

Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures

A non-controlling, unconsolidated ownership interest in an entity may be accounted for using the equity method, at fair value or the cost method.

Under the equity method, the investment is adjusted each period for capital contributions and distributions and its share of the entity’s net income (loss). Capital contributions, distributions and net income (loss) of such entities are recorded in accordance with the terms of the governing documents. An allocation of net income (loss) may differ from the stated ownership percentage interest in such entity as a result of preferred returns and allocation formulas, if any, as described in such governing documents. Equity method investments are recognized using a cost accumulation model in which the investment is recognized based on the cost to the investor, which includes acquisition fees. We record as an expense certain acquisition costs and fees associated with consolidated investments deemed to be business combinations and capitalizes these costs for investments deemed to be acquisitions of an asset, including an equity method investment.

We may account for an investment in an unconsolidated entity at fair value by electing the fair value option. We elected the fair value option for PE Investments. We record the change in fair value for our share of the projected future cash flow of such investments from one period to another in equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures in the consolidated statements of operations. Any change in fair value attributed to market related assumptions is considered unrealized gain (loss).

We may account for an investment that does not qualify for equity method accounting or for which the fair value option was not elected using the cost method if we determine the investment in the unconsolidated entity is insignificant. Under the cost method, equity in earnings is recorded as dividends are received to the extent they are not considered a return of capital, which is recorded as a reduction of cost of the investment.

Fair Value Option

The fair value option provides an election that allows a company to irrevocably elect to record certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value on an instrument-by-instrument basis at initial recognition. We will generally not elect the fair value option for our assets and liabilities. However, we have elected the fair value option for PE Investments. Any change in fair value for assets and liabilities for which the election is made is recognized in earnings.

Real Estate Debt Investments

CRE debt investments are generally intended to be held to maturity and, accordingly, are carried at cost, net of unamortized loan fees, premium and discount. CRE debt investments that are deemed to be impaired are carried at amortized cost less a loan loss reserve, if deemed appropriate, which approximates fair value. CRE debt investments where we do not have the intent to hold the loan for the foreseeable future or until its expected payoff are classified as held for sale and recorded at the lower of cost or estimated value.

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We may syndicate a portion of the CRE debt investments that we originate or sell the CRE debt investments individually. When a transaction meets the criteria for sale accounting, we will no longer recognize the CRE debt investment sold as an asset and will recognize gain or loss based on the difference between the sales price and the carrying value of the CRE debt investment sold. Any related unamortized deferred origination fees, original issue discounts, loan origination costs, discounts or premiums at the time of sale are recognized as an adjustment to the gain or loss on sale, which is included in interest income on the consolidated statement of operations. Any fees received at the time of sale or syndication are recognized as part of interest income.

Operating Real Estate

Operating real estate is carried at historical cost less accumulated depreciation. Ordinary repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Major replacements and betterments which improve or extend the life of the asset are capitalized and depreciated over their useful life. We account for purchases of operating real estate that qualify as business combinations using the acquisition method, where the purchase price is allocated to tangible assets such as land, building, improvements and other identified intangibles. Costs directly related to an acquisition deemed to be a business combination are expensed and included in transaction costs in our consolidated statements of operations.

We refer to real estate acquired in connection with a foreclosure, deed in lieu of foreclosure or a consensual modification of a loan as REO. We evaluate whether an REO, herein collectively referred to as taking title to collateral, constitutes a business and whether business combination accounting is appropriate. Any excess upon taking title to collateral between the carrying value of a loan over the estimated fair value of the property is charged to provision for loan losses.

Real Estate Securities

We classify our CRE securities investments as available for sale on the acquisition date, which are carried at fair value. Unrealized gains (losses) are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income, or OCI, in our consolidated statements of equity.

Fair Value Measurement

The fair value of financial instruments is categorized based on the priority of the inputs to the valuation technique and categorized into a three-level fair value hierarchy. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). If the inputs used to measure the financial instruments fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the categorization is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities recorded at fair value on our consolidated balance sheets are categorized based on the inputs to the valuation techniques as follows:

Level 1. Quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in an active market.

Level 2. Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on the following:

a) Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets.

b) Quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in non-active markets.

c) Pricing models whose inputs are observable for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.

d) Pricing models whose inputs are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.

Level 3. Prices or valuation techniques based on inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

Financial assets and liabilities recorded at fair value on a recurring basis are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

Management determines the prices are representative of fair value through a review of available data, including observable inputs, recent transactions as well as our knowledge and experience of the market.

With respect to valuation for CRE securities, we generally obtain at least one quote from a pricing service or broker. Furthermore, we may use internal pricing models to establish arm’s length prices. Generally, the quote from the pricing service is used to determine fair value for the securities. The quotes are not adjusted. The pricing service uses market-based measurements based on valuation techniques that reflect market participants’ assumptions and maximize the use of relevant observable inputs including prices for similar assets, benchmark yield curves and market corroborated inputs such as contractual terms, discount rates for

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similar securities and credit (such as credit support and delinquency rates). We believe such broker quote is generally based on a market transaction of comparable securities.

To determine the fair value of CRE securities, we maintain a comprehensive quarterly process that includes a valuation committee comprised of senior members of the investment and accounting teams that is designed to enable management to ensure the prices used are representative of fair value and the instruments are properly classified pursuant to the fair value hierarchy.

Initially, a member of the investment team on the valuation committee reviews the prices at quarter end to ensure current market conditions are fairly presented. The investment team is able to assess these values because they are actively engaged in the market, reviewing bid lists, recent sales and frequently have discussions with various banks and other financial institutions regarding the state of the market. We then perform a variety of analyses to ensure the quotes are in a range which we believe to be representative of fair value and to validate the quotes obtained and used in determining the ultimate value used in the financial statements. At the portfolio level, we evaluate the overall change in fair value versus the overall change in the market. We review significant changes in fair value for individual instruments, both positive and negative, from the prior period. We perform back testing on any securities sold to validate the quotes used for the prior quarter. Where multiple quotes are available, we evaluate any large variance between the high and low price. We obtain any available market data that provides insight into the price through recent or comparable security trades, multiple broker bids and other pertinent information. This data may be available through the pricing service or based on data directly available to us. If as part of any of these processes, we are aware of data which we believe better supports the fair value, we challenge the quote provided by either the pricing service or broker. Any discrepancy identified from our processes are reviewed and resolved. The valuation committee approves the final prices. We believe these procedures are designed to enable us to estimate fair value.

Once we determine fair value of CRE securities, we review to ensure the instrument is properly classified pursuant to the fair value hierarchy consistent with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or U.S. GAAP, through our understanding of the valuation methodologies used by the pricing service via discussion with representatives of the pricing service and review of any documentation describing its valuation methodology.

Generally, when fair value is based on the pricing service or multiple broker quotes, we believe, based on our analysis, such quotes are based on observable inputs and are therefore classified as Level 2. Where the price is based on either a single broker quote or an internal pricing model, we generally consider such price to be based on less observable data and therefore classify such instruments as Level 3.

Revenue Recognition

Real Estate Debt Investments

Interest income is recognized on an accrual basis and any related premium, discount, origination costs and fees are amortized over the life of the investment using the effective interest method. The amortization is reflected as an adjustment to interest income in our consolidated statements of operations. The amortization of a premium or accretion of a discount is discontinued if such loan is reclassified to held for sale.

Operating Real Estate

Rental and other income from operating real estate is derived from the leasing of space to various types of tenants. Rental revenue recognition commences when the tenant takes legal possession of the leased space and the leased space is substantially ready for its intended use. The leases are for fixed terms of varying length and generally provide for annual rentals and expense reimbursements to be paid in monthly installments. Rental income from leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the respective leases. The excess of rent recognized over the amount contractually due pursuant to the underlying leases is included in receivables on our consolidated balance sheets. We amortize any tenant inducements as a reduction of revenue utilizing the straight-line method over the term of the lease. Other income represents revenue from tenant/operator leases which provide for the recovery of all or a portion of the operating expenses and real estate taxes paid by us on behalf of the respective property. This revenue is recognized in the same period as the expenses are incurred.

In a situation in which a lease(s) associated with a significant tenant have been, or are expected to be, terminated early, we evaluate the remaining useful life of depreciable or amortizable assets in the asset group related to the lease that will be terminated (i.e., tenant improvements, above- and below-market lease intangibles, in-place lease value and deferred leasing costs). Based upon consideration of the facts and circumstances surrounding the termination, we may write-off or accelerate the depreciation and amortization associated with the asset group. Such amounts are included within rental and other income for above- and below-market lease intangibles and depreciation and amortization for the remaining lease related asset groups in the consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, the total amount of accelerated amortization within rental and other income and depreciation and amortization expense was de minimis.

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Real Estate Securities

Interest income is recognized using the effective interest method with any premium or discount amortized or accreted through earnings based on expected cash flow through the expected maturity date of the security. Changes to expected cash flow may result in a change to the yield which is then applied retrospectively for high-credit quality securities that cannot be prepaid or otherwise settled in such a way that the holder would not recover substantially all of the investment or prospectively for all other securities to recognize interest income.

Credit Losses and Impairment on Investments

Real Estate Debt Investments

Loans are considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that we will not be able to collect all principal and interest amounts due according to the contractual terms. We assess the credit quality of the portfolio and adequacy of loan loss reserves on a quarterly basis or more frequently as necessary. Significant judgment of management is required in this analysis. We consider the estimated net recoverable value of the loan as well as other factors, including but not limited to the fair value of any collateral, the amount and the status of any senior debt, the quality and financial condition of the borrower and the competitive situation of the area where the underlying collateral is located. Because this determination is based on projections of future economic events, which are inherently subjective, the amount ultimately realized may differ materially from the carrying value as of the balance sheet date. If upon completion of the assessment, the estimated fair value of the underlying collateral is less than the net carrying value of the loan, a loan loss reserve is recorded with a corresponding charge to provision for loan losses. The loan loss reserve for each loan is maintained at a level that is determined to be adequate by management to absorb probable losses.

Income recognition is suspended for a loan at the earlier of the date at which payments become 90-days past due or when, in the opinion of management, a full recovery of income and principal becomes doubtful. When the ultimate collectability of the principal of an impaired loan is in doubt, all payments are applied to principal under the cost recovery method. When the ultimate collectability of the principal of an impaired loan is not in doubt, contractual interest is recorded as interest income when received, under the cash basis method until an accrual is resumed when the loan becomes contractually current and performance is demonstrated to be resumed. Interest accrued and not collected will be reversed against interest income. A loan is written off when it is no longer realizable and/or legally discharged. As of December 31, 2016, we did not have any impaired CRE debt investments.

Operating Real Estate

Our real estate portfolio is reviewed on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as necessary, to assess whether there are any indicators that the value of our operating real estate may be impaired or that its carrying value may not be recoverable. A property’s value is considered impaired if management’s estimate of the aggregate expected future undiscounted cash flow generated by the property is less than the carrying value. In conducting this review, management considers U.S. macroeconomic factors, real estate sector conditions and asset specific and other factors. To the extent an impairment has occurred, the loss is measured as the excess of the carrying value of the property over the estimated fair value and recorded in impairment on operating real estate in our consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2016, we did not have any impaired operating real estate.

An allowance for a doubtful account for a tenant receivable is established based on a periodic review of aged receivables resulting from estimated losses due to the inability of tenants to make required rent and other payments contractually due. Additionally, we establish, on a current basis, an allowance for future tenant credit losses on unbilled rent receivable based on an evaluation of the collectability of such amounts.

Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures

We review our investments in unconsolidated ventures for which we did not elect the fair value option on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as necessary, to assess whether there are any indicators that the value may be impaired or that its carrying value may not be recoverable. An investment is considered impaired if the projected net recoverable amount over the expected holding period is less than the carrying value. In conducting this review, management considers U.S. macroeconomic factors, including real estate sector conditions, together with investment specific and other factors. To the extent an impairment has occurred and is considered to be other than temporary, the loss is measured as the excess of the carrying value of the investment over the estimated fair value and recorded in equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures in our consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2016, we did not have any impaired investments in unconsolidated ventures.

Real Estate Securities

CRE securities for which the fair value option is elected are not evaluated for other-than-temporary impairment, or OTTI, as any change in fair value is recorded in our consolidated statements of operations. Realized losses on such securities are reclassified to realized gain (loss) on investments and other as losses occur.

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CRE securities for which the fair value option is not elected are evaluated for OTTI quarterly. Impairment of a security is considered to be other-than-temporary when: (i) the holder has the intent to sell the impaired security; (ii) it is more likely than not the holder will be required to sell the security; or (iii) the holder does not expect to recover the entire amortized cost of the security. When a CRE security has been deemed to be other-than-temporarily impaired due to (i) or (ii), the security is written down to its fair value and an OTTI is recognized in our consolidated statements of operations. In the case of (iii), the security is written down to its fair value and the amount of OTTI is then bifurcated into: (a) the amount related to expected credit losses; and (b) the amount related to fair value adjustments in excess of expected credit losses. The portion of OTTI related to expected credit losses is recognized in our consolidated statements of operations. The remaining OTTI related to the valuation adjustment is recognized as a component of accumulated OCI in our consolidated statements of equity. CRE securities which are not high-credit quality are considered to have an OTTI if the security has an unrealized loss and there has been an adverse change in expected cash flow. The amount of OTTI is then bifurcated as discussed above. As of December 31, 2016, we did not have any OTTI recorded on our CRE securities.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board or FASB issued an accounting update requiring a company to recognize as revenue the amount of consideration it expects to be entitled to in connection with the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The accounting standard update will replace most of the existing revenue recognition guidance currently promulgated by U.S. GAAP. In July 2015, the FASB decided to delay the effective date of the new revenue standard by one year. The effective date of the new revenue standard for us will be January 1, 2018. Leases are specifically excluded from this guidance and will be governed by the applicable lease codification; however, this update may have implications in certain variable payment terms included in lease agreements and in sale and leaseback transactions. We are currently assessing the potential effect of the adoption on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures, as applicable.

In February 2015, the FASB issued updated guidance that changes the rules regarding consolidation. The pronouncement eliminates specialized guidance for limited partnerships and similar legal entities and removes the indefinite deferral for certain investment funds. The new guidance is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. We adopted this guidance in the first quarter 2016 and determined our Operating Partnership is considered a VIE. We are the primary beneficiary of the VIE, the VIE’s assets can be used for purposes other than the settlement of the VIE’s obligations and our partnership interest is considered a majority voting interest. As such, this standard resulted in the identification of additional VIEs, however it did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

In January 2016, the FASB issued an accounting update that addressed certain aspects of accounting and disclosure requirements of financial instruments, including the requirement that equity investments with readily determinable fair value be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in results of operations. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. We do not have any equity investments with readily determinable fair value recorded as available-for-sale. We do not believe that this guidance will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued an accounting update that sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both parties to a contract (i.e., lessees and lessors). The update requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase of the leased asset by the lessee. This classification will determine whether the lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification. Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for similar to existing guidance for operating leases today. Additionally, the new update will require that lessees capitalize, as initial direct costs, only those costs that are incurred due to the execution of a lease. Under this guidance, allocated payroll costs and other costs that are incurred regardless of whether the lease is obtained will no longer be capitalized as initial direct costs and instead will be expensed as incurred. The new guidance is to be applied using a modified retrospective approach at the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the financial statements and is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. We are currently assessing the potential effect the adoption of this guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance which eliminates the requirement for an investor to retroactively apply the equity method when its increase in ownership interest (or degree of influence) in an investee triggers equity method accounting. The update requires that the equity method investor add the cost of acquiring the additional interest in the investee to the current basis of the investor’s previously held interest and adopt the equity method of accounting as of the date the investment become qualified for equity method accounting. The update should be applied prospectively upon their effective date to increases in the level of ownership interests or degree of influence that results in the adoption of the equity method. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those fiscal years. We will adopt the new guidance

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prospectively on January 1, 2017 and do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance which amends several aspects of the accounting for equity-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and classification on the statements of cash flows. The guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. We will adopt the new guidance prospectively on January 1, 2017 and do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In June 2016, the FASB issued guidance that changes the impairment model for certain financial instruments by requiring companies to recognize an allowance for expected losses, rather than incurred losses as required currently by the incurred loss approach. The guidance will apply to most financial assets measured at amortized cost and certain other instruments, including trade and other receivables, loans, held-to-maturity debt securities, net investments in leases and off-balance-sheet credit exposures (e.g., loan commitments). The new guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and will be applied as a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings as of the effective date. We are currently assessing the potential effect the adoption of this guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In August 2016, the FASB issued guidance that makes eight targeted changes to how cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those fiscal years. If an entity early adopts the amendments in an interim period, any adjustments should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes that interim period. The new guidance requires adoption on a retrospective basis unless it is impracticable to apply, in which case the company would be required to apply the amendments prospectively as of the earliest date practicable. We do not believe that this guidance will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In November 2016, the FASB issued guidance which requires entities to show the changes in the total of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. Entities will no longer present transfers between cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and will be applied retrospectively to all periods presented. We do not believe that this guidance will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance to clarify the definition of a business under ASC 805. This new standard clarifies the definition of a business and provides a screen to determine when an integrated set of assets and activities is not a business. The screen requires that when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets, the set is not a business. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning of December 15, 2017. The amendments in this update will be applied on a prospective basis. We expect that most acquisitions of real estate or in-substance real estate will not meet the revised definition of a business because substantially all of the fair value is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets (i.e. land, buildings, and related intangible assets).

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Results of Operations

Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2016 to 2015 (Dollars in Thousands):

	Years Ended December 31,						Increase (Decrease)
	2016			2015			Amount			%
Net interest income
Interest income	$	77,657		$	96,471		$	(18,814	)	(19.5	)%
Interest expense	16,674			21,339			(4,665		)	(21.9	)%
Net interest income	60,983			75,132			(14,149		)	(18.8	)%
Property and other revenues
Rental and other income	78,602			60,394			18,208			30.1	%
Total property and other revenues	78,602			60,394			18,208			30.1	%
Expenses
Asset management and other fees - related party	23,765			23,965			(200		)	(0.8	)%
Mortgage notes interest expense	17,519			14,832			2,687			18.1	%
Transaction costs	1,978			1,344			634			47.2	%
Property operating expenses	36,950			31,135			5,815			18.7	%
General and administrative expenses	14,503			15,475			(972		)	(6.3	)%
Depreciation and amortization	31,227			25,982			5,245			20.2	%
Total expenses	125,942			112,733			13,209			11.7	%
Other income (loss)
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other	(3,432		)	(12,108		)	8,676			(71.7	)%
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense)	10,211			10,685			(474		)	(4.4	)%
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	24,963			36,017			(11,054		)	(30.7	)%
Income tax benefit (expense)	(2,967		)	(1,111		)	(1,856		)	167.1	%
Net income (loss)	$	32,207		$	45,591		$	(13,384	)	(29.4	)%

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Net Interest Income

Net interest income is interest income generated on our interest-earning assets less interest expense on our related interest-bearing liabilities.

The following table presents the average balance of interest-earning assets less related interest-bearing liabilities, associated interest income and expense and corresponding yield earned and incurred for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015. Amounts presented have been impacted by the timing of new investments and repayments during the period (dollars in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016						2015
	Average Carrying Value(1)		Interest Income/ Expense(2)		WA Yield/ Financing Cost(3)		Average Carrying Value(1)		Interest Income/ Expense(2)		WA Yield/ Financing Cost(3)
Interest-earning assets:
CRE debt investments	$	853,421	$	70,610	8.27	%	$	1,167,036	$	91,334	7.83	%
CRE securities investments	69,361		7,047		10.16	%	54,288		5,137		9.46	%
	$	922,782	$	77,657	8.42	%	$	1,221,324	$	96,471	7.90	%
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Securitization bonds payable, net	$	85,903	$	5,237	6.10	%	$	261,811	$	12,212	4.66	%
Credit facilities	304,468		11,304		3.71	%	287,200		9,127		3.18	%
Loan collateral payable, net, related party	5,815		133		2.29	%	—		—		—	%
	$	396,186	$	16,674	4.21	%	$	549,011	$	21,339	3.89	%
Net interest income			$	60,983					$	75,132

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(1) Based on amortized cost for CRE debt and securities investments and principal amount for securitization bonds payable, net, credit facilities and loan collateral payable, net, related party. All amounts are calculated based on quarterly averages.

(2) Includes the effect of amortization of premium or accretion of discount and deferred fees.

(3) Calculated as interest income or expense divided by average carrying value.

Interest income decreased $18.8 million primarily as a result of a $298.5 million decrease in the average carrying value as a result of the repayment of eight CRE debt investments and one CRE debt investment where title was transferred via deed-in-lieu to operating real estate, partially offset by the origination of six new CRE debt investments during the year ended December 31, 2016. Interest expense decreased $4.7 million primarily as a result of the repayment of securitization bonds.

Other Revenues

Rental and Other Income

Rental and other income increased $18.2 million as a result of the acquisition of an operating real estate portfolio in March 2016 and other real estate properties acquired by taking title in May 2016, as well as improved performance from existing properties.

Expenses

Asset Management and Other Fees - Related Party

Asset management and other fees - related party decreased $0.2 million to $23.8 million during the year endedDecember 31, 2016 compared to $24.0 million during the year endedDecember 31, 2015 primarily as a result of lower invested assets during 2016.

Mortgage Notes Interest Expense

Mortgage notes interest expense increased $2.7 million primarily as a result of a mortgage note obtained in connection with the acquisition of an operating real estate portfolio in March 2016.

Transaction Costs

Transaction costs represent costs such as professional fees associated with new investments. The increase of $0.6 million is due to the volume of operating real estate equity investments in 2016 compared to 2015, offset by higher debt investment financing activities in 2015.

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Property Operating Expenses

Property operating expenses increased $5.8 million primarily as a result of the acquisition of an operating real estate portfolio in March 2016 and other real estate properties acquired by taking title in May 2016.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses are incurred at the corporate level and include auditing and professional fees, director fees, and other costs associated with operating our business which are primarily paid by our Advisor on our behalf in accordance with our advisory agreement. General and administrative expenses decreased $1.0 million during the year endedDecember 31, 2016 as a result of lower operating expenses reimbursed to our Advisor due to lower average invested assets in 2016 as compared to 2015.

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization expense increased $5.2 million primarily as a result of the acquisition of an operating real estate portfolio in March 2016 and other real estate properties acquired by taking title in May 2016.

Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments

For the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015, we recorded an unrealized loss of $3.4 million and $12.1 million, respectively, related to our PE Investments.

Equity in Earnings (Losses) of Unconsolidated Ventures

Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures decreased $11.1 million as a result of a decrease in earnings from PE Investments and the sale of a loan held in a joint venture in January 2016.

Income Tax Benefit (Expense)

For the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015, we recorded income tax expense of $3.0 million and $1.1 million, respectively, related to our PE Investments.

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Comparison of the Year EndedDecember 31, 2015 to 2014 (Dollars in Thousands):

	Years Ended December 31,						Increase (Decrease)
	2015			2014			Amount			%
Net interest income
Interest income	$	96,471		$	102,697		$	(6,226	)	(6.1	)%
Interest expense	21,339			21,100			239			1.1	%
Net interest income	75,132			81,597			(6,465		)	(7.9	)%
Property and other revenues
Rental and other income	60,394			29,342			31,052			105.8	%
Total property and other revenues	60,394			29,342			31,052			105.8	%
Expenses
Asset management and other fees - related party	23,965			24,676			(711		)	(2.9	)%
Mortgage notes interest expense	14,832			7,763			7,069			91.1	%
Transaction costs	1,344			2,777			(1,433		)	(51.6	)%
Property operating expenses	31,135			15,433			15,702			101.7	%
General and administrative expenses	15,475			13,265			2,210			16.7	%
Depreciation and amortization	25,982			6,427			19,555			304.3	%
Total expenses	112,733			70,341			42,392			60.3	%
Other income (loss)
Realized gain (loss) on investments and other	—			397			(397		)	(100.0	)%
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other	(12,108		)	11,764			(23,872		)	(202.9	)%
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense)	10,685			52,759			(42,074		)	(79.7	)%
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	36,017			41,679			(5,662		)	(13.6	)%
Income tax benefit (expense)	(1,111		)	(5,485		)	4,374			(79.7	)%
Net income (loss)	$	45,591		$	88,953		$	(43,362	)	(48.7	)%

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Net Interest Income

Net interest income is interest income generated on our interest-earning assets less interest expense on our related interest-bearing liabilities.

The following table presents the average balance of interest-earning assets less related interest-bearing liabilities, associated interest income and expense and corresponding yield earned and incurred for the years endedDecember 31, 2015 and 2014. Amounts presented have been impacted by the timing of new investments and repayments during the period (dollars in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2015						2014
	Average Carrying Value(1)		Interest Income/ Expense(2)		WA Yield/ Financing Cost(3)		Average Carrying Value(1)		Interest Income/ Expense(2)		WA Yield/ Financing Cost(3)
Interest-earning assets:
CRE debt investments	$	1,167,036	$	91,334	7.83	%	$	1,209,809	$	96,709	7.99	%
CRE securities investments	54,288		5,137		9.46	%	53,334		5,988		11.23	%
	$	1,221,324	$	96,471	7.90	%	$	1,263,143	$	102,697	8.13	%
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Securitization bonds payable, net	$	261,811	$	12,212	4.66	%	$	470,286	$	15,902	3.38	%
Credit facilities	287,200		9,127		3.18	%	139,289		5,198		3.73	%
	$	549,011	$	21,339	3.89	%	$	609,575	$	21,100	3.46	%
Net interest income			$	75,132					$	81,597

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(1) Based on amortized cost for CRE debt and securities investments and principal amount for securitization bonds payable, net and credit facilities. All amounts are calculated based on quarterly averages.

(2) Includes the effect of amortization of premium or accretion of discount and deferred fees.

(3) Calculated as interest income or expense divided by average carrying value.

Interest income decreased $6.2 million primarily as a result of a $41.8 million decrease in the average carrying value as a result of the repayments of 23 debt investments, partially offset by the origination of 12 debt investments. Interest expense increased $0.2 million primarily as a result of new borrowings partially offset by the repayment of securitization bonds payable.

Other Revenues

Rental and Other Income

Rental and other income increased $31.1 million primarily as a result of the full year impact of real estate equity investments acquired in 2014.

Expenses

Asset Management and Other Fees - Related Party

Asset management and other fees - related party decreased $0.7 million to $24.0 million during the year endedDecember 31, 2015 compared to $24.7 million during the year endedDecember 31, 2014 primarily as a result of decreased acquisition activity in 2015 offset by increased asset management fees as a result of the stabilization of the portfolio.

Mortgage Notes Interest Expense

Mortgage notes interest expense increased $7.1 million primarily as a result of the full year impact of real estate equity investments acquired in 2014.

Transaction Costs

Transaction costs represent expenses such as professional fees associated with new investments. The decrease of $1.4 million is due to the greater volume of real estate equity investments in 2014 compared to 2015 offset by debt investment financing activities.

Property Operating Expenses

Property operating expenses increased $15.7 million primarily as a result of the full year impact of real estate equity investments acquired in 2014.

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General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses are incurred at the corporate level and include auditing and professional fees, director fees, and other costs associated with operating our business which are primarily paid by our Advisor on our behalf in accordance with our advisory agreement. General and administrative expenses increased $2.2 million during the year endedDecember 31, 2015 as a result of higher operating expenses reimbursed to our Advisor due to higher average invested assets in 2015 as compared to 2014.

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization expense increased $19.6 million as a result of the completion of four purchase price allocations of real estate equity investments acquired in 2014.

Realized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Other

In the fourth quarter 2014, we realized a gain of $0.6 million on the sale of a CMBS, which was offset by a loss of $0.2 million from the sale of a mezzanine loan participation in the first quarter 2014.

Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Other

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, we recorded an unrealized loss of $12.1 million and an unrealized gain of $11.8 million, respectively, related to our PE Investments.

Equity in Earnings (Losses) of Unconsolidated Ventures

Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures decreased $5.7 million as a result of a decrease in earnings from PE Investments.

Income Tax Benefit (Expense)

For the years endedDecember 31, 2015 and 2014, we recorded income tax expense of $1.1 million and $5.5 million, respectively, related to our PE Investments.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

We require capital to fund our investment activities, pay operating expenses and to make distributions. Our capital sources may include cash flow from operations, net proceeds from asset repayments and sales, securitization financing transactions, borrowings under our Credit Facilities, mortgage notes and other term borrowings and proceeds from our DRP. As of March 10, 2017, we had current investable cash (excluding property level and liquidity requirements) of $111.2 million.

Securitization Financing Transactions

We entered into two securitization financing transactions in 2012 and 2013 that provide permanent, non-recourse, non-mark-to-market financing for a portion of our CRE debt investments that were generally initially financed on our Term Loan Facilities. In January 2015, the outstanding obligations with respect to one of the securitizations were repaid in full. In the future, we expect to execute similar transactions to finance our newly-originated debt investments that might initially be financed on our Term Loan Facilities, although there is no assurance that will be the case. As of December 31, 2016, we had $70.7 million carrying value of CRE debt investments financed with $39.8 million of securitization bonds. In January 2017, Securitization 2013-1 was repaid in full.

Securitization 2013-1

In August 2013, we closed our $531.5 million Securitization 2013-1. We, through our subsidiaries, initially contributed eight CRE debt investments with a $346.1 million aggregate principal amount and NorthStar Realty, through its subsidiaries, transferred three senior loans with an aggregate principal amount of $79.1 million at cost to Securitization 2013-1. We account for such loans transferred by NorthStar Realty, as a loan collateral receivable, related party. Subsequent to the closing of Securitization 2013-1, we contributed four additional CRE debt investments with a $105.5 million aggregate principal balance. A total of $382.7 million of permanent, non-recourse, non-mark-to-market investment-grade securitization bonds were issued, representing an advance rate of 72.0% at a weighted average coupon of LIBOR plus 2.72%. We retained all of the below investment-grade bonds in Securitization 2013-1. The documents that govern Securitization 2013-1 require that the underlying assets meet a collateral value coverage test, or OC test, and an interest coverage test, or IC test (as defined by each applicable governing document) in order for us to receive regular cash flow distributions and defaults in our CRE debt investments, among other things, can negatively impact the OC and IC tests. Failing such tests means that cash flow that would normally be distributed to us would be used to amortize the investment-

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grade securitization bonds until the tests are back in compliance. In such cases, this could decrease cash available to pay our distributions and affect compliance with REIT requirements.

The following table presents the OC and IC cushion as of the closing date of the transaction and the remittance report dated closest to December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	OC		IC
Cushion at closing date of transaction	$	91,431	$	799
Cushion at remittance report dated closest to December 31, 2016	142,838		666

While our Advisor devotes a significant amount of resources to managing our existing investments, including assets collateralizing Securitization 2013-1, maintaining compliance with these tests is not a certainty.

Credit Facilities

We currently have eight Credit Facilities including three Term Loan Facilities that provide up to an aggregate of $550.0 million to finance the origination of first mortgage loans and senior loan participations secured by commercial real estate and five CMBS Credit Facilities. The interest rate and advance rate depend on asset type and characteristic. Maturity dates of our Term Loan Facilities range from March 2017 to October 2018 and all have extensions available at our option, subject to the satisfaction of certain customary conditions, with final maturity dates ranging from October 2018 to October 2021. The advance rate and maturity date of our CMBS Credit Facilities depend upon asset type. Our Credit Facilities contain representations, warranties, covenants, conditions precedent to funding, events of default and indemnities that are customary for agreements of these types. As of December 31, 2016, we are in compliance with all of our financial covenants under our Credit Facilities.

Secured Borrowing

In November 2016, we bifurcated three first mortgage loans with an aggregate principal amount of $44.4 million into senior participations in mortgage loans of $29.5 million and junior participations in the related mortgage loans of $14.9 million to facilitate the financing of our mortgage loans through a securitization financing transaction, or secured borrowing, entered into by NorthStar Income II, a company managed by an affiliate of our Sponsor. We sold three senior participations at cost into the securitization transaction. We did not retain any legal interest in the senior participations and retained the junior participations on an unleveraged basis. As a result of U.S. GAAP requirements for transfers of financial assets, the senior participations transferred into the securitization financing transaction are accounted for as a secured borrowing and presented as loan collateral payable, net, related party on our consolidated balance sheets. Refer to Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in our accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information. As of December 31, 2016, the carrying value of CRE debt investments recorded in real estate debt investments, net was $23.7 million with an offsetting secured borrowing recorded in loan collateral payable, net, related party of $23.3 million.

Offering

We are no longer raising capital from our Primary Offering and we have invested substantially all of the net proceeds from our Primary Offering. Since the successful completion of our Primary Offering, we have only been raising new equity capital through our DRP, and as such, do not expect significant new investment activity. However, as investments are repaid or sold, we expect that those proceeds will be reinvested. Our inability to invest these proceeds could reduce our net income and limit our ability to make distributions. Further, we have certain fixed direct and indirect operating expenses, including certain expenses as a publicly-registered REIT. We expect our net income from operations will be sufficient to cover such expenses.

Our charter limits us from incurring borrowings that would exceed 300% of our net assets. We cannot exceed this limit unless any excess in borrowing over such level is approved by our stockholders. An approximation of this leverage calculation is 75.0% of the cost of our investments, excluding indirect leverage held through our unconsolidated venture investments. As of December 31, 2016, our leverage as a percentage of our cost of investments was 45.0%.

In addition to making investments in accordance with our investment objectives, we use or have used our capital resources to make certain payments to our Advisor, our Prior Advisor and NorthStar Securities, LLC, or our Dealer Manager. During our organization and offering stage, these payments included payments to our Dealer Manager for selling commissions and dealer manager fees and payments to our Prior Advisor, or its affiliates, as applicable, for reimbursement of certain organization and offering costs. Total selling commissions, dealer manager fees and reimbursable organization and offering expenses through the completion of our Total Primary Offering were, in the aggregate, 10.7% of total proceeds raised from our Total Primary Offering, below the 15.0% maximum allowed. We expect to continue to make payments to our Advisor, or its affiliates, as applicable, in connection with the selection and origination or acquisition of investments, the management of our assets and costs incurred by our Advisor in providing services to us. On June 30, 2014, we entered into a new advisory agreement with our Advisor, on terms substantially

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similar to those set forth in our prior advisory agreement with our Prior Advisor, which has a one-year term but may be renewed for an unlimited number of successive one-year periods upon the mutual consent of our Advisor and our board of directors, including a majority of our independent directors. In June 2016, our board of directors approved the renewal of the advisory agreement for an additional one-year term, on terms identical to those previously in effect.

Cash Flows

The following presents a summary of our consolidated statements of cash flows for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014 (dollars in thousands):

	Year Ended December 31,
Cash flow provided by (used in):	2016			2015			2014			2016 vs. 2015 Change			2015 vs. 2014 Change
Operating activities	$	60,836		$	84,995		$	93,392		$	(24,159	)	$	(8,397	)
Investing activities	173,931			257,731			(504,087		)	(83,800		)	761,818
Financing activities	(209,618		)	(250,591		)	326,855			40,973			(577,446		)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	$	25,149		$	92,135		$	(83,840	)	$	(66,986	)	$	175,975

Year EndedDecember 31, 2016 Compared to December 31, 2015

Operating Activities

Our cash flows from operating activities depends on numerous factors including the changes to net interest income and net operating income generated from our real estate investments, distributions from PE Investments, fees paid to our Advisor for the management of our investments, transaction costs on new investments, and general and administrative expenses. Our net cash provided by operating activities decreased by $24.2 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2016 compared to the year endedDecember 31, 2015 primarily as a result of lower invested assets generating lower net interest income and equity in earnings, respectively, period over period.

Investing Activities

Our cash flows from investing activities are generally used to fund debt investment originations and investment acquisitions, net of proceeds received from dispositions or repayments of real estate assets. Our net cash provided by investing activities decreased by $83.8 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2016 compared to the year endedDecember 31, 2015 primarily as a result of an acquisition of operating real estate and increased investment in PE Investments, partially offset by proceeds from sale of an unconsolidated venture.

Financing Activities

Our cash flows from financing activities are principally impacted by our distributions paid on common stock, borrowings on credit facilities, and mortgage notes payable. Our net cash used in financing activities decreased by $41.0 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2016 compared to the year endedDecember 31, 2015 primarily as a result of increased borrowing from mortgage notes payable and the repayment of securitization bonds payable, partially offset by decreased borrowings from our credit facilities and increased share repurchases.

Year EndedDecember 31, 2015 Compared to December 31, 2014

Operating Activities

Our net cash provided by operating activities decreased by $8.4 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2015 compared to the year endedDecember 31, 2014. Net cash provided by operating activities related to net interest income and rental income generated from our investments and distributions from PE Investments, partially offset by fees paid to our Advisor for the management of our investments, interest expense on borrowings, payment of property operating expenses and general and administrative expenses.

Investing Activities

Our net cash provided by investing activities increased by $761.8 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2015 compared to the year endedDecember 31, 2014 primarily as result of decreased CRE debt investment originations and acquisition of operating real estate activity, partially offset by CMBS purchases.

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Financing Activities

Our net cash used in financing activities decreased by $577.4 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2015 compared to the year endedDecember 31, 2014 primarily as a result of decreased borrowing from our mortgage notes payable, credit facilities and increased repayment of securitization bonds.

Contractual Obligations and Commitments

The following table presents contractual obligations and commitments as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	Payments Due by Period
			2017		2018-2019		2020-2021
	Total		Less than 1 year		1-3 years(1)		3-5 years(2)		More than 5 years
Securitization bonds payable(3)(4)	$	39,762	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	39,762
Mortgage notes payable(4)	396,613		—		—		12,411		384,202
Credit facilities(4)	249,156		22,187		205,619		21,350		—
Estimated interest payments(5)	165,372		26,790		43,659		38,101		56,822
Unfunded commitments(6)	35,224		24,268		4,567		1,178		5,211
PE Investments(7)	90,415		34,477		55,938		—		—
Total(8)	$	976,542	$	107,722	$	309,783	$	73,040	$	485,997

___________________________________

(1) Total includes $286.1 million and $23.7 million for years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019, respectively.

(2) Total includes $33.0 million and $40.1 million for years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively.

(3) Repaid in full in January 2017.

(4) Based on the final maturity date.

(5) Applicable LIBOR rate plus the respective spread as of December 31, 2016 was used to estimate payments for our floating-rate borrowings.

(6) Includes $17.0 million related to a CRE debt investment which was repaid in full in January 2017.

(7) Includes an estimated $0.2 million associated with future fundings and the deferred purchase price of $44.3 million, $41.4 million and $4.5 million for PE Investment IIA, PE Investment IIB and PE Investment III, respectively.

(8) Subject to certain restrictions and limitations, our Advisor is responsible for managing our affairs on a day-to-day basis and for identifying, originating, acquiring and asset managing investments on our behalf. For such services, our Advisor receives management fees from us. The table above does not include amounts due under the advisory agreement as those obligations do not have fixed and determinable payments.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

As of December 31, 2016, we are not dependent on the use of any off-balance sheet financing arrangements for liquidity. We have made investments in unconsolidated ventures. Refer to Note 5. “Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures” in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for a discussion of such unconsolidated ventures in our consolidated financial statements. In each case, our exposure to loss is limited to the carrying value of our investment plus any unfunded commitments and our proportionate share of an obligation owed though joint investments.

Related Party Arrangements

Advisor

In connection with the completion of NorthStar Realty’s spin-off of its asset management business into our Sponsor, on June 30, 2014, we entered into a new advisory agreement with our Advisor, an affiliate of our Sponsor, on terms substantially similar to those set forth in the prior advisory agreement, and terminated the advisory agreement with our Prior Advisor. For periods prior to June 30, 2014, the information below regarding fees and reimbursements incurred and accrued but not yet paid relates to our Prior Advisor.

In June 2016, our board of directors approved the renewal of the advisory agreement for an additional one-year term, on terms identical to those previously in effect.

Subject to certain restrictions and limitations, our Advisor is responsible for managing our affairs on a day-to-day basis and for identifying, originating, acquiring and asset managing investments on our behalf. Our Advisor may delegate certain of its obligations to affiliated entities, which may be organized under the laws of the United States or foreign jurisdictions. References to our Advisor include our Advisor and any such affiliated entities. For such services, to the extent permitted by law and regulations, our Advisor receives fees and reimbursement from us. Below is a description and table of the fees and reimbursements incurred to our Advisor.

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Fees to Advisor

Asset Management Fee

Our Advisor receives a monthly asset management fee equal to one-twelfth of 1.25% of the sum of the amount funded or allocated for CRE investments, including expenses and any financing attributable to such investments, less any principal received on debt and securities investments (or our proportionate share thereof in the case of an investment made through a joint venture).

Incentive Fee

Our Advisor is entitled to receive distributions equal to 15.0% of net cash flows of us, whether from continuing operations, repayment of loans, disposition of assets or otherwise, but only after stockholders have received, in the aggregate, cumulative distributions equal to their invested capital plus an 8.0% cumulative, non-compounded annual pre-tax return on such invested capital.

Acquisition Fee

Our Advisor also receives fees for providing structuring, diligence, underwriting advice and related services in connection with real estate acquisitions equal to 1.0% of the amount funded or allocated by us to originate or acquire investments, including acquisition costs and any financing attributable to such investments (or our proportionate share thereof in the case of an investment made through a joint venture). A fee paid to our Advisor in connection with the origination or acquisition of CRE debt investments is included in CRE debt investments, net on our consolidated balance sheets and is amortized to interest income over the life of the investment using the effective interest method. An acquisition fee incurred related to an equity investment will generally be expensed as incurred. A fee paid to our Advisor in connection with the acquisition of an equity or debt investment in an unconsolidated joint venture is included in investments in unconsolidated ventures on our consolidated balance sheets.

Disposition Fee

For substantial assistance in connection with the sale of investments and based on the services provided, as determined by our Company’s independent directors, our Advisor receives a disposition fee of 1.0% of the contract sales price of each CRE investment sold. We do not pay a disposition fee upon the maturity, prepayment, workout, modification or extension of a CRE debt investment unless there is a corresponding fee paid by our borrower, in which case the disposition fee is the lesser of: (i) 1.0% of the principal amount of the CRE debt investment prior to such transaction; or (ii) the amount of the fee paid by our borrower in connection with such transaction. If we take ownership of a property as a result of a workout or foreclosure of a CRE debt investment, we will pay a disposition fee upon the sale of such property. A disposition fee from the sale of a CRE investment is generally expensed and included in asset management and other fees - related party in our consolidated statements of operations. A disposition fee for a CRE debt investment incurred in a transaction other than a sale is included in CRE debt investments, net on our consolidated balance sheets and is amortized to interest income over the life of the investment using the effective interest method.

Reimbursements to Advisor

Operating Costs

Our Advisor is entitled to receive reimbursement for direct and indirect operating costs incurred by our Advisor in connection with administrative services provided to us. Our Advisor allocates, in good faith, indirect costs to us related to our Advisor’s and its affiliates’ employees, occupancy and other general and administrative costs and expenses in accordance with the terms of, and subject to the limitations contained in, the advisory agreement with our Advisor. The indirect costs include our allocable share of our Advisor’s compensation and benefit costs associated with dedicated or partially dedicated personnel who spend all or a portion of their time managing our affairs, based upon the percentage of time devoted by such personnel to our affairs. The indirect costs also include rental and occupancy, technology, office supplies, travel and entertainment and other general and administrative costs and expenses. However, there is no reimbursement for personnel costs related to executive officers (although there may be reimbursement for certain executive officers of our Advisor) and other personnel involved in activities for which our Advisor receives an acquisition fee or a disposition fee. Our Advisor allocates these costs to us relative to its and its affiliates’ other managed companies in good faith and has reviewed the allocation with our board of directors, including its independent directors. Our Advisor updates the board of directors on a quarterly basis of any material changes to the expense allocation and provides a detailed review to the board of directors, at least annually, and as otherwise requested by the board of directors. We reimburse our Advisor quarterly for operating costs (including the asset management fee) based on a calculation for the four preceding fiscal quarters not to exceed the greater of: (i) 2.0% of our average invested assets; or (ii) 25.0% of our net income determined without reduction for any additions to reserves for depreciation, loan losses or other similar non-cash reserves and excluding any gain from the sale of assets for that period. Notwithstanding the above, we may reimburse our Advisor for expenses in excess of this limitation if a majority of our independent directors determines that such excess expenses are justified based on unusual and non-recurring factors. We calculate the expense reimbursement quarterly based upon the trailing twelve-month period.

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Summary of Fees and Reimbursements

The following tables present the fees and reimbursements incurred to our Advisor for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015 and the amount due to related party as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):

Type of Fee or Reimbursement		Due to Related Party as of		Year Ended December 31, 2016					Due to Related Party as of(1)
	Financial Statement Location	December 31, 2015		Incurred		Paid			December 31, 2016
Fees to Advisor Entities
Asset management	Asset management and other fees, related party	$	—	$	21,337	$	(21,327	)	$	10
Acquisition(2)	Real estate debt investments, net / Asset management and other fees, related party	—		3,254		(3,214		)	40
Disposition(2)	Real estate debt investments, net / Asset management and other fees, related party	—		4,612		(4,612		)	—
Reimbursements to Advisor Entities
Operating costs(3)	General and administrative expenses	—		12,747		(12,729		)	18
Total		$	—	$	41,950	$	(41,882	)	$	68

________________________________________

(1) The balance is included in accounts payable and accrued expenses on our consolidated balance sheet.

(2) Acquisition/disposition fees incurred to our Advisor related to CRE debt investments are generally offset by origination/exit fees paid to us by borrowers if such fees are required from the borrower. Acquisition fees related to equity investments are included in asset management and other fees - related party in our consolidated statements of operations. Acquisition fees related to investments in unconsolidated joint ventures are included in investments in unconsolidated ventures on our consolidated balance sheets. Our Advisor may determine to defer fees or seek reimbursement. From inception through December 31, 2016, our Advisor waived $0.8 million of acquisition fees and $0.4 million of disposition fees related to CRE securities.

(3) As of December 31, 2016, our Advisor has incurred unreimbursed operating costs on our behalf of $9.6 million that remain eligible to allocate to us. For the year ended December 31, 2016, the aggregate amount of fees and all other costs paid to our Advisor was $42.0 million. For the year ended December 31, 2016, total operating expenses included in the 2%/25% Guidelines represented 2.0% of average invested assets and 64.9% of net income without reduction for any additions to reserves for depreciation, loan losses or other similar non-cash reserves. We did not incur any offering costs for the year ended December 31, 2016.

Type of Fee or Reimbursement		Due to Related Party as of		Year Ended December 31, 2015					Due to Related Party as of
	Financial Statement Location	December 31, 2014		Incurred		Paid			December 31, 2015
Fees to Advisor Entities
Asset management	Asset management and other fees, related party	$	—	$	23,965	$	(23,965	)	$	—
Acquisition(1)	Real estate debt investments, net / Asset management and other fees, related party	—		451		(451		)	—
Disposition(1)	Real estate debt investments, net / Asset management and other fees, related party	—		3,317		(3,317		)	—
Reimbursements to Advisor Entities
Operating costs(2)	General and administrative expenses	—		13,116		(13,116		)	—
Total		$	—	$	40,849	$	(40,849	)	$	—

________________________________________

(1) Acquisition/disposition fees incurred to our Advisor related to CRE debt investments are generally offset by origination/exit fees paid to us by borrowers if such fees are required from the borrower. Acquisition fees related to equity investments are included in asset management and other fees - related party in our consolidated statements of operations. Acquisition fees related to investments in unconsolidated joint ventures are included in investments in unconsolidated ventures on our consolidated balance sheets. Our Advisor may determine to defer fees or seek reimbursement. From inception through December 31, 2015, our Advisor waived $0.6 million of acquisition fees and $0.4 million of disposition fees related to CRE securities.

(2) As of December 31, 2015, our Advisor has incurred unreimbursed operating costs on our behalf of $7.9 million that remain eligible to allocate to us. For the year ended December 31, 2015, the aggregate amount of fees and all other costs paid to our Advisor was $40.8 million. For the year ended December 31, 2015, total operating expenses included in the 2%/25% Guidelines represented 2.0% of average invested assets and 45.0% of net income without reduction for any additions to reserves for depreciation, loan losses or other similar non-cash reserves. We did not incur any offering costs for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Securitization 2013-1

In August 2013, we closed Securitization 2013-1. We initially contributed eight CRE debt investments with a $346.1 million aggregate principal amount. NorthStar Realty contributed three senior loans with an aggregate principal amount of $79.1 million at cost to Securitization 2013-1. An affiliate of our Sponsor was named special servicer of Securitization 2013-1. As of December 31, 2016, we had $39.8 million outstanding as part of Securitization 2013-1.

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PE Investments

In connection with PE Investments, we guaranteed all of our funding obligations that may be due and owed under the governing documents indirectly through an indemnification agreement with NorthStar Realty, which in turn guaranteed the obligations directly to the PE Investment entities. We and NorthStar Realty each agreed to indemnify the other proportionately for any losses that may arise in connection with the funding and other obligations as set forth in the governing documents in the case of a joint default by us and NorthStar Realty. We and NorthStar Realty further agreed to indemnify each other for all of the losses that may arise as a result of a default that was solely caused by us or NorthStar Realty, as the case may be. In connection with the mergers, our Sponsor assumed all of NorthStar Realty’s obligations.

PE Investment I

In connection with PE Investment I, we assumed the rights to subscribe to 29.5% of PE Investment I from NorthStar Realty. We and NorthStar Realty contributed cash of $400.1 million, of which we and NorthStar Realty contributed $118.0 million and $282.1 million, respectively. In connection with the mergers, NorthStar Realty’s interests in PE Investment I and its other obligations were assumed by our Sponsor.

PE Investment IIB

In February 2016, our board of directors, including all of our independent directors, approved the purchase of an additional 14.0% of the PE Investment IIA transaction from NorthStar Realty, which following the mergers became a subsidiary of our Sponsor, or PE Investment IIB. We purchased PE Investment IIB on the same terms and conditions negotiated by another existing and purchasing unrelated co-investor in the transaction. This increased our total ownership from 15% to 29%. We acquired PE Investment IIB for $26.5 million based on a NAV of $660.6 million as of December 31, 2015, adjusted for distributions and contributions. With this add-on investment, PE Investment IIA and PE Investment IIB are collectively responsible for 29% of the Deferred Amount, or $85.7 million as of December 31, 2016.

Secured Borrowing

In November 2016, we bifurcated three first mortgage loans with an aggregate principal amount of $44.4 million into senior participations in mortgage loans of $29.5 million and junior participations in the related mortgage loans of $14.9 million to facilitate the financing of our mortgage loans through a securitization financing transaction, or secured borrowing, entered into by NorthStar Income II, a company managed by an affiliate of our Sponsor. We sold three senior participations at cost into the securitization transaction. We did not retain any legal interest in the senior participations and retained the junior participations on an unleveraged basis. As a result of U.S. GAAP requirements for transfers of financial assets, the senior participations transferred into the securitization financing transaction are accounted for as a secured borrowing and presented as loan collateral payable, net, related party on our consolidated balance sheets. Refer to Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in our accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information. As of December 31, 2016, the carrying value of CRE debt investments recorded in real estate debt investments, net was $23.7 million with an offsetting secured borrowing recorded in loan collateral payable, net, related party of $23.3 million.

Recent Developments

Distribution Reinvestment Plan

From January 1, 2017 through March 10, 2017, we issued 0.9 million shares of common stock pursuant to our DRP, raising proceeds of $9.3 million. As of March 10, 2017, 8.7 million shares were available to be issued pursuant to our DRP.

Distributions

On March 15, 2017, our board of directors approved a daily cash distribution of $0.001917808 per share of common stock for each of the three months ended June 30, 2017. Distributions are generally paid to stockholders on the first business day of the month following the month for which the distribution was accrued.

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Share Repurchases

From January 1, 2017 through March 10, 2017, we repurchased 1.8 million shares for a total of $17.4 million or a weighted average price of $9.42 per share under a share repurchase program, or our Share Repurchase Program or SRP, that enables stockholders to sell their shares to us in certain circumstances, including death or a qualifying disability. We fund repurchase requests received during a quarter with proceeds set aside for that purpose which are not expected to exceed proceeds received from our DRP. The shares were repurchased using $9.3 million in cash proceeds from the DRP and $8.1 million in cash available from operations. In accordance with the SRP, our board of directors approved the use of cash available from operations to fund the aggregate amount of repurchases received during the quarter ended December 31, 2016 in excess of the aggregate proceeds received pursuant to the DRP.

New Investments

Commercial Real Estate Debt

In January 2017, we originated a $12.0 million mezzanine CRE debt investment.

Real Estate Securities Investments

From January 1, 2017 through March 10, 2017, we purchased four CMBS investments with an aggregate face value of $21.5 million at an aggregate discount to par of $6.6 million, or 30.7%.

Repayments

Commercial Real Estate Debt

In January 2017, we received $69.8 million related to the repayment of a CRE debt investment.

Inflation

Virtually all of our assets and liabilities are interest rate sensitive in nature. As a result, interest rates and other factors influence our performance significantly more than inflation does. A change in interest rates may correlate with the inflation rate. Substantially all of the leases at our multifamily and student housing properties allow for monthly or annual rent increases which provide us with the opportunity to achieve increases, where justified by the market, as each lease matures. Such types of leases generally minimize the risks of inflation on our multifamily and student housing properties.

Refer to Item 7A. “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” for additional details.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Funds from Operations and Modified Funds from Operations

We believe that FFO and MFFO, both of which are non-GAAP measures, are additional appropriate measures of the operating performance of a REIT and of us in particular. We compute FFO in accordance with the standards established by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, or NAREIT, as net income (loss) (computed in accordance with U.S. GAAP), excluding gains (losses) from sales of depreciable property, the cumulative effect of changes in accounting principles, real estate-related depreciation and amortization, impairment on depreciable property owned directly or indirectly and after adjustments for unconsolidated ventures.

Changes in the accounting and reporting rules under U.S. GAAP that have been put into effect since the establishment of NAREIT’s definition of FFO have prompted an increase in the non-cash and non-operating items included in FFO. For instance, the accounting treatment for acquisition fees related to business combinations has changed from being capitalized to being expensed. Additionally, publicly registered, non-traded REITs are typically different from traded REITs because they generally have a limited life followed by a liquidity event or other targeted exit strategy. Non-traded REITs typically have a significant amount of acquisition activity and are substantially more dynamic during their initial years of investment and operation as compared to later years when the proceeds from their initial public offering have been fully invested and when they may seek to implement a liquidity event or other exit strategy. However, we continue to make investments past the acquisition and development stage, albeit at a substantially lower pace.

Acquisition fees paid to our Advisor in connection with the origination and acquisition of debt investments are amortized over the life of the investment as an adjustment to interest income under U.S. GAAP and are therefore included in the computation of net income (loss) and income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense), both of which are performance measures under U.S. GAAP. We adjust MFFO for the amortization of acquisition fees in the period when such amortization is recognized under U.S. GAAP. Acquisitionfees are paid in cash that would otherwise be available to

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distribute to our stockholders. We believe that acquisition fees incurred by us negatively impact our operating performance during the period in which such investments are originated or acquired by reducing cash flow and therefore the potential distributions to our stockholders. However, in general, we earn origination fees for debt investments from our borrowers in an amount equal to the acquisition fees paid to our Advisor, and as a result, the impact of acquisition fees to our operating performance and cash flow would be minimal.

Acquisition fees and expenses paid to our Advisor and third parties in connection with the acquisition of equity investments are generally considered expenses and are included in the determination of net income (loss) and income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense), both of which are performance measures under U.S. GAAP. Such fees and expenses will not be reimbursed by our Advisor or its affiliates and third parties, and therefore if there are no further proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock to fund future acquisition fees and expenses, such fees and expenses will need to be paid from either additional debt, operating earnings, cash flow or net proceeds from the sale of investments or properties. All paid and accrued acquisition fees and expenses will have negative effects on future distributions to stockholders and cash flow generated by us, unless earnings from operations or net sales proceeds from the disposition of other properties are generated to cover the purchase price of the property, these fees and expenses and other costs related to such property.

The origination and acquisition of debt investments and the corresponding acquisition fees paid to our Advisor (and any offsetting origination fees received from our borrowers) associated with such activity is a key operating feature of our business plan that results in generating income and cash flow in order to make distributions to our stockholders. Therefore, the exclusion for acquisition fees may be of limited value in calculating operating performance because acquisition fees affect our overall long-term operating performance and may be recurring in nature as part of net income (loss) and income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense) over our life.

Due to certain of the unique features of publicly-registered, non-traded REITs, the Investment Program Association, or the IPA, an industry trade group, standardized a performance measure known as MFFO and recommends the use of MFFO for such REITs. Management believes MFFO is a useful performance measure to evaluate our business and further believes it is important to disclose MFFO in order to be consistent with the IPA recommendation and other non-traded REITs. MFFO that adjusts for items such as acquisition fees would only be comparable to non-traded REITs that have completed the majority of their acquisition activity and have other similar operating characteristics as us. Neither the SEC nor any other regulatory body has approved the acceptability of the adjustments that we use to calculate MFFO. In the future, the SEC or another regulatory body may decide to standardize permitted adjustments across the non-listed REIT industry and we may need to adjust our calculation and characterization of MFFO.

MFFO is a metric used by management to evaluate our future operating performance once our organization and offering and acquisition and development stages are complete and is not intended to be used as a liquidity measure. Although management uses the MFFO metric to evaluate future operating performance, this metric excludes certain key operating items and other adjustments that may affect our overall operating performance. MFFO is not equivalent to net income (loss) as determined under U.S. GAAP. In addition, MFFO is not a useful measure in evaluating net asset value, or NAV, since an impairment is taken into account in determining NAV but not in determining MFFO.

We define MFFO in accordance with the concepts established by the IPA and adjust for certain items, such as accretion of a discount and amortization of a premium on borrowings and related deferred financing costs, as such adjustments are comparable to adjustments for debt investments and will be helpful in assessing our operating performance. We also adjust MFFO for the non-recurring impact of the non-cash effect of deferred income tax benefits or expenses, as applicable, as such items are not indicative of our operating performance. Similarly, we adjust for the non-cash effect of unrealized gains or losses on unconsolidated ventures. Our computation of MFFO may not be comparable to other REITs that do not calculate MFFO using the same method. MFFO is calculated using FFO. FFO, as defined by NAREIT, is a computation made by analysts and investors to measure a real estate company’s operating performance. The IPA’s definition of MFFO excludes from FFO the following items:

• acquisition fees and expenses;

• non-cash amounts related to straight-line rent and the amortization of above or below market and in-place intangible lease assets and liabilities (which are adjusted in order to reflect such payments from an accrual basis of accounting under U.S. GAAP to a cash basis of accounting);

• amortization of a premium and accretion of a discount on debt investments;

• non-recurring impairment of real estate-related investments that meet the specified criteria identified in the rules and regulations of the SEC;

• realized gains (losses) from the early extinguishment of debt;

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• realized gains (losses) on the extinguishment or sales of hedges, foreign exchange, securities and other derivative holdings except where the trading of such instruments is a fundamental attribute of our business;

• unrealized gains (losses) from fair value adjustments on real estate securities, including CMBS and other securities, interest rate swaps and other derivatives not deemed hedges and foreign exchange holdings;

• unrealized gains (losses) from the consolidation from, or deconsolidation to, equity accounting;

• adjustments related to contingent purchase price obligations; and

• adjustments for consolidated and unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures calculated to reflect MFFO on the same basis as above.

Certain of the above adjustments are also made to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, such as for the amortization of a premium and accretion of a discount on debt and securities investments, amortization of fees, any unrealized gains (losses) on derivatives, securities or other investments, as well as other adjustments.

MFFO excludes non-recurring impairment of real estate-related investments. We assess the credit quality of our investments and adequacy of reserves/impairment on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as necessary. Significant judgment is required in this analysis. With respect to debt investments, we consider the estimated net recoverable value of the loan as well as other factors, including but not limited to the fair value of any collateral, the amount and the status of any senior debt, the prospects for the borrower and the competitive situation of the region where the borrower does business. Fair value is typically estimated based on discounting expected future cash flow of the underlying collateral taking into consideration the discount rate, capitalization rate, occupancy, creditworthiness of major tenants and many other factors. This requires significant judgment and because it is based on projections of future economic events, which are inherently subjective, the amount ultimately realized may differ materially from the carrying value as of the balance sheet date. If the estimated fair value of the underlying collateral for the debt investment is less than its net carrying value, a loan loss reserve is recorded with a corresponding charge to provision for loan losses. With respect to a real estate investment, a property’s value is considered impaired if a triggering event is identified and our estimate of the aggregate future undiscounted cash flow to be generated by the property is less than the carrying value of the property. The value of our investments may be impaired and their carrying values may not be recoverable due to our limited life. Investors should note that while impairment charges are excluded from the calculation of MFFO, investors are cautioned that due to the fact that impairments are based on estimated future undiscounted cash flow and the relatively limited term of a non-traded REIT’s anticipated operations, it could be difficult to recover any impairment charges through operational net revenues or cash flow prior to any liquidity event.

We believe that MFFO is a useful non-GAAP measure for non-traded REITs. It is helpful to management and stockholders in assessing our future operating performance once our organization and offering and acquisition and development stages are complete, because it eliminates from net income non-cash fair value adjustments on our real estate securities and acquisition fees and expenses that are incurred as part of our investment activities. However, MFFO may not be a useful measure of our operating performance or as a comparable measure to other typical non-traded REITs if we do not continue to operate in a similar manner to other non-traded REITs, including if we were to extend our acquisition and development stage or if we determined not to pursue an exit strategy.

However, MFFO does have certain limitations. For instance, the effect of any amortization or accretion on debt investments originated or acquired at a premium or discount, respectively, is not reported in MFFO. In addition, realized gains (losses) from acquisitions and dispositions and other adjustments listed above are not reported in MFFO, even though such realized gains (losses) and other adjustments could affect our operating performance and cash available for distribution. Stockholders should note that any cash gains generated from the sale of investments would generally be used to fund new investments. Any mark-to-market or fair value adjustments may be based on many factors, including current operational or individual property issues or general market or overall industry conditions.

We typically purchase CMBS at a premium or discount to par value, and in accordance with U.S. GAAP, record the amortization of premium/accretion of the discount to interest income, which we refer to as the “CMBS effective yield.” We believe that reporting the CMBS effective yield in MFFO provides better insight to the expected contractual cash flows and is more consistent with our review of operating performance.

Neither FFO nor MFFO is equivalent to net income (loss) or cash flow provided by operating activities determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP and should not be construed to be more relevant or accurate than the U.S. GAAP methodology in evaluating our operating performance. Neither FFO nor MFFO is necessarily indicative of cash flow available to fund our cash needs including our ability to make distributions to our stockholders. FFO and MFFO do not represent amounts available for management’s discretionary use because of needed capital replacement or expansion, debt service obligations or other commitments or

82

uncertainties. Furthermore, neither FFO nor MFFO should be considered as an alternative to net income (loss) as an indicator of our operating performance.

The following table presents a reconciliation of net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders to FFO and MFFO attributable to common stockholders (dollars in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016			2015(1)			2014(1)
Funds from operations:
Net income (loss) attributable to NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust Inc. common stockholders	$	31,952		$	45,614		$	89,124
Adjustments:
Depreciation and amortization	31,227			25,982			6,427
Depreciation and amortization related to non-controlling interests	(2,893		)	(2,588		)	(864		)
FFO attributable to NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. common stockholders	$	60,286		$	69,008		$	94,687
Modified funds from operations:
FFO attributable to NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. common stockholders	$	60,286		$	69,008		$	94,687
Adjustments:
Amortization of premiums, discounts and fees on investments and borrowings, net	4,727			8,537			8,406
Amortization of capitalized above/below market leases	1,150			1,007			—
Acquisition fees and transaction costs on investments	4,408			1,344			5,309
Straight-line rental (income) loss	(1,690		)	(1,798		)	(199		)
Realized (gain) loss on investments and other	—			—			(397		)
Unrealized (gain) loss on investments and other	3,432			12,108			(11,764		)
Adjustments related to non-controlling interests	(133		)	190			(316		)
MFFO attributable to NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. common stockholders	$	72,180		$	90,396		$	95,726

______________________________

(1) Prior periods have been adjusted to conform to current period presentations.

Distributions Declared and Paid

We generally pay distributions on a monthly basis based on daily record dates. Based on our estimated net asset value per share of $9.87, our annualized distribution amount represents an effective current yield of 8.1%. From the commencement of our operations on October 18, 2010 through December 31, 2016, we paid distributions at an annualized distribution rate of $0.80 per share of our common stock. Distributions are generally paid to stockholders on the first business day of the month following the month for which the distribution has accrued.

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The following table presents distributions declared for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016				2015
Distributions Declared(1)
Cash	$	53,408			$	51,826
DRP	43,337				43,842
Total	$	96,745			$	95,668
Sources of Distributions(1)
Funds from Operations(2)	$	60,286	62	%	$	69,008	72	%
Offering proceeds	36,459		38	%	26,660		28	%
Total	$	96,745	100	%	$	95,668	100	%
Cash Flow Provided by (Used in) Operations	$	60,836			$	84,995

_________________________________

(1) Represents distributions declared for such period, even though such distributions are actually paid to stockholders the month following such period.

(2) From inception through December 31, 2016, we declared distributions of $398.9 million, of which 77% was paid from FFO, 22% was paid from Offering proceeds and 1% was paid from distribution support proceeds. From inception through December 31, 2016, the difference between total distributions paid (including cash distributions and shares issued in connection with our DRP) and cash flow provided by operations was $70.6 million, of which $4.6 million related to shares purchased by an affiliate of our Sponsor (previously a subsidiary of NorthStar Realty), pursuant to our Distribution Support Agreement, which terminated in July 2013, and the remainder related to shares issued pursuant to our DRP.

Distributions in excess of our cash flow provided by operations were paid using Offering proceeds. Over the long-term, we expect that our distributions will be paid entirely from cash flow provided by operations. However, our operating performance cannot be accurately predicted and may deteriorate in the future due to numerous factors, including our ability to raise and invest capital at favorable yields, the financial performance of our investments in the current real estate and financial environment, the type and mix of our investments and accounting of our investments in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Future distributions declared and paid may exceed cash flow provided by operations.

As of March 10, 2017, our portfolio is generating a 11.7% current yield on invested equity before expenses and excluding uninvested cash. There is no assurance we will realize the expected returns on invested equity over the term of these investments. Our actual return on invested equity could vary significantly from our expectations.

Item 7A.    Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

We are primarily subject to interest rate risk and credit risk. These risks are dependent on various factors beyond our control, including monetary and fiscal policies, domestic and international economic conditions and political considerations. Our market risk sensitive assets, liabilities and related derivative positions are held for investment and not for trading purposes.

Interest Rate Risk

We may be subject to interest rate changes as a result of long-term borrowings used to acquire real estate equity investments and may also be exposed to changes in net interest income of our real estate debt investments, which is the difference between the income earned and the interest expense incurred in connection with our borrowings and derivatives.

Our interest rate risk management objectives are to limit the impact of interest rate changes on earnings, prepayment penalties and cash flows and to lower overall borrowing costs by borrowing primarily at fixed rates or variable rates with the lowest margins available and by evaluating hedging opportunities.

Our CRE debt and securities investments bear interest at either a floating or fixed-rate. The interest rate on our floating-rate assets is a fixed spread over an index such as LIBOR and typically reprices every 30 days based on LIBOR in effect at the time. Currently, most of our floating-rate CRE debt investments have a fixed minimum LIBOR floor. We will not benefit from an increase in LIBOR until it is in excess of the LIBOR floors. Given the frequent and periodic repricing of our floating-rate assets, changes in benchmark interest rates are unlikely to materially affect the value of our floating-rate portfolio. Changes in short-term rates will, however, affect income from our investments.

A change in interest rates could affect the value of our fixed-rate CRE debt and securities investments. For instance, an increase in interest rates would result in a higher required yield on investments, which would decrease the value on existing fixed-rate investments in order to adjust their yields to current market levels.

84

Our general financing strategy has focused on the use of “match-funded” structures. This means that we seek to align the maturities of our liabilities with the maturities on our assets as closely as possible in order to manage the risks of being forced to refinance our liabilities prior to the maturities of our assets. In addition, we seek to match the interest rate on our assets with like-kind borrowings, so fixed-rate investments are financed with fixed-rate borrowings and floating-rate assets are financed with floating-rate borrowings, directly or indirectly, through the use of interest rate swaps, caps and other financial instruments or through a combination of these strategies. We are subject to interest rate risk because on certain investments, we maintain a net floating-rate asset position, and, therefore, our income will increase with increases in interest rates and decrease with declines in interest rates. As of December 31, 2016, 76.6% of our debt investments, including future funding commitments, were floating rate investments and 54.0% of our total borrowings were floating rate liabilities. Of the floating rate liabilities, 5.8% related to the use of our CMBS Credit Facilities. As of December 31, 2016, a hypothetical 100 basis point increase in interest rates (including the effect of the interest rate floor) would increase income by $4.8 million annually, net of interest expense.

Credit Spread Risk

The value of our fixed and floating-rate investments also changes with market credit spreads. This means that when market-demanded risk premium, or credit spread, increases, the value of our fixed and floating-rate assets decrease and vice versa. Fixed-rate assets are valued based on a market credit spread over the rate payable on fixed-rate U.S. Treasury of like maturity. This means that their value is dependent on the yield demanded on such assets by the market, based on their credit relative to U.S. Treasuries. The floating-rate CRE debt and securities investments are valued based on a market credit spread over the applicable LIBOR. Demand for a higher yield on investments results in higher or “wider” spread over the benchmark rate (usually the applicable U.S. Treasury yield) to value these assets. Under these conditions, the value of our portfolio should decrease. Conversely, if the spread used to value these assets were to decrease or “tighten,” the value of these assets should increase.

Credit Risk

Credit risk in our CRE debt and securities investments relates to each individual borrower’s ability to make required interest and principal payments on scheduled due dates. We seek to manage credit risk through our Advisor’s comprehensive credit analysis prior to making an investment, actively monitoring our portfolio and the underlying credit quality, including subordination and diversification of our portfolio. Our analysis is based on a broad range of real estate, financial, economic and borrower-related factors which we believe are critical to the evaluation of credit risk inherent in a transaction. For the year ended December 31, 2016, two CRE debt investments each contributed more than 10% of interest income.

We are subject to the credit risk of the borrower when we make CRE debt and securities investments and the credit risk of our tenants in our real estate properties. We seek to undertake a rigorous credit evaluation of each borrower/tenant prior to making an investment. This analysis includes an extensive due diligence investigation of the borrowers/tenant’s creditworthiness and business as well as an assessment of the strategic importance of the underlying real estate to the borrowers/tenant’s core business operations.

85

Item 8.    Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

The consolidated financial statements of NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. and the notes related to the foregoing consolidated financial statements, together with the independent registered public accounting firm’s report thereon are included in this Item 8.

Index to Consolidated Financial Statements

	Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm	87
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015	88
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014	89
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014	90
Consolidated Statements of Equity for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014	91
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014	92
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements	94
Schedule III - Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation as of December 31, 2016	128
Schedule IV - Mortgage Loans on Real Estate as of December 31, 2016	129

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Board of Directors and Stockholders

NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (a Maryland corporation) and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2016. Our audits of the basic consolidated financial statements included the financial statement schedules listed in the index appearing under Item 15(a)(2). These financial statements and financial statement schedules are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial statement schedules based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. We were not engaged to perform an audit of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2016 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the related financial statement schedules, when considered in relation to the basic consolidated financial statements taken as a whole, present fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein.

/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP

New York, New York

March 17, 2017

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NORTHSTAR REAL ESTATE INCOME TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Dollars in Thousands, Except Per Share Data)

	December 31,
	2016			2015
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$	153,039		$	127,890
Restricted cash	74,195			75,074
Real estate debt investments, net	745,323			997,836
Operating real estate, net	488,839			365,327
Investments in unconsolidated ventures (refer to Note 5)	90,579			157,843
Real estate securities, available for sale	93,975			83,622
Receivables, net	13,956			48,545
Deferred costs and other assets, net	56,370			37,323
Loan collateral receivable, related party	52,204			54,056
Total assets(1)	$	1,768,480		$	1,947,516
Liabilities
Securitization bonds payable, net	$	39,762		$	185,314
Mortgage notes payable, net	393,410			316,402
Credit facilities	249,156			318,000
Accounts payable and accrued expenses (refer to Note 8)	7,930			11,238
Escrow deposits payable	58,453			61,881
Distribution payable	8,192			8,205
Other liabilities	19,191			14,465
Loan collateral payable, net, related party (refer to Note 8)	23,261			—
Total liabilities(1)	799,355			915,505
Commitments and contingencies
Equity
NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. Stockholders’ Equity
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015	—			—
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 400,000,000 shares authorized, 120,903,352 and 120,757,888 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively	1,209			1,207
Additional paid-in capital	1,080,434			1,078,154
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)	(151,731		)	(86,938		)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	20,175			21,901
Total NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. stockholders’ equity	950,087			1,014,324
Non-controlling interests	19,038			17,687
Total equity	969,125			1,032,011
Total liabilities and equity	$	1,768,480		$	1,947,516

_________________________________________________________________________

(1) Represents the consolidated assets and liabilities of NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust Operating Partnership, LP (the “Operating Partnership”). The Operating Partnership is a consolidated variable interest entity (“VIE”), of which the Company is the sole general partner and owns approximately 99.98%. As of December 31, 2016, the assets and liabilities of the Operating Partnership include $403.0 million and $341.0 million of assets and liabilities, respectively, of certain VIEs that are consolidated by the Operating Partnership. Refer to Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies”.

Refer to accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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NORTHSTAR REAL ESTATE INCOME TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Dollars in Thousands, Except Per Share Data)

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016			2015			2014
Net interest income
Interest income	$	77,657		$	96,471		$	102,697
Interest expense	16,674			21,339			21,100
Net interest income	60,983			75,132			81,597
Property and other revenues
Rental and other income	78,602			60,394			29,342
Total property and other revenues	78,602			60,394			29,342
Expenses
Asset management and other fees, related party	23,765			23,965			24,676
Mortgage notes interest expense	17,519			14,832			7,763
Transaction costs	1,978			1,344			2,777
Property operating expenses	36,950			31,135			15,433
General and administrative expenses	14,503			15,475			13,265
Depreciation and amortization	31,227			25,982			6,427
Total expenses	125,942			112,733			70,341
Other income (loss)
Realized gain (loss) on investments and other	—			—			397
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments	(3,432		)	(12,108		)	11,764
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense)	10,211			10,685			52,759
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	24,963			36,017			41,679
Income tax benefit (expense)	(2,967		)	(1,111		)	(5,485		)
Net income (loss)	32,207			45,591			88,953
Net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests	(255		)	23			171
Net income (loss) attributable to NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. common stockholders	$	31,952		$	45,614		$	89,124
Net income (loss) per share of common stock, basic/diluted	$	0.26		$	0.38		$	0.77
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding, basic/diluted	120,946,177			119,321,920			116,121,313

Refer to accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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NORTHSTAR REAL ESTATE INCOME TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

(Dollars in Thousands)

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016			2015			2014
Net income (loss)	$	32,207		$	45,591		$	88,953
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized gain (loss) on real estate securities, available for sale	(1,726		)	(6,513		)	15,370
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	(1,726		)	(6,513		)	15,370
Comprehensive income (loss)	30,481			39,078			104,323
Comprehensive (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests	(255		)	23			171
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. common stockholders	$	30,226		$	39,101		$	104,494

Refer to accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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NORTHSTAR REAL ESTATE INCOME TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY

(Dollars and Shares in Thousands)

	Common Stock					Additional Paid-in Capital			Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)			Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)			Total Company’s Stockholders’ Equity			Non- controlling Interests			Total Equity
	Shares		Amount
Balance as of December 31, 2013	114,536		$	1,145		$	1,019,348		$	(32,886	)	$	13,044		$	1,000,651		$	4,574		$	1,005,225
Non-controlling interests - contributions	—		—			—			—			—			—			15,727			15,727
Non-controlling interests - distributions	—		—			—			—			—			—			(773		)	(773		)
Proceeds from distribution reinvestment plan	4,493		45			42,614			—			—			42,659			—			42,659
Shares redeemed for cash	(1,193	)	(12		)	(11,456		)	—			—			(11,468		)	—			(11,468		)
Issuance and amortization of equity-based compensation	11		—			126			—			—			126			—			126
Other comprehensive income (loss)	—		—			—			—			15,370			15,370			—			15,370
Distributions declared	—		—			—			(93,122		)	—			(93,122		)	—			(93,122		)
Net income (loss)	—		—			—			89,124			—			89,124			(171		)	88,953
Balance as of December 31, 2014	117,847		$	1,178		$	1,050,632		$	(36,884	)	$	28,414		$	1,043,340		$	19,357		$	1,062,697
Non-controlling interests - contributions	—		—			—			—			—			—			268			268
Non-controlling interests - distributions	—		—			—			—			—			—			(1,915		)	(1,915		)
Proceeds from distribution reinvestment plan	4,599		46			43,737			—			—			43,783			—			43,783
Shares redeemed for cash	(1,710	)	(17		)	(16,447		)	—			—			(16,464		)	—			(16,464		)
Issuance and amortization of equity-based compensation	22		—			232			—			—			232			—			232
Other comprehensive income (loss)	—		—			—			—			(6,513		)	(6,513		)	—			(6,513		)
Distributions declared	—		—			—			(95,668		)	—			(95,668		)	—			(95,668		)
Net income (loss)	—		—			—			45,614			—			45,614			(23		)	45,591
Balance as of December 31, 2015	120,758		$	1,207		$	1,078,154		$	(86,938	)	$	21,901		$	1,014,324		$	17,687		$	1,032,011
Non-controlling interests - contributions	—		—			—			—			—			—			4,473			4,473
Non-controlling interests - distributions	—		—			—			—			—			—			(3,377		)	(3,377		)
Proceeds from distribution reinvestment plan	4,467		45			43,501			—			—			43,546			—			43,546
Shares redeemed for cash	(4,349	)	(43		)	(41,412		)	—			—			(41,455		)	—			(41,455		)
Issuance and amortization of equity-based compensation	27		—			191			—			—			191			—			191
Other comprehensive income (loss)	—		—			—			—			(1,726		)	(1,726		)	—			(1,726		)
Distributions declared	—		—			—			(96,745		)	—			(96,745		)	—			(96,745		)
Net income (loss)	—		—			—			31,952			—			31,952			255			32,207
Balance as of December 31, 2016	120,903		$	1,209		$	1,080,434		$	(151,731	)	$	20,175		$	950,087		$	19,038		$	969,125

Refer to accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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NORTHSTAR REAL ESTATE INCOME TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Dollars in Thousands)

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016			2015			2014
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$	32,207		$	45,591		$	88,953
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Equity in (earnings) losses of unconsolidated ventures	(24,963		)	(36,017		)	(41,679		)
Depreciation and amortization	31,227			25,982			6,427
Straight-line rental income	(1,690		)	(1,798		)	(199		)
Amortization of capitalized above/below market leases	1,150			1,007			—
Amortization of premium/accretion of discount and fees on investments and borrowings, net	(861		)	3,577			2,894
Amortization of deferred financing costs	3,089			3,944			4,261
Interest accretion on investments	(6,408		)	(6,505		)	(1,318		)
Distributions of cumulative earnings from unconsolidated ventures (refer to Note 5)	24,963			31,690			36,194
Realized (gain) loss on investments and other	—			—			(397		)
Unrealized (gain) loss on investments and other	3,432			12,108			(11,764		)
Amortization of equity-based compensation	191			232			126
Deferred income tax expense	(2,086		)	(1,485		)	4,020
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Restricted cash	(2,948		)	8,165			(2,764		)
Receivables, net	4,536			58			4,374
Deferred costs and other assets	(552		)	(1,894		)	(490		)
Due to related party	66			—			(3,076		)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(1,291		)	(47		)	5,630
Other liabilities	774			387			2,200
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	60,836			84,995			93,392
Cash flows from investing activities:
Origination of real estate debt investments, net	(151,837		)	(61,639		)	(490,467		)
Repayment on real estate debt investments	372,208			287,084			251,631
Proceeds from sale of real estate debt investments	—			—			17,325
Repayment on loan collateral receivable, related party	1,852			23,846			1,193
Acquisition of operating real estate	(103,384		)	—			(247,625		)
Improvements of operating real estate	(5,649		)	(8,700		)	(7,818		)
Investments in unconsolidated ventures (refer to Note 5)	(55,398		)	(10,035		)	(52,885		)
Proceeds from sale of unconsolidated ventures	59,760			—			4,008
Distributions in excess of cumulative earnings from unconsolidated ventures (refer to Note 5)	63,717			38,107			30,344
Acquisition of real estate securities, available for sale	(20,657		)	(10,818		)	—
Repayment of real estate securities, available for sale	11,075			806			—
Change in restricted cash	2,244			(920		)	(9,793		)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	173,931			257,731			(504,087		)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from distribution reinvestment plan	43,546			43,783			42,659
Shares redeemed for cash	(41,455		)	(16,464		)	(11,468		)
Distributions paid on common stock	(96,758		)	(95,470		)	(92,896		)
Borrowings from mortgage notes	78,952			—			186,550
Repayment of mortgage notes	(204		)	(198		)	(121		)
Borrowings from loan collateral payable, net, related party	24,933			—			—
Borrowings from credit facilities	115,768			55,148			257,798
Repayment of credit facilities	(184,612		)	(6,630		)	(16,638		)
Change in restricted cash	—			—			41,801
Repayment of securitization bonds	(146,049		)	(228,073		)	(93,475		)
Payment of deferred financing costs	(4,835		)	(1,040		)	(2,309		)
Contributions from non-controlling interests	4,473			268			15,727
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(3,377		)	(1,915		)	(773		)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(209,618		)	(250,591		)	326,855
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	25,149			92,135			(83,840		)
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period	127,890			35,755			119,595
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period	$	153,039		$	127,890		$	35,755

Refer to accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Continued)

(Dollars in Thousands)

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest	$	31,208	$	31,755	$	24,148
Cash paid for income taxes	4,307		4,028		3,142
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Escrow deposits payable related to real estate debt investments	$	3,428	$	42,444	$	68,298
Distribution payable	8,192		8,205		8,007
Non-cash related to PE Investments (refer to Note 5)	3,270		2,169		2,990
CRE debt investment payoff due from servicer	—		31,750		—
Acquisition of operating real estate / assumption of mortgage notes payable	—		—		29,133
Acquisition of operating real estate / reduction of CRE debt investment(1)	67,493		—		—
Transfer of CRE debt investments / loan collateral payable, net, related party	23,729		—		—
Accrued capital expenditures	—		1,335		—
Reclassification of deferred financing costs to securitization bonds payable	—		389		2,729
Reclassification of deferred financing costs to mortgage notes payable	—		1,950		2,149
Reclassification related to measurement-period adjustment (refer to Note 4)	33,612		—		—

______________________________________________________________

(1) Non-cash activity in 2016 occurred primarily in connection with taking title to collateral.

Refer to accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. Business and Organization

NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (the “Company”) was formed to originate, acquire and asset manage a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate (“CRE”) debt, select equity and securities investments, predominantly in the United States. The Company may also invest in CRE investments internationally. CRE debt investments include first mortgage loans, subordinate mortgage and mezzanine loans and participations in such loans and preferred equity interests. Real estate equity investments include the Company’s direct ownership in properties, which may be structurally senior to a third-party partner’s equity, as well as indirect interests in real estate through real estate private equity funds (“PE Investments”). CRE securities primarily consist of commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) and may in the future include unsecured real estate investment trust (“REIT”) debt, collateralized debt obligation (“CDO”) notes and other securities. In addition, the Company may own investments through joint ventures. The Company was formed in January 2009 as a Maryland corporation and commenced operations in October 2010. The Company elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), commencing with the taxable year ended December 31, 2010. The Company conducts its operations so as to continue to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

The Company is externally managed and has no employees. Prior to January 11, 2017, the Company was managed by an affiliate of NorthStar Asset Management Group Inc. (NYSE: NSAM) (“NSAM”). Effective January 10, 2017, NSAM completed its previously announced merger with Colony Capital, Inc. (“Colony”), NorthStar Realty Finance Corp. (“NorthStar Realty”), and Colony NorthStar, Inc. (“Colony NorthStar”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NSAM, which the Company refers to as the mergers, with Colony NorthStar surviving the mergers and succeeding NSAM as the Company’s sponsor (the “Sponsor”). As a result of the mergers, the Sponsor became an internally-managed equity REIT, with a diversified real estate and investment management platform and publicly-traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “CLNS”. In addition, following the mergers, NSAM J-NSI Ltd, an affiliate of NSAM (the “Advisor”), became a subsidiary of Colony NorthStar. The Advisor manages the Company’s day-to-day operations pursuant to an advisory agreement. The mergers had no material impact on the Company’s operations.

The Sponsor and its affiliates also provide asset management and other services to NorthStar Realty Europe Corp. (NYSE: NRE), other sponsored public retail-focused companies, private funds and any other companies the Sponsor and its affiliates may manage in the future (collectively the “Managed Companies”), both in the United States and internationally.

Previously, the Company was managed by an affiliate of NorthStar Realty, until June 30, 2014 when it spun-off its asset management business into NSAM. Concurrent with the spin-off, the Advisor agreed to manage the Company’s day-to-day operations on terms substantially similar to those set forth in the Company’s prior advisory agreement with NS Real Estate Income Trust Advisor, LLC (the “Prior Advisor”). References to the Prior Advisor herein refer to the services performed by and fees paid and accrued to the Prior Advisor during the period prior to June 30, 2014. The spin-off of NorthStar Realty’s asset management business had no impact on the Company’s operations.

Substantially all the Company’s business is conducted through NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust Operating Partnership, LP (the “Operating Partnership”). The Company is the sole general partner and a limited partner of the Operating Partnership. The other limited partners of the Operating Partnership are the Prior Advisor and NorthStar OP Holdings, LLC (the “Special Unit Holder”), each an affiliate of the Sponsor. The Prior Advisor invested $1,000 in the Operating Partnership in exchange for common units and the Special Unit Holder invested $1,000 in the Operating Partnership and was issued a separate class of limited partnership units (the “Special Units”), which are collectively recorded as non-controlling interests on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015. As the Company accepted subscriptions for shares in its continuous, public offering which closed in July 2013, it contributed substantially all of the net proceeds to the Operating Partnership as a capital contribution. As of December 31, 2016, the Company’s limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership was 99.98%.

The Company’s charter authorizes the issuance of up to 400,000,000 shares of common stock with a par value of $0.01 per share and up to 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock with a par value of $0.01 per share. The board of directors of the Company is authorized to amend its charter, without the approval of the stockholders, to increase the aggregate number of authorized shares of capital stock or the number of shares of any class or series that the Company has authority to issue.

The Company initially registered to offer up to 100,000,000 shares pursuant to its primary offering to the public (the “Primary Offering”) and up to 10,526,315 shares pursuant to its distribution reinvestment plan (the “DRP”), which are herein collectively referred to as the Offering. In April 2013, the board of directors of the Company authorized the reallocation of shares available under the DRP to the Primary Offering. The Primary Offering (including 7.6 million shares reallocated from the DRP, the “Total Primary Offering”) was completed on July 1, 2013 and all of the shares initially registered for the Offering were issued. As a

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

result of an additional registration statement to offer up to 10.0 million shares pursuant to the DRP, the Company continues to offer DRP shares beyond the Total Primary Offering.

The Company raised total gross proceeds of $1.1 billion in the Offering. In addition, from the close of the Primary Offering through March 10, 2017, the Company has raised an additional $0.2 billion in gross proceeds pursuant to the DRP.

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Accounting

The accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”).

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, the Operating Partnership and their consolidated subsidiaries. The Company consolidates variable interest entities (“VIEs”), if any, where the Company is the primary beneficiary and voting interest entities which are generally majority owned or otherwise controlled by the Company. All significant intercompany balances are eliminated in consolidation.

Variable Interest Entities

A VIE is an entity that lacks one or more of the characteristics of a voting interest entity. A VIE is defined as an entity in which equity investors do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties. The determination of whether an entity is a VIE includes both a qualitative and quantitative analysis. The Company bases its qualitative analysis on its review of the design of the entity, its organizational structure including decision-making ability and relevant financial agreements and the quantitative analysis on the forecasted cash flow of the entity. The Company reassesses its initial evaluation of an entity as a VIE upon the occurrence of certain reconsideration events.

A VIE must be consolidated only by its primary beneficiary, which is defined as the party who, along with its affiliates and agents has both the: (i) power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance; and (ii) obligation to absorb the losses of the VIE or the right to receive the benefits from the VIE, which could be significant to the VIE. The Company determines whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE by considering qualitative and quantitative factors, including, but not limited to: which activities most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and which party controls such activities; the amount and characteristics of its investment; the obligation or likelihood for the Company or other interests to provide financial support; consideration of the VIE’s purpose and design, including the risks the VIE was designed to create and pass through to its variable interest holders and the similarity with and significance to the business activities of the Company and the other interests. The Company reassesses its determination of whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE each reporting period. Significant judgments related to these determinations include estimates about the current and future fair value and performance of investments held by these VIEs and general market conditions.

The Company evaluates its investments and financings, including investments in unconsolidated ventures and securitization financing transactions, if any, to determine whether each investment or financing is a VIE. The Company analyzes new investments and financings, as well as reconsideration events for existing investments and financings, which vary depending on type of investment or financing.

The Company adopted the new consolidation guidance (refer to Recent Accounting Pronouncements) on January 1, 2016, which resulted in the identification of several VIEs. Prior to the adoption of the standard, these entities were consolidated under the voting interest model. The most significant consolidated VIEs are the Operating Partnership and certain properties that have non-controlling interests. These entities are VIEs because the non-controlling interests do not have substantive kick-out or participating rights. The Company consolidates these entities because it controls all significant business activities.

The Operating Partnership consolidates certain properties that have non-controlling interests. Included in operating real estate, net on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016 is $354.3 million related to such consolidated VIEs. Included in mortgage notes payable, net on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016 is $324.4 million collateralized by the real estate assets of the related consolidated VIEs.

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

As of December 31, 2016, the Company identified unconsolidated VIEs related to its securities investments, PE investments and CRE debt investments. Assets of each of the VIEs may only be used to settle obligations of the respective VIE. Creditors of each of the VIEs have no recourse to the general credit of the Company.

The following table presents the Company’s classification, carrying value and maximum exposure of unconsolidated VIEs as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	Total		Maximum Exposure to Loss
Real estate securities, available for sale	$	93,975	$	93,975
Investments in unconsolidated ventures	16,235		16,235
Real estate debt investments, net(1)	142,723		142,723
Total assets	$	252,933	$	252,933

_________________________________________

(1) Includes loan collateral receivable, related party of $52.2 million.

Based on management’s analysis, the Company determined that it is not the primary beneficiary of the above VIEs. Accordingly, the VIEs are not consolidated in the Company’s financial statements as of December 31, 2016. The Company did not provide financial support to the unconsolidated VIEs during the year endedDecember 31, 2016. As of December 31, 2016, there were no explicit arrangements or implicit variable interests that could require the Company to provide financial support to the unconsolidated VIEs.

Voting Interest Entities

A voting interest entity is an entity in which the total equity investment at risk is sufficient to enable it to finance its activities independently and the equity holders have the power to direct the activities of the entity that most significantly impact its economic performance, the obligation to absorb the losses of the entity and the right to receive the residual returns of the entity. The usual condition for a controlling financial interest in a voting interest entity is ownership of a majority voting interest. If the Company has a majority voting interest in a voting interest entity, the entity will generally be consolidated. The Company does not consolidate a voting interest entity if there are substantive participating rights by other parties and/or kick-out rights by a single party or a simple majority vote.

The Company performs on-going reassessments of whether entities previously evaluated under the voting interest framework have become VIEs, based on certain events, and therefore subject to the VIE consolidation framework.

Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures

A non-controlling, unconsolidated ownership interest in an entity may be accounted for using the equity method, at fair value or the cost method.

Under the equity method, the investment is adjusted each period for capital contributions and distributions and its share of the entity’s net income (loss). Capital contributions, distributions and net income (loss) of such entities are recorded in accordance with the terms of the governing documents. An allocation of net income (loss) may differ from the stated ownership percentage interest in such entity as a result of preferred returns and allocation formulas, if any, as described in such governing documents. Equity method investments are recognized using a cost accumulation model in which the investment is recognized based on the cost to the investor, which includes acquisition fees. The Company records as an expense certain acquisition costs and fees associated with consolidated investments deemed to be business combinations and capitalizes these costs for investments deemed to be acquisitions of an asset, including an equity method investment.

The Company may account for an investment in an unconsolidated entity at fair value by electing the fair value option. The Company elected the fair value option for PE Investments. The Company records the change in fair value for its share of the projected future cash flow of such investments from one period to another in equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures in the consolidated statements of operations. Any change in fair value attributed to market related assumptions is considered unrealized gain (loss).

The Company may account for an investment that does not qualify for equity method accounting or for which the fair value option was not elected using the cost method if the Company determines the investment in the unconsolidated entity is insignificant. Under the cost method, equity in earnings is recorded as dividends are received to the extent they are not considered a return of capital, which is recorded as a reduction of cost of the investment.

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Non-controlling Interests

A non-controlling interest in a consolidated subsidiary is defined as the portion of the equity (net assets) in a subsidiary not attributable, directly or indirectly, to the Company. A non-controlling interest is required to be presented as a separate component of equity on the consolidated balance sheets and presented separately as net income (loss) and other comprehensive income (loss) (“OCI”) attributable to non-controlling interests. An allocation to a non-controlling interest may differ from the stated ownership percentage interest in such entity as a result of a preferred return and allocation formula, if any, as described in such governing documents.

Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that could affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates and assumptions.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The Company reports consolidated comprehensive income (loss) in separate statements following the consolidated statements of operations. Comprehensive income (loss) is defined as the change in equity resulting from net income (loss) and OCI. The only component of OCI is unrealized gain (loss) on CRE securities available for sale for which the fair value option was not elected.

Fair Value Option

The fair value option provides an election that allows a company to irrevocably elect to record certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value on an instrument-by-instrument basis at initial recognition. The Company will generally not elect the fair value option for its assets and liabilities. However, the Company has elected the fair value option for PE Investments. Any change in fair value for assets and liabilities for which the election is made is recognized in earnings.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly-liquid investments with an original maturity date of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash, including amounts restricted, may at times exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation deposit insurance limit of $250,000 per institution. The Company mitigates credit risk by placing cash and cash equivalents with major financial institutions. To date, the Company has not experienced any losses on cash and cash equivalents.

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash consists of amounts related to loan origination (escrow deposits) and operating real estate (escrows for taxes, insurance, capital expenditures and payments required under certain lease agreements).

Real Estate Debt Investments

CRE debt investments are generally intended to be held to maturity and, accordingly, are carried at cost, net of unamortized loan fees, premium and discount. CRE debt investments that are deemed to be impaired are carried at amortized cost less a loan loss reserve, if deemed appropriate, which approximates fair value. CRE debt investments where the Company does not have the intent to hold the loan for the foreseeable future or until its expected payoff are classified as held for sale and recorded at the lower of cost or estimated value.

The Company may syndicate a portion of the CRE debt investments that it originates or sell the CRE debt investments individually. When a transaction meets the criteria for sale accounting, the Company will no longer recognize the CRE debt investment sold as an asset and will recognize gain or loss based on the difference between the sales price and the carrying value of the CRE debt investment sold. Any related unamortized deferred origination fees, original issue discounts, loan origination costs, discounts or premiums at the time of sale are recognized as an adjustment to the gain or loss on sale, which is included in interest income on the consolidated statement of operations. Any fees received at the time of sale or syndication are recognized as part of interest income.

Operating Real Estate

Operating real estate is carried at historical cost less accumulated depreciation. Ordinary repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Major replacements and betterments which improve or extend the life of the asset are capitalized and depreciated over their useful life. The Company accounts for purchases of operating real estate that qualify as business combinations using

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

the acquisition method, where the purchase price is allocated to tangible assets such as land, building, improvements and other identified intangibles. Costs directly related to an acquisition deemed to be a business combination are expensed and included in transaction costs in the consolidated statements of operations.

The Company refers to real estate acquired in connection with a foreclosure, deed in lieu of foreclosure or a consensual modification of a loan as real estate owned (“REO”). The Company evaluates whether an REO, herein collectively referred to as taking title to collateral, constitutes a business and whether business combination accounting is appropriate. Any excess upon taking title to collateral between the carrying value of a loan over the estimated fair value of the property is charged to provision for loan losses.

Operating real estate is depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, summarized as follows:

Category:	Term:
Building	30 to 40 years
Building improvements	Lesser of the useful life or remaining life of the building
Land improvements	10 to 30 years
Tenant improvements	Lesser of the useful life or remaining term of the lease
Furniture, fixtures and equipment	3 to 10 years

Real Estate Securities

The Company classifies its CRE securities investments as available for sale on the acquisition date, which are carried at fair value. Unrealized gains (losses) are recorded as a component of accumulated OCI in the consolidated statements of equity.

Deferred Costs

Deferred costs primarily include deferred financing costs and deferred lease costs. Deferred financing costs represent commitment fees, legal and other third-party costs associated with obtaining financing. Costs related to revolving credit facilities are recorded in deferred costs and other asset, net and are amortized to interest expense using the straight-line basis over the term of the facility. Costs related to other borrowings are recorded net against the carrying value of such borrowings and are amortized to interest expense using the effective interest method. Unamortized deferred financing costs are expensed when the associated facility is repaid before maturity. Costs incurred in seeking financing transactions, which do not close, are expensed in the period in which it is determined that the financing will not occur. Deferred lease costs consist of fees incurred to initiate and renew operating leases, which are amortized on a straight-line basis over the remaining lease term and are recorded to depreciation and amortization in the consolidated statements of operations.

Identified Intangibles

The Company records acquired identified intangibles, which includes intangible assets (such as value of the above-market leases, in-place leases, goodwill and other intangibles) and intangible liabilities (such as the value of below-market leases), based on estimated fair value. The value allocated to the above or below-market leases is amortized over the remaining lease term as a net adjustment to rental income. Other intangible assets are amortized into depreciation and amortization expense on a straight-line basis over the remaining lease term. As of December 31, 2016, the weighted average amortization period for above-market leases, below-market leases and in-place lease costs is 4.5 years, 5.2 years and 4.8 years, respectively.

Identified intangible assets are recorded in deferred costs and other assets and identified intangible liabilities are recorded in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.

The following table presents identified intangibles as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	December 31, 2016
	Intangible Assets									Intangible Liabilities
	In-place Leases			Above-market Leases			Total			Below-market Leases
Gross amount	$	47,016		$	14,740		$	61,756		$	12,554
Accumulated amortization	(15,086		)	(5,295		)	(20,381		)	(4,048		)
Total	$	31,930		$	9,445		$	41,375		$	8,506

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

The Company recorded amortization of acquired above-market leases, net of acquired below-market leases of $1.2 million and $1.0 million for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 respectively. There was no amortization of acquired above-market leases, net of acquired below-market leases for the year endedDecember 31, 2014. Amortization of other intangible assets was $11.5 million and $6.5 million for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 respectively. There was no amortization of other intangible assets for the year endedDecember 31, 2014.

The following table presents annual amortization of intangible assets and liabilities (dollars in thousands):

Years Ending December 31:	In-place Leases, Net(1)		Above-market Leases, Net(1)		Below-market Leases, Net(1)
2017	$	10,734	$	3,247	$	2,115
2018	6,948		2,205		2,014
2019	4,963		1,594		1,912
2020	2,961		866		672
2021	2,061		611		427
Thereafter	4,263		922		1,366
Total	$	31,930	$	9,445	$	8,506

______________________________________________________

(1) Identified intangibles will be amortized through periods ending April 2027.

Deferred Costs and Other Assets, Net and Other Liabilities

The following tables present a summary of deferred costs and other assets, net and other liabilities as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):

	December 31,
	2016		2015
Deferred costs and other assets, net:
Intangible assets, net(1)	$	41,375	$	21,149
Deferred commissions and leasing costs	10,287		10,955
Deferred financing costs, net - credit facilities	2,772		2,585
Prepaid expenses	1,386		1,844
Deposits	550		405
Other	—		385
Total	$	56,370	$	37,323
	December 31,
	2016		2015
Other liabilities:
Intangible liabilities, net(2)	$	8,506	$	9,624
PE Investments deferred purchase price, net	4,248		—
Prepaid rent and unearned revenue	4,601		2,583
Tenant security deposits	1,433		676
Other	403		1,582
Total	$	19,191	$	14,465

_________________________________________

(1) Represents in-place leases and above-market leases, net.

(2) Represents below-market leases, net.

Acquisition Fees and Expenses

The total of all acquisition fees and expenses for an investment, including acquisition fees to the Advisor, cannot exceed, in the aggregate, 6.0% of the contract purchase price of such investment unless such excess is approved by a majority of the directors, including independent directors. For the year endedDecember 31, 2016, total acquisition fees and expenses did not exceed the allowed limit for any investment. An acquisition fee incurred related to an equity investment will generally be expensed as incurred. An acquisition fee paid to the Advisor related to the acquisition of an equity or debt investment in an unconsolidated joint venture is included in investments in unconsolidated ventures on the consolidated balance sheets. An acquisition fee paid to the Advisor related to the origination or acquisition of debt investments is included in debt investments, net on the consolidated balance sheets

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

and is amortized to interest income over the life of the investment using the effective interest method. The Company records as an expense certain acquisition costs and fees associated with transactions deemed to be business combinations in which it consolidates the asset and capitalizes these costs for transactions deemed to be acquisitions of an asset, including an equity investment.

Revenue Recognition

Real Estate Debt Investments

Interest income is recognized on an accrual basis and any related premium, discount, origination costs and fees are amortized over the life of the investment using the effective interest method. The amortization is reflected as an adjustment to interest income in the consolidated statements of operations. The amortization of a premium or accretion of a discount is discontinued if such loan is reclassified to held for sale.

Operating Real Estate

Rental and other income from operating real estate is derived from the leasing of space to various types of tenants. Rental revenue recognition commences when the tenant takes legal possession of the leased space and the leased space is substantially ready for its intended use. The leases are for fixed terms of varying length and generally provide for annual rentals and expense reimbursements to be paid in monthly installments. Rental income from leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the respective leases. The excess of rent recognized over the amount contractually due pursuant to the underlying leases is included in receivables on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company amortizes any tenant inducements as a reduction of revenue utilizing the straight-line method over the term of the lease. Other income represents revenue from tenant/operator leases which provide for the recovery of all or a portion of the operating expenses and real estate taxes paid by the Company on behalf of the respective property. This revenue is recognized in the same period as the expenses are incurred.

In a situation in which a lease(s) associated with a significant tenant have been, or are expected to be, terminated early, the Company evaluates the remaining useful life of depreciable or amortizable assets in the asset group related to the lease that will be terminated (i.e., tenant improvements, above- and below-market lease intangibles, in-place lease value and deferred leasing costs). Based upon consideration of the facts and circumstances surrounding the termination, the Company may write-off or accelerate the depreciation and amortization associated with the asset group. Such amounts are included within rental and other income for above- and below-market lease intangibles and depreciation and amortization for the remaining lease related asset groups in the consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, the total amount of accelerated amortization within rental and other income and depreciation and amortization expense was de minimis.

Real Estate Securities

Interest income is recognized using the effective interest method with any premium or discount amortized or accreted through earnings based on expected cash flow through the expected maturity date of the security. Changes to expected cash flow may result in a change to the yield which is then applied retrospectively for high-credit quality securities that cannot be prepaid or otherwise settled in such a way that the holder would not recover substantially all of the investment or prospectively for all other securities to recognize interest income.

Credit Losses and Impairment on Investments

Real Estate Debt Investments

Loans are considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will not be able to collect all principal and interest amounts due according to the contractual terms. The Company assesses the credit quality of the portfolio and adequacy of loan loss reserves on a quarterly basis or more frequently as necessary. Significant judgment of the Company is required in this analysis. The Company considers the estimated net recoverable value of the loan as well as other factors, including but not limited to the fair value of any collateral, the amount and the status of any senior debt, the quality and financial condition of the borrower and the competitive situation of the area where the underlying collateral is located. Because this determination is based on projections of future economic events, which are inherently subjective, the amount ultimately realized may differ materially from the carrying value as of the balance sheet date. If upon completion of the assessment, the estimated fair value of the underlying collateral is less than the net carrying value of the loan, a loan loss reserve is recorded with a corresponding charge to provision for loan losses. The loan loss reserve for each loan is maintained at a level that is determined to be adequate by management to absorb probable losses.

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Income recognition is suspended for a loan at the earlier of the date at which payments become 90-days past due or when, in the opinion of the Company, a full recovery of income and principal becomes doubtful. When the ultimate collectability of the principal of an impaired loan is in doubt, all payments are applied to principal under the cost recovery method. When the ultimate collectability of the principal of an impaired loan is not in doubt, contractual interest is recorded as interest income when received, under the cash basis method until an accrual is resumed when the loan becomes contractually current and performance is demonstrated to be resumed. Interest accrued and not collected will be reversed against interest income.  A loan is written off when it is no longer realizable and/or legally discharged. As of December 31, 2016, the Company did not have any impaired CRE debt investments.

Operating Real Estate

The Company’s real estate portfolio is reviewed on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as necessary, to assess whether there are any indicators that the value of its operating real estate may be impaired or that its carrying value may not be recoverable. A property’s value is considered impaired if the Company’s estimate of the aggregate expected future undiscounted cash flow generated by the property is less than the carrying value. In conducting this review, the Company considers U.S. macroeconomic factors, real estate sector conditions and asset specific and other factors. To the extent an impairment has occurred, the loss is measured as the excess of the carrying value of the property over the estimated fair value and recorded in impairment on operating real estate in the consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2016, the Company did not have any impaired operating real estate.

An allowance for a doubtful account for a tenant receivable is established based on a periodic review of aged receivables resulting from estimated losses due to the inability of tenants to make required rent and other payments contractually due. Additionally, the Company establishes, on a current basis, an allowance for future tenant credit losses on unbilled rent receivable based on an evaluation of the collectability of such amounts.

Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures

The Company reviews its investments in unconsolidated ventures for which the Company did not elect the fair value option on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as necessary, to assess whether there are any indicators that the value may be impaired or that its carrying value may not be recoverable. An investment is considered impaired if the projected net recoverable amount over the expected holding period is less than the carrying value. In conducting this review, the Company considers U.S. macroeconomic factors, including real estate sector conditions, together with investment specific and other factors. To the extent an impairment has occurred and is considered to be other than temporary, the loss is measured as the excess of the carrying value of the investment over the estimated fair value and recorded in equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures in the consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2016, the Company did not have any impaired investments in unconsolidated ventures.

Real Estate Securities

CRE securities for which the fair value option is elected are not evaluated for other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”) as any change in fair value is recorded in the consolidated statements of operations. Realized losses on such securities are reclassified to realized gain (loss) on investments and other as losses occur.

CRE securities for which the fair value option is not elected are evaluated for OTTI quarterly. Impairment of a security is considered to be other-than-temporary when: (i) the holder has the intent to sell the impaired security; (ii) it is more likely than not the holder will be required to sell the security; or (iii) the holder does not expect to recover the entire amortized cost of the security. When a CRE security has been deemed to be other-than-temporarily impaired due to (i) or (ii), the security is written down to its fair value and an OTTI is recognized in the consolidated statements of operations. In the case of (iii), the security is written down to its fair value and the amount of OTTI is then bifurcated into: (a) the amount related to expected credit losses; and (b) the amount related to fair value adjustments in excess of expected credit losses. The portion of OTTI related to expected credit losses is recognized in the consolidated statements of operations. The remaining OTTI related to the valuation adjustment is recognized as a component of accumulated OCI in the consolidated statements of equity. CRE securities which are not high-credit quality are considered to have an OTTI if the security has an unrealized loss and there has been an adverse change in expected cash flow. The amount of OTTI is then bifurcated as discussed above. As of December 31, 2016, the Company did not have any OTTI recorded on its CRE securities.

Equity-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for equity-based compensation awards using the fair value method, which requires an estimate of fair value of the award at the time of grant. All fixed equity-based awards to directors, which have no vesting conditions other than

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time of service, are amortized to compensation expense over the awards’ vesting period on a straight-line basis. Equity-based compensation is classified within general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations.

Income Taxes

The Company elected to be taxed as a REIT and to comply with the related provisions of the Internal Revenue Code beginning in its taxable year ended December 31, 2010. Accordingly, the Company will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income tax to the extent of its distributions to stockholders as long as certain asset, income and share ownership tests are met. To maintain its qualification as a REIT, the Company must annually distribute at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders and meet certain other requirements. The Company believes that all of the criteria to maintain the Company’s REIT qualification have been met for the applicable periods, but there can be no assurance that these criteria will continue to be met in subsequent periods. If the Company were to fail to meet these requirements, it would be subject to U.S. federal income tax and potential interest and penalties, which could have a material adverse impact on its results of operations and amounts available for distributions to its stockholders. The Company has assessed its tax positions for all open tax years, which include 2014 to 2016, and concluded there were no material uncertainties to be recognized. The Company’s accounting policy with respect to interest and penalties is to classify these amounts as a component of income tax expense, where applicable. The Company has not recognized any such amounts related to uncertain tax positions for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

The Company may also be subject to certain state, local and franchise taxes. Under certain circumstances, U.S. federal income and excise taxes may be due on its undistributed taxable income.

The Company made joint elections to treat certain subsidiaries as taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRS”) which may be subject to U.S. federal, state and local income taxes. In general, a TRS of the Company may perform non-customary services for tenants, hold assets that the REIT cannot hold directly and may engage in most real estate or non-real estate-related business.

Certain subsidiaries of the Company are subject to taxation by federal, state and local authorities for the periods presented. Income taxes are accounted for by the asset/liability approach in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Deferred taxes, if any, represent the expected future tax consequences when the reported amounts of assets and liabilities are recovered or paid. Such amounts arise from differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are adjusted for changes in tax laws and tax rates in the period which such changes are enacted. A provision for income tax represents the total of income taxes paid or payable for the current period, plus the change in deferred taxes. Current and deferred taxes are recorded on the portion of earnings (losses) recognized by the Company with respect to its interest in TRSs. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are calculated based on temporary differences between the Company’s U.S. GAAP consolidated financial statements and the federal, state and local tax basis of assets and liabilities as of the consolidated balance sheet date. The Company evaluates the realizability of its deferred tax assets (e.g., net operating loss and capital loss carryforwards) and recognizes a valuation allowance if, based on the available evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of its deferred tax assets will not be realized. When evaluating the realizability of its deferred tax assets, the Company considers estimates of expected future taxable income, existing and projected book/tax differences, tax planning strategies available and the general and industry specific economic outlook. This realizability analysis is inherently subjective, as it requires the Company to forecast its business and general economic environment in future periods. Changes in estimate of deferred tax asset realizability, if any, are included in income tax benefit (expense) in the consolidated statements of operations.

For the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, the Company recorded income tax expense of $3.0 million, $1.1 million and $5.5 million, respectively.

Transfers of Financial Assets

Sale accounting for transfers of financial assets requires the transfer of an entire financial asset, a group of financial assets in its entirety or if a component of the financial asset is transferred, that component meets the definition of a participating interest by having characteristics that mirror the original financial asset.

Transfers of financial assets are accounted for as sales when control over the assets has been surrendered. If the Company has any continuing involvement, rights or obligations with the transferred financial asset (outside of standard representations and warranties), sale accounting would require that the transfer meets the following sale conditions: (1) the transferred asset has been legally isolated; (2) the transferee has the right (free of conditions that constrain it from taking advantage of that right) to pledge or exchange the transferred asset; and (3) the Company does not maintain effective control over the transferred asset through an agreement that provides for (a) both an entitlement and an obligation by the Company to repurchase or redeem the asset before its maturity, or (b) the unilateral ability by the Company to reclaim the asset and a more than trivial benefit attributable to that

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ability, or (c) the transferee requiring the Company to repurchase the asset at a price so favorable to the transferee that it is probable the repurchase will occur.

If sale accounting is met, the transferred financial asset is removed from the balance sheet and a net gain or loss is recognized upon sale, taking into account any retained interests. Transfers of financial assets that do not meet the criteria for sale are accounted for as financing transactions, or secured borrowing. As of December 31, 2016, the carrying value of CRE debt investments that did not meet the requirements of sale accounting was $23.7 million and recorded in real estate debt investments, net with an offsetting secured borrowing recorded in loan collateral payable, net, related party of $23.3 million.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an accounting update requiring a company to recognize as revenue the amount of consideration it expects to be entitled to in connection with the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The accounting standard update will replace most of the existing revenue recognition guidance currently promulgated by U.S. GAAP. In July 2015, the FASB decided to delay the effective date of the new revenue standard by one year. The effective date of the new revenue standard for the Company will be January 1, 2018. Leases are specifically excluded from this guidance and will be governed by the applicable lease codification; however, this update may have implications in certain variable payment terms included in lease agreements and in sale and leaseback transactions. The Company is currently assessing the potential effect of the adoption on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures, as applicable.

In February 2015, the FASB issued updated guidance that changes the rules regarding consolidation. The pronouncement eliminates specialized guidance for limited partnerships and similar legal entities and removes the indefinite deferral for certain investment funds. The new guidance is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company adopted this guidance in the first quarter 2016 and determined the Company’s Operating Partnership is considered a VIE. The Company is the primary beneficiary of the VIE, the VIE’s assets can be used for purposes other than the settlement of the VIE’s obligations and the Company’s partnership interest is considered a majority voting interest. As such, this standard resulted in the identification of additional VIEs, however it did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations.

In January 2016, the FASB issued an accounting update that addressed certain aspects of accounting and disclosure requirements of financial instruments, including the requirement that equity investments with readily determinable fair value be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in results of operations. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company does not have any equity investments with readily determinable fair value recorded as available-for-sale. The Company does not believe that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued an accounting update that sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both parties to a contract (i.e., lessees and lessors). The update requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase of the leased asset by the lessee. This classification will determine whether the lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification. Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for similar to existing guidance for operating leases today. Additionally, the new update will require that lessees capitalize, as initial direct costs, only those costs that are incurred due to the execution of a lease. Under this guidance, allocated payroll costs and other costs that are incurred regardless of whether the lease is obtained will no longer be capitalized as initial direct costs and instead will be expensed as incurred. The new guidance is to be applied using a modified retrospective approach at the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the financial statements and is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently assessing the potential effect the adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance which eliminates the requirement for an investor to retroactively apply the equity method when its increase in ownership interest (or degree of influence) in an investee triggers equity method accounting. The update requires that the equity method investor add the cost of acquiring the additional interest in the investee to the current basis of the investor’s previously held interest and adopt the equity method of accounting as of the date the investment become qualified for equity method accounting. The update should be applied prospectively upon their effective date to increases in the level of ownership interests or degree of influence that results in the adoption of the equity method. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company will adopt the new guidance

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prospectively on January 1, 2017 and does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance which amends several aspects of the accounting for equity-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and classification on the statements of cash flows. The guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company will adopt the new guidance prospectively on January 1, 2017 and does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In June 2016, the FASB issued guidance that changes the impairment model for certain financial instruments by requiring companies to recognize an allowance for expected losses, rather than incurred losses as required currently by the incurred loss approach. The guidance will apply to most financial assets measured at amortized cost and certain other instruments, including trade and other receivables, loans, held-to-maturity debt securities, net investments in leases and off-balance-sheet credit exposures (e.g., loan commitments). The new guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and will be applied as a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings as of the effective date. The Company is currently assessing the potential effect the adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In August 2016, the FASB issued guidance that makes eight targeted changes to how cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those fiscal years. If an entity early adopts the amendments in an interim period, any adjustments should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes that interim period. The new guidance requires adoption on a retrospective basis unless it is impracticable to apply, in which case the company would be required to apply the amendments prospectively as of the earliest date practicable. The Company does not believe that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In November 2016, the FASB issued guidance which requires entities to show the changes in the total of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. Entities will no longer present transfers between cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and will be applied retrospectively to all periods presented. The Company does not believe that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance to clarify the definition of a business under ASC 805. This new standard clarifies the definition of a business and provides a screen to determine when an integrated set of assets and activities is not a business. The screen requires that when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets, the set is not a business. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning of December 15, 2017. The amendments in this update will be applied on a prospective basis. The Company expects that most acquisitions of real estate or in-substance real estate will not meet the revised definition of a business because substantially all of the fair value is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets (i.e. land, buildings, and related intangible assets).

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3. Real Estate Debt Investments

The following table presents CRE debt investments as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

								Weighted Average						Floating Rate as % of Principal Amount
Asset Type:	Count	Principal Amount(1)		Carrying Value(2)		Allocation by Investment Type(3)		Fixed Rate		Spread over LIBOR(4)		Total Unleveraged Current Yield
First mortgage loans	13	$	570,339	$	564,722	74.3	%	15.00	%	5.80	%	7.31	%	92.5	%
Mezzanine loans	5	109,832		92,814		14.3	%	12.16	%	9.29	%	11.24	%	55.3	%
Preferred equity interests(5)	1	87,323		87,787		11.4	%	10.00	%	—	%	10.00	%	—	%
Total/Weighted average	19	$	767,494	$	745,323	100.0	%	11.79	%	6.07	%	8.12	%	76.6	%

________________________________________________________

(1) Includes future funding commitments of $23.2 million.

(2) Certain CRE debt investments serve as collateral for financing transactions including carrying value of $70.7 million for Securitization 2013-1, $364.6 million for term loan facilities and $23.7 million for secured borrowings (refer to Note 7). The remainder is unleveraged.

(3) Based on principal amount.

(4) Includes a fixed minimum LIBOR rate (“LIBOR floor”), as applicable. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had $531.9 million principal amount of floating-rate loans subject to a weighted average LIBOR floor of 0.34%.

(5) Represents a preferred equity interest originated through a joint venture with affiliates of RXR Realty LLC (“RXR”). The Company’s proportionate interest of the loan is 90%, representing $78.6 million of the carrying value. The Company consolidates the loan and records RXR’s investment as a non-controlling interest.

The following table presents CRE debt investments as of December 31, 2015 (dollars in thousands):

								Weighted Average						Floating Rate as % of Principal Amount
Asset Type:	Count	Principal Amount(1)		Carrying Value(2)		Allocation by Investment Type(3)		Fixed Rate		Spread over LIBOR(4)		Total Unleveraged Current Yield
First mortgage loans	14	$	829,536	$	806,116	79.8	%	—		6.47	%	6.51	%	100.0	%
Mezzanine loans	5	91,639		72,948		8.8	%	10.10	%	11.76	%	11.62	%	86.9	%
Subordinate interests	1	36,206		36,206		3.5	%	13.11	%	—		13.23	%	—
Preferred equity interests(5)	1	82,003		82,566		7.9	%	10.00	%	—		10.00	%	—
Total/Weighted average	21	$	1,039,384	$	997,836	100.0	%	10.87	%	6.84	%	7.42	%	87.5	%

________________________________________________________

(1) Includes future funding commitments of $43.6 million.

(2) Certain CRE debt investments serve as collateral for financing transactions including carrying value of $335.4 million for Securitization 2013-1 and $435.2 million for Term Loan Facilities (refer to Note 7). The remainder is unleveraged.

(3) Based on principal amount.

(4) Includes a fixed minimum LIBOR floor, as applicable. As of December 31, 2015, the Company had $749.0 million principal amount of floating-rate loans subject to a weighted average LIBOR floor of 0.37%.

(5) Represents a preferred equity interest originated through a joint venture with affiliates of RXR. The Company’s proportionate interest of the loan is 90%, representing $73.8 million of the carrying value. The Company consolidates the loan and records RXR’s investment as a non-controlling interest.

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The following table presents maturities of CRE debt investments based on principal amount as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	Current Maturity		Maturity Including Extensions(1)
Years Ending December 31:
2017	308,650		62,350
2018	70,101		30,500
2019	210,901		247,300
2020	—		45,050
2021	87,323		204,452
Thereafter	90,519		177,842
Total	$	767,494	$	767,494

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(1) Assumes that all debt with extension options will qualify for extension at such maturity according to the conditions set forth in the governing documents.

As of December 31, 2016, the weighted average maturity, including extensions, of CRE debt investments was 4.2 years.

Credit Quality Monitoring

CRE debt investments are typically loans secured by direct senior priority liens on real estate properties or by interests in entities that directly own real estate properties, which serve as the primary source of cash for the payment of principal and interest. The Company evaluates its debt investments at least quarterly and differentiates the relative credit quality principally based on: (i) whether the borrower is currently paying contractual debt service in accordance with its contractual terms and (ii) whether the Company believes the borrower will be able to perform under its contractual terms in the future, as well as the Company’s expectations as to the ultimate recovery of principal at maturity. The Company categorizes a debt investment for which it expects to receive full payment of contractual principal and interest payments as “performing.” The Company will categorize a weaker credit quality debt investment that is currently performing, but for which it believes future collection of all or some portion of principal and interest is in doubt, into a category called “performing with a loan loss reserve.” The Company will categorize a weaker credit quality debt investment that is not performing, which the Company defines as a loan in maturity default and/or past due at least 90 days on its contractual debt service payments, as a non-performing loan (“NPL”). The Company’s definition of an NPL may differ from that of other companies that track NPLs.

In connection with a pre-negotiated agreement, in May 2016, as a result of a borrower’s inability to pay amounts due under one of the Company’s debt investments, the Company and the borrower agreed to transfer title of the real estate via deed in lieu of foreclosure to the Company. Refer to Note 4. Operating Real Estate.

As of December 31, 2016, all CRE debt investments were performing in accordance with the contractual terms of their governing documents in all material respects and were categorized as performing loans. There were no CRE debt investments with contractual payments past due as of December 31, 2016 and 2015. For the year endedDecember 31, 2016, two CRE debt investments each contributed more than 10.0% of interest income.

4. Operating Real Estate

The following table presents operating real estate, net, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):

	December 31,
	2016			2015
Land and improvements	$	96,011		$	56,090
Buildings and improvements(1)	430,776			328,012
Furniture, fixtures and equipment	4,472			4,243
Subtotal	$	531,259		$	388,345
Less: Accumulated depreciation	(42,420		)	(23,018		)
Operating real estate, net	$	488,839		$	365,327

____________________________________________________________

(1) Includes tenant improvements.

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For the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, depreciation expense was $19.4 million, $16.4 million, and $6.4 million, respectively.

Summary of Acquisitions

In March 2016, the Company acquired an 88.2% interest in a portfolio of 23 light industrial assets for $103.3 million and obtained a $78.2 million two-year floating rate senior mortgage loan, of which $8.3 million is reserved for future funding. The Company incurred transaction costs of $1.5 million in conjunction with the acquisition.

The following table presents the preliminary allocation of the purchase price of the operating real estate assets acquired and liabilities assumed or issued (including financing entered into contemporaneous with the acquisition), if any, for acquisitions in 2016 (dollars in thousands):

Assets:
Land and improvements	$	24,807
Buildings and improvements(1)	59,903
Other assets acquired(2)	19,210
Total assets acquired	$	103,920
Liabilities:
Mortgage notes payable, net(3)	$	67,225
Other liabilities assumed(4)	536
Total liabilities	67,761
Total NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. stockholders’ equity	31,874
Non-controlling interests	4,285
Total equity	36,159
Total liabilities and equity	$	103,920

____________________________________________________________

(1) Includes tenant improvements.

(2) Primarily in-place lease intangibles, leasing commissions and above-market leases.

(3) Includes deferred financing costs, net.

(4) Primarily below-market leases.

During the measurement-period, the Company preliminarily determined that certain allocations of operating real estate acquired should be reclassified to deferred costs and other assets, net and other liabilities. The following table presents the effect of such preliminary purchase price reclassifications on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	As Previously Determined(1)		Measurement Period Adjustments			Revised
Operating real estate, net	$	103,384	$	(18,674	)	$	84,710
Deferred costs and other intangible assets, net(2)	—		19,210			19,210
Mortgage notes payable, net(3)	67,225		—			67,225
Other liabilities(4)	—		536			536

____________________________________________________________

(1) Represents the preliminary allocation of the purchase price.

(2) Primarily in-place lease intangibles, leasing commissions and above-market leases.

(3) Includes deferred financing costs, net.

(4) Primarily below-market leases.

During the year endedDecember 31, 2016, the Company recorded a measurement-period adjustment to earnings of $3.2 million. The table below shows the details of such adjustments:

Decrease in rental and other income(1)	$	347
Increase in depreciation and amortization(2)	2,894
Total measurement-period adjustment	$	3,241

____________________________________________________________

(1) Represents amortization of above and below-market leases.

(2) Represents depreciation of site and tenant improvements and amortization of in-place lease intangibles.

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Real Estate Owned

The following table presents REO acquired by taking title, in connection with a certain CRE debt investment, for the year ended December 31, 2016 that is reported on the Company's consolidated balance sheet in operating real estate, net as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

Date	Type	Location	Original Loan Balance		Initial REO Value (1)
May 2016	Office	VA	$	67,493	$	67,493

____________________________________________________________

(1) Initial REO value approximates fair value.

The following table presents the preliminary allocation of REO acquired in May 2016 (dollars in thousands):

Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	1,845
Land and improvements	15,221
Buildings and improvements(1)	37,334
Other assets acquired(2)	13,736
Total assets acquired	$	68,136
Liabilities:
Other liabilities assumed(3)	$	643
Total liabilities	643
Total NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. stockholders’ equity	67,493
Total liabilities and equity	$	68,136

____________________________________________________________

(1) Includes tenant improvements.

(2) Primarily in-place lease intangibles, leasing commissions and above-market leases.

(3) Primarily below-market leases.

During the measurement-period, the Company preliminarily determined that certain allocations of operating real estate acquired should be reclassified to deferred costs and other assets, net and other liabilities. The following table presents the effect of such preliminary allocation reclassifications on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	As Previously Determined(1)		Measurement Period Adjustments			Revised
Cash and cash equivalents	$	2,237	$	(392	)	$	1,845
Operating real estate, net	65,256		(12,701		)	52,555
Deferred costs and other intangible assets, net(2)	—		13,736			13,736
Other liabilities(3)	—		643			643

____________________________________________________________

(1) Represents the preliminary allocation.

(2) Primarily in-place lease intangibles, leasing commissions and above-market leases.

(3) Primarily below-market leases.

During the year endedDecember 31, 2016, the Company recorded a measurement-period adjustment to earnings of $3.6 million. The table below shows the details of such adjustments:

Decrease in rental and other income(1)	$	646
Increase in depreciation and amortization(2)	2,950
Total measurement-period adjustment	$	3,596

____________________________________________________________

(1) Represents amortization of above and below market leases.

(2) Represents depreciation of site and tenant improvements and amortization of in place lease intangibles.

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Minimum Future Rents

Minimum rental amounts due under leases are generally either subject to scheduled fixed increases or adjustments. Leases at the Company’s multifamily properties and student housing properties are generally for a term of one year or less and are not reflected in the below table. The following table presents approximate future minimum rental income for the Company’s industrial properties and multi-tenant offices under noncancelable operating leases to be received over the next five years and thereafter as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

Years Ending December 31:
2017	44,721
2018	37,977
2019	33,585
2020	25,866
2021	20,672
Thereafter	52,782
Total	$	215,603

The rental properties owned as of December 31, 2016 are leased under operating leases with current expirations ranging from 2017 to 2027, with certain tenant renewal rights. For certain properties, the tenants pay the Company, in addition to the contractual base rent, their pro rata share of real estate taxes and operating expenses. Certain lease agreements provide for periodic rental increases.

5. Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures

Investments in Private Equity Funds

The following is a description of investments in private equity funds that own PE Investments indirectly through unconsolidated ventures (“PE Investment I”), (“PE Investment IIA”) and (“PE Investment IIB”) or directly (“PE Investment III”). The Company elected the fair value option for PE Investments. As a result, the Company records equity in earnings (losses) based on the change in fair value for its share of the projected future cash flow from one period to another. All PE Investments are considered voting interest entities, except for PE Investment III. PE Investment I, IIA and IIB are considered voting interest entities and are not consolidated by the Company due to the substantive participating rights of the partners in joint ventures that own the interests in the real estate private equity funds. The Company does not consolidate the underlying real estate private equity funds owned in PE Investment III as it neither owns a majority voting interest in any such funds nor is it the primary beneficiary of such funds.

Summary

The following table summarizes the Company’s PE Investment acquisitions (dollars in thousands):

PE Investment	Initial Closing Date	NAV Reference Date(1)	Number of Funds	Purchase Price		Expected Future Contributions
PE Investment I	February 15, 2013	June 30, 2012	49	$	118,035	$	207
PE Investment IIA	July 3, 2013	September 30, 2012	24	75,721		—
PE Investment IIB	February 9, 2016	September 30, 2015	—	26,498		—
PE Investment III	March 30, 2016	March 31, 2015	2	23,063		—
Total			75	$	243,317	$	207

____________________________________________________________

(1) Represents the net asset value (“NAV”) date on which the Company agreed to acquire the respective PE Investment.

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The following table summarizes the Company’s PE Investments as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	Carrying Value				Year Ended December 31, 2016						Year Ended December 31, 2015
	December 31,				Equity in Earnings		Distributions		Contributions(1)		Equity in Earnings		Distributions		Contributions(1)
PE Investment	2016		2015
PE Investment I(2)	$	31,655	$	65,313	$	9,441	$	40,082	$	415	$	19,462	$	36,226	$	838
PE Investment IIA	23,360		33,441		5,974		24,897		8,842		10,757		34,262		9,201
PE Investment IIB	19,329		—		6,950		21,420		33,798		—		—		—
PE Investment III	16,235		—		1,771		2,126		16,591		—		—		—
Total	$	90,579	$	98,754	$	24,136	$	88,525	$	59,646	$	30,219	$	70,488	$	10,039

___________________________________________________________

(1) Includes initial investments, before closing statement adjustments for distributions and contributions, and subsequent contributions, including deferred purchase price fundings.

(2) For PE Investment I, the Company recorded an unrealized loss of $3.4 million and $12.1 million for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company recorded an unrealized gain of $11.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2014.

PE Investment I

In February 2013, the Company completed the initial closing (“PE I Initial Closing”) of PE Investment I which through a preferred investment owns a portfolio of limited partnership interests in real estate private equity funds managed by institutional-quality sponsors. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, at the PE I Initial Closing, the full purchase price was funded, excluding future capital commitments. Accordingly, the Company funded $118.0 million and NorthStar Realty, which following the mergers became a subsidiary of the Sponsor, (together with the Company, the “NorthStar Entities”) funded $282.1 million. The NorthStar Entities have an aggregate ownership interest in PE Investment I of 51.0%, of which the Company owns 29.5% and the Sponsor owns 70.5%. Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (the “Class B Partner”) contributed its interests in 49 funds subject to the transaction in exchange for all of the Class B partnership interests in PE Investment I.

PE Investment I provides for all cash distributions on a priority basis to the NorthStar Entities as follows: (i) first, 85.0% to the NorthStar Entities and 15.0% to the Class B Partner until the NorthStar Entities receive a 1.5x multiple on all of their invested capital, including amounts funded in connection with future capital commitments; (ii) second, 15.0% to the NorthStar Entities and 85.0% to the Class B Partner until the Class B Partner receives a return of its then remaining June 30, 2012 capital; and (iii) third, 51.0% to the NorthStar Entities and 49.0% to the Class B Partner. All amounts paid to and received by the NorthStar Entities are based on each partner’s proportionate interest.

PE Investment IIA

In June 2013, the Company, NorthStar Realty and funds managed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management (“Vintage Funds”) (each a “Partner”) formed joint ventures and entered into an agreement with Common Pension Fund E, a common trust fund created under New Jersey law (“PE II Seller”), to acquire a portfolio of limited partnership interests in 24 real estate private equity funds managed by institutional-quality sponsors. The aggregate reported NAV acquired was $910.0 million as of September 30, 2012. The Company, NorthStar Realty and the Vintage Funds each had an initial ownership interest in PE Investment IIA of 15.0%, 70.0% and 15.0%, respectively. All amounts paid and received are based on each Partner’s proportionate interest.

PE Investment IIA paid $504.8 million to PE II Seller for all of the fund interests, or 55.0% of the September 30, 2012 NAV (the “Initial Amount”), and will pay the remaining $411.4 million, or 45.0% of the September 30, 2012 NAV (the “Deferred Amount”), by the last day of the fiscal quarter after the four year anniversary following the closing date of each fund interest. The Company funded all of its proportionate share of the Initial Amount at the initial closing on July 3, 2013. The Deferred Amount is a liability of PE Investment IIA. Each Partner, directly or indirectly, guaranteed its proportionate interest of the Deferred Amount. The Company determined there was an immaterial amount of fair value related to the guarantee.

On March 31st of each year, commencing on March 31, 2015 and for a period of two years thereafter, PE Investment IIA will pay, within 10 business days of March 31st, an amount necessary to reduce the Deferred Amount by the greater of 15.0% of the then outstanding Deferred Amount or 15.0% of the aggregate distributions received by PE Investment IIA during the preceding 12 month period.

On the last day of the fiscal quarter after the four-year anniversary of the applicable closing date of each fund interest, PE Investment IIA will be required to pay to PE II Seller the then outstanding unpaid Deferred Amount.

In connection with the mergers, NorthStar Realty’s interests in PE Investment IIA and its other obligations were assumed by the Sponsor.

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PE Investment IIB

In February 2016, the Company’s board of directors, including all of its independent directors, approved the purchase of an additional 14.0% of the PE Investment II transaction (“PE Investment IIB”) from NorthStar Realty, which following the mergers became a subsidiary of the Sponsor. The Company purchased PE Investment IIB on the same terms and conditions negotiated by another existing and purchasing co-investor in the transaction. This increased the Company’s total ownership from 15.0% to 29.0%. The Company acquired PE Investment IIB for $26.5 million based on a NAV of $660.6 million as of September 30, 2015, adjusted for distributions and contributions.

With this add-on investment, PE Investment IIA and PE Investment IIB will be responsible for 29.0% of the Deferred Amount. In April 2016, PE Investment IIA and PE Investment IIB collectively paid $15.1 million of the Deferred Amount. As of December 31, 2016, the Company’s 29.0% share of the combined Deferred Amount for PE Investment IIA and PE Investment IIB was $85.7 million. The Deferred Amount will be paid in multiple installments throughout 2017 and 2018 and is expected to be paid from the distributions received from the underlying investments in PE Investment IIA and PE Investment IIB. The Company guaranteed its proportionate interest of the Deferred Amount. The Company determined there was an immaterial amount of fair value related to the guarantee.

PE Investment III

In March 2016, the Company acquired 5.5% of PE Investment III for $15.1 million based on a NAV of March 31, 2015 (the “Valuation Date”), adjusted for contributions and distributions from such date. At the time of closing, the Company paid $4.2 million, net of a $1.8 million deposit for a total of $6.0 million, or 40.0% of the purchase price adjusted for contributions and distributions. The remaining portion of the purchase price (the “Deferred Purchase Price”), was partially funded in December 2016 totaling $4.5 million. As of December 31, 2016, the remaining Deferred Purchase Price for PE Investment III recorded in other liabilities was $4.5 million. The remaining portion of the purchase price will be paid on December 31, 2017.

Other

In June 2014, the Company entered into a joint venture with affiliates of RXR to originate a mezzanine loan. The mezzanine loan had a principal amount of $183.7 million, including future funding commitments. The joint venture owned 50.0% of the mezzanine loan, of which the Company’s interest in the joint venture was 78.0%. In January 2016, the Company’s participation was sold at par value of $59.8 million. As of December 31, 2015 the carrying value of the investment was $59.1 million. For the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, the Company recognized equity in earnings of $0.8 million, $5.8 million, and $2.8 million, respectively.

Summarized Financial Information

The combined balance sheets for the unconsolidated ventures, including PE Investments and excluding unconsolidated ventures accounted for under the cost method, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are as follows (dollars in thousands):

	As of December 31,
	2016		2015
Assets
Total assets	$	1,079,828	$	1,440,834
Liabilities and equity
Total liabilities	$	799,748	$	871,892
Total Equity	280,080		568,942
Total liabilities and equity	$	1,079,828	$	1,440,834

The combined statements of operations for the unconsolidated ventures, including PE Investments and excluding unconsolidated ventures accounted for under the cost method, for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 are as follows (dollars in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31, (1)
	2016		2015		2014
Total revenues(2)	$	201,113	$	266,158	$	251,398
Net income	36,941		109,543		168,514

___________________________________________________________

(1) Includes summarized annual financial information for PE Investments on a one quarter lag, which is the most recent financial information available from the underlying funds.

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(2) Includes net investment income and unrealized and realized gains and losses for PE Investments.

6. Real Estate Securities, Available for Sale

CRE securities are comprised of CMBS backed by a pool of CRE loans which are typically well-diversified by type and geography. The following table presents CMBS investments (dollars in thousands):

													Weighted Average
		Principal Amount(1)		Amortized Cost		Cumulative Unrealized on Investments					Fair Value				Unleveraged Current Yield
As of Date:	Count					Gain		(Loss)					Coupon(2)
December 31, 2016	11	$	138,438	$	73,800	$	21,616	$	(1,441	)	$	93,975	3.85	%	10.78	%
December 31, 2015	8	115,849		61,721		22,357		(456		)	83,622		4.43	%	8.52	%

_______________________________________________________________

(1) Certain CRE securities serve as collateral for financing transactions including carrying value of $32.3 million for the CMBS Credit Facilities (refer to Note 7). The remainder is unleveraged.

(2) All CMBS are fixed rate.

The Company recorded year ended unrealized losses of $1.7 million and $6.5 million in OCI for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company recorded year ended unrealized gain in OCI for the year endedDecember 31, 2014 of $15.4 million. As of December 31, 2016, the Company held five securities with an aggregate carrying value of $41.5 million with an unrealized loss of $1.4 million, two of which were in an unrealized loss position for a period of greater than 12 months. Based on management’s quarterly evaluation, no OTTI was identified related to these securities. The Company does not intend to sell these securities and it is more likely than not that the Company will not be required to sell these securities prior to recovery of its amortized cost basis, which may be at maturity.

As of December 31, 2016, the weighted average contractual maturity of CRE securities was 32 years with an expected maturity of 6.8 years.

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7. Borrowings

The following table presents borrowings as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):

							December 31, 2016				December 31, 2015
	Capacity ($)		Recourse vs. Non-Recourse	Final Maturity	Contractual Interest Rate		Principal Amount(1)		Carrying Value(1)		Principal Amount(1)		Carrying Value(1)
Securitization bonds payable, net
Securitization 2013-1			Non-recourse	Aug-29	LIBOR + 5.00%		$	39,762	$	39,762	$	185,812	$	185,314
Mortgage notes payable, net
Multifamily 1			Non-recourse	Dec-23	4.84%		43,500		42,967		43,500		42,902
Multifamily 2			Non-recourse	Dec-23	4.94%		43,000		42,440		43,000		42,370
Office 1			Non-recourse	Oct-24	4.47%		108,850		108,595		108,850		108,569
Office 2			Non-recourse	Jan-25	4.30%		77,700		77,535		77,700		77,512
Student housing 1			Non-recourse	Jan-24	5.15%		16,000		15,774		16,000		15,747
Student housing 2(2)			Non-recourse	Dec-20	5.27%		12,411		12,644		12,615		12,907
Student housing 3(3)			Non-recourse	Nov-26	3.98%		24,750		24,485		16,200		16,395
Industrial 1			Non-recourse	Apr-21	LIBOR + 2.50%		70,402		68,970		—		—
Subtotal mortgage notes payable, net							396,613		393,410		317,865		316,402
Term loan facilities
Citibank facility	$	150,000	Limited Recourse(4)	Oct-21(5)	LIBOR + 2.63%	(6)	21,350		21,350		108,913		108,913
Deutsche Bank facility	200,000		Limited Recourse(7)	Mar-18(8)	LIBOR + 2.45%	(9)	112,919		112,919		166,697		166,697
Morgan Stanley facility	200,000		Limited Recourse(10)	Oct-18(11)	LIBOR + 2.50%	(12)	92,700		92,700		31,335		31,335
Subtotal term loan facilities	$	550,000					226,969		226,969		306,945		306,945
CMBS credit facilities
UBS facility			Recourse	(13)	LIBOR + 1.19%		—		—		6,455		6,455
Morgan Stanley facility			Recourse	(13)	LIBOR + 1.06%		—		—		4,600		4,600
Citibank facility			Recourse	(13)	LIBOR + 1.50%		11,034		11,034		—		—
Merrill Lynch facility			Recourse	(13)	LIBOR + 1.50%		2,989		2,989		—		—
JP Morgan facility			Recourse	(13)	LIBOR + 1.50%		8,164		8,164		—		—
Subtotal CMBS credit facilities							22,187		22,187		11,055		11,055
Subtotal credit facilities							249,156		249,156		318,000		318,000
Loan collateral payable, net, related party
Secured borrowing(14)			Non-recourse	May-19	LIBOR + 3.83%		23,729		23,261		—		—
Total							$	709,260	$	705,589	$	821,677	$	819,716

_____________________________________________________

(1) Difference between principal amount and carrying value of mortgage notes payable, net and loan collateral payable, net, related party is attributable to deferred financing costs, net and premium on a mortgage note payable.

(2) Represents two separate senior mortgage notes with a weighted average maturity of December 1, 2020 and weighted average interest rate of 5.27%.

(3) In October 2016, the Company refinanced the mortgage note payable, increasing the principal balance to $24.8 million, with a maturity date of November 2026.

(4) Recourse solely with respect to 25.0% of the repurchase price for purchased assets with a lender debt yield equal to or greater than 10.0% at the time of financing plus 100.0% of the repurchase price for purchased assets with a lender debt yield less than 10.0% at the time of financing.

(5) The next maturity date is October 18, 2018, with three, one-year extensions available at the option of the Company, which may be exercised upon the satisfaction of certain customary conditions set forth in the governing documents.

(6) The contractual interest rate depends upon asset type and characteristics. As of December 31, 2016 the rate was one-month LIBOR plus 2.63%.

(7) Recourse solely with respect to the greater of: (i) 25.0% of the financed amount of stabilized loans plus the financed amount of transitional loans; or (ii) the lesser of $25.0 million or the aggregate financed amount of all loans.

(8) The next maturity date is March 11, 2017, with a one-year extension available that the Company has exercised, extending maturity to March 11, 2018.

(9) Represents the weighted average spread as of December 31, 2016. The contractual interest rate depends upon asset type and characteristics and ranges from one-month LIBOR plus 2.42% to 2.62%.

(10) Recourse solely with respect to 25.0% of the financed amount.

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(11) The initial maturity date is October 13, 2018, with one-year extensions available at the Company’s option, which are subject to the approval of the global financial institution.

(12) Represents the weighted average spread as of December 31, 2016. The contractual interest rate depends upon asset type and characteristics and ranges from one-month LIBOR plus 2.25% to 2.65%.

(13) The maturity dates on the CMBS Credit Facilities are dependent upon asset type and will typically range from two to three months.

(14) Represents a secured borrowing financing transaction recorded in loan collateral payable, net, related party in connection with three first mortgage loans recorded in real estate debt investments, net. Refer to discussion below for additional detail.

The following table presents scheduled principal on borrowings, based on final maturity as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	Total		Securitization Bonds Payable, Net		Mortgage Notes Payable, Net		Loan collateral payable, net, related party		Credit Facilities
Years Ending December 31:
2017	22,187		—		—		—		22,187
2018	205,619		—		—		—		205,619
2019	23,729		—		—		23,729		—
2020	12,411		—		12,411		—		—
2021	91,752		—		70,402		—		21,350
Thereafter	353,562		39,762		313,800		—		—
Total	$	709,260	$	39,762	$	396,613	$	23,729	$	249,156

Securitization Financing Transactions

The Company entered into two securitization financing transactions collectively referred to as securitization financing transactions, collateralized by CRE debt investments originated by the Company and NorthStar Realty. In January 2015, the outstanding obligations with respect to one of the securitizations were repaid in full.

In the event of breaches of certain representations and warranties or a defect in the document of any of the contributed assets to securitization financing transactions provided at the time the Company entered into such securitization financing transactions and contributed the loans that serve as collateral for the securitization, the Company may be required to repurchase certain of those loans or replace the affected contributed asset or make a loss of value payment. These obligations do not relate to the credit performance of the loans contributed to the securitizations, but only to breaches of specific representations and warranties or a defect in the document of any of the contributed assets to the securitization financing transactions. Since inception, the Company has not been required to make any repurchases or replace the affected contributed asset or make a loss of value payment nor has the Company received any notice of assertion of a potential breach of representation and warranty or a defect in the document of any of the contributed assets to the securitization financing transactions. Any payment to repurchase a loan or replace the affected contributed asset or make a loss of value payment would impact the Company’s liquidity. Depending upon the size of any such payment, the impact to liquidity could be material.

Securitization 2013-1

In August 2013, the Company entered into a $531.5 million securitization financing transaction (“Securitization 2013-1”). The Company initially contributed eight CRE debt investments with a $346.1 million aggregate principal amount. Subsequent to the closing of Securitization 2013-1, the Company contributed four additional CRE debt investments with a $105.5 million aggregate principal amount. NorthStar Realty contributed three senior loans with an aggregate principal amount of $79.1 million at cost to Securitization 2013-1. The Company accounts for such loans transferred by NorthStar Realty, as loan collateral receivable, related party. A total of $382.7 million of permanent, non-recourse, non-mark-to-market investment-grade securitization bonds were issued, representing an advance rate of 72.0% with a current weighted average coupon of LIBOR plus 2.97%. The Company retained all of the below investment-grade securitization bonds, which the Company refers to as the Company’s retained equity interest in Securitization 2013-1. The Company used the proceeds to repay $222.7 million of borrowings on its term loan facilities. The collateral is used to service the interest payments on the investment-grade securitization bonds and the Company receives the excess cash flow on its retained equity interest. Securitization 2013-1 is considered a voting interest entity and since the Company has all of the controlling financial interest in Securitization 2013-1, the entity is consolidated by the Company. As of December 31, 2016 the principal amount of the loans contributed by NorthStar Realty was $52.2 million.

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Term Loan Facilities

The Company, through subsidiaries, has entered into credit facility agreements with multiple global financial institutions to provide an aggregate principal amount of up to $550.0 million to finance the origination of first mortgage loans and senior loan participations secured by CRE (“Term Loan Facilities”). The Company agreed to guarantee certain obligations under the Term Loan Facilities, which contain representations, warranties, covenants, conditions precedent to funding, events of default and indemnities that are customary for agreements of this type. The Term Loan Facilities act as revolving loan facilities that can be paid down as assets are repaid or sold and re-drawn upon for new investments. As of December 31, 2016, the Company was in compliance with all of its financial covenants under the Term Loan Facilities.

As of December 31, 2016, the Company had $364.6 million carrying value of CRE debt investments financed with $227.0 million under the Term Loan Facilities.

CMBS Credit Facilities

As of December 31, 2016, the Company entered into five master repurchase agreements (collectively the “CMBS Credit Facilities”) to finance CMBS investments. The CMBS Credit Facilities are on a recourse basis and contain representations, warranties, covenants, conditions precedent to funding, events of default and indemnities that are customary for agreements of this type. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had $32.3 million carrying value of CRE securities, financed with $22.2 million under its CMBS Credit Facilities.

Secured Borrowing

In November 2016, the Company bifurcated three first mortgage loans with an aggregate principal amount of $44.4 million into senior participations in mortgage loans of $29.5 million and junior participations in the related mortgage loans of $14.9 million to facilitate the financing of the mortgage loans through a securitization financing transaction entered into by NorthStar Real Estate Income II, Inc. (“NorthStar Income II”), a company managed by an affiliate of the Sponsor. The Company sold three senior participations at cost into the securitization transaction. The Company did not retain any legal interest in the senior participations and retained the junior participations on an unleveraged basis. As a result of U.S. GAAP requirements for transfers of financial assets, the senior participations transferred into the securitization financing transaction are accounted for as a secured borrowing and presented as loan collateral payable, net, related party on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Refer to Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” for additional information. As of December 31, 2016, the carrying value of CRE debt investments recorded in real estate debt investments, net was $23.7 million with an offsetting secured borrowing recorded in loan collateral payable, net, related party of $23.3 million.

8. Related Party Arrangements

Advisor

Subject to certain restrictions and limitations, the Advisor is responsible for managing the Company’s affairs on a day-to-day basis and for identifying, originating, acquiring and asset managing investments on behalf of the Company. The Advisor may delegate certain of its obligations to affiliated entities, which may be organized under the laws of the United States or foreign jurisdictions. References to the Advisor include the Advisor and any such affiliated entities. For such services, to the extent permitted by law and regulations, the Advisor receives fees and reimbursement from the Company. Below is a description and table of the fees and reimbursements incurred to the Advisor.

In June 2016, the advisory agreement was renewed for an additional one-year term commencing on June 30, 2016, with terms identical to those in effect through June 30, 2016.

Fees to Advisor

Asset Management Fee

The Advisor receives a monthly asset management fee equal to one-twelfth of 1.25% of the sum of the amount funded or allocated for CRE investments, including expenses and any financing attributable to such investments, less any principal received on debt and securities investments (or the proportionate share thereof in the case of an investment made through a joint venture).

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Incentive Fee

The Advisor is entitled to receive distributions equal to 15.0% of net cash flows of the Company, whether from continuing operations, repayment of loans, disposition of assets or otherwise, but only after stockholders have received, in the aggregate, cumulative distributions equal to their invested capital plus an 8.0% cumulative, non-compounded annual pre-tax return on such invested capital.

Acquisition Fee

The Advisor also receives fees for providing structuring, diligence, underwriting advice and related services in connection with real estate acquisitions equal to 1.0% of the amount funded or allocated by the Company to originate or acquire investments, including acquisition costs and any financing attributable to such investments (or the proportionate share thereof in the case of an investment made through a joint venture). A fee paid to the Advisor in connection with the origination or acquisition of CRE debt investments is included in CRE debt investments, net on the consolidated balance sheets and is amortized to interest income over the life of the investment using the effective interest method. An acquisition fee incurred related to an equity investment will generally be expensed as incurred. A fee paid to the Advisor in connection with an acquisition of an equity or debt investment in an unconsolidated joint venture is included in investments in unconsolidated ventures on the consolidated balance sheets.

Disposition Fee

For substantial assistance in connection with the sale of investments and based on the services provided, as determined by the Company’s independent directors, the Advisor receives a disposition fee up to 1.0% of the contract sales price of each CRE investment sold. The Company does not pay a disposition fee upon the maturity, prepayment, workout, modification or extension of a CRE debt investment unless there is a corresponding fee paid by the borrower, in which case the disposition fee is the lesser of: (i) 1.0% of the principal amount of the CRE debt investment prior to such transaction; or (ii) the amount of the fee paid by the borrower in connection with such transaction. If the Company takes ownership of a property as a result of a workout or foreclosure of a CRE debt investment, the Company will pay a disposition fee upon the sale of such property. A disposition fee from the sale of a CRE investment is generally expensed and included in asset management and other fees - related party in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. A disposition fee for a CRE debt investment incurred in a transaction other than a sale is included in CRE debt investments, net on the consolidated balance sheets and is amortized to interest income over the life of the investment using the effective interest method.

Reimbursements to Advisor

Operating Costs

The Advisor is entitled to receive reimbursement for direct and indirect operating costs incurred by the Advisor in connection with administrative services provided to the Company. The Advisor allocates, in good faith, indirect costs to the Company related to the Advisor’s and its affiliates’ employees, occupancy and other general and administrative costs and expenses in accordance with the terms of, and subject to the limitations contained in, the advisory agreement with the Advisor. The indirect costs include the Company’s allocable share of the Advisor’s compensation and benefit costs associated with dedicated or partially dedicated personnel who spend all or a portion of their time managing the Company’s affairs, based upon the percentage of time devoted by such personnel to the Company’s affairs. The indirect costs also include rental and occupancy, technology, office supplies, travel and entertainment and other general and administrative costs and expenses. However, there is no reimbursement for personnel costs related to executive officers (although there may be reimbursement for certain executive officers of the Advisor) and other personnel involved in activities for which the Advisor receives an acquisition fee or a disposition fee. The Advisor allocates these costs to the Company relative to its and its affiliates’ other managed companies in good faith and has reviewed the allocation with the Company’s board of directors, including its independent directors. The Advisor updates the board of directors on a quarterly basis of any material changes to the expense allocation and provides a detailed review to the board of directors, at least annually, and as otherwise requested by the board of directors. The Company reimburses the Advisor quarterly for operating costs (including the asset management fee) based on a calculation for the four preceding fiscal quarters not to exceed the greater of: (i) 2.0% of its average invested assets; or (ii) 25.0% of its net income determined without reduction for any additions to reserves for depreciation, loan losses or other similar non-cash reserves and excluding any gain from the sale of assets for that period. Notwithstanding the above, the Company may reimburse the Advisor for expenses in excess of this limitation if a majority of the Company’s independent directors determines that such excess expenses are justified based on unusual and non-recurring factors. The Company calculates the expense reimbursement quarterly based upon the trailing twelve-month period.

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Summary of Fees and Reimbursements

The following tables present the fees and reimbursements incurred to the Advisor for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015 and the amount due to related party as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):

Type of Fee or Reimbursement		Due to Related Party as of		Year Ended December 31, 2016					Due to Related Party as of(1)
	Financial Statement Location	December 31, 2015		Incurred		Paid			December 31, 2016
Fees to Advisor Entities
Asset management	Asset management and other fees, related party	$	—	$	21,337	$	(21,327	)	$	10
Acquisition(2)	Real estate debt investments, net / Asset management and other fees, related party	—		3,254		(3,214		)	40
Disposition(2)	Real estate debt investments, net / Asset management and other fees, related party	—		4,612		(4,612		)	—
Reimbursements to Advisor Entities
Operating costs(3)	General and administrative expenses	—		12,747		(12,729		)	18
Total		$	—	$	41,950	$	(41,882	)	$	68

____________________________________________________

(1) The balance is included in accounts payable and accrued expenses on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet.

(2) Acquisition/disposition fees incurred to the Advisor related to CRE debt investments are generally offset by origination/exit fees paid to the Company by borrowers if such fees are required from the borrower. Acquisition fees related to equity investments are included in asset management and other fees - related party in the consolidated statements of operations. Acquisition fees related to investments in unconsolidated joint ventures are included in investments in unconsolidated ventures on the consolidated balance sheets. The Advisor may determine to defer fees or seek reimbursement. From inception through December 31, 2016, the Advisor waived $0.8 million of acquisition fees and $0.4 million of disposition fees related to CRE securities.

(3) As of December 31, 2016, the Advisor has incurred unreimbursed operating costs on behalf of the Company of $9.6 million that remain eligible to allocate to the Company.

Type of Fee or Reimbursement		Due to Related Party as of		Year Ended December 31, 2015					Due to Related Party as of
	Financial Statement Location	December 31, 2014		Incurred		Paid			December 31, 2015
Fees to Advisor Entities
Asset management	Asset management and other fees, related party	$	—	$	23,965	$	(23,965	)	$	—
Acquisition(1	Real estate debt investments, net / Asset management and other fees, related party	—		451		(451		)	—
Disposition(1)	Real estate debt investments, net / Asset management and other fees, related party	—		3,317		(3,317		)	—
Reimbursements to Advisor Entities
Operating costs(2)	General and administrative expenses	—		13,116		(13,116		)	—
Total		$	—	$	40,849	$	(40,849	)	$	—

____________________________________________________

(1) Acquisition/disposition fees incurred to the Advisor related to CRE debt investments are generally offset by origination/exit fees paid to the Company by borrowers if such fees are required from the borrower. Acquisition fees related to equity investments are included in asset management and other fees - related party in the consolidated statements of operations. Acquisition fees related to investments in unconsolidated joint ventures are included in investments in unconsolidated ventures on the consolidated balance sheets. The Advisor may determine to defer fees or seek reimbursement. From inception through December 31, 2015, the Advisor waived $0.6 million of acquisition fees and $0.4 million of disposition fees related to CRE securities.

(2) As of December 31, 2015, the Advisor has incurred unreimbursed operating costs on behalf of the Company of $7.9 million that remain eligible to allocate to the Company.

Securitization 2013-1

In August 2013, the Company closed Securitization 2013-1. The Company initially contributed eight CRE debt investments with a $346.1 million aggregate principal amount. NorthStar Realty transferred three senior loans with an aggregate principal amount of $79.1 million at cost to Securitization 2013-1. An affiliate of the Sponsor was named special servicer of Securitization 2013-1.

PE Investments

In connection with PE Investments, the Company guaranteed all of its funding obligations that may be due and owed under the governing documents indirectly through an indemnification agreement with NorthStar Realty, which in turn guaranteed the

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obligations directly to the PE Investment entities. The Company and NorthStar Realty each agreed to indemnify the other proportionately for any losses that may arise in connection with the funding and other obligations as set forth in the governing documents in the case of a joint default by the Company and NorthStar Realty. The Company and NorthStar Realty further agreed to indemnify each other for all of the losses that may arise as a result of a default that was solely caused by the Company or NorthStar Realty, as the case may be. In connection with the mergers, the Sponsor assumed all of NorthStar Realty’s obligations.

PE Investment I

In connection with PE Investment I, the Company assumed the rights to subscribe to 29.5% of PE Investment I from NorthStar Realty. The Company and NorthStar Realty contributed cash of $400.1 million, of which the Company and NorthStar Realty contributed $118.0 million and $282.1 million, respectively. In connection with the mergers, NorthStar Realty’s interests in PE Investment I and its other obligations were assumed by the Sponsor.

PE Investment IIB

In February 2016, the Company’s board of directors, including all of its independent directors, approved the purchase of an additional 14.0% of the PE Investment IIA transaction (“PE Investment IIB”) from NorthStar Realty, which following the mergers became a subsidiary of the Sponsor. The Company purchased PE Investment IIB on the same terms and conditions negotiated by another existing and purchasing unrelated co-investor in the transaction. This increased the Company’s total ownership from 15.0% to 29.0%. The Company acquired PE Investment IIB for $26.5 million based on a NAV of $660.6 million as of December 31, 2015, adjusted for distributions and contributions. With this add-on investment, PE Investment IIA and PE Investment IIB are collectively responsible for 29.0% of the Deferred Amount, or $85.7 million as of December 31, 2016.

Secured Borrowing

In November 2016, the Company bifurcated three first mortgage loans with an aggregate principal amount of $44.4 million into senior participations in mortgage loans of $29.5 million and junior participations in the related mortgage loans of $14.9 million to facilitate the financing of the mortgage loans through a securitization financing transaction entered into by NorthStar Income II, a company managed by an affiliate of the Sponsor. The Company sold three senior participations at cost into the securitization transaction. The Company did not retain any legal interest in the senior participations and retained the junior participations on an unleveraged basis. As a result of U.S. GAAP requirements for transfers of financial assets, the senior participations transferred into the securitization financing transaction are accounted for as a secured borrowing and presented as loan collateral payable, net, related party on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Refer to Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” for additional information. As of December 31, 2016, the carrying value of CRE debt investments recorded in real estate debt investments, net was $23.7 million with an offsetting secured borrowing recorded in loan collateral payable, net, related party of $23.3 million.

9. Equity-Based Compensation

The Company adopted a long-term incentive plan, as amended (the “Plan”), which it may use to attract and retain qualified officers, directors, employees and consultants, as well as an independent directors compensation plan, which is a component of the Plan. Pursuant to the Plan, as of December 31, 2016, the Company’s independent and non-management directors were granted a total of 101,204 shares of restricted common stock for an aggregate $1.0 million, based on the share price on the date of each grant. The restricted stock granted prior to 2013 generally vests quarterly over four years and the restricted stock granted in and subsequent to 2013 generally vests quarterly over two years. However, the stock will become fully vested on the earlier occurrence of: (i) the termination of the independent or non-management director’s service as a director due to his or her death or disability or (ii) a change in control of the Company.

The Company recognized equity-based compensation expense of $0.2 million, $0.2 million and $0.1 million for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively, related to the issuance of restricted stock to the independent and non-management directors, which was recorded in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Unvested shares totaled 20,462, 17,687, and 10,688 as of December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively.

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10. Stockholders’ Equity

Common Stock

The Company’s Total Primary Offering was completed on July 1, 2013. From inception through the completion of the Total Primary Offering, the Company issued 107.6 million shares of common stock generating gross proceeds from the Total Primary Offering of $1.1 billion.

Distribution Reinvestment Plan

The Company adopted the DRP through which common stockholders may elect to reinvest an amount equal to the distributions declared on their shares in additional shares of the Company’s common stock in lieu of receiving cash distributions. As a result of an additional registration statement to offer up to 10.0 million shares pursuant to the DRP, the Company continues to offer DRP shares beyond the Total Primary Offering.

In April 2016, the DRP was amended and restated to provide that, effective on ten days’ notice, the price per share purchased pursuant to the DRP was $9.87, which is equal to the estimated value per share of the Company’s common stock as of December 31, 2015, until such time as the Company establishes a new estimated per share value, at which time the purchase price will adjust to 100% of such estimated value per share. The Company expects that the next estimated value per share will be based upon assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2016.

Prior to the April 2016 amendment, shares issued pursuant to the DRP were priced at 95.0% of the Company’s estimated value per share as of October 31, 2014, or $9.52. Prior to 2015, shares issued pursuant to the DRP were priced at $9.50 per share.

No selling commissions or dealer manager fees are paid on shares issued pursuant to the DRP. The board of directors of the Company may amend, suspend or terminate the DRP for any reason upon ten-days’ notice to participants.

For the year endedDecember 31, 2016, the Company issued 4.5 million shares totaling $43.5 million of proceeds pursuant to the DRP. For the year endedDecember 31, 2015, the Company issued 4.6 million shares totaling $43.8 million of proceeds pursuant to the DRP. From inception through December 31, 2016, the Company issued 18.2 million shares totaling $174.5 million of proceeds pursuant to the DRP.

Distributions

Distributions to stockholders are declared quarterly by the board of directors of the Company and are paid monthly based on a daily amount of $0.002191781 per share, which is equivalent to an annual distribution of $0.80 per share of the Company’s common stock. Distributions are generally paid to stockholders on the first business day of the month following the month for which the distribution has accrued.

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The following table presents distributions declared for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):

	Distributions(1)
Period	Cash		DRP		Total
2016
First Quarter	$	13,052	$	10,987	$	24,039
Second Quarter	13,184		10,864		24,048
Third Quarter	13,482		10,858		24,340
Fourth Quarter	13,690		10,628		24,318
Total	$	53,408	$	43,337	$	96,745
2015
First Quarter	$	12,640	$	10,720	$	23,360
Second Quarter	12,910		10,882		23,792
Third Quarter	13,107		11,095		24,202
Fourth Quarter	13,169		11,145		24,314
Total	$	51,826	$	43,842	$	95,668
2014
First Quarter	$	12,369	$	10,338	$	22,707
Second Quarter	12,492		10,650		23,142
Third Quarter	12,674		10,885		23,559
Fourth Quarter	12,717		10,997		23,714
Total	$	50,252	$	42,870	$	93,122

_________________________________________________

(1) Represents distributions declared for the period, even though such distributions are actually paid to stockholders the month following such period. For the year endedDecember 31, 2016, approximately 18% of distributions paid was ordinary income, 6% was capital gain distribution and 76% was a return of capital.

Share Repurchase Program

The Company adopted a share repurchase program that may enable stockholders to sell their shares to the Company in limited circumstances (as amended, the “Share Repurchase Program” or “SRP”). The Company may not repurchase shares unless a stockholder has held shares for one year. However, the Company may repurchase shares held for less than one year in connection with a stockholder’s death or qualifying disability. The Company is not obligated to repurchase shares under the Share Repurchase Program. The Company may amend, suspend or terminate the Share Repurchase Program at its discretion at any time, provided that any amendment that adversely affects the rights or obligations of a participant will take effect upon 10 days’ prior written notice (or 10 business days’ prior written notice if related to a change in the number of shares that can be repurchased in a calendar year). For the year endedDecember 31, 2016, the Company repurchased 4.3 million shares of common stock for a total of $41.5 million or a weighted average price of $9.53 per share. For the year endedDecember 31, 2015, the Company repurchased 1.7 million shares of common stock for a total of $16.5 million or a weighted average price of $9.63 per share. The Company funds repurchase requests received during a quarter with proceeds set aside for that purpose which are not expected to exceed proceeds received from its DRP. In accordance with the SRP, the Company’s board of directors approved the use of cash available from operations to fund the aggregate amount of repurchases received during the quarter ended December 31, 2016 in excess of the aggregate proceeds received pursuant to the DRP. As of December 31, 2016, there were no unfulfilled repurchase requests.

11. Non-controlling Interests

Operating Partnership

Non-controlling interests include the aggregate limited partnership interests in the Operating Partnership held by limited partners, other than the Company. Income (loss) attributable to the non-controlling interests is based on the limited partners’ ownership percentage of the Operating Partnership and was a de minimis amount for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

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Other

Other non-controlling interests represent third-party equity interests in ventures that are consolidated with the Company’s financial statements. Net income attributable to other non-controlling interest for the year endedDecember 31, 2016 was $0.3 million. Net loss attributable to other non-controlling interest for the years endedDecember 31, 2015 and 2014 was de minimis and $0.2 million, respectively.

12. Fair Value

Fair Value Measurement

The fair value of financial instruments is categorized based on the priority of the inputs to the valuation technique and categorized into a three-level fair value hierarchy. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). If the inputs used to measure the financial instruments fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the categorization is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities recorded at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets are categorized based on the inputs to the valuation techniques as follows:

Level 1. Quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in an active market.

Level 2. Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on the following:

a) Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets.

b) Quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in non-active markets.

c) Pricing models whose inputs are observable for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.

d) Pricing models whose inputs are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.

Level 3. Prices or valuation techniques based on inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

Determination of Fair Value

The following is a description of the valuation techniques used to measure fair value of assets accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis and the general classification of these instruments pursuant to the fair value hierarchy.

Investments in Private Equity Funds

The Company accounts for PE Investments at fair value which is determined based on a valuation model using assumptions for the timing and amount of expected future cash flow for income and realization events for the underlying assets in the funds and discount rate. This fair value measurement is generally based on unobservable inputs and, as such, is classified as Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. The Company is not using the NAV (practical expedient) of the underlying funds for purposes of determining fair value.

Real Estate Securities

CRE securities are generally valued using a third-party pricing service or broker quotations. These quotations are not adjusted and are based on observable inputs that can be validated, and as such, are classified as Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. Certain CRE securities may be valued based on a single broker quote or an internal price which may have less observable pricing, and as such, would be classified as Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. Management determines the prices are representative of fair value through a review of available data, including observable inputs, recent transactions as well as its knowledge of and experience in the market.

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Derivative Instruments

Derivative instruments are valued using a third-party pricing service. These quotations are not adjustments and are generally based on valuation models with observable inputs such as interest rates and contractual cash flow, and as such, are classified as Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. The derivative instruments are recorded within other liabilities on the Company’s balance sheets.

Fair Value Hierarchy

Financial assets recorded at fair value on a recurring basis are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The following table presents financial assets that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 by level within the fair value hierarchy (dollars in thousands):

	December 31, 2016								December 31, 2015
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets:
Investments in private equity funds, at fair value	$	—	$	—	$	90,579	$	90,579	$	—	$	—	$	98,754	$	98,754
Real estate securities, available for sale	—		93,975		—		93,975		—		83,622		—		83,622
Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities	$	—	$	186	$	—	$	186	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—

The following table presents additional information about PE Investments which are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 for which the Company has used Level 3 inputs to determine fair value (dollars in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016			2015
Beginning balance	$	98,754		$	141,091
Contributions(1)	59,646			10,040
Distributions	(88,525		)	(70,487		)
Equity in earnings	24,136			30,218
Unrealized gain (loss)	(3,432		)	(12,108		)
Ending balance	$	90,579		$	98,754

_____________________________________________________

(1) Includes initial investments, before distribution and contribution closing statement adjustments, and subsequent contributions, including deferred purchase price fundings.

For the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company used discounted cash flow model to quantify Level 3 fair value measurements on a recurring basis. For the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015, the key unobservable inputs used in this analysis included discount rates with a weighted average of 14.7% and 19.5%, respectively, and timing and amount of expected future cash flow. Significant increases or decreases in any one of the inputs described above in isolation may result in significantly different fair value of the financial assets and liabilities using such Level 3 inputs.

For the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, the Company recorded an unrealized loss of $3.4 million, $12.1 million and an unrealized gain of $11.8 million, respectively, for financial assets for which the fair value option was elected. These amounts, when incurred, are recorded as unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other in the consolidated statements of operations.

Fair Value Option

The Company may elect the fair value option for certain of its financial assets or liabilities due to the nature of the instrument. In the case of PE Investments, the Company elected the fair value option because management believes it is a more useful presentation for such investments. The Company determined recording the PE Investments based on the change in fair value of projected future cash flow from one period to another better represents the underlying economics of the respective investment. As of December 31, 2016, the Company has elected not to apply the fair value option for any other eligible financial assets or liabilities when the items were first recognized.

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Fair Value of Financial Instruments

In addition to the above disclosures regarding financial assets or liabilities which are recorded at fair value, U.S. GAAP requires disclosure of fair value about all financial instruments. The following disclosure of estimated fair value of financial instruments was determined by the Company using available market information and appropriate valuation methodologies. Considerable judgment is necessary to interpret market data and develop estimated fair value. Accordingly, the estimates presented herein are not necessarily indicative of the amounts the Company could realize on disposition of the financial instruments. The use of different market assumptions and/or estimation methodologies may have a material effect on estimated fair value.

The following table presents the principal amount, carrying value and fair value of certain financial assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):

	December 31, 2016							December 31, 2015
	Principal Amount			Carrying Value		Fair Value		Principal Amount			Carrying Value		Fair Value
Financial assets:(1)
Real estate debt investments, net	$	744,297	(2)	$	745,323	$	755,317	$	995,769	(2)	$	997,836	$	1,054,743
Real estate securities, available for sale(3)	138,438			93,975		93,975		115,849			83,622		83,622
Loan collateral receivable, related party(4)	52,204			52,204		50,941		54,056			54,056		54,885
Financial liabilities:(1)
Securitization bonds payable, net	$	39,762		$	39,762	$	39,961	$	185,812		$	185,314	$	185,387
Mortgage notes payable, net	396,613			393,410		356,031		317,865			316,402		317,138
Credit facilities	249,156			249,156		249,156		318,000			318,000		318,000
Loan collateral payable, net, related party(5)	23,729			23,261		23,050		—			—		—

______________________________________________

(1) The fair value of other financial instruments not included in this table is estimated to approximate their carrying value.

(2) Excludes future funding commitments of $23.2 million and $43.6 million, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

(3) Refer to “Determination of Fair Value” above for disclosure of methodologies used to determine fair value.

(4) Represents one senior loan participation interest in a first mortgage loan (Refer to Note 7).

(5) Represents three senior loan participation interests in first mortgage loans (Refer to Note 7).

Disclosure about fair value of financial instruments is based on pertinent information available to management as of the reporting date. Although management is not aware of any factors that would significantly affect fair value, such amounts have not been comprehensively revalued for purposes of these consolidated financial statements since that date and current estimates of fair value may differ significantly from the amounts presented herein.

Real Estate Debt Investments, Net / Loan Collateral Receivable, Related Party / Loan Collateral Payable, Net, Related Party

For CRE debt investments, including loan collateral receivable, related party and loan collateral payable, net, related party, fair value was approximated by comparing the current yield to the estimated yield for newly originated loans with similar credit risk or the market yield at which a third party might expect to purchase such investment. Fair value was determined assuming fully-extended maturities regardless of structural or economic tests required to achieve such extended maturities. These fair value measurements of CRE debt, including loan collateral receivable, related party and loan collateral payable, net, related party, are generally based on unobservable inputs and, as such, are classified as Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

Securitization Bonds Payable, Net

Securitization bonds payable, net are valued using quotations from nationally recognized financial institutions that generally acted as underwriter for the transactions. These quotations are not adjusted and are generally based on observable inputs that can be validated, and as such, are classified as Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

Mortgage Notes Payable, Net

For mortgage notes payable, net, the Company primarily uses rates currently available with similar terms and remaining maturities to estimate fair value. These measurements are determined using comparable U.S. Treasury rates as of the end of the reporting period. These fair value measurements are based on observable inputs, and as such, are classified as Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

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Credit Facilities

The Company has amounts outstanding under six credit facilities. All credit facilities bear floating rates of interest. As of the reporting date, the Company believes the carrying value approximates fair value. These fair value measurements are based on observable inputs, and as such, are classified as Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

13. Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited)

The following tables present selected quarterly information for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands, except per share data):

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,		September 30,		June 30,		March 31,
	2016		2016		2016		2016
Net interest income	$	15,126	$	14,646	$	15,316	$	15,895
Property and other revenues	20,272		21,843		20,116		16,371
Expenses	31,977		33,924		30,322		29,719
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	5,316		5,575		6,502		7,570
Net income (loss)	8,035		7,297		9,102		7,773
Net income (loss) attributable to NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. common stockholders	7,869		7,491		8,904		7,688
Net income (loss) per share of common stock, basic/diluted (1)	$	0.06	$	0.06	$	0.07	$	0.07

__________________

(1) The total for the year may differ from the sum of the quarters as a result of weighting.

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,		September 30,		June 30,		March 31,
	2015		2015		2015		2015
Net interest income	$	16,487	$	19,576	$	19,272	$	19,797
Property and other revenues	15,731		14,637		15,027		14,999
Expenses	28,023		34,306		25,103		25,301
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	8,051		8,133		9,509		10,324
Net income (loss)	8,808		5,365		14,195		17,223
Net income (loss) attributable to NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. common stockholders	8,753		5,773		13,943		17,145
Net income (loss) per share of common stock, basic/diluted (1)	$	0.07	$	0.05	$	0.12	$	0.14

_________________

(1) The total for the year may differ from the sum of the quarters as a result of weighting.

14. Segment Reporting

The Company currently conducts its business through the following four segments, which are based on how management reviews and manages its business:

• Commercial Real Estate Debt - Focused on originating, acquiring and asset managing CRE debt investments including first mortgage loans, subordinate interests and mezzanine loans and participations in such loans, as well as preferred equity interests.

• Commercial Real Estate Equity - Focused on direct ownership in real estate, which may be structurally senior to a third-party partner’s equity and indirect interests in real estate through PE Investments since the underlying collateral in the funds is primarily real estate.

• Commercial Real Estate Securities - Focused on investing in CMBS, unsecured REIT debt, CDO notes and other securities.

• Corporate - The corporate segment includes corporate level asset management and other fees - related party and general and administrative expenses.

The Company may also own investments indirectly through a joint venture.

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The Company primarily generates revenue from net interest income on the CRE debt and securities portfolios, equity in earnings of unconsolidated ventures, including from PE Investments, and from rental and other income from its real estate equity investments. The Company’s income is primarily derived through the difference between revenue and the cost at which the Company is able to finance its investments. The Company may also acquire investments which generate attractive returns without any leverage.

The following tables present segment reporting for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):

Year Ended December 31, 2016	Real Estate Debt			Real Estate Equity			Real Estate Securities		Corporate			Total
Net interest income	$	53,638		$	—		$	7,345	$	—		$	60,983
Rental and other income	—			78,602			—		—			78,602
Asset management and other fees - related party	—			—			—		(23,765		)	(23,765		)
Mortgage notes interest expense	—			(17,519		)	—		—			(17,519		)
Transaction costs	—			(1,767		)	—		(211		)	(1,978		)
Property operating expenses	—			(36,950		)	—		—			(36,950		)
General and administrative expenses	(733		)	(194		)	—		(13,576		)	(14,503		)
Depreciation and amortization	—			(31,227		)	—		—			(31,227		)
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other	—			(3,432		)	—		—			(3,432		)
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense)	52,905			(12,487		)	7,345		(37,552		)	10,211
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	827			24,136			—		—			24,963
Income tax benefit (expense)	—			(2,967		)	—		—			(2,967		)
Net income (loss)	$	53,732		$	8,682		$	7,345	$	(37,552	)	$	32,207

Year Ended December 31, 2015	Real Estate Debt			Real Estate Equity			Real Estate Securities			Corporate			Total
Net interest income	$	70,144		$	—		$	4,959		$	29		$	75,132
Rental and other income	—			60,394			—			—			60,394
Asset management and other fees - related party	—			—			—			(23,965		)	(23,965		)
Mortgage notes interest expense	—			(14,832		)	—			—			(14,832		)
Transaction costs	(446		)	(73		)	—			(825		)	(1,344		)
Property operating expenses	—			(31,135		)	—			—			(31,135		)
General and administrative expenses	(841		)	(100		)	(51		)	(14,483		)	(15,475		)
Depreciation and amortization	—			(25,982		)	—			—			(25,982		)
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other	—			(12,108		)	—			—			(12,108		)
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense)	68,857			(23,836		)	4,908			(39,244		)	10,685
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	5,799			30,218			—			—			36,017
Income tax benefit (expense)	—			(1,111		)	—			—			(1,111		)
Net income (loss)	$	74,656		$	5,271		$	4,908		$	(39,244	)	$	45,591

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NORTHSTAR REAL ESTATE INCOME TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Year Ended December 31, 2014	Real Estate Debt			Real Estate Equity			Real Estate Securities			Corporate			Total
Net interest income	$	75,780		$	—		$	5,817		$	—		$	81,597
Rental and other income	—			29,342			—			—			29,342
Asset management and other fees - related party	—			—			—			(24,676		)	(24,676		)
Mortgage notes interest expense	—			(7,763		)	—			—			(7,763		)
Transaction costs	—			(2,770		)	—			(7		)	(2,777		)
Property operating expenses	—			(15,433		)	—			—			(15,433		)
General and administrative expenses	(991		)	(146		)	(28		)	(12,100		)	(13,265		)
Depreciation and amortization	—			(6,427		)	—			—			(6,427		)
Realized gain (loss) on investments and other	(175		)	—			572			—			397
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other	—			11,764			—			—			11,764
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	74,614			8,567			6,361			(36,783		)	52,759
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	3,421			38,258			—			—			41,679
Income tax benefit (expense)	—			(5,485		)	—			—			(5,485		)
Net income (loss)	$	78,035		$	41,340		$	6,361		$	(36,783	)	$	88,953

The following table presents total assets by segment as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (dollars in thousands):

	Real Estate Debt		Real Estate Equity		Real Estate Securities		Corporate(1)		Total
December 31, 2016
Investments in unconsolidated ventures	$	—	$	90,579	$	—	$	—	$	90,579
Total Assets	871,600		665,643		105,830		125,407		1,768,480
December 31, 2015
Investments in unconsolidated ventures	$	59,089	$	98,754	$	—	$	—	$	157,843
Total Assets	1,198,020		525,178		84,887		139,431		1,947,516

__________________________________________________

(1) Includes cash, unallocated receivables and deferred costs and other assets, net.

15. Subsequent Events

Distribution Reinvestment Plan

From January 1, 2017 through March 10, 2017, the Company issued 0.9 million shares of common stock pursuant to the DRP, raising proceeds of $9.3 million. As of March 10, 2017, 8.7 million shares were available to be issued pursuant to the DRP.

Distributions

On March 15, 2017, the board of directors of the Company approved a daily cash distribution of $0.001917808 per share of common stock for each of the three months ended June 30, 2017. Distributions are generally paid to stockholders on the first business day of the month following the month for which the distribution was accrued.

Share Repurchases

From January 1, 2017 through March 10, 2017, the Company repurchased 1.8 million shares for a total of $17.4 million or a weighted average price of $9.42 per share under the Share Repurchase Program (“SRP”) that enables stockholders to sell their shares to the Company in certain circumstances, including death or a qualifying disability. The Company funds repurchase requests received during a quarter with proceeds set aside for that purpose which are not expected to exceed proceeds received from its DRP. The shares were repurchased using $9.3 million in cash proceeds from the DRP and $8.1 million in cash available from operations. In accordance with the SRP, the Company’s board of directors approved the use of cash available from operations to

126

NORTHSTAR REAL ESTATE INCOME TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

fund the aggregate amount of repurchases received during the quarter ended December 31, 2016 in excess of the aggregate proceeds received pursuant to the DRP.

New Investments

Commercial Real Estate Debt

In January 2017, the Company originated a $12.0 million mezzanine CRE debt investment.

Real Estate Securities Investments

From January 1, 2017 through March 10, 2017, the Company purchased four CMBS investments with an aggregate face value of $21.5 million at an aggregate discount to par of $6.6 million, or 30.7%.

Repayments

Commercial Real Estate Debt

In January 2017, the Company received $69.8 million related to the repayment of a CRE debt investment.

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NORTHSTAR REAL ESTATE INCOME TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

SCHEDULE III - REAL ESTATE AND ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION

December 31, 2016

(Dollars in Thousands)

Column A	Column B		Column C Initial Cost				Column D Capitalized Subsequent to Acquisition		Column E Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period						Column F				Column G	Column H
Location City, State	Encumbrances		Land		Building & Improvements		Land, Buildings & Improvements		Land		Building & Improvements		Total		Accumulated Depreciation		Total		Date Acquired	Life on Which Depreciation is Computed
Clemson, SC	$	12,411	$	1,946	$	17,668	$	422	$	1,946	$	18,090	$	20,036	$	2,308	$	17,728	Apr-14	30 years
Columbia, SC	24,750		2,532		20,832		416		2,532		21,248		23,780		2,703		21,077		May-14	30 years
Farmington Hills, MI	43,000		3,161		47,839		8,666		3,161		56,505		59,666		6,694		52,972		Nov-13	30 years
Kalamazoo, MI	16,000		1,484		19,516		1,825		1,484		21,341		22,825		2,823		20,002		Dec-13	30 years
New Orleans, LA	43,500		3,206		50,294		2,008		3,206		52,302		55,508		6,248		49,260		Nov-13	30 years
St. Louis, MO	108,850		19,504		92,127		4,976		19,504		97,103		116,607		11,000		105,607		Sep-14	39 years
Warrendale, PA	77,700		15,150		75,554		3,480		15,150		79,034		94,184		6,522		87,662		Dec-14	40 years
Columbus, OH	70,402		13,472		71,238		1,160		13,472		72,398		85,870		2,346		83,524		Mar-16	39 years
Vienna, VA	—		13,023		39,532		228		13,023		39,760		52,783		1,776		51,007		May-16	39 years
Total operating real estate, net	$	396,613	$	73,478	$	434,600	$	23,181	$	73,478	$	457,781	$	531,259	$	42,420	$	488,839

The following table presents changes in the Company’s operating real estate portfolio gross of accumulated depreciation for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 are as follows:

	2016			2015			2014
Beginning balance	$	388,345		$	410,247		$	125,671
Property acquisitions(1)	168,640			—			284,576
Improvements	5,649			10,245			—
Retirements and disposals	—			(280		)	—
Reallocation of purchase price	(31,375		)	(31,867		)	—
Ending balance(2)	$	531,259		$	388,345		$	410,247

__________________________________________________

(1) Includes REO of $67.5 million.

(2) The aggregate cost of the properties is approximately $532.9 million for federal income tax purposes as of December 31, 2016.

Changes in accumulated depreciation for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 are as follows:

	2016		2015			2014
Beginning balance	$	23,018	$	6,900		$	503
Depreciation expense	19,402		16,398			6,397
Retirements and disposals	—		(280		)	—
Ending balance	$	42,420	$	23,018		$	6,900

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NORTHSTAR REAL ESTATE INCOME TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

SCHEDULE IV - MORTGAGE LOANS ON REAL ESTATE

December 31, 2016

(Dollars in Thousands)

			Interest Rate(1)												Principal Amount of Loans
Asset Type:	Location / Description	Count	Floating		Fixed		Maturity Date(2)	Periodic Payment Terms(3)	Prior Liens		Principal Amount(4)		Carrying Value(5)		Subject to Delinquent Principal or Interest
First mortgage loans:
Borrower A	Various / Retail	1	6.86	%	—		5/9/2019	I/O	$	—	$	150,150	$	150,150	$	—
Borrower B	Illinois / Office	1	5.91	%	—		11/9/2017	I/O	—		86,421		86,638		—
Borrower C	Texas / Mixed use	1	—		15.00	%	2/9/2017	I/O	—		43,000		43,000		—
Borrower D	New Jersey / Office	1	8.90	%	—		1/9/2017	I/O	—		42,607		42,607		—
Borrower E	California / Office	1	4.38	%	—		10/9/2018	I/O	—		41,432		41,697		—
Borrower F	New Jersey / Office	1	5.86	%	—		8/9/2017	I/O	—		40,000		40,022		—
Borrower G	Minnesota / Hotel	1	6.66	%	—		11/9/2017	I/O	—		30,500		30,500		—
Borrower H	New York / Hotel	1	2.25	%	—		5/9/2023	P&I	—		28,110		28,110		—
Borrower I	New York / Hotel	—	10.38	%	—		5/9/2023	I/O	—		25,270		25,270		—
Other first mortgage loans(6)	Various / Various	5	6.66	%	—		7/23/2018	I/O	—		76,652		76,728		—
Total/Weighted average		13	7.13	%	15.00	%	10/19/2018		—		564,142		564,722		—
Mezzanine loans:
Borrower J	New Jersey / Office	1	8.91	%	—		1/9/2017	I/O	42,607		27,193		27,193		—
Other mezzanine loans(6)	Various / Various	4	11.66	%	12.49	%	8/25/2021	I/O	313,015		65,639		65,621		—
Total/Weighted average		5	9.95	%	12.49	%	4/17/2020		355,622		92,832		92,814		—
Preferred equity interests:
Borrower K	New York / Office	1	—		10.00	%	10/1/2021	I/O	—		87,323		87,787		—
Total/Weighted Average		1	—		10.00	%	10/1/2021		—		87,323		87,787		—
Total		19							$	355,622	$	744,297	$	745,323	$	—

______________________________________________________________________________________

(1) The majority of the Company’s floating-rate loans are subject to a fixed minimum LIBOR floor. The interest rate shown is the coupon, including the LIBOR floor, as of December 31, 2016.

(2) Reflects the initial maturity date of the investment and does not consider any options to extend beyond such date.

(3) P&I = principal and interest; I/O = interest only.

(4) Excludes future funding commitments of $23.2 million.

(5) The aggregate cost of the properties is $745.3 million for federal tax purposes as of December 31, 2016.

(6) Individual loans each have a carrying value of less than 3% of total carrying value of CRE debt investments.

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SCHEDULE IV - MORTGAGE LOANS ON REAL ESTATE (CONTINUED)

December 31, 2016

(Dollars in Thousands)

Reconciliation of Carrying Value of Commercial Real Estate Debt:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016			2015		2014
Beginning balance	$	997,836		$	1,250,023	$	1,013,178
Additions:
Principal amount of new loans and additional funding on existing loans	151,280			61,189		488,020
Interest accretion	6,408			6,505		1,318
Acquisition cost (fees) on new loans	1,089			451		4,952
Origination fees received on new loans	(532		)	—		(2,505		)
Deductions:
Collection of principal	341,668			318,835		236,499
REO acquisition	67,493			—		—
Sales	—			—		17,349
Unrealized loss on sale	—			—		175
Amortization of acquisition costs, fees, premiums and discounts	1,597			1,497		917
Ending balance	$	745,323		$	997,836	$	1,250,023

130

Item 9.    Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

Not applicable.

Item 9A.    Controls and Procedures

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The management of the Company established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries required to be disclosed in the reports that are filed or submitted under the 1934 Act are recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.

As of the end of the period covered by this report, the Company’s management conducted an evaluation, as required under Rules 13a-15(b) and 15d-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or Exchange Act, under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act).

Based on this evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this report, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that it will detect or uncover failures to disclose material information otherwise required to be set forth in the Company’s periodic reports.

Internal Control over Financial Reporting

(a) Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. As defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f), internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the principal executive and principal financial officer and effected by the board of directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and includes those policies and procedures that: (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the Company carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016 based on the “Internal Control-Integrated Framework” (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Based upon this evaluation, management has concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2016.

(b) Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There have not been any changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the most recent fiscal quarter that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

Inherent Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls

The Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal control over financial reporting will prevent or detect all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system’s objectives will be met. The design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs.

131

Item 9B.   Other Information

None.

132

PART III

Item 10.    Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance*

Item 11.    Executive Compensation*

Item 12.    Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters*

Item 13.    Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence*

Item 14.    Principal Accountant Fees and Services*

____________________________________________________

* The information that is required by Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 (other than the information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K) is incorporated herein by reference from the definitive proxy statement relating to the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company, which is to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, no later than 120 days after the end of the Company’s fiscal year endedDecember 31, 2016.

133

PART IV

Item 15.    Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

(a)1. Consolidated Financial Statements and (a)2. Financial Statement Schedules are included in Part II,

Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data’’ of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014

Consolidated Statements of Equity for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Schedule III - Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation as of December 31, 2016

Schedule IV - Mortgage Loans on Real Estate as of December 31, 2016

(a)3. Exhibit Index

Exhibit Number	Description of Exhibit
3.1	Second Articles of Amendment and Restatement of NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 26, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference)
3.2	Amended and Restated Bylaws of NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (filed as Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2013 and incorporated herein by reference)
4.1	Amended and Restated Distribution Reinvestment Plan (filed as Appendix A to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3D (File No. 333-213092) and incorporated herein by reference)
10.1	Advisory Agreement, dated as of June 30, 2014, by and among NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust Operating Partnership, LP, NorthStar Asset Management Group, Inc. and NSAM J-NSI Ltd (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 1, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.2	Limited Partnership Agreement of NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust Operating Partnership, LP, dated March 17, 2010 (filed as Exhibit 10.3 to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 5 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.3	NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. Long Term Incentive Plan (filed as Exhibit 10.4 to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 5 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-11 (File No. 333-157688) and incorporated herein by reference)
10.4	NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. Second Amended and Restated Independent Directors Compensation Plan (filed as Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.5	Form of Restricted Stock Award Certificate (filed as Exhibit 10.8 to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 5 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-11 (File No. 333-157688) and incorporated herein by reference)
10.6	Form of Indemnification Agreement (filed as Exhibit 10.7 to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-11 (File No. 333-157688) and incorporated herein by reference)
10.7	Master Repurchase Agreement, dated as of July 18, 2012, between NS REIT CB Loan, LLCand Citibank, N.A. (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 19, 2012 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.8	Limited Guaranty, dated as of July 18, 2012, by NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., for the benefit of Citibank, N.A. (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 19, 2012 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.9	First Amendment to Master Repurchase Agreement, dated as of November 30, 2012, by and among NSREIT CB Loan, LLC, NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. and Citibank, N.A. (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on December 4, 2012 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.10	Second Amendment to Master Repurchase Agreement and First Amendment to Limited Guaranty, dated as of April 18, 2013, by and among NSREIT CB Loan, LLC, NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. and Citibank, N.A. (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 23, 2013 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.11	Third Amendment to Master Repurchase Agreement, dated as of June 30, 2014, by and among NSREIT CB Loan, LLC, Citibank, N.A. and NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference)

134

Exhibit Number	Description of Exhibit
10.12	Fourth Amendment to Master Repurchase Agreement, dated as of October 20, 2014, by and among NSREIT CB Loan, LLC, Citibank, N.A. and NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on October 24, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.13	Master Repurchase Agreement, dated as of March 11, 2013, by and among NS Income DB Loan, LLC, and Deutsche Bank AG, Cayman Islands Branch, (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on March 12, 2013 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.14	Limited Guaranty, dated as of March 11, 2013, by NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. and NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust Operating Partnership, LP to Deutsche Bank AG, Cayman Islands Branch (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on March 12, 2013 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.15	Agreement of Purchase and Sale, dated as of June 12, 2013, by and between Project Shore JV I, LLC and Project Shore JV II, LLC, as Buyers, and Common Pension Fund E, as Seller (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2013 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.16	Master Repurchase and Securities Contract Agreement, dated October 13, 2015, by and between MS Loan NT-I, LLC and Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A. (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 19, 2015 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.17	Guaranty Agreement, made as of October 13, 2015, by NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. and NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust Operating Partnership, LP, for the benefit of Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A. (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 19, 2015 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.18	Fifth Amendment to Master Repurchase Agreement, dated as of October 17, 2016 by and among NSREIT CB Loan, LLC and Citibank, N.A. (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 20, 2016 and incorporated herein by reference)
21.1*	Significant Subsidiaries of the Registrant
23.1*	Consent of Grant Thornton LLP
24.1*	Power of Attorney (included on signature page hereto)
31.1*	Certification by the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 17 CFR 240.13a-14(a)/15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
31.2*	Certification by the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 17 CFR 240.13a-14(a)/15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.1*	Certification by the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.2*	Certification by the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
101*	The following materials from the NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, formatted in XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language): (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015; (ii) Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014; (iii) Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014; (iv) Consolidated Statements of Equity for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014; (v) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014; and (vi) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

____________________________________________________

* Filed herewith

135

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

		NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.
Date:	March 17, 2017	By:	/s/ DANIEL R. GILBERT
			Name:	Daniel R. Gilbert
			Title:	Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Daniel R. Gilbert and Jenny B. Neslin, and each of them severally, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact with power of substitution and re-substitution to sign in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to do any and all things and execute any and all instruments that such attorney may deem necessary or advisable under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and any rules, regulations and requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with this Annual Report on Form 10-K and any and all amendments hereto, as fully for all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, and hereby ratifies and confirms all said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone, and his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below on behalf of the Registrant in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature	Title	Date
/s/ DANIEL R. GILBERT	Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President
Daniel R. Gilbert	(Principal Executive Officer)	March 17, 2017
/s/ FRANK V. SARACINO	Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Frank V. Saracino	(Principal Financial Officer and	March 17, 2017
	Principal Accounting Officer)
/s/ JONATHAN T. ALBRO	Director	March 17, 2017
Jonathan T. Albro
/s/ VERNON B. SCHWARTZ	Director	March 17, 2017
Vernon B. Schwartz
/s/ JACK F. SMITH, JR.	Director	March 17, 2017
Jack F. Smith, Jr.
/s/ JAMES J. THOMAS	Director	March 17, 2017
James J. Thomas

136

EX-21.1

	Exhibit 21.1
NORTHSTAR REAL ESTATE INCOME TRUST, INC.
List of Significant Subsidiaries
	Formation
Entity Name	Jurisdiction
NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust Operating Partnership, LP...........................................................	Delaware
NS Income Opportunity REIT Holdings, LLC......................................................................................	Delaware
NS SKAGOS Holdings NT-1, LLC.......................................................................................................	Delaware
NorthStar 2013-1, LLC..........................................................................................................................	Delaware
NS Income Sub-REIT Corp...................................................................................................................	Maryland
NRFC Income Opportunity Securities Holdings, LLC	Delaware
NS Income DB Loan, LLC	Delaware
Project Shore NL Investor I, LLC	Delaware
Project Shore NL Investor II, LLC	Delaware
SE Malls Lender NT-I, LLC	Delaware
1401 ELM NT-I, LLC	Delaware
Ohio Industrial Holdings NT-I, LLC	Delaware
80 Broad PE-NT-I, LLC	Delaware
RNSI City Place JV, LLC	Delaware

EX-23.1

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We have issued our report dated March 17, 2017, with respect to the consolidated financial statements and schedules included in the Annual Report of NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. on Form 10-K for the year endedDecember 31, 2016.  We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference of said report in the Registration Statement of NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. on Form S-3D (File No. 333-213092), effective August 12, 2016, pertaining to the Distribution Reinvestment Plan.

/s/ Grant Thornton LLP

New York, New York
March 17, 2017

EX-31.1

Exhibit 31.1

CERTIFICATION BY THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER PURSUANT TO

17 CFR 240.13a-14(a)/15(d)-14(a),

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Daniel R. Gilbert, certify that:

        1.     I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.;

        2.     Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

        3.     Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

        4.     The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

(a)   Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b)   Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c)   Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d)   Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

        5.     The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a)   All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b)   Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

By:	/s/ DANIEL R. GILBERT
	Daniel R. Gilbert
	Chief Executive Officer and President
Date:	March 17, 2017

EX-31.2

Exhibit 31.2

CERTIFICATION BY THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER PURSUANT TO

17 CFR 240.13a-14(a)/15(d)-14(a),

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Frank V. Saracino, certify that:

        1.     I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.;

        2.     Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

        3.     Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

        4.     The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

(a)   Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b)   Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c)   Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d)   Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

        5.     The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a)   All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b)   Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

By:	/s/ FRANK V. SARACINO
	Frank V. Saracino
	Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Date:	March 17, 2017

EX-32.1

Exhibit 32.1

CERTIFICATION BY THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

        In connection with the Annual Report on Form 10-K of NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (the “Company”) for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), Daniel R. Gilbert, as Chief Executive Officer of the Company, hereby certifies, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of his knowledge:

1. The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

2. The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

By:	/s/ DANIEL R. GILBERT
	Daniel R. Gilbert
	Chief Executive Officer and President
Date:	March 17, 2017

        A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906, or other document authenticating, acknowledging, or otherwise adopting the signature that appears in typed form within the electronic version of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to the Company and will be retained by the Company and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

EX-32.2

Exhibit 32.2

CERTIFICATION BY THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

        In connection with the Annual Report on Form 10-K of NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (the “Company”) for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), Frank V. Saracino, as Chief Financial Officer of the Company, hereby certifies, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of his knowledge:

1. The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

2. The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

By:	/s/ FRANK V. SARACINO
	Frank V. Saracino
	Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Date:	March 17, 2017

        A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906, or other document authenticating, acknowledging, or otherwise adopting the signature that appears in typed form within the electronic version of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to the Company and will be retained by the Company and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

XML

Document and Entity Information - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Mar. 10, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Document and Entity Information
Entity Registrant Name	NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.
Entity Central Index Key	0001455650
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2016
Amendment Flag	false
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-K
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		120,003,412
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2016
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Public Float			$ 0

XML

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 153,039	$ 127,890
Restricted cash		74,195	75,074
Real estate debt investments, net		745,323	997,836
Operating real estate, net		488,839	365,327
Investments in unconsolidated ventures (refer to Note 5)		90,579	157,843
Real estate securities, available for sale		93,975	83,622
Receivables, net		13,956	48,545
Deferred costs and other assets, net		56,370	37,323
Loan collateral receivable, related party		52,204	54,056
Total assets	[1]	1,768,480	1,947,516
Liabilities
Securitization bonds payable, net		39,762	185,314
Mortgage notes payable, net		393,410	316,402
Credit facilities		249,156	318,000
Accounts payable and accrued expenses (refer to Note 8)		7,930	11,238
Escrow deposits payable		58,453	61,881
Distribution payable		8,192	8,205
Other liabilities		19,191	14,465
Loan collateral payable, net, related party (refer to Note 8)		23,261	0
Total liabilities	[1]	799,355	915,505
Commitments and contingencies
NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. Stockholders’ Equity
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015		0	0
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 400,000,000 shares authorized, 120,903,352 and 120,757,888 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively		1,209	1,207
Additional paid-in capital		1,080,434	1,078,154
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)		(151,731)	(86,938)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)		20,175	21,901
Total NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. stockholders’ equity		950,087	1,014,324
Non-controlling interests		19,038	17,687
Total equity		969,125	1,032,011
Total liabilities and equity		$ 1,768,480	$ 1,947,516
Primary Beneficiary
VIE ownership percentage		99.98%
Assets		$ 403,000
Liabilities		$ 341,000

[1] Represents the consolidated assets and liabilities of NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust Operating Partnership, LP (the “Operating Partnership”). The Operating Partnership is a consolidated variable interest entity (“VIE”), of which the Company is the sole general partner and owns approximately 99.98%. As of December 31, 2016, the assets and liabilities of the Operating Partnership include $403.0 million and $341.0 million of assets and liabilities, respectively, of certain VIEs that are consolidated by the Operating Partnership. Refer to Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies”.

XML

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized (in shares)	50,000,000	50,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued (shares)	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (shares)	0	0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	400,000,000	400,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (shares)	120,903,352	120,757,888
Common stock, shares outstanding (shares)	120,903,352	120,757,888

XML

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Net interest income
Interest income	$ 77,657	$ 96,471	$ 102,697
Interest expense	16,674	21,339	21,100
Net interest income	60,983	75,132	81,597
Property and other revenues
Rental and other income	78,602	60,394	29,342
Total property and other revenues	78,602	60,394	29,342
Expenses
Asset management and other fees, related party	23,765	23,965	24,676
Mortgage notes interest expense	17,519	14,832	7,763
Transaction costs	1,978	1,344	2,777
Property operating expenses	36,950	31,135	15,433
General and administrative expenses	14,503	15,475	13,265
Depreciation and amortization	31,227	25,982	6,427
Total expenses	125,942	112,733	70,341
Other income (loss)
Realized gain (loss) on investments and other	0	0	397
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments	(3,432)	(12,108)	11,764
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense)	10,211	10,685	52,759
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	24,963	36,017	41,679
Income tax benefit (expense)	(2,967)	(1,111)	(5,485)
Net income (loss)	32,207	45,591	88,953
Net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests	(255)	23	171
Net income (loss) attributable to NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. common stockholders	$ 31,952	$ 45,614	$ 89,124
Net income (loss) per share of common stock, basic/diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.26	$ 0.38	$ 0.77
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding, basic/diluted (shares)	120,946,177	119,321,920	116,121,313

XML

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income (loss)	$ 32,207	$ 45,591	$ 88,953
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized gain (loss) on real estate securities, available for sale	(1,726)	(6,513)	15,370
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	(1,726)	(6,513)	15,370
Comprehensive income (loss)	30,481	39,078	104,323
Comprehensive (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests	(255)	23	171
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. common stockholders	$ 30,226	$ 39,101	$ 104,494

XML

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Total Company’s Stockholders’ Equity	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Non- controlling Interests
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013			114,536,000
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2013	$ 1,005,225	$ 1,000,651	$ 1,145	$ 1,019,348	$ (32,886)	$ 13,044	$ 4,574
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Non-controlling interests - contributions	15,727						15,727
Non-controlling interests - distributions	(773)						(773)
Proceeds from distribution reinvestment plan (in shares)			4,493,000
Proceeds from distribution reinvestment plan	42,659	42,659	$ 45	42,614
Shares redeemed for cash (shares)			(1,193,000)
Shares redeemed for cash	(11,468)	(11,468)	$ (12)	(11,456)
Issuance and amortization of equity-based compensation (in shares)			11,000
Issuance and amortization of equity-based compensation	126	126		126
Other comprehensive income (loss)	15,370	15,370				15,370
Distributions declared	(93,122)	(93,122)			(93,122)
Net income (loss)	88,953	89,124			89,124		(171)
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014			117,847,000
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2014	1,062,697	1,043,340	$ 1,178	1,050,632	(36,884)	28,414	19,357
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Non-controlling interests - contributions	268						268
Non-controlling interests - distributions	(1,915)						(1,915)
Proceeds from distribution reinvestment plan (in shares)			4,599,000
Proceeds from distribution reinvestment plan	43,783	43,783	$ 46	43,737
Shares redeemed for cash (shares)			(1,710,000)
Shares redeemed for cash	(16,464)	(16,464)	$ (17)	(16,447)
Issuance and amortization of equity-based compensation (in shares)			22,000
Issuance and amortization of equity-based compensation	232	232		232
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(6,513)	(6,513)				(6,513)
Distributions declared	(95,668)	(95,668)			(95,668)
Net income (loss)	45,591	45,614			45,614		(23)
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015			120,758,000
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2015	1,032,011	1,014,324	$ 1,207	1,078,154	(86,938)	21,901	17,687
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Non-controlling interests - contributions	4,473						4,473
Non-controlling interests - distributions	(3,377)						(3,377)
Proceeds from distribution reinvestment plan (in shares)			4,467,000
Proceeds from distribution reinvestment plan	43,546	43,546	$ 45	43,501
Shares redeemed for cash (shares)			(4,349,000)
Shares redeemed for cash	(41,455)	(41,455)	$ (43)	(41,412)
Issuance and amortization of equity-based compensation (in shares)			27,000
Issuance and amortization of equity-based compensation	191	191		191
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(1,726)	(1,726)				(1,726)
Distributions declared	(96,745)	(96,745)			(96,745)
Net income (loss)	32,207	31,952			31,952		255
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016			120,903,000
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 969,125	$ 950,087	$ 1,209	$ 1,080,434	$ (151,731)	$ 20,175	$ 19,038

XML

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$ 32,207,000		$ 45,591,000		$ 88,953,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Equity in (earnings) losses of unconsolidated ventures	(24,963,000)		(36,017,000)		(41,679,000)
Depreciation and amortization	31,227,000		25,982,000		6,427,000
Straight-line rental income	(1,690,000)		(1,798,000)		(199,000)
Amortization of capitalized above/below market leases	1,150,000		1,007,000		0
Amortization of premium/accretion of discount and fees on investments and borrowings, net	(861,000)		3,577,000		2,894,000
Amortization of deferred financing costs	3,089,000		3,944,000		4,261,000
Interest accretion on investments	(6,408,000)		(6,505,000)		(1,318,000)
Distributions of cumulative earnings from unconsolidated ventures (refer to Note 5)	24,963,000		31,690,000		36,194,000
Realized (gain) loss on investments and other	0		0		(397,000)
Unrealized (gain) loss on investments and other	3,432,000		12,108,000		(11,764,000)
Amortization of equity-based compensation	191,000		232,000		126,000
Deferred income tax expense	(2,086,000)		(1,485,000)		4,020,000
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Restricted cash	(2,948,000)		8,165,000		(2,764,000)
Receivables, net	4,536,000		58,000		4,374,000
Deferred costs and other assets	(552,000)		(1,894,000)		(490,000)
Due to related party	66,000		0		(3,076,000)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(1,291,000)		(47,000)		5,630,000
Other liabilities	774,000		387,000		2,200,000
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	60,836,000		84,995,000		93,392,000
Cash flows from investing activities:
Origination of real estate debt investments, net	(151,837,000)		(61,639,000)		(490,467,000)
Repayment on real estate debt investments	372,208,000		287,084,000		251,631,000
Proceeds from sale of real estate debt investments	0		0		17,325,000
Repayment on loan collateral receivable, related party	1,852,000		23,846,000		1,193,000
Acquisition of operating real estate	(103,384,000)		0		(247,625,000)
Improvements of operating real estate	(5,649,000)		(8,700,000)		(7,818,000)
Investments in unconsolidated ventures (refer to Note 5)	(55,398,000)		(10,035,000)		(52,885,000)
Proceeds from sale of unconsolidated ventures	59,760,000		0		4,008,000
Distributions in excess of cumulative earnings from unconsolidated ventures (refer to Note 5)	63,717,000		38,107,000		30,344,000
Acquisition of real estate securities, available for sale	(20,657,000)		(10,818,000)		0
Repayment of real estate securities, available for sale	11,075,000		806,000		0
Change in restricted cash	2,244,000		(920,000)		(9,793,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	173,931,000		257,731,000		(504,087,000)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from distribution reinvestment plan	43,546,000		43,783,000		42,659,000
Shares redeemed for cash	(41,455,000)		(16,464,000)		(11,468,000)
Distributions paid on common stock	(96,758,000)		(95,470,000)		(92,896,000)
Borrowings from mortgage notes	78,952,000		0		186,550,000
Repayment of mortgage notes	(204,000)		(198,000)		(121,000)
Borrowings from loan collateral payable, net, related party	24,933,000		0		0
Borrowings from credit facilities	115,768,000		55,148,000		257,798,000
Repayment of credit facilities	(184,612,000)		(6,630,000)		(16,638,000)
Change in restricted cash	0		0		41,801,000
Repayment of securitization bonds	(146,049,000)		(228,073,000)		(93,475,000)
Payment of deferred financing costs	(4,835,000)		(1,040,000)		(2,309,000)
Contributions from non-controlling interests	4,473,000		268,000		15,727,000
Distributions to non-controlling interests	(3,377,000)		(1,915,000)		(773,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(209,618,000)		(250,591,000)		326,855,000
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	25,149,000		92,135,000		(83,840,000)
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period	127,890,000		35,755,000		119,595,000
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period	153,039,000		127,890,000		35,755,000
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest	31,208,000		31,755,000		24,148,000
Cash paid for income taxes	4,307,000		4,028,000		3,142,000
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Escrow deposits payable related to real estate debt investments	3,428,000		42,444,000		68,298,000
Distribution payable	8,192,000		8,205,000		8,007,000
Non-cash related to PE Investments (refer to Note 5)	3,270,000		2,169,000		2,990,000
CRE debt investment payoff due from servicer	0		31,750,000		0
Acquisition of operating real estate / assumption of mortgage notes payable	0		0		29,133,000
Acquisition of operating real estate / reduction of CRE debt investment	67,493,000	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Transfer of CRE debt investments / loan collateral payable, net, related party	23,729,000		0		0
Accrued capital expenditures	0		1,335,000		0
Reclassification of deferred financing costs to securitization bonds payable	0		389,000		2,729,000
Reclassification of deferred financing costs to mortgage notes payable	0		1,950,000		2,149,000
Reclassification related to measurement-period adjustment (refer to Note 4)	$ 33,612,000		$ 0		$ 0

[1] Non-cash activity in 2016 occurred primarily in connection with taking title to collateral.

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Business and Organization

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Business and Organization

Business and Organization

NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (the “Company”) was formed to originate, acquire and asset manage a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate (“CRE”) debt, select equity and securities investments, predominantly in the United States. The Company may also invest in CRE investments internationally. CRE debt investments include first mortgage loans, subordinate mortgage and mezzanine loans and participations in such loans and preferred equity interests. Real estate equity investments include the Company’s direct ownership in properties, which may be structurally senior to a third-party partner’s equity, as well as indirect interests in real estate through real estate private equity funds (“PE Investments”). CRE securities primarily consist of commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) and may in the future include unsecured real estate investment trust (“REIT”) debt, collateralized debt obligation (“CDO”) notes and other securities. In addition, the Company may own investments through joint ventures. The Company was formed in January 2009 as a Maryland corporation and commenced operations in October 2010. The Company elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), commencing with the taxable year ended December 31, 2010. The Company conducts its operations so as to continue to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

The Company is externally managed and has no employees. Prior to January 11, 2017, the Company was managed by an affiliate of NorthStar Asset Management Group Inc. (NYSE: NSAM) (“NSAM”). Effective January 10, 2017, NSAM completed its previously announced merger with Colony Capital, Inc. (“Colony”), NorthStar Realty Finance Corp. (“NorthStar Realty”), and Colony NorthStar, Inc. (“Colony NorthStar”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NSAM, which the Company refers to as the mergers, with Colony NorthStar surviving the mergers and succeeding NSAM as the Company’s sponsor (the “Sponsor”). As a result of the mergers, the Sponsor became an internally-managed equity REIT, with a diversified real estate and investment management platform and publicly-traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “CLNS”. In addition, following the mergers, NSAM J-NSI Ltd, an affiliate of NSAM (the “Advisor”), became a subsidiary of Colony NorthStar. The Advisor manages the Company’s day-to-day operations pursuant to an advisory agreement. The mergers had no material impact on the Company’s operations.

The Sponsor and its affiliates also provide asset management and other services to NorthStar Realty Europe Corp. (NYSE: NRE), other sponsored public retail-focused companies, private funds and any other companies the Sponsor and its affiliates may manage in the future (collectively the “Managed Companies”), both in the United States and internationally.

Previously, the Company was managed by an affiliate of NorthStar Realty, until June 30, 2014 when it spun-off its asset management business into NSAM. Concurrent with the spin-off, the Advisor agreed to manage the Company’s day-to-day operations on terms substantially similar to those set forth in the Company’s prior advisory agreement with NS Real Estate Income Trust Advisor, LLC (the “Prior Advisor”). References to the Prior Advisor herein refer to the services performed by and fees paid and accrued to the Prior Advisor during the period prior to June 30, 2014. The spin-off of NorthStar Realty’s asset management business had no impact on the Company’s operations.

Substantially all the Company’s business is conducted through NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust Operating Partnership, LP (the “Operating Partnership”). The Company is the sole general partner and a limited partner of the Operating Partnership. The other limited partners of the Operating Partnership are the Prior Advisor and NorthStar OP Holdings, LLC (the “Special Unit Holder”), each an affiliate of the Sponsor. The Prior Advisor invested $1,000 in the Operating Partnership in exchange for common units and the Special Unit Holder invested $1,000 in the Operating Partnership and was issued a separate class of limited partnership units (the “Special Units”), which are collectively recorded as non-controlling interests on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015. As the Company accepted subscriptions for shares in its continuous, public offering which closed in July 2013, it contributed substantially all of the net proceeds to the Operating Partnership as a capital contribution. As of December 31, 2016, the Company’s limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership was 99.98%.

The Company’s charter authorizes the issuance of up to 400,000,000 shares of common stock with a par value of $0.01 per share and up to 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock with a par value of $0.01 per share. The board of directors of the Company is authorized to amend its charter, without the approval of the stockholders, to increase the aggregate number of authorized shares of capital stock or the number of shares of any class or series that the Company has authority to issue.

The Company initially registered to offer up to 100,000,000 shares pursuant to its primary offering to the public (the “Primary Offering”) and up to 10,526,315 shares pursuant to its distribution reinvestment plan (the “DRP”), which are herein collectively referred to as the Offering. In April 2013, the board of directors of the Company authorized the reallocation of shares available under the DRP to the Primary Offering. The Primary Offering (including 7.6 million shares reallocated from the DRP, the “Total Primary Offering”) was completed on July 1, 2013 and all of the shares initially registered for the Offering were issued. As a result of an additional registration statement to offer up to 10.0 million shares pursuant to the DRP, the Company continues to offer DRP shares beyond the Total Primary Offering.

The Company raised total gross proceeds of $1.1 billion in the Offering. In addition, from the close of the Primary Offering through March 10, 2017, the Company has raised an additional $0.2 billion in gross proceeds pursuant to the DRP.

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Accounting

The accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”).

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, the Operating Partnership and their consolidated subsidiaries. The Company consolidates variable interest entities (“VIEs”), if any, where the Company is the primary beneficiary and voting interest entities which are generally majority owned or otherwise controlled by the Company. All significant intercompany balances are eliminated in consolidation.

Variable Interest Entities

A VIE is an entity that lacks one or more of the characteristics of a voting interest entity. A VIE is defined as an entity in which equity investors do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties. The determination of whether an entity is a VIE includes both a qualitative and quantitative analysis. The Company bases its qualitative analysis on its review of the design of the entity, its organizational structure including decision-making ability and relevant financial agreements and the quantitative analysis on the forecasted cash flow of the entity. The Company reassesses its initial evaluation of an entity as a VIE upon the occurrence of certain reconsideration events.

A VIE must be consolidated only by its primary beneficiary, which is defined as the party who, along with its affiliates and agents has both the: (i) power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance; and (ii) obligation to absorb the losses of the VIE or the right to receive the benefits from the VIE, which could be significant to the VIE. The Company determines whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE by considering qualitative and quantitative factors, including, but not limited to: which activities most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and which party controls such activities; the amount and characteristics of its investment; the obligation or likelihood for the Company or other interests to provide financial support; consideration of the VIE’s purpose and design, including the risks the VIE was designed to create and pass through to its variable interest holders and the similarity with and significance to the business activities of the Company and the other interests. The Company reassesses its determination of whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE each reporting period. Significant judgments related to these determinations include estimates about the current and future fair value and performance of investments held by these VIEs and general market conditions.

The Company evaluates its investments and financings, including investments in unconsolidated ventures and securitization financing transactions, if any, to determine whether each investment or financing is a VIE. The Company analyzes new investments and financings, as well as reconsideration events for existing investments and financings, which vary depending on type of investment or financing.

The Company adopted the new consolidation guidance (refer to Recent Accounting Pronouncements) on January 1, 2016, which resulted in the identification of several VIEs. Prior to the adoption of the standard, these entities were consolidated under the voting interest model. The most significant consolidated VIEs are the Operating Partnership and certain properties that have non-controlling interests. These entities are VIEs because the non-controlling interests do not have substantive kick-out or participating rights. The Company consolidates these entities because it controls all significant business activities.

The Operating Partnership consolidates certain properties that have non-controlling interests. Included in operating real estate, net on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016 is $354.3 million related to such consolidated VIEs. Included in mortgage notes payable, net on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016 is $324.4 million collateralized by the real estate assets of the related consolidated VIEs.

As of December 31, 2016, the Company identified unconsolidated VIEs related to its securities investments, PE investments and CRE debt investments. Assets of each of the VIEs may only be used to settle obligations of the respective VIE. Creditors of each of the VIEs have no recourse to the general credit of the Company.

The following table presents the Company’s classification, carrying value and maximum exposure of unconsolidated VIEs as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	Total		Maximum Exposure to Loss
Real estate securities, available for sale	$	93,975	$	93,975
Investments in unconsolidated ventures	16,235		16,235
Real estate debt investments, net(1)	142,723		142,723
Total assets	$	252,933	$	252,933

_________________________________________

(1) Includes loan collateral receivable, related party of $52.2 million.

Based on management’s analysis, the Company determined that it is not the primary beneficiary of the above VIEs. Accordingly, the VIEs are not consolidated in the Company’s financial statements as of December 31, 2016. The Company did not provide financial support to the unconsolidated VIEs during the year endedDecember 31, 2016. As of December 31, 2016, there were no explicit arrangements or implicit variable interests that could require the Company to provide financial support to the unconsolidated VIEs.

Voting Interest Entities

A voting interest entity is an entity in which the total equity investment at risk is sufficient to enable it to finance its activities independently and the equity holders have the power to direct the activities of the entity that most significantly impact its economic performance, the obligation to absorb the losses of the entity and the right to receive the residual returns of the entity. The usual condition for a controlling financial interest in a voting interest entity is ownership of a majority voting interest. If the Company has a majority voting interest in a voting interest entity, the entity will generally be consolidated. The Company does not consolidate a voting interest entity if there are substantive participating rights by other parties and/or kick-out rights by a single party or a simple majority vote.

The Company performs on-going reassessments of whether entities previously evaluated under the voting interest framework have become VIEs, based on certain events, and therefore subject to the VIE consolidation framework.

Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures

A non-controlling, unconsolidated ownership interest in an entity may be accounted for using the equity method, at fair value or the cost method.

Under the equity method, the investment is adjusted each period for capital contributions and distributions and its share of the entity’s net income (loss). Capital contributions, distributions and net income (loss) of such entities are recorded in accordance with the terms of the governing documents. An allocation of net income (loss) may differ from the stated ownership percentage interest in such entity as a result of preferred returns and allocation formulas, if any, as described in such governing documents. Equity method investments are recognized using a cost accumulation model in which the investment is recognized based on the cost to the investor, which includes acquisition fees. The Company records as an expense certain acquisition costs and fees associated with consolidated investments deemed to be business combinations and capitalizes these costs for investments deemed to be acquisitions of an asset, including an equity method investment.

The Company may account for an investment in an unconsolidated entity at fair value by electing the fair value option. The Company elected the fair value option for PE Investments. The Company records the change in fair value for its share of the projected future cash flow of such investments from one period to another in equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures in the consolidated statements of operations. Any change in fair value attributed to market related assumptions is considered unrealized gain (loss).

The Company may account for an investment that does not qualify for equity method accounting or for which the fair value option was not elected using the cost method if the Company determines the investment in the unconsolidated entity is insignificant. Under the cost method, equity in earnings is recorded as dividends are received to the extent they are not considered a return of capital, which is recorded as a reduction of cost of the investment.

Non-controlling Interests

A non-controlling interest in a consolidated subsidiary is defined as the portion of the equity (net assets) in a subsidiary not attributable, directly or indirectly, to the Company. A non-controlling interest is required to be presented as a separate component of equity on the consolidated balance sheets and presented separately as net income (loss) and other comprehensive income (loss) (“OCI”) attributable to non-controlling interests. An allocation to a non-controlling interest may differ from the stated ownership percentage interest in such entity as a result of a preferred return and allocation formula, if any, as described in such governing documents.

Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that could affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates and assumptions.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The Company reports consolidated comprehensive income (loss) in separate statements following the consolidated statements of operations. Comprehensive income (loss) is defined as the change in equity resulting from net income (loss) and OCI. The only component of OCI is unrealized gain (loss) on CRE securities available for sale for which the fair value option was not elected.

Fair Value Option

The fair value option provides an election that allows a company to irrevocably elect to record certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value on an instrument-by-instrument basis at initial recognition. The Company will generally not elect the fair value option for its assets and liabilities. However, the Company has elected the fair value option for PE Investments. Any change in fair value for assets and liabilities for which the election is made is recognized in earnings.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly-liquid investments with an original maturity date of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash, including amounts restricted, may at times exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation deposit insurance limit of $250,000 per institution. The Company mitigates credit risk by placing cash and cash equivalents with major financial institutions. To date, the Company has not experienced any losses on cash and cash equivalents.

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash consists of amounts related to loan origination (escrow deposits) and operating real estate (escrows for taxes, insurance, capital expenditures and payments required under certain lease agreements).

Real Estate Debt Investments

CRE debt investments are generally intended to be held to maturity and, accordingly, are carried at cost, net of unamortized loan fees, premium and discount. CRE debt investments that are deemed to be impaired are carried at amortized cost less a loan loss reserve, if deemed appropriate, which approximates fair value. CRE debt investments where the Company does not have the intent to hold the loan for the foreseeable future or until its expected payoff are classified as held for sale and recorded at the lower of cost or estimated value.

The Company may syndicate a portion of the CRE debt investments that it originates or sell the CRE debt investments individually. When a transaction meets the criteria for sale accounting, the Company will no longer recognize the CRE debt investment sold as an asset and will recognize gain or loss based on the difference between the sales price and the carrying value of the CRE debt investment sold. Any related unamortized deferred origination fees, original issue discounts, loan origination costs, discounts or premiums at the time of sale are recognized as an adjustment to the gain or loss on sale, which is included in interest income on the consolidated statement of operations. Any fees received at the time of sale or syndication are recognized as part of interest income.

Operating Real Estate

Operating real estate is carried at historical cost less accumulated depreciation. Ordinary repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Major replacements and betterments which improve or extend the life of the asset are capitalized and depreciated over their useful life. The Company accounts for purchases of operating real estate that qualify as business combinations using the acquisition method, where the purchase price is allocated to tangible assets such as land, building, improvements and other identified intangibles. Costs directly related to an acquisition deemed to be a business combination are expensed and included in transaction costs in the consolidated statements of operations.

The Company refers to real estate acquired in connection with a foreclosure, deed in lieu of foreclosure or a consensual modification of a loan as real estate owned (“REO”). The Company evaluates whether an REO, herein collectively referred to as taking title to collateral, constitutes a business and whether business combination accounting is appropriate. Any excess upon taking title to collateral between the carrying value of a loan over the estimated fair value of the property is charged to provision for loan losses.

Operating real estate is depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, summarized as follows:

Category:	Term:
Building	30 to 40 years
Building improvements	Lesser of the useful life or remaining life of the building
Land improvements	10 to 30 years
Tenant improvements	Lesser of the useful life or remaining term of the lease
Furniture, fixtures and equipment	3 to 10 years

Real Estate Securities

The Company classifies its CRE securities investments as available for sale on the acquisition date, which are carried at fair value. Unrealized gains (losses) are recorded as a component of accumulated OCI in the consolidated statements of equity.

Deferred Costs

Deferred costs primarily include deferred financing costs and deferred lease costs. Deferred financing costs represent commitment fees, legal and other third-party costs associated with obtaining financing. Costs related to revolving credit facilities are recorded in deferred costs and other asset, net and are amortized to interest expense using the straight-line basis over the term of the facility. Costs related to other borrowings are recorded net against the carrying value of such borrowings and are amortized to interest expense using the effective interest method. Unamortized deferred financing costs are expensed when the associated facility is repaid before maturity. Costs incurred in seeking financing transactions, which do not close, are expensed in the period in which it is determined that the financing will not occur. Deferred lease costs consist of fees incurred to initiate and renew operating leases, which are amortized on a straight-line basis over the remaining lease term and are recorded to depreciation and amortization in the consolidated statements of operations.

Identified Intangibles

The Company records acquired identified intangibles, which includes intangible assets (such as value of the above-market leases, in-place leases, goodwill and other intangibles) and intangible liabilities (such as the value of below-market leases), based on estimated fair value. The value allocated to the above or below-market leases is amortized over the remaining lease term as a net adjustment to rental income. Other intangible assets are amortized into depreciation and amortization expense on a straight-line basis over the remaining lease term. As of December 31, 2016, the weighted average amortization period for above-market leases, below-market leases and in-place lease costs is 4.5 years, 5.2 years and 4.8 years, respectively.

Identified intangible assets are recorded in deferred costs and other assets and identified intangible liabilities are recorded in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.

The following table presents identified intangibles as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	December 31, 2016
	Intangible Assets									Intangible Liabilities
	In-place Leases			Above-market Leases			Total			Below-market Leases
Gross amount	$	47,016		$	14,740		$	61,756		$	12,554
Accumulated amortization	(15,086		)	(5,295		)	(20,381		)	(4,048		)
Total	$	31,930		$	9,445		$	41,375		$	8,506

The Company recorded amortization of acquired above-market leases, net of acquired below-market leases of $1.2 million and $1.0 million for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 respectively. There was no amortization of acquired above-market leases, net of acquired below-market leases for the year endedDecember 31, 2014. Amortization of other intangible assets was $11.5 million and $6.5 million for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 respectively. There was no amortization of other intangible assets for the year endedDecember 31, 2014.

The following table presents annual amortization of intangible assets and liabilities (dollars in thousands):

Years Ending December 31:	In-place Leases, Net(1)		Above-market Leases, Net(1)		Below-market Leases, Net(1)
2017	$	10,734	$	3,247	$	2,115
2018	6,948		2,205		2,014
2019	4,963		1,594		1,912
2020	2,961		866		672
2021	2,061		611		427
Thereafter	4,263		922		1,366
Total	$	31,930	$	9,445	$	8,506

______________________________________________________

(1) Identified intangibles will be amortized through periods ending April 2027.

Deferred Costs and Other Assets, Net and Other Liabilities

The following tables present a summary of deferred costs and other assets, net and other liabilities as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):

	December 31,
	2016		2015
Deferred costs and other assets, net:
Intangible assets, net(1)	$	41,375	$	21,149
Deferred commissions and leasing costs	10,287		10,955
Deferred financing costs, net - credit facilities	2,772		2,585
Prepaid expenses	1,386		1,844
Deposits	550		405
Other	—		385
Total	$	56,370	$	37,323
	December 31,
	2016		2015
Other liabilities:
Intangible liabilities, net(2)	$	8,506	$	9,624
PE Investments deferred purchase price, net	4,248		—
Prepaid rent and unearned revenue	4,601		2,583
Tenant security deposits	1,433		676
Other	403		1,582
Total	$	19,191	$	14,465

_________________________________________

(1) Represents in-place leases and above-market leases, net.

(2) Represents below-market leases, net.

Acquisition Fees and Expenses

The total of all acquisition fees and expenses for an investment, including acquisition fees to the Advisor, cannot exceed, in the aggregate, 6.0% of the contract purchase price of such investment unless such excess is approved by a majority of the directors, including independent directors. For the year endedDecember 31, 2016, total acquisition fees and expenses did not exceed the allowed limit for any investment. An acquisition fee incurred related to an equity investment will generally be expensed as incurred. An acquisition fee paid to the Advisor related to the acquisition of an equity or debt investment in an unconsolidated joint venture is included in investments in unconsolidated ventures on the consolidated balance sheets. An acquisition fee paid to the Advisor related to the origination or acquisition of debt investments is included in debt investments, net on the consolidated balance sheets and is amortized to interest income over the life of the investment using the effective interest method. The Company records as an expense certain acquisition costs and fees associated with transactions deemed to be business combinations in which it consolidates the asset and capitalizes these costs for transactions deemed to be acquisitions of an asset, including an equity investment.

Revenue Recognition

Real Estate Debt Investments

Interest income is recognized on an accrual basis and any related premium, discount, origination costs and fees are amortized over the life of the investment using the effective interest method. The amortization is reflected as an adjustment to interest income in the consolidated statements of operations. The amortization of a premium or accretion of a discount is discontinued if such loan is reclassified to held for sale.

Operating Real Estate

Rental and other income from operating real estate is derived from the leasing of space to various types of tenants. Rental revenue recognition commences when the tenant takes legal possession of the leased space and the leased space is substantially ready for its intended use. The leases are for fixed terms of varying length and generally provide for annual rentals and expense reimbursements to be paid in monthly installments. Rental income from leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the respective leases. The excess of rent recognized over the amount contractually due pursuant to the underlying leases is included in receivables on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company amortizes any tenant inducements as a reduction of revenue utilizing the straight-line method over the term of the lease. Other income represents revenue from tenant/operator leases which provide for the recovery of all or a portion of the operating expenses and real estate taxes paid by the Company on behalf of the respective property. This revenue is recognized in the same period as the expenses are incurred.

In a situation in which a lease(s) associated with a significant tenant have been, or are expected to be, terminated early, the Company evaluates the remaining useful life of depreciable or amortizable assets in the asset group related to the lease that will be terminated (i.e., tenant improvements, above- and below-market lease intangibles, in-place lease value and deferred leasing costs). Based upon consideration of the facts and circumstances surrounding the termination, the Company may write-off or accelerate the depreciation and amortization associated with the asset group. Such amounts are included within rental and other income for above- and below-market lease intangibles and depreciation and amortization for the remaining lease related asset groups in the consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, the total amount of accelerated amortization within rental and other income and depreciation and amortization expense was de minimis.

Real Estate Securities

Interest income is recognized using the effective interest method with any premium or discount amortized or accreted through earnings based on expected cash flow through the expected maturity date of the security. Changes to expected cash flow may result in a change to the yield which is then applied retrospectively for high-credit quality securities that cannot be prepaid or otherwise settled in such a way that the holder would not recover substantially all of the investment or prospectively for all other securities to recognize interest income.

Credit Losses and Impairment on Investments

Real Estate Debt Investments

Loans are considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will not be able to collect all principal and interest amounts due according to the contractual terms. The Company assesses the credit quality of the portfolio and adequacy of loan loss reserves on a quarterly basis or more frequently as necessary. Significant judgment of the Company is required in this analysis. The Company considers the estimated net recoverable value of the loan as well as other factors, including but not limited to the fair value of any collateral, the amount and the status of any senior debt, the quality and financial condition of the borrower and the competitive situation of the area where the underlying collateral is located. Because this determination is based on projections of future economic events, which are inherently subjective, the amount ultimately realized may differ materially from the carrying value as of the balance sheet date. If upon completion of the assessment, the estimated fair value of the underlying collateral is less than the net carrying value of the loan, a loan loss reserve is recorded with a corresponding charge to provision for loan losses. The loan loss reserve for each loan is maintained at a level that is determined to be adequate by management to absorb probable losses.

Income recognition is suspended for a loan at the earlier of the date at which payments become 90-days past due or when, in the opinion of the Company, a full recovery of income and principal becomes doubtful. When the ultimate collectability of the principal of an impaired loan is in doubt, all payments are applied to principal under the cost recovery method. When the ultimate collectability of the principal of an impaired loan is not in doubt, contractual interest is recorded as interest income when received, under the cash basis method until an accrual is resumed when the loan becomes contractually current and performance is demonstrated to be resumed. Interest accrued and not collected will be reversed against interest income.  A loan is written off when it is no longer realizable and/or legally discharged. As of December 31, 2016, the Company did not have any impaired CRE debt investments.

Operating Real Estate

The Company’s real estate portfolio is reviewed on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as necessary, to assess whether there are any indicators that the value of its operating real estate may be impaired or that its carrying value may not be recoverable. A property’s value is considered impaired if the Company’s estimate of the aggregate expected future undiscounted cash flow generated by the property is less than the carrying value. In conducting this review, the Company considers U.S. macroeconomic factors, real estate sector conditions and asset specific and other factors. To the extent an impairment has occurred, the loss is measured as the excess of the carrying value of the property over the estimated fair value and recorded in impairment on operating real estate in the consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2016, the Company did not have any impaired operating real estate.

An allowance for a doubtful account for a tenant receivable is established based on a periodic review of aged receivables resulting from estimated losses due to the inability of tenants to make required rent and other payments contractually due. Additionally, the Company establishes, on a current basis, an allowance for future tenant credit losses on unbilled rent receivable based on an evaluation of the collectability of such amounts.

Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures

The Company reviews its investments in unconsolidated ventures for which the Company did not elect the fair value option on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as necessary, to assess whether there are any indicators that the value may be impaired or that its carrying value may not be recoverable. An investment is considered impaired if the projected net recoverable amount over the expected holding period is less than the carrying value. In conducting this review, the Company considers U.S. macroeconomic factors, including real estate sector conditions, together with investment specific and other factors. To the extent an impairment has occurred and is considered to be other than temporary, the loss is measured as the excess of the carrying value of the investment over the estimated fair value and recorded in equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures in the consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2016, the Company did not have any impaired investments in unconsolidated ventures.

Real Estate Securities

CRE securities for which the fair value option is elected are not evaluated for other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”) as any change in fair value is recorded in the consolidated statements of operations. Realized losses on such securities are reclassified to realized gain (loss) on investments and other as losses occur.

CRE securities for which the fair value option is not elected are evaluated for OTTI quarterly. Impairment of a security is considered to be other-than-temporary when: (i) the holder has the intent to sell the impaired security; (ii) it is more likely than not the holder will be required to sell the security; or (iii) the holder does not expect to recover the entire amortized cost of the security. When a CRE security has been deemed to be other-than-temporarily impaired due to (i) or (ii), the security is written down to its fair value and an OTTI is recognized in the consolidated statements of operations. In the case of (iii), the security is written down to its fair value and the amount of OTTI is then bifurcated into: (a) the amount related to expected credit losses; and (b) the amount related to fair value adjustments in excess of expected credit losses. The portion of OTTI related to expected credit losses is recognized in the consolidated statements of operations. The remaining OTTI related to the valuation adjustment is recognized as a component of accumulated OCI in the consolidated statements of equity. CRE securities which are not high-credit quality are considered to have an OTTI if the security has an unrealized loss and there has been an adverse change in expected cash flow. The amount of OTTI is then bifurcated as discussed above. As of December 31, 2016, the Company did not have any OTTI recorded on its CRE securities.

Equity-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for equity-based compensation awards using the fair value method, which requires an estimate of fair value of the award at the time of grant. All fixed equity-based awards to directors, which have no vesting conditions other than time of service, are amortized to compensation expense over the awards’ vesting period on a straight-line basis. Equity-based compensation is classified within general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations.

Income Taxes

The Company elected to be taxed as a REIT and to comply with the related provisions of the Internal Revenue Code beginning in its taxable year ended December 31, 2010. Accordingly, the Company will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income tax to the extent of its distributions to stockholders as long as certain asset, income and share ownership tests are met. To maintain its qualification as a REIT, the Company must annually distribute at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders and meet certain other requirements. The Company believes that all of the criteria to maintain the Company’s REIT qualification have been met for the applicable periods, but there can be no assurance that these criteria will continue to be met in subsequent periods. If the Company were to fail to meet these requirements, it would be subject to U.S. federal income tax and potential interest and penalties, which could have a material adverse impact on its results of operations and amounts available for distributions to its stockholders. The Company has assessed its tax positions for all open tax years, which include 2014 to 2016, and concluded there were no material uncertainties to be recognized. The Company’s accounting policy with respect to interest and penalties is to classify these amounts as a component of income tax expense, where applicable. The Company has not recognized any such amounts related to uncertain tax positions for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

The Company may also be subject to certain state, local and franchise taxes. Under certain circumstances, U.S. federal income and excise taxes may be due on its undistributed taxable income.

The Company made joint elections to treat certain subsidiaries as taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRS”) which may be subject to U.S. federal, state and local income taxes. In general, a TRS of the Company may perform non-customary services for tenants, hold assets that the REIT cannot hold directly and may engage in most real estate or non-real estate-related business.

Certain subsidiaries of the Company are subject to taxation by federal, state and local authorities for the periods presented. Income taxes are accounted for by the asset/liability approach in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Deferred taxes, if any, represent the expected future tax consequences when the reported amounts of assets and liabilities are recovered or paid. Such amounts arise from differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are adjusted for changes in tax laws and tax rates in the period which such changes are enacted. A provision for income tax represents the total of income taxes paid or payable for the current period, plus the change in deferred taxes. Current and deferred taxes are recorded on the portion of earnings (losses) recognized by the Company with respect to its interest in TRSs. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are calculated based on temporary differences between the Company’s U.S. GAAP consolidated financial statements and the federal, state and local tax basis of assets and liabilities as of the consolidated balance sheet date. The Company evaluates the realizability of its deferred tax assets (e.g., net operating loss and capital loss carryforwards) and recognizes a valuation allowance if, based on the available evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of its deferred tax assets will not be realized. When evaluating the realizability of its deferred tax assets, the Company considers estimates of expected future taxable income, existing and projected book/tax differences, tax planning strategies available and the general and industry specific economic outlook. This realizability analysis is inherently subjective, as it requires the Company to forecast its business and general economic environment in future periods. Changes in estimate of deferred tax asset realizability, if any, are included in income tax benefit (expense) in the consolidated statements of operations.

For the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, the Company recorded income tax expense of $3.0 million, $1.1 million and $5.5 million, respectively.

Transfers of Financial Assets

Sale accounting for transfers of financial assets requires the transfer of an entire financial asset, a group of financial assets in its entirety or if a component of the financial asset is transferred, that component meets the definition of a participating interest by having characteristics that mirror the original financial asset.

Transfers of financial assets are accounted for as sales when control over the assets has been surrendered. If the Company has any continuing involvement, rights or obligations with the transferred financial asset (outside of standard representations and warranties), sale accounting would require that the transfer meets the following sale conditions: (1) the transferred asset has been legally isolated; (2) the transferee has the right (free of conditions that constrain it from taking advantage of that right) to pledge or exchange the transferred asset; and (3) the Company does not maintain effective control over the transferred asset through an agreement that provides for (a) both an entitlement and an obligation by the Company to repurchase or redeem the asset before its maturity, or (b) the unilateral ability by the Company to reclaim the asset and a more than trivial benefit attributable to that ability, or (c) the transferee requiring the Company to repurchase the asset at a price so favorable to the transferee that it is probable the repurchase will occur.

If sale accounting is met, the transferred financial asset is removed from the balance sheet and a net gain or loss is recognized upon sale, taking into account any retained interests. Transfers of financial assets that do not meet the criteria for sale are accounted for as financing transactions, or secured borrowing. As of December 31, 2016, the carrying value of CRE debt investments that did not meet the requirements of sale accounting was $23.7 million and recorded in real estate debt investments, net with an offsetting secured borrowing recorded in loan collateral payable, net, related party of $23.3 million.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an accounting update requiring a company to recognize as revenue the amount of consideration it expects to be entitled to in connection with the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The accounting standard update will replace most of the existing revenue recognition guidance currently promulgated by U.S. GAAP. In July 2015, the FASB decided to delay the effective date of the new revenue standard by one year. The effective date of the new revenue standard for the Company will be January 1, 2018. Leases are specifically excluded from this guidance and will be governed by the applicable lease codification; however, this update may have implications in certain variable payment terms included in lease agreements and in sale and leaseback transactions. The Company is currently assessing the potential effect of the adoption on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures, as applicable.

In February 2015, the FASB issued updated guidance that changes the rules regarding consolidation. The pronouncement eliminates specialized guidance for limited partnerships and similar legal entities and removes the indefinite deferral for certain investment funds. The new guidance is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company adopted this guidance in the first quarter 2016 and determined the Company’s Operating Partnership is considered a VIE. The Company is the primary beneficiary of the VIE, the VIE’s assets can be used for purposes other than the settlement of the VIE’s obligations and the Company’s partnership interest is considered a majority voting interest. As such, this standard resulted in the identification of additional VIEs, however it did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations.

In January 2016, the FASB issued an accounting update that addressed certain aspects of accounting and disclosure requirements of financial instruments, including the requirement that equity investments with readily determinable fair value be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in results of operations. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company does not have any equity investments with readily determinable fair value recorded as available-for-sale. The Company does not believe that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued an accounting update that sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both parties to a contract (i.e., lessees and lessors). The update requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase of the leased asset by the lessee. This classification will determine whether the lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification. Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for similar to existing guidance for operating leases today. Additionally, the new update will require that lessees capitalize, as initial direct costs, only those costs that are incurred due to the execution of a lease. Under this guidance, allocated payroll costs and other costs that are incurred regardless of whether the lease is obtained will no longer be capitalized as initial direct costs and instead will be expensed as incurred. The new guidance is to be applied using a modified retrospective approach at the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the financial statements and is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently assessing the potential effect the adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance which eliminates the requirement for an investor to retroactively apply the equity method when its increase in ownership interest (or degree of influence) in an investee triggers equity method accounting. The update requires that the equity method investor add the cost of acquiring the additional interest in the investee to the current basis of the investor’s previously held interest and adopt the equity method of accounting as of the date the investment become qualified for equity method accounting. The update should be applied prospectively upon their effective date to increases in the level of ownership interests or degree of influence that results in the adoption of the equity method. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company will adopt the new guidance prospectively on January 1, 2017 and does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance which amends several aspects of the accounting for equity-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and classification on the statements of cash flows. The guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company will adopt the new guidance prospectively on January 1, 2017 and does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In June 2016, the FASB issued guidance that changes the impairment model for certain financial instruments by requiring companies to recognize an allowance for expected losses, rather than incurred losses as required currently by the incurred loss approach. The guidance will apply to most financial assets measured at amortized cost and certain other instruments, including trade and other receivables, loans, held-to-maturity debt securities, net investments in leases and off-balance-sheet credit exposures (e.g., loan commitments). The new guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and will be applied as a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings as of the effective date. The Company is currently assessing the potential effect the adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In August 2016, the FASB issued guidance that makes eight targeted changes to how cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those fiscal years. If an entity early adopts the amendments in an interim period, any adjustments should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes that interim period. The new guidance requires adoption on a retrospective basis unless it is impracticable to apply, in which case the company would be required to apply the amendments prospectively as of the earliest date practicable. The Company does not believe that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In November 2016, the FASB issued guidance which requires entities to show the changes in the total of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. Entities will no longer present transfers between cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and will be applied retrospectively to all periods presented. The Company does not believe that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance to clarify the definition of a business under ASC 805. This new standard clarifies the definition of a business and provides a screen to determine when an integrated set of assets and activities is not a business. The screen requires that when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets, the set is not a business. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning of December 15, 2017. The amendments in this update will be applied on a prospective basis. The Company expects that most acquisitions of real estate or in-substance real estate will not meet the revised definition of a business because substantially all of the fair value is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets (i.e. land, buildings, and related intangible assets).

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Real Estate Debt Investments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Commercial and Consumer, Net, (Investment Based Operations Presentation) [Abstract]

Real Estate Debt Investments

Real Estate Debt Investments

The following table presents CRE debt investments as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

								Weighted Average						Floating Rate as % of Principal Amount
Asset Type:	Count	Principal Amount(1)		Carrying Value(2)		Allocation by Investment Type(3)		Fixed Rate		Spread over LIBOR(4)		Total Unleveraged Current Yield
First mortgage loans	13	$	570,339	$	564,722	74.3	%	15.00	%	5.80	%	7.31	%	92.5	%
Mezzanine loans	5	109,832		92,814		14.3	%	12.16	%	9.29	%	11.24	%	55.3	%
Preferred equity interests(5)	1	87,323		87,787		11.4	%	10.00	%	—	%	10.00	%	—	%
Total/Weighted average	19	$	767,494	$	745,323	100.0	%	11.79	%	6.07	%	8.12	%	76.6	%

________________________________________________________

(1) Includes future funding commitments of $23.2 million.

(2) Certain CRE debt investments serve as collateral for financing transactions including carrying value of $70.7 million for Securitization 2013-1, $364.6 million for term loan facilities and $23.7 million for secured borrowings (refer to Note 7). The remainder is unleveraged.

(3) Based on principal amount.

(4) Includes a fixed minimum LIBOR rate (“LIBOR floor”), as applicable. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had $531.9 million principal amount of floating-rate loans subject to a weighted average LIBOR floor of 0.34%.

(5) Represents a preferred equity interest originated through a joint venture with affiliates of RXR Realty LLC (“RXR”). The Company’s proportionate interest of the loan is 90%, representing $78.6 million of the carrying value. The Company consolidates the loan and records RXR’s investment as a non-controlling interest.

The following table presents CRE debt investments as of December 31, 2015 (dollars in thousands):

								Weighted Average						Floating Rate as % of Principal Amount
Asset Type:	Count	Principal Amount(1)		Carrying Value(2)		Allocation by Investment Type(3)		Fixed Rate		Spread over LIBOR(4)		Total Unleveraged Current Yield
First mortgage loans	14	$	829,536	$	806,116	79.8	%	—		6.47	%	6.51	%	100.0	%
Mezzanine loans	5	91,639		72,948		8.8	%	10.10	%	11.76	%	11.62	%	86.9	%
Subordinate interests	1	36,206		36,206		3.5	%	13.11	%	—		13.23	%	—
Preferred equity interests(5)	1	82,003		82,566		7.9	%	10.00	%	—		10.00	%	—
Total/Weighted average	21	$	1,039,384	$	997,836	100.0	%	10.87	%	6.84	%	7.42	%	87.5	%

________________________________________________________

(1) Includes future funding commitments of $43.6 million.

(2) Certain CRE debt investments serve as collateral for financing transactions including carrying value of $335.4 million for Securitization 2013-1 and $435.2 million for Term Loan Facilities (refer to Note 7). The remainder is unleveraged.

(3) Based on principal amount.

(4) Includes a fixed minimum LIBOR floor, as applicable. As of December 31, 2015, the Company had $749.0 million principal amount of floating-rate loans subject to a weighted average LIBOR floor of 0.37%.

(5) Represents a preferred equity interest originated through a joint venture with affiliates of RXR. The Company’s proportionate interest of the loan is 90%, representing $73.8 million of the carrying value. The Company consolidates the loan and records RXR’s investment as a non-controlling interest.

The following table presents maturities of CRE debt investments based on principal amount as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	Current Maturity		Maturity Including Extensions(1)
Years Ending December 31:
2017	308,650		62,350
2018	70,101		30,500
2019	210,901		247,300
2020	—		45,050
2021	87,323		204,452
Thereafter	90,519		177,842
Total	$	767,494	$	767,494

__________________________________________________________

(1) Assumes that all debt with extension options will qualify for extension at such maturity according to the conditions set forth in the governing documents.

As of December 31, 2016, the weighted average maturity, including extensions, of CRE debt investments was 4.2 years.

Credit Quality Monitoring

CRE debt investments are typically loans secured by direct senior priority liens on real estate properties or by interests in entities that directly own real estate properties, which serve as the primary source of cash for the payment of principal and interest. The Company evaluates its debt investments at least quarterly and differentiates the relative credit quality principally based on: (i) whether the borrower is currently paying contractual debt service in accordance with its contractual terms and (ii) whether the Company believes the borrower will be able to perform under its contractual terms in the future, as well as the Company’s expectations as to the ultimate recovery of principal at maturity. The Company categorizes a debt investment for which it expects to receive full payment of contractual principal and interest payments as “performing.” The Company will categorize a weaker credit quality debt investment that is currently performing, but for which it believes future collection of all or some portion of principal and interest is in doubt, into a category called “performing with a loan loss reserve.” The Company will categorize a weaker credit quality debt investment that is not performing, which the Company defines as a loan in maturity default and/or past due at least 90 days on its contractual debt service payments, as a non-performing loan (“NPL”). The Company’s definition of an NPL may differ from that of other companies that track NPLs.

In connection with a pre-negotiated agreement, in May 2016, as a result of a borrower’s inability to pay amounts due under one of the Company’s debt investments, the Company and the borrower agreed to transfer title of the real estate via deed in lieu of foreclosure to the Company. Refer to Note 4. Operating Real Estate.

As of December 31, 2016, all CRE debt investments were performing in accordance with the contractual terms of their governing documents in all material respects and were categorized as performing loans. There were no CRE debt investments with contractual payments past due as of December 31, 2016 and 2015. For the year endedDecember 31, 2016, two CRE debt investments each contributed more than 10.0% of interest income.

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Operating Real Estate

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Real Estate [Abstract]

Operating Real Estate

Operating Real Estate

The following table presents operating real estate, net, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):

	December 31,
	2016			2015
Land and improvements	$	96,011		$	56,090
Buildings and improvements(1)	430,776			328,012
Furniture, fixtures and equipment	4,472			4,243
Subtotal	$	531,259		$	388,345
Less: Accumulated depreciation	(42,420		)	(23,018		)
Operating real estate, net	$	488,839		$	365,327

____________________________________________________________

(1) Includes tenant improvements.

For the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, depreciation expense was $19.4 million, $16.4 million, and $6.4 million, respectively.

Summary of Acquisitions

In March 2016, the Company acquired an 88.2% interest in a portfolio of 23 light industrial assets for $103.3 million and obtained a $78.2 million two-year floating rate senior mortgage loan, of which $8.3 million is reserved for future funding. The Company incurred transaction costs of $1.5 million in conjunction with the acquisition.

The following table presents the preliminary allocation of the purchase price of the operating real estate assets acquired and liabilities assumed or issued (including financing entered into contemporaneous with the acquisition), if any, for acquisitions in 2016 (dollars in thousands):

Assets:
Land and improvements	$	24,807
Buildings and improvements(1)	59,903
Other assets acquired(2)	19,210
Total assets acquired	$	103,920
Liabilities:
Mortgage notes payable, net(3)	$	67,225
Other liabilities assumed(4)	536
Total liabilities	67,761
Total NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. stockholders’ equity	31,874
Non-controlling interests	4,285
Total equity	36,159
Total liabilities and equity	$	103,920

____________________________________________________________

(1) Includes tenant improvements.

(2) Primarily in-place lease intangibles, leasing commissions and above-market leases.

(3) Includes deferred financing costs, net.

(4) Primarily below-market leases.

During the measurement-period, the Company preliminarily determined that certain allocations of operating real estate acquired should be reclassified to deferred costs and other assets, net and other liabilities. The following table presents the effect of such preliminary purchase price reclassifications on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	As Previously Determined(1)		Measurement Period Adjustments			Revised
Operating real estate, net	$	103,384	$	(18,674	)	$	84,710
Deferred costs and other intangible assets, net(2)	—		19,210			19,210
Mortgage notes payable, net(3)	67,225		—			67,225
Other liabilities(4)	—		536			536

____________________________________________________________

(1) Represents the preliminary allocation of the purchase price.

(2) Primarily in-place lease intangibles, leasing commissions and above-market leases.

(3) Includes deferred financing costs, net.

(4) Primarily below-market leases.

During the year endedDecember 31, 2016, the Company recorded a measurement-period adjustment to earnings of $3.2 million. The table below shows the details of such adjustments:

Decrease in rental and other income(1)	$	347
Increase in depreciation and amortization(2)	2,894
Total measurement-period adjustment	$	3,241

____________________________________________________________

(1) Represents amortization of above and below-market leases.

(2) Represents depreciation of site and tenant improvements and amortization of in-place lease intangibles.

Real Estate Owned

The following table presents REO acquired by taking title, in connection with a certain CRE debt investment, for the year ended December 31, 2016 that is reported on the Company's consolidated balance sheet in operating real estate, net as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

Date	Type	Location	Original Loan Balance		Initial REO Value (1)
May 2016	Office	VA	$	67,493	$	67,493

____________________________________________________________

(1) Initial REO value approximates fair value.

The following table presents the preliminary allocation of REO acquired in May 2016 (dollars in thousands):

Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	1,845
Land and improvements	15,221
Buildings and improvements(1)	37,334
Other assets acquired(2)	13,736
Total assets acquired	$	68,136
Liabilities:
Other liabilities assumed(3)	$	643
Total liabilities	643
Total NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. stockholders’ equity	67,493
Total liabilities and equity	$	68,136

____________________________________________________________

(1) Includes tenant improvements.

(2) Primarily in-place lease intangibles, leasing commissions and above-market leases.

(3) Primarily below-market leases.

During the measurement-period, the Company preliminarily determined that certain allocations of operating real estate acquired should be reclassified to deferred costs and other assets, net and other liabilities. The following table presents the effect of such preliminary allocation reclassifications on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	As Previously Determined(1)		Measurement Period Adjustments			Revised
Cash and cash equivalents	$	2,237	$	(392	)	$	1,845
Operating real estate, net	65,256		(12,701		)	52,555
Deferred costs and other intangible assets, net(2)	—		13,736			13,736
Other liabilities(3)	—		643			643

____________________________________________________________

(1) Represents the preliminary allocation.

(2) Primarily in-place lease intangibles, leasing commissions and above-market leases.

(3) Primarily below-market leases.

During the year endedDecember 31, 2016, the Company recorded a measurement-period adjustment to earnings of $3.6 million. The table below shows the details of such adjustments:

Decrease in rental and other income(1)	$	646
Increase in depreciation and amortization(2)	2,950
Total measurement-period adjustment	$	3,596

____________________________________________________________

(1) Represents amortization of above and below market leases.

(2) Represents depreciation of site and tenant improvements and amortization of in place lease intangibles.

Minimum Future Rents

Minimum rental amounts due under leases are generally either subject to scheduled fixed increases or adjustments. Leases at the Company’s multifamily properties and student housing properties are generally for a term of one year or less and are not reflected in the below table. The following table presents approximate future minimum rental income for the Company’s industrial properties and multi-tenant offices under noncancelable operating leases to be received over the next five years and thereafter as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

Years Ending December 31:
2017	44,721
2018	37,977
2019	33,585
2020	25,866
2021	20,672
Thereafter	52,782
Total	$	215,603

The rental properties owned as of December 31, 2016 are leased under operating leases with current expirations ranging from 2017 to 2027, with certain tenant renewal rights. For certain properties, the tenants pay the Company, in addition to the contractual base rent, their pro rata share of real estate taxes and operating expenses. Certain lease agreements provide for periodic rental increases.

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Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]

Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures

Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures

Investments in Private Equity Funds

The following is a description of investments in private equity funds that own PE Investments indirectly through unconsolidated ventures (“PE Investment I”), (“PE Investment IIA”) and (“PE Investment IIB”) or directly (“PE Investment III”). The Company elected the fair value option for PE Investments. As a result, the Company records equity in earnings (losses) based on the change in fair value for its share of the projected future cash flow from one period to another. All PE Investments are considered voting interest entities, except for PE Investment III. PE Investment I, IIA and IIB are considered voting interest entities and are not consolidated by the Company due to the substantive participating rights of the partners in joint ventures that own the interests in the real estate private equity funds. The Company does not consolidate the underlying real estate private equity funds owned in PE Investment III as it neither owns a majority voting interest in any such funds nor is it the primary beneficiary of such funds.

Summary

The following table summarizes the Company’s PE Investment acquisitions (dollars in thousands):

PE Investment	Initial Closing Date	NAV Reference Date(1)	Number of Funds	Purchase Price		Expected Future Contributions
PE Investment I	February 15, 2013	June 30, 2012	49	$	118,035	$	207
PE Investment IIA	July 3, 2013	September 30, 2012	24	75,721		—
PE Investment IIB	February 9, 2016	September 30, 2015	—	26,498		—
PE Investment III	March 30, 2016	March 31, 2015	2	23,063		—
Total			75	$	243,317	$	207

____________________________________________________________

(1) Represents the net asset value (“NAV”) date on which the Company agreed to acquire the respective PE Investment.

The following table summarizes the Company’s PE Investments as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	Carrying Value				Year Ended December 31, 2016						Year Ended December 31, 2015
	December 31,				Equity in Earnings		Distributions		Contributions(1)		Equity in Earnings		Distributions		Contributions(1)
PE Investment	2016		2015
PE Investment I(2)	$	31,655	$	65,313	$	9,441	$	40,082	$	415	$	19,462	$	36,226	$	838
PE Investment IIA	23,360		33,441		5,974		24,897		8,842		10,757		34,262		9,201
PE Investment IIB	19,329		—		6,950		21,420		33,798		—		—		—
PE Investment III	16,235		—		1,771		2,126		16,591		—		—		—
Total	$	90,579	$	98,754	$	24,136	$	88,525	$	59,646	$	30,219	$	70,488	$	10,039

___________________________________________________________

(1) Includes initial investments, before closing statement adjustments for distributions and contributions, and subsequent contributions, including deferred purchase price fundings.

(2) For PE Investment I, the Company recorded an unrealized loss of $3.4 million and $12.1 million for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company recorded an unrealized gain of $11.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2014.

PE Investment I

In February 2013, the Company completed the initial closing (“PE I Initial Closing”) of PE Investment I which through a preferred investment owns a portfolio of limited partnership interests in real estate private equity funds managed by institutional-quality sponsors. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, at the PE I Initial Closing, the full purchase price was funded, excluding future capital commitments. Accordingly, the Company funded $118.0 million and NorthStar Realty, which following the mergers became a subsidiary of the Sponsor, (together with the Company, the “NorthStar Entities”) funded $282.1 million. The NorthStar Entities have an aggregate ownership interest in PE Investment I of 51.0%, of which the Company owns 29.5% and the Sponsor owns 70.5%. Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (the “Class B Partner”) contributed its interests in 49 funds subject to the transaction in exchange for all of the Class B partnership interests in PE Investment I.

PE Investment I provides for all cash distributions on a priority basis to the NorthStar Entities as follows: (i) first, 85.0% to the NorthStar Entities and 15.0% to the Class B Partner until the NorthStar Entities receive a 1.5x multiple on all of their invested capital, including amounts funded in connection with future capital commitments; (ii) second, 15.0% to the NorthStar Entities and 85.0% to the Class B Partner until the Class B Partner receives a return of its then remaining June 30, 2012 capital; and (iii) third, 51.0% to the NorthStar Entities and 49.0% to the Class B Partner. All amounts paid to and received by the NorthStar Entities are based on each partner’s proportionate interest.

PE Investment IIA

In June 2013, the Company, NorthStar Realty and funds managed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management (“Vintage Funds”) (each a “Partner”) formed joint ventures and entered into an agreement with Common Pension Fund E, a common trust fund created under New Jersey law (“PE II Seller”), to acquire a portfolio of limited partnership interests in 24 real estate private equity funds managed by institutional-quality sponsors. The aggregate reported NAV acquired was $910.0 million as of September 30, 2012. The Company, NorthStar Realty and the Vintage Funds each had an initial ownership interest in PE Investment IIA of 15.0%, 70.0% and 15.0%, respectively. All amounts paid and received are based on each Partner’s proportionate interest.

PE Investment IIA paid $504.8 million to PE II Seller for all of the fund interests, or 55.0% of the September 30, 2012 NAV (the “Initial Amount”), and will pay the remaining $411.4 million, or 45.0% of the September 30, 2012 NAV (the “Deferred Amount”), by the last day of the fiscal quarter after the four year anniversary following the closing date of each fund interest. The Company funded all of its proportionate share of the Initial Amount at the initial closing on July 3, 2013. The Deferred Amount is a liability of PE Investment IIA. Each Partner, directly or indirectly, guaranteed its proportionate interest of the Deferred Amount. The Company determined there was an immaterial amount of fair value related to the guarantee.

On March 31st of each year, commencing on March 31, 2015 and for a period of two years thereafter, PE Investment IIA will pay, within 10 business days of March 31st, an amount necessary to reduce the Deferred Amount by the greater of 15.0% of the then outstanding Deferred Amount or 15.0% of the aggregate distributions received by PE Investment IIA during the preceding 12 month period.

On the last day of the fiscal quarter after the four-year anniversary of the applicable closing date of each fund interest, PE Investment IIA will be required to pay to PE II Seller the then outstanding unpaid Deferred Amount.

In connection with the mergers, NorthStar Realty’s interests in PE Investment IIA and its other obligations were assumed by the Sponsor.

PE Investment IIB

In February 2016, the Company’s board of directors, including all of its independent directors, approved the purchase of an additional 14.0% of the PE Investment II transaction (“PE Investment IIB”) from NorthStar Realty, which following the mergers became a subsidiary of the Sponsor. The Company purchased PE Investment IIB on the same terms and conditions negotiated by another existing and purchasing co-investor in the transaction. This increased the Company’s total ownership from 15.0% to 29.0%. The Company acquired PE Investment IIB for $26.5 million based on a NAV of $660.6 million as of September 30, 2015, adjusted for distributions and contributions.

With this add-on investment, PE Investment IIA and PE Investment IIB will be responsible for 29.0% of the Deferred Amount. In April 2016, PE Investment IIA and PE Investment IIB collectively paid $15.1 million of the Deferred Amount. As of December 31, 2016, the Company’s 29.0% share of the combined Deferred Amount for PE Investment IIA and PE Investment IIB was $85.7 million. The Deferred Amount will be paid in multiple installments throughout 2017 and 2018 and is expected to be paid from the distributions received from the underlying investments in PE Investment IIA and PE Investment IIB. The Company guaranteed its proportionate interest of the Deferred Amount. The Company determined there was an immaterial amount of fair value related to the guarantee.

PE Investment III

In March 2016, the Company acquired 5.5% of PE Investment III for $15.1 million based on a NAV of March 31, 2015 (the “Valuation Date”), adjusted for contributions and distributions from such date. At the time of closing, the Company paid $4.2 million, net of a $1.8 million deposit for a total of $6.0 million, or 40.0% of the purchase price adjusted for contributions and distributions. The remaining portion of the purchase price (the “Deferred Purchase Price”), was partially funded in December 2016 totaling $4.5 million. As of December 31, 2016, the remaining Deferred Purchase Price for PE Investment III recorded in other liabilities was $4.5 million. The remaining portion of the purchase price will be paid on December 31, 2017.

Other

In June 2014, the Company entered into a joint venture with affiliates of RXR to originate a mezzanine loan. The mezzanine loan had a principal amount of $183.7 million, including future funding commitments. The joint venture owned 50.0% of the mezzanine loan, of which the Company’s interest in the joint venture was 78.0%. In January 2016, the Company’s participation was sold at par value of $59.8 million. As of December 31, 2015 the carrying value of the investment was $59.1 million. For the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, the Company recognized equity in earnings of $0.8 million, $5.8 million, and $2.8 million, respectively.

Summarized Financial Information

The combined balance sheets for the unconsolidated ventures, including PE Investments and excluding unconsolidated ventures accounted for under the cost method, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are as follows (dollars in thousands):

	As of December 31,
	2016		2015
Assets
Total assets	$	1,079,828	$	1,440,834
Liabilities and equity
Total liabilities	$	799,748	$	871,892
Total Equity	280,080		568,942
Total liabilities and equity	$	1,079,828	$	1,440,834

The combined statements of operations for the unconsolidated ventures, including PE Investments and excluding unconsolidated ventures accounted for under the cost method, for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 are as follows (dollars in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31, (1)
	2016		2015		2014
Total revenues(2)	$	201,113	$	266,158	$	251,398
Net income	36,941		109,543		168,514

___________________________________________________________

(1) Includes summarized annual financial information for PE Investments on a one quarter lag, which is the most recent financial information available from the underlying funds.

(2) Includes net investment income and unrealized and realized gains and losses for PE Investments.

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Real Estate Securities, Available for Sale

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]

Real Estate Securities, Available for Sale

Real Estate Securities, Available for Sale

CRE securities are comprised of CMBS backed by a pool of CRE loans which are typically well-diversified by type and geography. The following table presents CMBS investments (dollars in thousands):

													Weighted Average
		Principal Amount(1)		Amortized Cost		Cumulative Unrealized on Investments					Fair Value				Unleveraged Current Yield
As of Date:	Count					Gain		(Loss)					Coupon(2)
December 31, 2016	11	$	138,438	$	73,800	$	21,616	$	(1,441	)	$	93,975	3.85	%	10.78	%
December 31, 2015	8	115,849		61,721		22,357		(456		)	83,622		4.43	%	8.52	%

_______________________________________________________________

(1) Certain CRE securities serve as collateral for financing transactions including carrying value of $32.3 million for the CMBS Credit Facilities (refer to Note 7). The remainder is unleveraged.

(2) All CMBS are fixed rate.

The Company recorded year ended unrealized losses of $1.7 million and $6.5 million in OCI for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company recorded year ended unrealized gain in OCI for the year endedDecember 31, 2014 of $15.4 million. As of December 31, 2016, the Company held five securities with an aggregate carrying value of $41.5 million with an unrealized loss of $1.4 million, two of which were in an unrealized loss position for a period of greater than 12 months. Based on management’s quarterly evaluation, no OTTI was identified related to these securities. The Company does not intend to sell these securities and it is more likely than not that the Company will not be required to sell these securities prior to recovery of its amortized cost basis, which may be at maturity.

As of December 31, 2016, the weighted average contractual maturity of CRE securities was 32 years with an expected maturity of 6.8 years.

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Borrowings

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Borrowings

Borrowings

The following table presents borrowings as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):

							December 31, 2016				December 31, 2015
	Capacity ($)		Recourse vs. Non-Recourse	Final Maturity	Contractual Interest Rate		Principal Amount(1)		Carrying Value(1)		Principal Amount(1)		Carrying Value(1)
Securitization bonds payable, net
Securitization 2013-1			Non-recourse	Aug-29	LIBOR + 5.00%		$	39,762	$	39,762	$	185,812	$	185,314
Mortgage notes payable, net
Multifamily 1			Non-recourse	Dec-23	4.84%		43,500		42,967		43,500		42,902
Multifamily 2			Non-recourse	Dec-23	4.94%		43,000		42,440		43,000		42,370
Office 1			Non-recourse	Oct-24	4.47%		108,850		108,595		108,850		108,569
Office 2			Non-recourse	Jan-25	4.30%		77,700		77,535		77,700		77,512
Student housing 1			Non-recourse	Jan-24	5.15%		16,000		15,774		16,000		15,747
Student housing 2(2)			Non-recourse	Dec-20	5.27%		12,411		12,644		12,615		12,907
Student housing 3(3)			Non-recourse	Nov-26	3.98%		24,750		24,485		16,200		16,395
Industrial 1			Non-recourse	Apr-21	LIBOR + 2.50%		70,402		68,970		—		—
Subtotal mortgage notes payable, net							396,613		393,410		317,865		316,402
Term loan facilities
Citibank facility	$	150,000	Limited Recourse(4)	Oct-21(5)	LIBOR + 2.63%	(6)	21,350		21,350		108,913		108,913
Deutsche Bank facility	200,000		Limited Recourse(7)	Mar-18(8)	LIBOR + 2.45%	(9)	112,919		112,919		166,697		166,697
Morgan Stanley facility	200,000		Limited Recourse(10)	Oct-18(11)	LIBOR + 2.50%	(12)	92,700		92,700		31,335		31,335
Subtotal term loan facilities	$	550,000					226,969		226,969		306,945		306,945
CMBS credit facilities
UBS facility			Recourse	(13)	LIBOR + 1.19%		—		—		6,455		6,455
Morgan Stanley facility			Recourse	(13)	LIBOR + 1.06%		—		—		4,600		4,600
Citibank facility			Recourse	(13)	LIBOR + 1.50%		11,034		11,034		—		—
Merrill Lynch facility			Recourse	(13)	LIBOR + 1.50%		2,989		2,989		—		—
JP Morgan facility			Recourse	(13)	LIBOR + 1.50%		8,164		8,164		—		—
Subtotal CMBS credit facilities							22,187		22,187		11,055		11,055
Subtotal credit facilities							249,156		249,156		318,000		318,000
Loan collateral payable, net, related party
Secured borrowing(14)			Non-recourse	May-19	LIBOR + 3.83%		23,729		23,261		—		—
Total							$	709,260	$	705,589	$	821,677	$	819,716

_____________________________________________________

(1) Difference between principal amount and carrying value of mortgage notes payable, net and loan collateral payable, net, related party is attributable to deferred financing costs, net and premium on a mortgage note payable.

(2) Represents two separate senior mortgage notes with a weighted average maturity of December 1, 2020 and weighted average interest rate of 5.27%.

(3) In October 2016, the Company refinanced the mortgage note payable, increasing the principal balance to $24.8 million, with a maturity date of November 2026.

(4) Recourse solely with respect to 25.0% of the repurchase price for purchased assets with a lender debt yield equal to or greater than 10.0% at the time of financing plus 100.0% of the repurchase price for purchased assets with a lender debt yield less than 10.0% at the time of financing.

(5) The next maturity date is October 18, 2018, with three, one-year extensions available at the option of the Company, which may be exercised upon the satisfaction of certain customary conditions set forth in the governing documents.

(6) The contractual interest rate depends upon asset type and characteristics. As of December 31, 2016 the rate was one-month LIBOR plus 2.63%.

(7) Recourse solely with respect to the greater of: (i) 25.0% of the financed amount of stabilized loans plus the financed amount of transitional loans; or (ii) the lesser of $25.0 million or the aggregate financed amount of all loans.

(8) The next maturity date is March 11, 2017, with a one-year extension available that the Company has exercised, extending maturity to March 11, 2018.

(9) Represents the weighted average spread as of December 31, 2016. The contractual interest rate depends upon asset type and characteristics and ranges from one-month LIBOR plus 2.42% to 2.62%.

(10) Recourse solely with respect to 25.0% of the financed amount.

(11) The initial maturity date is October 13, 2018, with one-year extensions available at the Company’s option, which are subject to the approval of the global financial institution.

(12) Represents the weighted average spread as of December 31, 2016. The contractual interest rate depends upon asset type and characteristics and ranges from one-month LIBOR plus 2.25% to 2.65%.

(13) The maturity dates on the CMBS Credit Facilities are dependent upon asset type and will typically range from two to three months.

(14) Represents a secured borrowing financing transaction recorded in loan collateral payable, net, related party in connection with three first mortgage loans recorded in real estate debt investments, net. Refer to discussion below for additional detail.

The following table presents scheduled principal on borrowings, based on final maturity as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	Total		Securitization Bonds Payable, Net		Mortgage Notes Payable, Net		Loan collateral payable, net, related party		Credit Facilities
Years Ending December 31:
2017	22,187		—		—		—		22,187
2018	205,619		—		—		—		205,619
2019	23,729		—		—		23,729		—
2020	12,411		—		12,411		—		—
2021	91,752		—		70,402		—		21,350
Thereafter	353,562		39,762		313,800		—		—
Total	$	709,260	$	39,762	$	396,613	$	23,729	$	249,156

Securitization Financing Transactions

The Company entered into two securitization financing transactions collectively referred to as securitization financing transactions, collateralized by CRE debt investments originated by the Company and NorthStar Realty. In January 2015, the outstanding obligations with respect to one of the securitizations were repaid in full.

In the event of breaches of certain representations and warranties or a defect in the document of any of the contributed assets to securitization financing transactions provided at the time the Company entered into such securitization financing transactions and contributed the loans that serve as collateral for the securitization, the Company may be required to repurchase certain of those loans or replace the affected contributed asset or make a loss of value payment. These obligations do not relate to the credit performance of the loans contributed to the securitizations, but only to breaches of specific representations and warranties or a defect in the document of any of the contributed assets to the securitization financing transactions. Since inception, the Company has not been required to make any repurchases or replace the affected contributed asset or make a loss of value payment nor has the Company received any notice of assertion of a potential breach of representation and warranty or a defect in the document of any of the contributed assets to the securitization financing transactions. Any payment to repurchase a loan or replace the affected contributed asset or make a loss of value payment would impact the Company’s liquidity. Depending upon the size of any such payment, the impact to liquidity could be material.

Securitization 2013-1

In August 2013, the Company entered into a $531.5 million securitization financing transaction (“Securitization 2013-1”). The Company initially contributed eight CRE debt investments with a $346.1 million aggregate principal amount. Subsequent to the closing of Securitization 2013-1, the Company contributed four additional CRE debt investments with a $105.5 million aggregate principal amount. NorthStar Realty contributed three senior loans with an aggregate principal amount of $79.1 million at cost to Securitization 2013-1. The Company accounts for such loans transferred by NorthStar Realty, as loan collateral receivable, related party. A total of $382.7 million of permanent, non-recourse, non-mark-to-market investment-grade securitization bonds were issued, representing an advance rate of 72.0% with a current weighted average coupon of LIBOR plus 2.97%. The Company retained all of the below investment-grade securitization bonds, which the Company refers to as the Company’s retained equity interest in Securitization 2013-1. The Company used the proceeds to repay $222.7 million of borrowings on its term loan facilities. The collateral is used to service the interest payments on the investment-grade securitization bonds and the Company receives the excess cash flow on its retained equity interest. Securitization 2013-1 is considered a voting interest entity and since the Company has all of the controlling financial interest in Securitization 2013-1, the entity is consolidated by the Company. As of December 31, 2016 the principal amount of the loans contributed by NorthStar Realty was $52.2 million.

Term Loan Facilities

The Company, through subsidiaries, has entered into credit facility agreements with multiple global financial institutions to provide an aggregate principal amount of up to $550.0 million to finance the origination of first mortgage loans and senior loan participations secured by CRE (“Term Loan Facilities”). The Company agreed to guarantee certain obligations under the Term Loan Facilities, which contain representations, warranties, covenants, conditions precedent to funding, events of default and indemnities that are customary for agreements of this type. The Term Loan Facilities act as revolving loan facilities that can be paid down as assets are repaid or sold and re-drawn upon for new investments. As of December 31, 2016, the Company was in compliance with all of its financial covenants under the Term Loan Facilities.

As of December 31, 2016, the Company had $364.6 million carrying value of CRE debt investments financed with $227.0 million under the Term Loan Facilities.

CMBS Credit Facilities

As of December 31, 2016, the Company entered into five master repurchase agreements (collectively the “CMBS Credit Facilities”) to finance CMBS investments. The CMBS Credit Facilities are on a recourse basis and contain representations, warranties, covenants, conditions precedent to funding, events of default and indemnities that are customary for agreements of this type. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had $32.3 million carrying value of CRE securities, financed with $22.2 million under its CMBS Credit Facilities.

Secured Borrowing

In November 2016, the Company bifurcated three first mortgage loans with an aggregate principal amount of $44.4 million into senior participations in mortgage loans of $29.5 million and junior participations in the related mortgage loans of $14.9 million to facilitate the financing of the mortgage loans through a securitization financing transaction entered into by NorthStar Real Estate Income II, Inc. (“NorthStar Income II”), a company managed by an affiliate of the Sponsor. The Company sold three senior participations at cost into the securitization transaction. The Company did not retain any legal interest in the senior participations and retained the junior participations on an unleveraged basis. As a result of U.S. GAAP requirements for transfers of financial assets, the senior participations transferred into the securitization financing transaction are accounted for as a secured borrowing and presented as loan collateral payable, net, related party on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Refer to Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” for additional information. As of December 31, 2016, the carrying value of CRE debt investments recorded in real estate debt investments, net was $23.7 million with an offsetting secured borrowing recorded in loan collateral payable, net, related party of $23.3 million.

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Related Party Arrangements

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

Related Party Arrangements

Related Party Arrangements

Advisor

Subject to certain restrictions and limitations, the Advisor is responsible for managing the Company’s affairs on a day-to-day basis and for identifying, originating, acquiring and asset managing investments on behalf of the Company. The Advisor may delegate certain of its obligations to affiliated entities, which may be organized under the laws of the United States or foreign jurisdictions. References to the Advisor include the Advisor and any such affiliated entities. For such services, to the extent permitted by law and regulations, the Advisor receives fees and reimbursement from the Company. Below is a description and table of the fees and reimbursements incurred to the Advisor.

In June 2016, the advisory agreement was renewed for an additional one-year term commencing on June 30, 2016, with terms identical to those in effect through June 30, 2016.

Fees to Advisor

Asset Management Fee

The Advisor receives a monthly asset management fee equal to one-twelfth of 1.25% of the sum of the amount funded or allocated for CRE investments, including expenses and any financing attributable to such investments, less any principal received on debt and securities investments (or the proportionate share thereof in the case of an investment made through a joint venture).

Incentive Fee

The Advisor is entitled to receive distributions equal to 15.0% of net cash flows of the Company, whether from continuing operations, repayment of loans, disposition of assets or otherwise, but only after stockholders have received, in the aggregate, cumulative distributions equal to their invested capital plus an 8.0% cumulative, non-compounded annual pre-tax return on such invested capital.

Acquisition Fee

The Advisor also receives fees for providing structuring, diligence, underwriting advice and related services in connection with real estate acquisitions equal to 1.0% of the amount funded or allocated by the Company to originate or acquire investments, including acquisition costs and any financing attributable to such investments (or the proportionate share thereof in the case of an investment made through a joint venture). A fee paid to the Advisor in connection with the origination or acquisition of CRE debt investments is included in CRE debt investments, net on the consolidated balance sheets and is amortized to interest income over the life of the investment using the effective interest method. An acquisition fee incurred related to an equity investment will generally be expensed as incurred. A fee paid to the Advisor in connection with an acquisition of an equity or debt investment in an unconsolidated joint venture is included in investments in unconsolidated ventures on the consolidated balance sheets.

Disposition Fee

For substantial assistance in connection with the sale of investments and based on the services provided, as determined by the Company’s independent directors, the Advisor receives a disposition fee up to 1.0% of the contract sales price of each CRE investment sold. The Company does not pay a disposition fee upon the maturity, prepayment, workout, modification or extension of a CRE debt investment unless there is a corresponding fee paid by the borrower, in which case the disposition fee is the lesser of: (i) 1.0% of the principal amount of the CRE debt investment prior to such transaction; or (ii) the amount of the fee paid by the borrower in connection with such transaction. If the Company takes ownership of a property as a result of a workout or foreclosure of a CRE debt investment, the Company will pay a disposition fee upon the sale of such property. A disposition fee from the sale of a CRE investment is generally expensed and included in asset management and other fees - related party in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. A disposition fee for a CRE debt investment incurred in a transaction other than a sale is included in CRE debt investments, net on the consolidated balance sheets and is amortized to interest income over the life of the investment using the effective interest method.

Reimbursements to Advisor

Operating Costs

The Advisor is entitled to receive reimbursement for direct and indirect operating costs incurred by the Advisor in connection with administrative services provided to the Company. The Advisor allocates, in good faith, indirect costs to the Company related to the Advisor’s and its affiliates’ employees, occupancy and other general and administrative costs and expenses in accordance with the terms of, and subject to the limitations contained in, the advisory agreement with the Advisor. The indirect costs include the Company’s allocable share of the Advisor’s compensation and benefit costs associated with dedicated or partially dedicated personnel who spend all or a portion of their time managing the Company’s affairs, based upon the percentage of time devoted by such personnel to the Company’s affairs. The indirect costs also include rental and occupancy, technology, office supplies, travel and entertainment and other general and administrative costs and expenses. However, there is no reimbursement for personnel costs related to executive officers (although there may be reimbursement for certain executive officers of the Advisor) and other personnel involved in activities for which the Advisor receives an acquisition fee or a disposition fee. The Advisor allocates these costs to the Company relative to its and its affiliates’ other managed companies in good faith and has reviewed the allocation with the Company’s board of directors, including its independent directors. The Advisor updates the board of directors on a quarterly basis of any material changes to the expense allocation and provides a detailed review to the board of directors, at least annually, and as otherwise requested by the board of directors. The Company reimburses the Advisor quarterly for operating costs (including the asset management fee) based on a calculation for the four preceding fiscal quarters not to exceed the greater of: (i) 2.0% of its average invested assets; or (ii) 25.0% of its net income determined without reduction for any additions to reserves for depreciation, loan losses or other similar non-cash reserves and excluding any gain from the sale of assets for that period. Notwithstanding the above, the Company may reimburse the Advisor for expenses in excess of this limitation if a majority of the Company’s independent directors determines that such excess expenses are justified based on unusual and non-recurring factors. The Company calculates the expense reimbursement quarterly based upon the trailing twelve-month period.

Summary of Fees and Reimbursements

The following tables present the fees and reimbursements incurred to the Advisor for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015 and the amount due to related party as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):

Type of Fee or Reimbursement		Due to Related Party as of		Year Ended December 31, 2016					Due to Related Party as of(1)
	Financial Statement Location	December 31, 2015		Incurred		Paid			December 31, 2016
Fees to Advisor Entities
Asset management	Asset management and other fees, related party	$	—	$	21,337	$	(21,327	)	$	10
Acquisition(2)	Real estate debt investments, net / Asset management and other fees, related party	—		3,254		(3,214		)	40
Disposition(2)	Real estate debt investments, net / Asset management and other fees, related party	—		4,612		(4,612		)	—
Reimbursements to Advisor Entities
Operating costs(3)	General and administrative expenses	—		12,747		(12,729		)	18
Total		$	—	$	41,950	$	(41,882	)	$	68

____________________________________________________

(1) The balance is included in accounts payable and accrued expenses on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet.

(2) Acquisition/disposition fees incurred to the Advisor related to CRE debt investments are generally offset by origination/exit fees paid to the Company by borrowers if such fees are required from the borrower. Acquisition fees related to equity investments are included in asset management and other fees - related party in the consolidated statements of operations. Acquisition fees related to investments in unconsolidated joint ventures are included in investments in unconsolidated ventures on the consolidated balance sheets. The Advisor may determine to defer fees or seek reimbursement. From inception through December 31, 2016, the Advisor waived $0.8 million of acquisition fees and $0.4 million of disposition fees related to CRE securities.

(3) As of December 31, 2016, the Advisor has incurred unreimbursed operating costs on behalf of the Company of $9.6 million that remain eligible to allocate to the Company.

Type of Fee or Reimbursement		Due to Related Party as of		Year Ended December 31, 2015					Due to Related Party as of
	Financial Statement Location	December 31, 2014		Incurred		Paid			December 31, 2015
Fees to Advisor Entities
Asset management	Asset management and other fees, related party	$	—	$	23,965	$	(23,965	)	$	—
Acquisition(1	Real estate debt investments, net / Asset management and other fees, related party	—		451		(451		)	—
Disposition(1)	Real estate debt investments, net / Asset management and other fees, related party	—		3,317		(3,317		)	—
Reimbursements to Advisor Entities
Operating costs(2)	General and administrative expenses	—		13,116		(13,116		)	—
Total		$	—	$	40,849	$	(40,849	)	$	—

____________________________________________________

(1) Acquisition/disposition fees incurred to the Advisor related to CRE debt investments are generally offset by origination/exit fees paid to the Company by borrowers if such fees are required from the borrower. Acquisition fees related to equity investments are included in asset management and other fees - related party in the consolidated statements of operations. Acquisition fees related to investments in unconsolidated joint ventures are included in investments in unconsolidated ventures on the consolidated balance sheets. The Advisor may determine to defer fees or seek reimbursement. From inception through December 31, 2015, the Advisor waived $0.6 million of acquisition fees and $0.4 million of disposition fees related to CRE securities.

(2) As of December 31, 2015, the Advisor has incurred unreimbursed operating costs on behalf of the Company of $7.9 million that remain eligible to allocate to the Company.

Securitization 2013-1

In August 2013, the Company closed Securitization 2013-1. The Company initially contributed eight CRE debt investments with a $346.1 million aggregate principal amount. NorthStar Realty transferred three senior loans with an aggregate principal amount of $79.1 million at cost to Securitization 2013-1. An affiliate of the Sponsor was named special servicer of Securitization 2013-1.

PE Investments

In connection with PE Investments, the Company guaranteed all of its funding obligations that may be due and owed under the governing documents indirectly through an indemnification agreement with NorthStar Realty, which in turn guaranteed the obligations directly to the PE Investment entities. The Company and NorthStar Realty each agreed to indemnify the other proportionately for any losses that may arise in connection with the funding and other obligations as set forth in the governing documents in the case of a joint default by the Company and NorthStar Realty. The Company and NorthStar Realty further agreed to indemnify each other for all of the losses that may arise as a result of a default that was solely caused by the Company or NorthStar Realty, as the case may be. In connection with the mergers, the Sponsor assumed all of NorthStar Realty’s obligations.

PE Investment I

In connection with PE Investment I, the Company assumed the rights to subscribe to 29.5% of PE Investment I from NorthStar Realty. The Company and NorthStar Realty contributed cash of $400.1 million, of which the Company and NorthStar Realty contributed $118.0 million and $282.1 million, respectively. In connection with the mergers, NorthStar Realty’s interests in PE Investment I and its other obligations were assumed by the Sponsor.

PE Investment IIB

In February 2016, the Company’s board of directors, including all of its independent directors, approved the purchase of an additional 14.0% of the PE Investment IIA transaction (“PE Investment IIB”) from NorthStar Realty, which following the mergers became a subsidiary of the Sponsor. The Company purchased PE Investment IIB on the same terms and conditions negotiated by another existing and purchasing unrelated co-investor in the transaction. This increased the Company’s total ownership from 15.0% to 29.0%. The Company acquired PE Investment IIB for $26.5 million based on a NAV of $660.6 million as of December 31, 2015, adjusted for distributions and contributions. With this add-on investment, PE Investment IIA and PE Investment IIB are collectively responsible for 29.0% of the Deferred Amount, or $85.7 million as of December 31, 2016.

Secured Borrowing

In November 2016, the Company bifurcated three first mortgage loans with an aggregate principal amount of $44.4 million into senior participations in mortgage loans of $29.5 million and junior participations in the related mortgage loans of $14.9 million to facilitate the financing of the mortgage loans through a securitization financing transaction entered into by NorthStar Income II, a company managed by an affiliate of the Sponsor. The Company sold three senior participations at cost into the securitization transaction. The Company did not retain any legal interest in the senior participations and retained the junior participations on an unleveraged basis. As a result of U.S. GAAP requirements for transfers of financial assets, the senior participations transferred into the securitization financing transaction are accounted for as a secured borrowing and presented as loan collateral payable, net, related party on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Refer to Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” for additional information. As of December 31, 2016, the carrying value of CRE debt investments recorded in real estate debt investments, net was $23.7 million with an offsetting secured borrowing recorded in loan collateral payable, net, related party of $23.3 million.

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Equity-Based Compensation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

Equity-Based Compensation

Equity-Based Compensation

The Company adopted a long-term incentive plan, as amended (the “Plan”), which it may use to attract and retain qualified officers, directors, employees and consultants, as well as an independent directors compensation plan, which is a component of the Plan. Pursuant to the Plan, as of December 31, 2016, the Company’s independent and non-management directors were granted a total of 101,204 shares of restricted common stock for an aggregate $1.0 million, based on the share price on the date of each grant. The restricted stock granted prior to 2013 generally vests quarterly over four years and the restricted stock granted in and subsequent to 2013 generally vests quarterly over two years. However, the stock will become fully vested on the earlier occurrence of: (i) the termination of the independent or non-management director’s service as a director due to his or her death or disability or (ii) a change in control of the Company.

The Company recognized equity-based compensation expense of $0.2 million, $0.2 million and $0.1 million for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively, related to the issuance of restricted stock to the independent and non-management directors, which was recorded in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Unvested shares totaled 20,462, 17,687, and 10,688 as of December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively.

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Stockholders' Equity

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

Stockholders' Equity

Stockholders’ Equity

Common Stock

The Company’s Total Primary Offering was completed on July 1, 2013. From inception through the completion of the Total Primary Offering, the Company issued 107.6 million shares of common stock generating gross proceeds from the Total Primary Offering of $1.1 billion.

Distribution Reinvestment Plan

The Company adopted the DRP through which common stockholders may elect to reinvest an amount equal to the distributions declared on their shares in additional shares of the Company’s common stock in lieu of receiving cash distributions. As a result of an additional registration statement to offer up to 10.0 million shares pursuant to the DRP, the Company continues to offer DRP shares beyond the Total Primary Offering.

In April 2016, the DRP was amended and restated to provide that, effective on ten days’ notice, the price per share purchased pursuant to the DRP was $9.87, which is equal to the estimated value per share of the Company’s common stock as of December 31, 2015, until such time as the Company establishes a new estimated per share value, at which time the purchase price will adjust to 100% of such estimated value per share. The Company expects that the next estimated value per share will be based upon assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2016.

Prior to the April 2016 amendment, shares issued pursuant to the DRP were priced at 95.0% of the Company’s estimated value per share as of October 31, 2014, or $9.52. Prior to 2015, shares issued pursuant to the DRP were priced at $9.50 per share.

No selling commissions or dealer manager fees are paid on shares issued pursuant to the DRP. The board of directors of the Company may amend, suspend or terminate the DRP for any reason upon ten-days’ notice to participants.

For the year endedDecember 31, 2016, the Company issued 4.5 million shares totaling $43.5 million of proceeds pursuant to the DRP. For the year endedDecember 31, 2015, the Company issued 4.6 million shares totaling $43.8 million of proceeds pursuant to the DRP. From inception through December 31, 2016, the Company issued 18.2 million shares totaling $174.5 million of proceeds pursuant to the DRP.

Distributions

Distributions to stockholders are declared quarterly by the board of directors of the Company and are paid monthly based on a daily amount of $0.002191781 per share, which is equivalent to an annual distribution of $0.80 per share of the Company’s common stock. Distributions are generally paid to stockholders on the first business day of the month following the month for which the distribution has accrued.

The following table presents distributions declared for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):

	Distributions(1)
Period	Cash		DRP		Total
2016
First Quarter	$	13,052	$	10,987	$	24,039
Second Quarter	13,184		10,864		24,048
Third Quarter	13,482		10,858		24,340
Fourth Quarter	13,690		10,628		24,318
Total	$	53,408	$	43,337	$	96,745
2015
First Quarter	$	12,640	$	10,720	$	23,360
Second Quarter	12,910		10,882		23,792
Third Quarter	13,107		11,095		24,202
Fourth Quarter	13,169		11,145		24,314
Total	$	51,826	$	43,842	$	95,668
2014
First Quarter	$	12,369	$	10,338	$	22,707
Second Quarter	12,492		10,650		23,142
Third Quarter	12,674		10,885		23,559
Fourth Quarter	12,717		10,997		23,714
Total	$	50,252	$	42,870	$	93,122

_________________________________________________

(1) Represents distributions declared for the period, even though such distributions are actually paid to stockholders the month following such period. For the year endedDecember 31, 2016, approximately 18% of distributions paid was ordinary income, 6% was capital gain distribution and 76% was a return of capital.

Share Repurchase Program

The Company adopted a share repurchase program that may enable stockholders to sell their shares to the Company in limited circumstances (as amended, the “Share Repurchase Program” or “SRP”). The Company may not repurchase shares unless a stockholder has held shares for one year. However, the Company may repurchase shares held for less than one year in connection with a stockholder’s death or qualifying disability. The Company is not obligated to repurchase shares under the Share Repurchase Program. The Company may amend, suspend or terminate the Share Repurchase Program at its discretion at any time, provided that any amendment that adversely affects the rights or obligations of a participant will take effect upon 10 days’ prior written notice (or 10 business days’ prior written notice if related to a change in the number of shares that can be repurchased in a calendar year). For the year endedDecember 31, 2016, the Company repurchased 4.3 million shares of common stock for a total of $41.5 million or a weighted average price of $9.53 per share. For the year endedDecember 31, 2015, the Company repurchased 1.7 million shares of common stock for a total of $16.5 million or a weighted average price of $9.63 per share. The Company funds repurchase requests received during a quarter with proceeds set aside for that purpose which are not expected to exceed proceeds received from its DRP. In accordance with the SRP, the Company’s board of directors approved the use of cash available from operations to fund the aggregate amount of repurchases received during the quarter ended December 31, 2016 in excess of the aggregate proceeds received pursuant to the DRP. As of December 31, 2016, there were no unfulfilled repurchase requests.

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Non-controlling Interests

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]

Non-controlling Interests

Non-controlling Interests

Operating Partnership

Non-controlling interests include the aggregate limited partnership interests in the Operating Partnership held by limited partners, other than the Company. Income (loss) attributable to the non-controlling interests is based on the limited partners’ ownership percentage of the Operating Partnership and was a de minimis amount for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

Other

Other non-controlling interests represent third-party equity interests in ventures that are consolidated with the Company’s financial statements. Net income attributable to other non-controlling interest for the year endedDecember 31, 2016 was $0.3 million. Net loss attributable to other non-controlling interest for the years endedDecember 31, 2015 and 2014 was de minimis and $0.2 million, respectively.

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Fair Value

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value

Fair Value

Fair Value Measurement

The fair value of financial instruments is categorized based on the priority of the inputs to the valuation technique and categorized into a three-level fair value hierarchy. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). If the inputs used to measure the financial instruments fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the categorization is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities recorded at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets are categorized based on the inputs to the valuation techniques as follows:

Level 1. Quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in an active market.

Level 2. Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on the following:

a) Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets.

b) Quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in non-active markets.

c) Pricing models whose inputs are observable for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.

d) Pricing models whose inputs are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.

Level 3. Prices or valuation techniques based on inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

Determination of Fair Value

The following is a description of the valuation techniques used to measure fair value of assets accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis and the general classification of these instruments pursuant to the fair value hierarchy.

Investments in Private Equity Funds

The Company accounts for PE Investments at fair value which is determined based on a valuation model using assumptions for the timing and amount of expected future cash flow for income and realization events for the underlying assets in the funds and discount rate. This fair value measurement is generally based on unobservable inputs and, as such, is classified as Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. The Company is not using the NAV (practical expedient) of the underlying funds for purposes of determining fair value.

Real Estate Securities

CRE securities are generally valued using a third-party pricing service or broker quotations. These quotations are not adjusted and are based on observable inputs that can be validated, and as such, are classified as Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. Certain CRE securities may be valued based on a single broker quote or an internal price which may have less observable pricing, and as such, would be classified as Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. Management determines the prices are representative of fair value through a review of available data, including observable inputs, recent transactions as well as its knowledge of and experience in the market.

Derivative Instruments

Derivative instruments are valued using a third-party pricing service. These quotations are not adjustments and are generally based on valuation models with observable inputs such as interest rates and contractual cash flow, and as such, are classified as Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. The derivative instruments are recorded within other liabilities on the Company’s balance sheets.

Fair Value Hierarchy

Financial assets recorded at fair value on a recurring basis are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The following table presents financial assets that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 by level within the fair value hierarchy (dollars in thousands):

	December 31, 2016								December 31, 2015
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets:
Investments in private equity funds, at fair value	$	—	$	—	$	90,579	$	90,579	$	—	$	—	$	98,754	$	98,754
Real estate securities, available for sale	—		93,975		—		93,975		—		83,622		—		83,622
Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities	$	—	$	186	$	—	$	186	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—

The following table presents additional information about PE Investments which are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 for which the Company has used Level 3 inputs to determine fair value (dollars in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016			2015
Beginning balance	$	98,754		$	141,091
Contributions(1)	59,646			10,040
Distributions	(88,525		)	(70,487		)
Equity in earnings	24,136			30,218
Unrealized gain (loss)	(3,432		)	(12,108		)
Ending balance	$	90,579		$	98,754

_____________________________________________________

(1) Includes initial investments, before distribution and contribution closing statement adjustments, and subsequent contributions, including deferred purchase price fundings.

For the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company used discounted cash flow model to quantify Level 3 fair value measurements on a recurring basis. For the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015, the key unobservable inputs used in this analysis included discount rates with a weighted average of 14.7% and 19.5%, respectively, and timing and amount of expected future cash flow. Significant increases or decreases in any one of the inputs described above in isolation may result in significantly different fair value of the financial assets and liabilities using such Level 3 inputs.

For the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, the Company recorded an unrealized loss of $3.4 million, $12.1 million and an unrealized gain of $11.8 million, respectively, for financial assets for which the fair value option was elected. These amounts, when incurred, are recorded as unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other in the consolidated statements of operations.

Fair Value Option

The Company may elect the fair value option for certain of its financial assets or liabilities due to the nature of the instrument. In the case of PE Investments, the Company elected the fair value option because management believes it is a more useful presentation for such investments. The Company determined recording the PE Investments based on the change in fair value of projected future cash flow from one period to another better represents the underlying economics of the respective investment. As of December 31, 2016, the Company has elected not to apply the fair value option for any other eligible financial assets or liabilities when the items were first recognized.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

In addition to the above disclosures regarding financial assets or liabilities which are recorded at fair value, U.S. GAAP requires disclosure of fair value about all financial instruments. The following disclosure of estimated fair value of financial instruments was determined by the Company using available market information and appropriate valuation methodologies. Considerable judgment is necessary to interpret market data and develop estimated fair value. Accordingly, the estimates presented herein are not necessarily indicative of the amounts the Company could realize on disposition of the financial instruments. The use of different market assumptions and/or estimation methodologies may have a material effect on estimated fair value.

The following table presents the principal amount, carrying value and fair value of certain financial assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):

	December 31, 2016							December 31, 2015
	Principal Amount			Carrying Value		Fair Value		Principal Amount			Carrying Value		Fair Value
Financial assets:(1)
Real estate debt investments, net	$	744,297	(2)	$	745,323	$	755,317	$	995,769	(2)	$	997,836	$	1,054,743
Real estate securities, available for sale(3)	138,438			93,975		93,975		115,849			83,622		83,622
Loan collateral receivable, related party(4)	52,204			52,204		50,941		54,056			54,056		54,885
Financial liabilities:(1)
Securitization bonds payable, net	$	39,762		$	39,762	$	39,961	$	185,812		$	185,314	$	185,387
Mortgage notes payable, net	396,613			393,410		356,031		317,865			316,402		317,138
Credit facilities	249,156			249,156		249,156		318,000			318,000		318,000
Loan collateral payable, net, related party(5)	23,729			23,261		23,050		—			—		—

______________________________________________

(1) The fair value of other financial instruments not included in this table is estimated to approximate their carrying value.

(2) Excludes future funding commitments of $23.2 million and $43.6 million, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

(3) Refer to “Determination of Fair Value” above for disclosure of methodologies used to determine fair value.

(4) Represents one senior loan participation interest in a first mortgage loan (Refer to Note 7).

(5) Represents three senior loan participation interests in first mortgage loans (Refer to Note 7).

Disclosure about fair value of financial instruments is based on pertinent information available to management as of the reporting date. Although management is not aware of any factors that would significantly affect fair value, such amounts have not been comprehensively revalued for purposes of these consolidated financial statements since that date and current estimates of fair value may differ significantly from the amounts presented herein.

Real Estate Debt Investments, Net / Loan Collateral Receivable, Related Party / Loan Collateral Payable, Net, Related Party

For CRE debt investments, including loan collateral receivable, related party and loan collateral payable, net, related party, fair value was approximated by comparing the current yield to the estimated yield for newly originated loans with similar credit risk or the market yield at which a third party might expect to purchase such investment. Fair value was determined assuming fully-extended maturities regardless of structural or economic tests required to achieve such extended maturities. These fair value measurements of CRE debt, including loan collateral receivable, related party and loan collateral payable, net, related party, are generally based on unobservable inputs and, as such, are classified as Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

Securitization Bonds Payable, Net

Securitization bonds payable, net are valued using quotations from nationally recognized financial institutions that generally acted as underwriter for the transactions. These quotations are not adjusted and are generally based on observable inputs that can be validated, and as such, are classified as Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

Mortgage Notes Payable, Net

For mortgage notes payable, net, the Company primarily uses rates currently available with similar terms and remaining maturities to estimate fair value. These measurements are determined using comparable U.S. Treasury rates as of the end of the reporting period. These fair value measurements are based on observable inputs, and as such, are classified as Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

Credit Facilities

The Company has amounts outstanding under six credit facilities. All credit facilities bear floating rates of interest. As of the reporting date, the Company believes the carrying value approximates fair value. These fair value measurements are based on observable inputs, and as such, are classified as Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

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Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited)

Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited)

The following tables present selected quarterly information for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands, except per share data):

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,		September 30,		June 30,		March 31,
	2016		2016		2016		2016
Net interest income	$	15,126	$	14,646	$	15,316	$	15,895
Property and other revenues	20,272		21,843		20,116		16,371
Expenses	31,977		33,924		30,322		29,719
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	5,316		5,575		6,502		7,570
Net income (loss)	8,035		7,297		9,102		7,773
Net income (loss) attributable to NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. common stockholders	7,869		7,491		8,904		7,688
Net income (loss) per share of common stock, basic/diluted (1)	$	0.06	$	0.06	$	0.07	$	0.07

__________________

(1) The total for the year may differ from the sum of the quarters as a result of weighting.

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,		September 30,		June 30,		March 31,
	2015		2015		2015		2015
Net interest income	$	16,487	$	19,576	$	19,272	$	19,797
Property and other revenues	15,731		14,637		15,027		14,999
Expenses	28,023		34,306		25,103		25,301
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	8,051		8,133		9,509		10,324
Net income (loss)	8,808		5,365		14,195		17,223
Net income (loss) attributable to NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. common stockholders	8,753		5,773		13,943		17,145
Net income (loss) per share of common stock, basic/diluted (1)	$	0.07	$	0.05	$	0.12	$	0.14

_________________

(1) The total for the year may differ from the sum of the quarters as a result of weighting.

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Segment Reporting

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment Reporting

Segment Reporting

The Company currently conducts its business through the following four segments, which are based on how management reviews and manages its business:

• Commercial Real Estate Debt - Focused on originating, acquiring and asset managing CRE debt investments including first mortgage loans, subordinate interests and mezzanine loans and participations in such loans, as well as preferred equity interests.

• Commercial Real Estate Equity - Focused on direct ownership in real estate, which may be structurally senior to a third-party partner’s equity and indirect interests in real estate through PE Investments since the underlying collateral in the funds is primarily real estate.

• Commercial Real Estate Securities - Focused on investing in CMBS, unsecured REIT debt, CDO notes and other securities.

• Corporate - The corporate segment includes corporate level asset management and other fees - related party and general and administrative expenses.

The Company may also own investments indirectly through a joint venture.

The Company primarily generates revenue from net interest income on the CRE debt and securities portfolios, equity in earnings of unconsolidated ventures, including from PE Investments, and from rental and other income from its real estate equity investments. The Company’s income is primarily derived through the difference between revenue and the cost at which the Company is able to finance its investments. The Company may also acquire investments which generate attractive returns without any leverage.

The following tables present segment reporting for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):

Year Ended December 31, 2016	Real Estate Debt			Real Estate Equity			Real Estate Securities		Corporate			Total
Net interest income	$	53,638		$	—		$	7,345	$	—		$	60,983
Rental and other income	—			78,602			—		—			78,602
Asset management and other fees - related party	—			—			—		(23,765		)	(23,765		)
Mortgage notes interest expense	—			(17,519		)	—		—			(17,519		)
Transaction costs	—			(1,767		)	—		(211		)	(1,978		)
Property operating expenses	—			(36,950		)	—		—			(36,950		)
General and administrative expenses	(733		)	(194		)	—		(13,576		)	(14,503		)
Depreciation and amortization	—			(31,227		)	—		—			(31,227		)
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other	—			(3,432		)	—		—			(3,432		)
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense)	52,905			(12,487		)	7,345		(37,552		)	10,211
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	827			24,136			—		—			24,963
Income tax benefit (expense)	—			(2,967		)	—		—			(2,967		)
Net income (loss)	$	53,732		$	8,682		$	7,345	$	(37,552	)	$	32,207

Year Ended December 31, 2015	Real Estate Debt			Real Estate Equity			Real Estate Securities			Corporate			Total
Net interest income	$	70,144		$	—		$	4,959		$	29		$	75,132
Rental and other income	—			60,394			—			—			60,394
Asset management and other fees - related party	—			—			—			(23,965		)	(23,965		)
Mortgage notes interest expense	—			(14,832		)	—			—			(14,832		)
Transaction costs	(446		)	(73		)	—			(825		)	(1,344		)
Property operating expenses	—			(31,135		)	—			—			(31,135		)
General and administrative expenses	(841		)	(100		)	(51		)	(14,483		)	(15,475		)
Depreciation and amortization	—			(25,982		)	—			—			(25,982		)
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other	—			(12,108		)	—			—			(12,108		)
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense)	68,857			(23,836		)	4,908			(39,244		)	10,685
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	5,799			30,218			—			—			36,017
Income tax benefit (expense)	—			(1,111		)	—			—			(1,111		)
Net income (loss)	$	74,656		$	5,271		$	4,908		$	(39,244	)	$	45,591

Year Ended December 31, 2014	Real Estate Debt			Real Estate Equity			Real Estate Securities			Corporate			Total
Net interest income	$	75,780		$	—		$	5,817		$	—		$	81,597
Rental and other income	—			29,342			—			—			29,342
Asset management and other fees - related party	—			—			—			(24,676		)	(24,676		)
Mortgage notes interest expense	—			(7,763		)	—			—			(7,763		)
Transaction costs	—			(2,770		)	—			(7		)	(2,777		)
Property operating expenses	—			(15,433		)	—			—			(15,433		)
General and administrative expenses	(991		)	(146		)	(28		)	(12,100		)	(13,265		)
Depreciation and amortization	—			(6,427		)	—			—			(6,427		)
Realized gain (loss) on investments and other	(175		)	—			572			—			397
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other	—			11,764			—			—			11,764
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	74,614			8,567			6,361			(36,783		)	52,759
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	3,421			38,258			—			—			41,679
Income tax benefit (expense)	—			(5,485		)	—			—			(5,485		)
Net income (loss)	$	78,035		$	41,340		$	6,361		$	(36,783	)	$	88,953

The following table presents total assets by segment as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (dollars in thousands):

	Real Estate Debt		Real Estate Equity		Real Estate Securities		Corporate(1)		Total
December 31, 2016
Investments in unconsolidated ventures	$	—	$	90,579	$	—	$	—	$	90,579
Total Assets	871,600		665,643		105,830		125,407		1,768,480
December 31, 2015
Investments in unconsolidated ventures	$	59,089	$	98,754	$	—	$	—	$	157,843
Total Assets	1,198,020		525,178		84,887		139,431		1,947,516

__________________________________________________

(1) Includes cash, unallocated receivables and deferred costs and other assets, net.

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Subsequent Events

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Subsequent Events [Abstract]

Subsequent Events

Subsequent Events

Distribution Reinvestment Plan

From January 1, 2017 through March 10, 2017, the Company issued 0.9 million shares of common stock pursuant to the DRP, raising proceeds of $9.3 million. As of March 10, 2017, 8.7 million shares were available to be issued pursuant to the DRP.

Distributions

On March 15, 2017, the board of directors of the Company approved a daily cash distribution of $0.001917808 per share of common stock for each of the three months ended June 30, 2017. Distributions are generally paid to stockholders on the first business day of the month following the month for which the distribution was accrued.

Share Repurchases

From January 1, 2017 through March 10, 2017, the Company repurchased 1.8 million shares for a total of $17.4 million or a weighted average price of $9.42 per share under the Share Repurchase Program (“SRP”) that enables stockholders to sell their shares to the Company in certain circumstances, including death or a qualifying disability. The Company funds repurchase requests received during a quarter with proceeds set aside for that purpose which are not expected to exceed proceeds received from its DRP. The shares were repurchased using $9.3 million in cash proceeds from the DRP and $8.1 million in cash available from operations. In accordance with the SRP, the Company’s board of directors approved the use of cash available from operations to fund the aggregate amount of repurchases received during the quarter ended December 31, 2016 in excess of the aggregate proceeds received pursuant to the DRP.

New Investments

Commercial Real Estate Debt

In January 2017, the Company originated a $12.0 million mezzanine CRE debt investment.

Real Estate Securities Investments

From January 1, 2017 through March 10, 2017, the Company purchased four CMBS investments with an aggregate face value of $21.5 million at an aggregate discount to par of $6.6 million, or 30.7%.

Repayments

Commercial Real Estate Debt

In January 2017, the Company received $69.8 million related to the repayment of a CRE debt investment.

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Schedule III - Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

SEC Schedule III, Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule III - Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation

SCHEDULE III - REAL ESTATE AND ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION

December 31, 2016

(Dollars in Thousands)

Column A	Column B		Column C Initial Cost				Column D Capitalized Subsequent to Acquisition		Column E Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period						Column F				Column G	Column H
Location City, State	Encumbrances		Land		Building & Improvements		Land, Buildings & Improvements		Land		Building & Improvements		Total		Accumulated Depreciation		Total		Date Acquired	Life on Which Depreciation is Computed
Clemson, SC	$	12,411	$	1,946	$	17,668	$	422	$	1,946	$	18,090	$	20,036	$	2,308	$	17,728	Apr-14	30 years
Columbia, SC	24,750		2,532		20,832		416		2,532		21,248		23,780		2,703		21,077		May-14	30 years
Farmington Hills, MI	43,000		3,161		47,839		8,666		3,161		56,505		59,666		6,694		52,972		Nov-13	30 years
Kalamazoo, MI	16,000		1,484		19,516		1,825		1,484		21,341		22,825		2,823		20,002		Dec-13	30 years
New Orleans, LA	43,500		3,206		50,294		2,008		3,206		52,302		55,508		6,248		49,260		Nov-13	30 years
St. Louis, MO	108,850		19,504		92,127		4,976		19,504		97,103		116,607		11,000		105,607		Sep-14	39 years
Warrendale, PA	77,700		15,150		75,554		3,480		15,150		79,034		94,184		6,522		87,662		Dec-14	40 years
Columbus, OH	70,402		13,472		71,238		1,160		13,472		72,398		85,870		2,346		83,524		Mar-16	39 years
Vienna, VA	—		13,023		39,532		228		13,023		39,760		52,783		1,776		51,007		May-16	39 years
Total operating real estate, net	$	396,613	$	73,478	$	434,600	$	23,181	$	73,478	$	457,781	$	531,259	$	42,420	$	488,839

The following table presents changes in the Company’s operating real estate portfolio gross of accumulated depreciation for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 are as follows:

	2016			2015			2014
Beginning balance	$	388,345		$	410,247		$	125,671
Property acquisitions(1)	168,640			—			284,576
Improvements	5,649			10,245			—
Retirements and disposals	—			(280		)	—
Reallocation of purchase price	(31,375		)	(31,867		)	—
Ending balance(2)	$	531,259		$	388,345		$	410,247

__________________________________________________

(1) Includes REO of $67.5 million.

(2) The aggregate cost of the properties is approximately $532.9 million for federal income tax purposes as of December 31, 2016.

Changes in accumulated depreciation for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 are as follows:

	2016		2015			2014
Beginning balance	$	23,018	$	6,900		$	503
Depreciation expense	19,402		16,398			6,397
Retirements and disposals	—		(280		)	—
Ending balance	$	42,420	$	23,018		$	6,900

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Schedule IV - Mortgage Loans on Real Estate

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Abstract]

Schedule IV - Mortgage Loans on Real Estate

SCHEDULE IV - MORTGAGE LOANS ON REAL ESTATE

December 31, 2016

(Dollars in Thousands)

			Interest Rate(1)												Principal Amount of Loans
Asset Type:	Location / Description	Count	Floating		Fixed		Maturity Date(2)	Periodic Payment Terms(3)	Prior Liens		Principal Amount(4)		Carrying Value(5)		Subject to Delinquent Principal or Interest
First mortgage loans:
Borrower A	Various / Retail	1	6.86	%	—		5/9/2019	I/O	$	—	$	150,150	$	150,150	$	—
Borrower B	Illinois / Office	1	5.91	%	—		11/9/2017	I/O	—		86,421		86,638		—
Borrower C	Texas / Mixed use	1	—		15.00	%	2/9/2017	I/O	—		43,000		43,000		—
Borrower D	New Jersey / Office	1	8.90	%	—		1/9/2017	I/O	—		42,607		42,607		—
Borrower E	California / Office	1	4.38	%	—		10/9/2018	I/O	—		41,432		41,697		—
Borrower F	New Jersey / Office	1	5.86	%	—		8/9/2017	I/O	—		40,000		40,022		—
Borrower G	Minnesota / Hotel	1	6.66	%	—		11/9/2017	I/O	—		30,500		30,500		—
Borrower H	New York / Hotel	1	2.25	%	—		5/9/2023	P&I	—		28,110		28,110		—
Borrower I	New York / Hotel	—	10.38	%	—		5/9/2023	I/O	—		25,270		25,270		—
Other first mortgage loans(6)	Various / Various	5	6.66	%	—		7/23/2018	I/O	—		76,652		76,728		—
Total/Weighted average		13	7.13	%	15.00	%	10/19/2018		—		564,142		564,722		—
Mezzanine loans:
Borrower J	New Jersey / Office	1	8.91	%	—		1/9/2017	I/O	42,607		27,193		27,193		—
Other mezzanine loans(6)	Various / Various	4	11.66	%	12.49	%	8/25/2021	I/O	313,015		65,639		65,621		—
Total/Weighted average		5	9.95	%	12.49	%	4/17/2020		355,622		92,832		92,814		—
Preferred equity interests:
Borrower K	New York / Office	1	—		10.00	%	10/1/2021	I/O	—		87,323		87,787		—
Total/Weighted Average		1	—		10.00	%	10/1/2021		—		87,323		87,787		—
Total		19							$	355,622	$	744,297	$	745,323	$	—

______________________________________________________________________________________

(1) The majority of the Company’s floating-rate loans are subject to a fixed minimum LIBOR floor. The interest rate shown is the coupon, including the LIBOR floor, as of December 31, 2016.

(2) Reflects the initial maturity date of the investment and does not consider any options to extend beyond such date.

(3) P&I = principal and interest; I/O = interest only.

(4) Excludes future funding commitments of $23.2 million.

(5) The aggregate cost of the properties is $745.3 million for federal tax purposes as of December 31, 2016.

(6) Individual loans each have a carrying value of less than 3% of total carrying value of CRE debt investments.

NORTHSTAR REAL ESTATE INCOME TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

SCHEDULE IV - MORTGAGE LOANS ON REAL ESTATE (CONTINUED)

December 31, 2016

(Dollars in Thousands)

Reconciliation of Carrying Value of Commercial Real Estate Debt:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016			2015		2014
Beginning balance	$	997,836		$	1,250,023	$	1,013,178
Additions:
Principal amount of new loans and additional funding on existing loans	151,280			61,189		488,020
Interest accretion	6,408			6,505		1,318
Acquisition cost (fees) on new loans	1,089			451		4,952
Origination fees received on new loans	(532		)	—		(2,505		)
Deductions:
Collection of principal	341,668			318,835		236,499
REO acquisition	67,493			—		—
Sales	—			—		17,349
Unrealized loss on sale	—			—		175
Amortization of acquisition costs, fees, premiums and discounts	1,597			1,497		917
Ending balance	$	745,323		$	997,836	$	1,250,023

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Quarterly Presentation

Basis of Accounting

The accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”).

Principles of Consolidation

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, the Operating Partnership and their consolidated subsidiaries. The Company consolidates variable interest entities (“VIEs”), if any, where the Company is the primary beneficiary and voting interest entities which are generally majority owned or otherwise controlled by the Company. All significant intercompany balances are eliminated in consolidation.

Variable Interest Entities

Variable Interest Entities

A VIE is an entity that lacks one or more of the characteristics of a voting interest entity. A VIE is defined as an entity in which equity investors do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties. The determination of whether an entity is a VIE includes both a qualitative and quantitative analysis. The Company bases its qualitative analysis on its review of the design of the entity, its organizational structure including decision-making ability and relevant financial agreements and the quantitative analysis on the forecasted cash flow of the entity. The Company reassesses its initial evaluation of an entity as a VIE upon the occurrence of certain reconsideration events.

A VIE must be consolidated only by its primary beneficiary, which is defined as the party who, along with its affiliates and agents has both the: (i) power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance; and (ii) obligation to absorb the losses of the VIE or the right to receive the benefits from the VIE, which could be significant to the VIE. The Company determines whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE by considering qualitative and quantitative factors, including, but not limited to: which activities most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and which party controls such activities; the amount and characteristics of its investment; the obligation or likelihood for the Company or other interests to provide financial support; consideration of the VIE’s purpose and design, including the risks the VIE was designed to create and pass through to its variable interest holders and the similarity with and significance to the business activities of the Company and the other interests. The Company reassesses its determination of whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE each reporting period. Significant judgments related to these determinations include estimates about the current and future fair value and performance of investments held by these VIEs and general market conditions.

The Company evaluates its investments and financings, including investments in unconsolidated ventures and securitization financing transactions, if any, to determine whether each investment or financing is a VIE. The Company analyzes new investments and financings, as well as reconsideration events for existing investments and financings, which vary depending on type of investment or financing.

The Company adopted the new consolidation guidance (refer to Recent Accounting Pronouncements) on January 1, 2016, which resulted in the identification of several VIEs. Prior to the adoption of the standard, these entities were consolidated under the voting interest model. The most significant consolidated VIEs are the Operating Partnership and certain properties that have non-controlling interests. These entities are VIEs because the non-controlling interests do not have substantive kick-out or participating rights. The Company consolidates these entities because it controls all significant business activities.

The Operating Partnership consolidates certain properties that have non-controlling interests. Included in operating real estate, net on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016 is $354.3 million related to such consolidated VIEs. Included in mortgage notes payable, net on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016 is $324.4 million collateralized by the real estate assets of the related consolidated VIEs.

As of December 31, 2016, the Company identified unconsolidated VIEs related to its securities investments, PE investments and CRE debt investments. Assets of each of the VIEs may only be used to settle obligations of the respective VIE. Creditors of each of the VIEs have no recourse to the general credit of the Company.

The following table presents the Company’s classification, carrying value and maximum exposure of unconsolidated VIEs as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	Total		Maximum Exposure to Loss
Real estate securities, available for sale	$	93,975	$	93,975
Investments in unconsolidated ventures	16,235		16,235
Real estate debt investments, net(1)	142,723		142,723
Total assets	$	252,933	$	252,933

_________________________________________

(1) Includes loan collateral receivable, related party of $52.2 million.

Based on management’s analysis, the Company determined that it is not the primary beneficiary of the above VIEs. Accordingly, the VIEs are not consolidated in the Company’s financial statements as of December 31, 2016. The Company did not provide financial support to the unconsolidated VIEs during the year endedDecember 31, 2016. As of December 31, 2016, there were no explicit arrangements or implicit variable interests that could require the Company to provide financial support to the unconsolidated VIEs.

Voting Interest Entities

Voting Interest Entities

A voting interest entity is an entity in which the total equity investment at risk is sufficient to enable it to finance its activities independently and the equity holders have the power to direct the activities of the entity that most significantly impact its economic performance, the obligation to absorb the losses of the entity and the right to receive the residual returns of the entity. The usual condition for a controlling financial interest in a voting interest entity is ownership of a majority voting interest. If the Company has a majority voting interest in a voting interest entity, the entity will generally be consolidated. The Company does not consolidate a voting interest entity if there are substantive participating rights by other parties and/or kick-out rights by a single party or a simple majority vote.

The Company performs on-going reassessments of whether entities previously evaluated under the voting interest framework have become VIEs, based on certain events, and therefore subject to the VIE consolidation framework

Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures

Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures

A non-controlling, unconsolidated ownership interest in an entity may be accounted for using the equity method, at fair value or the cost method.

Under the equity method, the investment is adjusted each period for capital contributions and distributions and its share of the entity’s net income (loss). Capital contributions, distributions and net income (loss) of such entities are recorded in accordance with the terms of the governing documents. An allocation of net income (loss) may differ from the stated ownership percentage interest in such entity as a result of preferred returns and allocation formulas, if any, as described in such governing documents. Equity method investments are recognized using a cost accumulation model in which the investment is recognized based on the cost to the investor, which includes acquisition fees. The Company records as an expense certain acquisition costs and fees associated with consolidated investments deemed to be business combinations and capitalizes these costs for investments deemed to be acquisitions of an asset, including an equity method investment.

The Company may account for an investment in an unconsolidated entity at fair value by electing the fair value option. The Company elected the fair value option for PE Investments. The Company records the change in fair value for its share of the projected future cash flow of such investments from one period to another in equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures in the consolidated statements of operations. Any change in fair value attributed to market related assumptions is considered unrealized gain (loss).

The Company may account for an investment that does not qualify for equity method accounting or for which the fair value option was not elected using the cost method if the Company determines the investment in the unconsolidated entity is insignificant. Under the cost method, equity in earnings is recorded as dividends are received to the extent they are not considered a return of capital, which is recorded as a reduction of cost of the investment.

Non-controlling Interests

Non-controlling Interests

A non-controlling interest in a consolidated subsidiary is defined as the portion of the equity (net assets) in a subsidiary not attributable, directly or indirectly, to the Company. A non-controlling interest is required to be presented as a separate component of equity on the consolidated balance sheets and presented separately as net income (loss) and other comprehensive income (loss) (“OCI”) attributable to non-controlling interests. An allocation to a non-controlling interest may differ from the stated ownership percentage interest in such entity as a result of a preferred return and allocation formula, if any, as described in such governing documents.

Estimates

Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that could affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates and assumptions.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The Company reports consolidated comprehensive income (loss) in separate statements following the consolidated statements of operations. Comprehensive income (loss) is defined as the change in equity resulting from net income (loss) and OCI. The only component of OCI is unrealized gain (loss) on CRE securities available for sale for which the fair value option was not elected.

Fair Value Option

Fair Value Option

The fair value option provides an election that allows a company to irrevocably elect to record certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value on an instrument-by-instrument basis at initial recognition. The Company will generally not elect the fair value option for its assets and liabilities. However, the Company has elected the fair value option for PE Investments. Any change in fair value for assets and liabilities for which the election is made is recognized in earnings.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly-liquid investments with an original maturity date of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash, including amounts restricted, may at times exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation deposit insurance limit of $250,000 per institution. The Company mitigates credit risk by placing cash and cash equivalents with major financial institutions. To date, the Company has not experienced any losses on cash and cash equivalents.

Restricted Cash

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash consists of amounts related to loan origination (escrow deposits) and operating real estate (escrows for taxes, insurance, capital expenditures and payments required under certain lease agreements).

Real Estate Debt Investments

Real Estate Debt Investments

CRE debt investments are generally intended to be held to maturity and, accordingly, are carried at cost, net of unamortized loan fees, premium and discount. CRE debt investments that are deemed to be impaired are carried at amortized cost less a loan loss reserve, if deemed appropriate, which approximates fair value. CRE debt investments where the Company does not have the intent to hold the loan for the foreseeable future or until its expected payoff are classified as held for sale and recorded at the lower of cost or estimated value.

The Company may syndicate a portion of the CRE debt investments that it originates or sell the CRE debt investments individually. When a transaction meets the criteria for sale accounting, the Company will no longer recognize the CRE debt investment sold as an asset and will recognize gain or loss based on the difference between the sales price and the carrying value of the CRE debt investment sold. Any related unamortized deferred origination fees, original issue discounts, loan origination costs, discounts or premiums at the time of sale are recognized as an adjustment to the gain or loss on sale, which is included in interest income on the consolidated statement of operations. Any fees received at the time of sale or syndication are recognized as part of interest income.

Operating Real Estate

Operating Real Estate

Operating real estate is carried at historical cost less accumulated depreciation. Ordinary repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Major replacements and betterments which improve or extend the life of the asset are capitalized and depreciated over their useful life. The Company accounts for purchases of operating real estate that qualify as business combinations using the acquisition method, where the purchase price is allocated to tangible assets such as land, building, improvements and other identified intangibles. Costs directly related to an acquisition deemed to be a business combination are expensed and included in transaction costs in the consolidated statements of operations.

The Company refers to real estate acquired in connection with a foreclosure, deed in lieu of foreclosure or a consensual modification of a loan as real estate owned (“REO”). The Company evaluates whether an REO, herein collectively referred to as taking title to collateral, constitutes a business and whether business combination accounting is appropriate. Any excess upon taking title to collateral between the carrying value of a loan over the estimated fair value of the property is charged to provision for loan losses.

Operating real estate is depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, summarized as follows:

Category:	Term:
Building	30 to 40 years
Building improvements	Lesser of the useful life or remaining life of the building
Land improvements	10 to 30 years
Tenant improvements	Lesser of the useful life or remaining term of the lease
Furniture, fixtures and equipment	3 to 10 years

Real Estate Securities

Real Estate Securities

The Company classifies its CRE securities investments as available for sale on the acquisition date, which are carried at fair value. Unrealized gains (losses) are recorded as a component of accumulated OCI in the consolidated statements of equity.

Deferred Costs

Deferred Costs

Deferred costs primarily include deferred financing costs and deferred lease costs. Deferred financing costs represent commitment fees, legal and other third-party costs associated with obtaining financing. Costs related to revolving credit facilities are recorded in deferred costs and other asset, net and are amortized to interest expense using the straight-line basis over the term of the facility. Costs related to other borrowings are recorded net against the carrying value of such borrowings and are amortized to interest expense using the effective interest method. Unamortized deferred financing costs are expensed when the associated facility is repaid before maturity. Costs incurred in seeking financing transactions, which do not close, are expensed in the period in which it is determined that the financing will not occur. Deferred lease costs consist of fees incurred to initiate and renew operating leases, which are amortized on a straight-line basis over the remaining lease term and are recorded to depreciation and amortization in the consolidated statements of operations.

Identified Intangibles

Identified Intangibles

The Company records acquired identified intangibles, which includes intangible assets (such as value of the above-market leases, in-place leases, goodwill and other intangibles) and intangible liabilities (such as the value of below-market leases), based on estimated fair value. The value allocated to the above or below-market leases is amortized over the remaining lease term as a net adjustment to rental income. Other intangible assets are amortized into depreciation and amortization expense on a straight-line basis over the remaining lease term. As of December 31, 2016, the weighted average amortization period for above-market leases, below-market leases and in-place lease costs is 4.5 years, 5.2 years and 4.8 years, respectively.

Identified intangible assets are recorded in deferred costs and other assets and identified intangible liabilities are recorded in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.

Acquisition Fees and Expenses

Acquisition Fees and Expenses

The total of all acquisition fees and expenses for an investment, including acquisition fees to the Advisor, cannot exceed, in the aggregate, 6.0% of the contract purchase price of such investment unless such excess is approved by a majority of the directors, including independent directors. For the year endedDecember 31, 2016, total acquisition fees and expenses did not exceed the allowed limit for any investment. An acquisition fee incurred related to an equity investment will generally be expensed as incurred. An acquisition fee paid to the Advisor related to the acquisition of an equity or debt investment in an unconsolidated joint venture is included in investments in unconsolidated ventures on the consolidated balance sheets. An acquisition fee paid to the Advisor related to the origination or acquisition of debt investments is included in debt investments, net on the consolidated balance sheets and is amortized to interest income over the life of the investment using the effective interest method. The Company records as an expense certain acquisition costs and fees associated with transactions deemed to be business combinations in which it consolidates the asset and capitalizes these costs for transactions deemed to be acquisitions of an asset, including an equity investment.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

Real Estate Debt Investments

Interest income is recognized on an accrual basis and any related premium, discount, origination costs and fees are amortized over the life of the investment using the effective interest method. The amortization is reflected as an adjustment to interest income in the consolidated statements of operations. The amortization of a premium or accretion of a discount is discontinued if such loan is reclassified to held for sale.

Operating Real Estate

Rental and other income from operating real estate is derived from the leasing of space to various types of tenants. Rental revenue recognition commences when the tenant takes legal possession of the leased space and the leased space is substantially ready for its intended use. The leases are for fixed terms of varying length and generally provide for annual rentals and expense reimbursements to be paid in monthly installments. Rental income from leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the respective leases. The excess of rent recognized over the amount contractually due pursuant to the underlying leases is included in receivables on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company amortizes any tenant inducements as a reduction of revenue utilizing the straight-line method over the term of the lease. Other income represents revenue from tenant/operator leases which provide for the recovery of all or a portion of the operating expenses and real estate taxes paid by the Company on behalf of the respective property. This revenue is recognized in the same period as the expenses are incurred.

In a situation in which a lease(s) associated with a significant tenant have been, or are expected to be, terminated early, the Company evaluates the remaining useful life of depreciable or amortizable assets in the asset group related to the lease that will be terminated (i.e., tenant improvements, above- and below-market lease intangibles, in-place lease value and deferred leasing costs). Based upon consideration of the facts and circumstances surrounding the termination, the Company may write-off or accelerate the depreciation and amortization associated with the asset group. Such amounts are included within rental and other income for above- and below-market lease intangibles and depreciation and amortization for the remaining lease related asset groups in the consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, the total amount of accelerated amortization within rental and other income and depreciation and amortization expense was de minimis.

Real Estate Securities

Interest income is recognized using the effective interest method with any premium or discount amortized or accreted through earnings based on expected cash flow through the expected maturity date of the security. Changes to expected cash flow may result in a change to the yield which is then applied retrospectively for high-credit quality securities that cannot be prepaid or otherwise settled in such a way that the holder would not recover substantially all of the investment or prospectively for all other securities to recognize interest income.

Credit Losses and Impairment on Investments

Credit Losses and Impairment on Investments

Real Estate Debt Investments

Loans are considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will not be able to collect all principal and interest amounts due according to the contractual terms. The Company assesses the credit quality of the portfolio and adequacy of loan loss reserves on a quarterly basis or more frequently as necessary. Significant judgment of the Company is required in this analysis. The Company considers the estimated net recoverable value of the loan as well as other factors, including but not limited to the fair value of any collateral, the amount and the status of any senior debt, the quality and financial condition of the borrower and the competitive situation of the area where the underlying collateral is located. Because this determination is based on projections of future economic events, which are inherently subjective, the amount ultimately realized may differ materially from the carrying value as of the balance sheet date. If upon completion of the assessment, the estimated fair value of the underlying collateral is less than the net carrying value of the loan, a loan loss reserve is recorded with a corresponding charge to provision for loan losses. The loan loss reserve for each loan is maintained at a level that is determined to be adequate by management to absorb probable losses.

Income recognition is suspended for a loan at the earlier of the date at which payments become 90-days past due or when, in the opinion of the Company, a full recovery of income and principal becomes doubtful. When the ultimate collectability of the principal of an impaired loan is in doubt, all payments are applied to principal under the cost recovery method. When the ultimate collectability of the principal of an impaired loan is not in doubt, contractual interest is recorded as interest income when received, under the cash basis method until an accrual is resumed when the loan becomes contractually current and performance is demonstrated to be resumed. Interest accrued and not collected will be reversed against interest income.  A loan is written off when it is no longer realizable and/or legally discharged. As of December 31, 2016, the Company did not have any impaired CRE debt investments.

Operating Real Estate

The Company’s real estate portfolio is reviewed on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as necessary, to assess whether there are any indicators that the value of its operating real estate may be impaired or that its carrying value may not be recoverable. A property’s value is considered impaired if the Company’s estimate of the aggregate expected future undiscounted cash flow generated by the property is less than the carrying value. In conducting this review, the Company considers U.S. macroeconomic factors, real estate sector conditions and asset specific and other factors. To the extent an impairment has occurred, the loss is measured as the excess of the carrying value of the property over the estimated fair value and recorded in impairment on operating real estate in the consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2016, the Company did not have any impaired operating real estate.

An allowance for a doubtful account for a tenant receivable is established based on a periodic review of aged receivables resulting from estimated losses due to the inability of tenants to make required rent and other payments contractually due. Additionally, the Company establishes, on a current basis, an allowance for future tenant credit losses on unbilled rent receivable based on an evaluation of the collectability of such amounts.

Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures

The Company reviews its investments in unconsolidated ventures for which the Company did not elect the fair value option on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as necessary, to assess whether there are any indicators that the value may be impaired or that its carrying value may not be recoverable. An investment is considered impaired if the projected net recoverable amount over the expected holding period is less than the carrying value. In conducting this review, the Company considers U.S. macroeconomic factors, including real estate sector conditions, together with investment specific and other factors. To the extent an impairment has occurred and is considered to be other than temporary, the loss is measured as the excess of the carrying value of the investment over the estimated fair value and recorded in equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures in the consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2016, the Company did not have any impaired investments in unconsolidated ventures.

Real Estate Securities

CRE securities for which the fair value option is elected are not evaluated for other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”) as any change in fair value is recorded in the consolidated statements of operations. Realized losses on such securities are reclassified to realized gain (loss) on investments and other as losses occur.

CRE securities for which the fair value option is not elected are evaluated for OTTI quarterly. Impairment of a security is considered to be other-than-temporary when: (i) the holder has the intent to sell the impaired security; (ii) it is more likely than not the holder will be required to sell the security; or (iii) the holder does not expect to recover the entire amortized cost of the security. When a CRE security has been deemed to be other-than-temporarily impaired due to (i) or (ii), the security is written down to its fair value and an OTTI is recognized in the consolidated statements of operations. In the case of (iii), the security is written down to its fair value and the amount of OTTI is then bifurcated into: (a) the amount related to expected credit losses; and (b) the amount related to fair value adjustments in excess of expected credit losses. The portion of OTTI related to expected credit losses is recognized in the consolidated statements of operations. The remaining OTTI related to the valuation adjustment is recognized as a component of accumulated OCI in the consolidated statements of equity. CRE securities which are not high-credit quality are considered to have an OTTI if the security has an unrealized loss and there has been an adverse change in expected cash flow. The amount of OTTI is then bifurcated as discussed above. As of December 31, 2016, the Company did not have any OTTI recorded on its CRE securities.

Equity-Based Compensation

Equity-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for equity-based compensation awards using the fair value method, which requires an estimate of fair value of the award at the time of grant. All fixed equity-based awards to directors, which have no vesting conditions other than time of service, are amortized to compensation expense over the awards’ vesting period on a straight-line basis. Equity-based compensation is classified within general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company elected to be taxed as a REIT and to comply with the related provisions of the Internal Revenue Code beginning in its taxable year ended December 31, 2010. Accordingly, the Company will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income tax to the extent of its distributions to stockholders as long as certain asset, income and share ownership tests are met. To maintain its qualification as a REIT, the Company must annually distribute at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders and meet certain other requirements. The Company believes that all of the criteria to maintain the Company’s REIT qualification have been met for the applicable periods, but there can be no assurance that these criteria will continue to be met in subsequent periods. If the Company were to fail to meet these requirements, it would be subject to U.S. federal income tax and potential interest and penalties, which could have a material adverse impact on its results of operations and amounts available for distributions to its stockholders. The Company has assessed its tax positions for all open tax years, which include 2014 to 2016, and concluded there were no material uncertainties to be recognized. The Company’s accounting policy with respect to interest and penalties is to classify these amounts as a component of income tax expense, where applicable. The Company has not recognized any such amounts related to uncertain tax positions for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

The Company may also be subject to certain state, local and franchise taxes. Under certain circumstances, U.S. federal income and excise taxes may be due on its undistributed taxable income.

The Company made joint elections to treat certain subsidiaries as taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRS”) which may be subject to U.S. federal, state and local income taxes. In general, a TRS of the Company may perform non-customary services for tenants, hold assets that the REIT cannot hold directly and may engage in most real estate or non-real estate-related business.

Certain subsidiaries of the Company are subject to taxation by federal, state and local authorities for the periods presented. Income taxes are accounted for by the asset/liability approach in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Deferred taxes, if any, represent the expected future tax consequences when the reported amounts of assets and liabilities are recovered or paid. Such amounts arise from differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are adjusted for changes in tax laws and tax rates in the period which such changes are enacted. A provision for income tax represents the total of income taxes paid or payable for the current period, plus the change in deferred taxes. Current and deferred taxes are recorded on the portion of earnings (losses) recognized by the Company with respect to its interest in TRSs. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are calculated based on temporary differences between the Company’s U.S. GAAP consolidated financial statements and the federal, state and local tax basis of assets and liabilities as of the consolidated balance sheet date. The Company evaluates the realizability of its deferred tax assets (e.g., net operating loss and capital loss carryforwards) and recognizes a valuation allowance if, based on the available evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of its deferred tax assets will not be realized. When evaluating the realizability of its deferred tax assets, the Company considers estimates of expected future taxable income, existing and projected book/tax differences, tax planning strategies available and the general and industry specific economic outlook. This realizability analysis is inherently subjective, as it requires the Company to forecast its business and general economic environment in future periods. Changes in estimate of deferred tax asset realizability, if any, are included in income tax benefit (expense) in the consolidated statements of operations.

Transfers and Servicing of Financial Assets, Transfers of Financial Assets, Financings

Transfers of Financial Assets

Sale accounting for transfers of financial assets requires the transfer of an entire financial asset, a group of financial assets in its entirety or if a component of the financial asset is transferred, that component meets the definition of a participating interest by having characteristics that mirror the original financial asset.

Transfers of financial assets are accounted for as sales when control over the assets has been surrendered. If the Company has any continuing involvement, rights or obligations with the transferred financial asset (outside of standard representations and warranties), sale accounting would require that the transfer meets the following sale conditions: (1) the transferred asset has been legally isolated; (2) the transferee has the right (free of conditions that constrain it from taking advantage of that right) to pledge or exchange the transferred asset; and (3) the Company does not maintain effective control over the transferred asset through an agreement that provides for (a) both an entitlement and an obligation by the Company to repurchase or redeem the asset before its maturity, or (b) the unilateral ability by the Company to reclaim the asset and a more than trivial benefit attributable to that ability, or (c) the transferee requiring the Company to repurchase the asset at a price so favorable to the transferee that it is probable the repurchase will occur.

If sale accounting is met, the transferred financial asset is removed from the balance sheet and a net gain or loss is recognized upon sale, taking into account any retained interests. Transfers of financial assets that do not meet the criteria for sale are accounted for as financing transactions, or secured borrowing. As of December 31, 2016, the carrying value of CRE debt investments that did not meet the requirements of sale accounting was $23.7 million and recorded in real estate debt investments, net with an offsetting secured borrowing recorded in loan collateral payable, net, related party of $23.3 million.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an accounting update requiring a company to recognize as revenue the amount of consideration it expects to be entitled to in connection with the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The accounting standard update will replace most of the existing revenue recognition guidance currently promulgated by U.S. GAAP. In July 2015, the FASB decided to delay the effective date of the new revenue standard by one year. The effective date of the new revenue standard for the Company will be January 1, 2018. Leases are specifically excluded from this guidance and will be governed by the applicable lease codification; however, this update may have implications in certain variable payment terms included in lease agreements and in sale and leaseback transactions. The Company is currently assessing the potential effect of the adoption on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures, as applicable.

In February 2015, the FASB issued updated guidance that changes the rules regarding consolidation. The pronouncement eliminates specialized guidance for limited partnerships and similar legal entities and removes the indefinite deferral for certain investment funds. The new guidance is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company adopted this guidance in the first quarter 2016 and determined the Company’s Operating Partnership is considered a VIE. The Company is the primary beneficiary of the VIE, the VIE’s assets can be used for purposes other than the settlement of the VIE’s obligations and the Company’s partnership interest is considered a majority voting interest. As such, this standard resulted in the identification of additional VIEs, however it did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations.

In January 2016, the FASB issued an accounting update that addressed certain aspects of accounting and disclosure requirements of financial instruments, including the requirement that equity investments with readily determinable fair value be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in results of operations. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company does not have any equity investments with readily determinable fair value recorded as available-for-sale. The Company does not believe that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued an accounting update that sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both parties to a contract (i.e., lessees and lessors). The update requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase of the leased asset by the lessee. This classification will determine whether the lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification. Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for similar to existing guidance for operating leases today. Additionally, the new update will require that lessees capitalize, as initial direct costs, only those costs that are incurred due to the execution of a lease. Under this guidance, allocated payroll costs and other costs that are incurred regardless of whether the lease is obtained will no longer be capitalized as initial direct costs and instead will be expensed as incurred. The new guidance is to be applied using a modified retrospective approach at the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the financial statements and is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently assessing the potential effect the adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance which eliminates the requirement for an investor to retroactively apply the equity method when its increase in ownership interest (or degree of influence) in an investee triggers equity method accounting. The update requires that the equity method investor add the cost of acquiring the additional interest in the investee to the current basis of the investor’s previously held interest and adopt the equity method of accounting as of the date the investment become qualified for equity method accounting. The update should be applied prospectively upon their effective date to increases in the level of ownership interests or degree of influence that results in the adoption of the equity method. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company will adopt the new guidance prospectively on January 1, 2017 and does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance which amends several aspects of the accounting for equity-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and classification on the statements of cash flows. The guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company will adopt the new guidance prospectively on January 1, 2017 and does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In June 2016, the FASB issued guidance that changes the impairment model for certain financial instruments by requiring companies to recognize an allowance for expected losses, rather than incurred losses as required currently by the incurred loss approach. The guidance will apply to most financial assets measured at amortized cost and certain other instruments, including trade and other receivables, loans, held-to-maturity debt securities, net investments in leases and off-balance-sheet credit exposures (e.g., loan commitments). The new guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and will be applied as a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings as of the effective date. The Company is currently assessing the potential effect the adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In August 2016, the FASB issued guidance that makes eight targeted changes to how cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those fiscal years. If an entity early adopts the amendments in an interim period, any adjustments should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes that interim period. The new guidance requires adoption on a retrospective basis unless it is impracticable to apply, in which case the company would be required to apply the amendments prospectively as of the earliest date practicable. The Company does not believe that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In November 2016, the FASB issued guidance which requires entities to show the changes in the total of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. Entities will no longer present transfers between cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and will be applied retrospectively to all periods presented. The Company does not believe that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance to clarify the definition of a business under ASC 805. This new standard clarifies the definition of a business and provides a screen to determine when an integrated set of assets and activities is not a business. The screen requires that when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets, the set is not a business. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning of December 15, 2017. The amendments in this update will be applied on a prospective basis. The Company expects that most acquisitions of real estate or in-substance real estate will not meet the revised definition of a business because substantially all of the fair value is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets (i.e. land, buildings, and related intangible assets).

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of Classification, Carrying Value and Maximum Exposure of VIEs

The following table presents the Company’s classification, carrying value and maximum exposure of unconsolidated VIEs as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	Total		Maximum Exposure to Loss
Real estate securities, available for sale	$	93,975	$	93,975
Investments in unconsolidated ventures	16,235		16,235
Real estate debt investments, net(1)	142,723		142,723
Total assets	$	252,933	$	252,933

_________________________________________

(1) Includes loan collateral receivable, related party of $52.2 million.

Schedule of Operating Real Estate Estimated Useful Lives

Operating real estate is depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, summarized as follows:

Category:	Term:
Building	30 to 40 years
Building improvements	Lesser of the useful life or remaining life of the building
Land improvements	10 to 30 years
Tenant improvements	Lesser of the useful life or remaining term of the lease
Furniture, fixtures and equipment	3 to 10 years

Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets and Liabilities

The following table presents identified intangibles as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	December 31, 2016
	Intangible Assets									Intangible Liabilities
	In-place Leases			Above-market Leases			Total			Below-market Leases
Gross amount	$	47,016		$	14,740		$	61,756		$	12,554
Accumulated amortization	(15,086		)	(5,295		)	(20,381		)	(4,048		)
Total	$	31,930		$	9,445		$	41,375		$	8,506

Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Future Amortization Expense

The following table presents annual amortization of intangible assets and liabilities (dollars in thousands):

Years Ending December 31:	In-place Leases, Net(1)		Above-market Leases, Net(1)		Below-market Leases, Net(1)
2017	$	10,734	$	3,247	$	2,115
2018	6,948		2,205		2,014
2019	4,963		1,594		1,912
2020	2,961		866		672
2021	2,061		611		427
Thereafter	4,263		922		1,366
Total	$	31,930	$	9,445	$	8,506

______________________________________________________

(1) Identified intangibles will be amortized through periods ending April 2027.

Schedule of Other Assets and Other Liabilities

The following tables present a summary of deferred costs and other assets, net and other liabilities as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):

	December 31,
	2016		2015
Deferred costs and other assets, net:
Intangible assets, net(1)	$	41,375	$	21,149
Deferred commissions and leasing costs	10,287		10,955
Deferred financing costs, net - credit facilities	2,772		2,585
Prepaid expenses	1,386		1,844
Deposits	550		405
Other	—		385
Total	$	56,370	$	37,323
	December 31,
	2016		2015
Other liabilities:
Intangible liabilities, net(2)	$	8,506	$	9,624
PE Investments deferred purchase price, net	4,248		—
Prepaid rent and unearned revenue	4,601		2,583
Tenant security deposits	1,433		676
Other	403		1,582
Total	$	19,191	$	14,465

_________________________________________

(1) Represents in-place leases and above-market leases, net.

(2) Represents below-market leases, net.

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Real Estate Debt Investments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Commercial and Consumer, Net, (Investment Based Operations Presentation) [Abstract]

Schedule of CRE Debt Investments

The following table presents CRE debt investments as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

								Weighted Average						Floating Rate as % of Principal Amount
Asset Type:	Count	Principal Amount(1)		Carrying Value(2)		Allocation by Investment Type(3)		Fixed Rate		Spread over LIBOR(4)		Total Unleveraged Current Yield
First mortgage loans	13	$	570,339	$	564,722	74.3	%	15.00	%	5.80	%	7.31	%	92.5	%
Mezzanine loans	5	109,832		92,814		14.3	%	12.16	%	9.29	%	11.24	%	55.3	%
Preferred equity interests(5)	1	87,323		87,787		11.4	%	10.00	%	—	%	10.00	%	—	%
Total/Weighted average	19	$	767,494	$	745,323	100.0	%	11.79	%	6.07	%	8.12	%	76.6	%

________________________________________________________

(1) Includes future funding commitments of $23.2 million.

(2) Certain CRE debt investments serve as collateral for financing transactions including carrying value of $70.7 million for Securitization 2013-1, $364.6 million for term loan facilities and $23.7 million for secured borrowings (refer to Note 7). The remainder is unleveraged.

(3) Based on principal amount.

(4) Includes a fixed minimum LIBOR rate (“LIBOR floor”), as applicable. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had $531.9 million principal amount of floating-rate loans subject to a weighted average LIBOR floor of 0.34%.

(5) Represents a preferred equity interest originated through a joint venture with affiliates of RXR Realty LLC (“RXR”). The Company’s proportionate interest of the loan is 90%, representing $78.6 million of the carrying value. The Company consolidates the loan and records RXR’s investment as a non-controlling interest.

The following table presents CRE debt investments as of December 31, 2015 (dollars in thousands):

								Weighted Average						Floating Rate as % of Principal Amount
Asset Type:	Count	Principal Amount(1)		Carrying Value(2)		Allocation by Investment Type(3)		Fixed Rate		Spread over LIBOR(4)		Total Unleveraged Current Yield
First mortgage loans	14	$	829,536	$	806,116	79.8	%	—		6.47	%	6.51	%	100.0	%
Mezzanine loans	5	91,639		72,948		8.8	%	10.10	%	11.76	%	11.62	%	86.9	%
Subordinate interests	1	36,206		36,206		3.5	%	13.11	%	—		13.23	%	—
Preferred equity interests(5)	1	82,003		82,566		7.9	%	10.00	%	—		10.00	%	—
Total/Weighted average	21	$	1,039,384	$	997,836	100.0	%	10.87	%	6.84	%	7.42	%	87.5	%

________________________________________________________

(1) Includes future funding commitments of $43.6 million.

(2) Certain CRE debt investments serve as collateral for financing transactions including carrying value of $335.4 million for Securitization 2013-1 and $435.2 million for Term Loan Facilities (refer to Note 7). The remainder is unleveraged.

(3) Based on principal amount.

(4) Includes a fixed minimum LIBOR floor, as applicable. As of December 31, 2015, the Company had $749.0 million principal amount of floating-rate loans subject to a weighted average LIBOR floor of 0.37%.

(5) Represents a preferred equity interest originated through a joint venture with affiliates of RXR. The Company’s proportionate interest of the loan is 90%, representing $73.8 million of the carrying value. The Company consolidates the loan and records RXR’s investment as a non-controlling interest.

Schedule of Maturities of CRE Debt Investments

The following table presents maturities of CRE debt investments based on principal amount as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	Current Maturity		Maturity Including Extensions(1)
Years Ending December 31:
2017	308,650		62,350
2018	70,101		30,500
2019	210,901		247,300
2020	—		45,050
2021	87,323		204,452
Thereafter	90,519		177,842
Total	$	767,494	$	767,494

__________________________________________________________

(1) Assumes that all debt with extension options will qualify for extension at such maturity according to the conditions set forth in the governing documents.

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Operating Real Estate (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Real Estate [Abstract]

Schedule of Operating Real Estate Properties

The following table presents operating real estate, net, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):

	December 31,
	2016			2015
Land and improvements	$	96,011		$	56,090
Buildings and improvements(1)	430,776			328,012
Furniture, fixtures and equipment	4,472			4,243
Subtotal	$	531,259		$	388,345
Less: Accumulated depreciation	(42,420		)	(23,018		)
Operating real estate, net	$	488,839		$	365,327

____________________________________________________________

(1) Includes tenant improvements.

Schedule of Preliminary Allocation of Purchase Price

The following table presents the preliminary allocation of the purchase price of the operating real estate assets acquired and liabilities assumed or issued (including financing entered into contemporaneous with the acquisition), if any, for acquisitions in 2016 (dollars in thousands):

Assets:
Land and improvements	$	24,807
Buildings and improvements(1)	59,903
Other assets acquired(2)	19,210
Total assets acquired	$	103,920
Liabilities:
Mortgage notes payable, net(3)	$	67,225
Other liabilities assumed(4)	536
Total liabilities	67,761
Total NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. stockholders’ equity	31,874
Non-controlling interests	4,285
Total equity	36,159
Total liabilities and equity	$	103,920

____________________________________________________________

(1) Includes tenant improvements.

(2) Primarily in-place lease intangibles, leasing commissions and above-market leases.

(3) Includes deferred financing costs, net.

(4) Primarily below-market leases.

Schedule of Preliminary Purchase Price Reclassifications

The following table presents the effect of such preliminary purchase price reclassifications on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	As Previously Determined(1)		Measurement Period Adjustments			Revised
Operating real estate, net	$	103,384	$	(18,674	)	$	84,710
Deferred costs and other intangible assets, net(2)	—		19,210			19,210
Mortgage notes payable, net(3)	67,225		—			67,225
Other liabilities(4)	—		536			536

____________________________________________________________

(1) Represents the preliminary allocation of the purchase price.

(2) Primarily in-place lease intangibles, leasing commissions and above-market leases.

(3) Includes deferred financing costs, net.

(4) Primarily below-market leases.

During the year endedDecember 31, 2016, the Company recorded a measurement-period adjustment to earnings of $3.2 million. The table below shows the details of such adjustments:

Decrease in rental and other income(1)	$	347
Increase in depreciation and amortization(2)	2,894
Total measurement-period adjustment	$	3,241

____________________________________________________________

(1) Represents amortization of above and below-market leases.

(2) Represents depreciation of site and tenant improvements and amortization of in-place lease intangibles.

The following table presents the effect of such preliminary allocation reclassifications on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	As Previously Determined(1)		Measurement Period Adjustments			Revised
Cash and cash equivalents	$	2,237	$	(392	)	$	1,845
Operating real estate, net	65,256		(12,701		)	52,555
Deferred costs and other intangible assets, net(2)	—		13,736			13,736
Other liabilities(3)	—		643			643

____________________________________________________________

(1) Represents the preliminary allocation.

(2) Primarily in-place lease intangibles, leasing commissions and above-market leases.

(3) Primarily below-market leases.

During the year endedDecember 31, 2016, the Company recorded a measurement-period adjustment to earnings of $3.6 million. The table below shows the details of such adjustments:

Decrease in rental and other income(1)	$	646
Increase in depreciation and amortization(2)	2,950
Total measurement-period adjustment	$	3,596

____________________________________________________________

(1) Represents amortization of above and below market leases.

(2) Represents depreciation of site and tenant improvements and amortization of in place lease intangibles.

Schedule of Rollforward of REO in Operating Real Estate

The following table presents REO acquired by taking title, in connection with a certain CRE debt investment, for the year ended December 31, 2016 that is reported on the Company's consolidated balance sheet in operating real estate, net as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

Date	Type	Location	Original Loan Balance		Initial REO Value (1)
May 2016	Office	VA	$	67,493	$	67,493

____________________________________________________________

(1) Initial REO value approximates fair value.

The following table presents the preliminary allocation of REO acquired in May 2016 (dollars in thousands):

Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	1,845
Land and improvements	15,221
Buildings and improvements(1)	37,334
Other assets acquired(2)	13,736
Total assets acquired	$	68,136
Liabilities:
Other liabilities assumed(3)	$	643
Total liabilities	643
Total NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. stockholders’ equity	67,493
Total liabilities and equity	$	68,136

____________________________________________________________

(1) Includes tenant improvements.

(2) Primarily in-place lease intangibles, leasing commissions and above-market leases.

(3) Primarily below-market leases.

Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Income under Leases

The following table presents approximate future minimum rental income for the Company’s industrial properties and multi-tenant offices under noncancelable operating leases to be received over the next five years and thereafter as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

Years Ending December 31:
2017	44,721
2018	37,977
2019	33,585
2020	25,866
2021	20,672
Thereafter	52,782
Total	$	215,603

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Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]

Summary of PE Investments

The following table summarizes the Company’s PE Investment acquisitions (dollars in thousands):

PE Investment	Initial Closing Date	NAV Reference Date(1)	Number of Funds	Purchase Price		Expected Future Contributions
PE Investment I	February 15, 2013	June 30, 2012	49	$	118,035	$	207
PE Investment IIA	July 3, 2013	September 30, 2012	24	75,721		—
PE Investment IIB	February 9, 2016	September 30, 2015	—	26,498		—
PE Investment III	March 30, 2016	March 31, 2015	2	23,063		—
Total			75	$	243,317	$	207

____________________________________________________________

(1) Represents the net asset value (“NAV”) date on which the Company agreed to acquire the respective PE Investment.

The following table summarizes the Company’s PE Investments as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	Carrying Value				Year Ended December 31, 2016						Year Ended December 31, 2015
	December 31,				Equity in Earnings		Distributions		Contributions(1)		Equity in Earnings		Distributions		Contributions(1)
PE Investment	2016		2015
PE Investment I(2)	$	31,655	$	65,313	$	9,441	$	40,082	$	415	$	19,462	$	36,226	$	838
PE Investment IIA	23,360		33,441		5,974		24,897		8,842		10,757		34,262		9,201
PE Investment IIB	19,329		—		6,950		21,420		33,798		—		—		—
PE Investment III	16,235		—		1,771		2,126		16,591		—		—		—
Total	$	90,579	$	98,754	$	24,136	$	88,525	$	59,646	$	30,219	$	70,488	$	10,039

___________________________________________________________

(1) Includes initial investments, before closing statement adjustments for distributions and contributions, and subsequent contributions, including deferred purchase price fundings.

(2) For PE Investment I, the Company recorded an unrealized loss of $3.4 million and $12.1 million for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company recorded an unrealized gain of $11.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2014.

The combined balance sheets for the unconsolidated ventures, including PE Investments and excluding unconsolidated ventures accounted for under the cost method, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are as follows (dollars in thousands):

	As of December 31,
	2016		2015
Assets
Total assets	$	1,079,828	$	1,440,834
Liabilities and equity
Total liabilities	$	799,748	$	871,892
Total Equity	280,080		568,942
Total liabilities and equity	$	1,079,828	$	1,440,834

The combined statements of operations for the unconsolidated ventures, including PE Investments and excluding unconsolidated ventures accounted for under the cost method, for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 are as follows (dollars in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31, (1)
	2016		2015		2014
Total revenues(2)	$	201,113	$	266,158	$	251,398
Net income	36,941		109,543		168,514

___________________________________________________________

(1) Includes summarized annual financial information for PE Investments on a one quarter lag, which is the most recent financial information available from the underlying funds.

(2) Includes net investment income and unrealized and realized gains and losses for PE Investments.

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Real Estate Securities, Available for Sale (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]

Schedule of the CMBS Investments

CRE securities are comprised of CMBS backed by a pool of CRE loans which are typically well-diversified by type and geography. The following table presents CMBS investments (dollars in thousands):

													Weighted Average
		Principal Amount(1)		Amortized Cost		Cumulative Unrealized on Investments					Fair Value				Unleveraged Current Yield
As of Date:	Count					Gain		(Loss)					Coupon(2)
December 31, 2016	11	$	138,438	$	73,800	$	21,616	$	(1,441	)	$	93,975	3.85	%	10.78	%
December 31, 2015	8	115,849		61,721		22,357		(456		)	83,622		4.43	%	8.52	%

_______________________________________________________________

(1) Certain CRE securities serve as collateral for financing transactions including carrying value of $32.3 million for the CMBS Credit Facilities (refer to Note 7). The remainder is unleveraged.

(2) All CMBS are fixed rate.

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Borrowings (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Summary of Borrowings

The following table presents borrowings as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):

							December 31, 2016				December 31, 2015
	Capacity ($)		Recourse vs. Non-Recourse	Final Maturity	Contractual Interest Rate		Principal Amount(1)		Carrying Value(1)		Principal Amount(1)		Carrying Value(1)
Securitization bonds payable, net
Securitization 2013-1			Non-recourse	Aug-29	LIBOR + 5.00%		$	39,762	$	39,762	$	185,812	$	185,314
Mortgage notes payable, net
Multifamily 1			Non-recourse	Dec-23	4.84%		43,500		42,967		43,500		42,902
Multifamily 2			Non-recourse	Dec-23	4.94%		43,000		42,440		43,000		42,370
Office 1			Non-recourse	Oct-24	4.47%		108,850		108,595		108,850		108,569
Office 2			Non-recourse	Jan-25	4.30%		77,700		77,535		77,700		77,512
Student housing 1			Non-recourse	Jan-24	5.15%		16,000		15,774		16,000		15,747
Student housing 2(2)			Non-recourse	Dec-20	5.27%		12,411		12,644		12,615		12,907
Student housing 3(3)			Non-recourse	Nov-26	3.98%		24,750		24,485		16,200		16,395
Industrial 1			Non-recourse	Apr-21	LIBOR + 2.50%		70,402		68,970		—		—
Subtotal mortgage notes payable, net							396,613		393,410		317,865		316,402
Term loan facilities
Citibank facility	$	150,000	Limited Recourse(4)	Oct-21(5)	LIBOR + 2.63%	(6)	21,350		21,350		108,913		108,913
Deutsche Bank facility	200,000		Limited Recourse(7)	Mar-18(8)	LIBOR + 2.45%	(9)	112,919		112,919		166,697		166,697
Morgan Stanley facility	200,000		Limited Recourse(10)	Oct-18(11)	LIBOR + 2.50%	(12)	92,700		92,700		31,335		31,335
Subtotal term loan facilities	$	550,000					226,969		226,969		306,945		306,945
CMBS credit facilities
UBS facility			Recourse	(13)	LIBOR + 1.19%		—		—		6,455		6,455
Morgan Stanley facility			Recourse	(13)	LIBOR + 1.06%		—		—		4,600		4,600
Citibank facility			Recourse	(13)	LIBOR + 1.50%		11,034		11,034		—		—
Merrill Lynch facility			Recourse	(13)	LIBOR + 1.50%		2,989		2,989		—		—
JP Morgan facility			Recourse	(13)	LIBOR + 1.50%		8,164		8,164		—		—
Subtotal CMBS credit facilities							22,187		22,187		11,055		11,055
Subtotal credit facilities							249,156		249,156		318,000		318,000
Loan collateral payable, net, related party
Secured borrowing(14)			Non-recourse	May-19	LIBOR + 3.83%		23,729		23,261		—		—
Total							$	709,260	$	705,589	$	821,677	$	819,716

_____________________________________________________

(1) Difference between principal amount and carrying value of mortgage notes payable, net and loan collateral payable, net, related party is attributable to deferred financing costs, net and premium on a mortgage note payable.

(2) Represents two separate senior mortgage notes with a weighted average maturity of December 1, 2020 and weighted average interest rate of 5.27%.

(3) In October 2016, the Company refinanced the mortgage note payable, increasing the principal balance to $24.8 million, with a maturity date of November 2026.

(4) Recourse solely with respect to 25.0% of the repurchase price for purchased assets with a lender debt yield equal to or greater than 10.0% at the time of financing plus 100.0% of the repurchase price for purchased assets with a lender debt yield less than 10.0% at the time of financing.

(5) The next maturity date is October 18, 2018, with three, one-year extensions available at the option of the Company, which may be exercised upon the satisfaction of certain customary conditions set forth in the governing documents.

(6) The contractual interest rate depends upon asset type and characteristics. As of December 31, 2016 the rate was one-month LIBOR plus 2.63%.

(7) Recourse solely with respect to the greater of: (i) 25.0% of the financed amount of stabilized loans plus the financed amount of transitional loans; or (ii) the lesser of $25.0 million or the aggregate financed amount of all loans.

(8) The next maturity date is March 11, 2017, with a one-year extension available that the Company has exercised, extending maturity to March 11, 2018.

(9) Represents the weighted average spread as of December 31, 2016. The contractual interest rate depends upon asset type and characteristics and ranges from one-month LIBOR plus 2.42% to 2.62%.

(10) Recourse solely with respect to 25.0% of the financed amount.

(11) The initial maturity date is October 13, 2018, with one-year extensions available at the Company’s option, which are subject to the approval of the global financial institution.

(12) Represents the weighted average spread as of December 31, 2016. The contractual interest rate depends upon asset type and characteristics and ranges from one-month LIBOR plus 2.25% to 2.65%.

(13) The maturity dates on the CMBS Credit Facilities are dependent upon asset type and will typically range from two to three months.

(14) Represents a secured borrowing financing transaction recorded in loan collateral payable, net, related party in connection with three first mortgage loans recorded in real estate debt investments, net. Refer to discussion below for additional detail.

Schedule of Scheduled Principal on Borrowings

The following table presents scheduled principal on borrowings, based on final maturity as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

	Total		Securitization Bonds Payable, Net		Mortgage Notes Payable, Net		Loan collateral payable, net, related party		Credit Facilities
Years Ending December 31:
2017	22,187		—		—		—		22,187
2018	205,619		—		—		—		205,619
2019	23,729		—		—		23,729		—
2020	12,411		—		12,411		—		—
2021	91,752		—		70,402		—		21,350
Thereafter	353,562		39,762		313,800		—		—
Total	$	709,260	$	39,762	$	396,613	$	23,729	$	249,156

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Related Party Arrangements (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

Summary of Fees and Reimbursements Incurred to the Advisor

The following tables present the fees and reimbursements incurred to the Advisor for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015 and the amount due to related party as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):

Type of Fee or Reimbursement		Due to Related Party as of		Year Ended December 31, 2016					Due to Related Party as of(1)
	Financial Statement Location	December 31, 2015		Incurred		Paid			December 31, 2016
Fees to Advisor Entities
Asset management	Asset management and other fees, related party	$	—	$	21,337	$	(21,327	)	$	10
Acquisition(2)	Real estate debt investments, net / Asset management and other fees, related party	—		3,254		(3,214		)	40
Disposition(2)	Real estate debt investments, net / Asset management and other fees, related party	—		4,612		(4,612		)	—
Reimbursements to Advisor Entities
Operating costs(3)	General and administrative expenses	—		12,747		(12,729		)	18
Total		$	—	$	41,950	$	(41,882	)	$	68

____________________________________________________

(1) The balance is included in accounts payable and accrued expenses on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet.

(2) Acquisition/disposition fees incurred to the Advisor related to CRE debt investments are generally offset by origination/exit fees paid to the Company by borrowers if such fees are required from the borrower. Acquisition fees related to equity investments are included in asset management and other fees - related party in the consolidated statements of operations. Acquisition fees related to investments in unconsolidated joint ventures are included in investments in unconsolidated ventures on the consolidated balance sheets. The Advisor may determine to defer fees or seek reimbursement. From inception through December 31, 2016, the Advisor waived $0.8 million of acquisition fees and $0.4 million of disposition fees related to CRE securities.

(3) As of December 31, 2016, the Advisor has incurred unreimbursed operating costs on behalf of the Company of $9.6 million that remain eligible to allocate to the Company.

Type of Fee or Reimbursement		Due to Related Party as of		Year Ended December 31, 2015					Due to Related Party as of
	Financial Statement Location	December 31, 2014		Incurred		Paid			December 31, 2015
Fees to Advisor Entities
Asset management	Asset management and other fees, related party	$	—	$	23,965	$	(23,965	)	$	—
Acquisition(1	Real estate debt investments, net / Asset management and other fees, related party	—		451		(451		)	—
Disposition(1)	Real estate debt investments, net / Asset management and other fees, related party	—		3,317		(3,317		)	—
Reimbursements to Advisor Entities
Operating costs(2)	General and administrative expenses	—		13,116		(13,116		)	—
Total		$	—	$	40,849	$	(40,849	)	$	—

____________________________________________________

(1) Acquisition/disposition fees incurred to the Advisor related to CRE debt investments are generally offset by origination/exit fees paid to the Company by borrowers if such fees are required from the borrower. Acquisition fees related to equity investments are included in asset management and other fees - related party in the consolidated statements of operations. Acquisition fees related to investments in unconsolidated joint ventures are included in investments in unconsolidated ventures on the consolidated balance sheets. The Advisor may determine to defer fees or seek reimbursement. From inception through December 31, 2015, the Advisor waived $0.6 million of acquisition fees and $0.4 million of disposition fees related to CRE securities.

(2) As of December 31, 2015, the Advisor has incurred unreimbursed operating costs on behalf of the Company of $7.9 million that remain eligible to allocate to the Company.

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Stockholders' Equity (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

Summary of Distributions Declared

The following table presents distributions declared for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):

	Distributions(1)
Period	Cash		DRP		Total
2016
First Quarter	$	13,052	$	10,987	$	24,039
Second Quarter	13,184		10,864		24,048
Third Quarter	13,482		10,858		24,340
Fourth Quarter	13,690		10,628		24,318
Total	$	53,408	$	43,337	$	96,745
2015
First Quarter	$	12,640	$	10,720	$	23,360
Second Quarter	12,910		10,882		23,792
Third Quarter	13,107		11,095		24,202
Fourth Quarter	13,169		11,145		24,314
Total	$	51,826	$	43,842	$	95,668
2014
First Quarter	$	12,369	$	10,338	$	22,707
Second Quarter	12,492		10,650		23,142
Third Quarter	12,674		10,885		23,559
Fourth Quarter	12,717		10,997		23,714
Total	$	50,252	$	42,870	$	93,122

_________________________________________________

(1) Represents distributions declared for the period, even though such distributions are actually paid to stockholders the month following such period. For the year endedDecember 31, 2016, approximately 18% of distributions paid was ordinary income, 6% was capital gain distribution and 76% was a return of capital.

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Fair Value (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Schedule of Financial Assets Accounted for at Fair Value on Recurring Basis

The following table presents financial assets that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 by level within the fair value hierarchy (dollars in thousands):

	December 31, 2016								December 31, 2015
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets:
Investments in private equity funds, at fair value	$	—	$	—	$	90,579	$	90,579	$	—	$	—	$	98,754	$	98,754
Real estate securities, available for sale	—		93,975		—		93,975		—		83,622		—		83,622
Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities	$	—	$	186	$	—	$	186	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—

Summary of Additional Information for PE Investments

The following table presents additional information about PE Investments which are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 for which the Company has used Level 3 inputs to determine fair value (dollars in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016			2015
Beginning balance	$	98,754		$	141,091
Contributions(1)	59,646			10,040
Distributions	(88,525		)	(70,487		)
Equity in earnings	24,136			30,218
Unrealized gain (loss)	(3,432		)	(12,108		)
Ending balance	$	90,579		$	98,754

_____________________________________________________

(1) Includes initial investments, before distribution and contribution closing statement adjustments, and subsequent contributions, including deferred purchase price fundings.

Summary of Principal Amount, Carrying Value and Fair Value of Financial Assets and Liabilities

The following table presents the principal amount, carrying value and fair value of certain financial assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):

	December 31, 2016							December 31, 2015
	Principal Amount			Carrying Value		Fair Value		Principal Amount			Carrying Value		Fair Value
Financial assets:(1)
Real estate debt investments, net	$	744,297	(2)	$	745,323	$	755,317	$	995,769	(2)	$	997,836	$	1,054,743
Real estate securities, available for sale(3)	138,438			93,975		93,975		115,849			83,622		83,622
Loan collateral receivable, related party(4)	52,204			52,204		50,941		54,056			54,056		54,885
Financial liabilities:(1)
Securitization bonds payable, net	$	39,762		$	39,762	$	39,961	$	185,812		$	185,314	$	185,387
Mortgage notes payable, net	396,613			393,410		356,031		317,865			316,402		317,138
Credit facilities	249,156			249,156		249,156		318,000			318,000		318,000
Loan collateral payable, net, related party(5)	23,729			23,261		23,050		—			—		—

______________________________________________

(1) The fair value of other financial instruments not included in this table is estimated to approximate their carrying value.

(2) Excludes future funding commitments of $23.2 million and $43.6 million, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

(3) Refer to “Determination of Fair Value” above for disclosure of methodologies used to determine fair value.

(4) Represents one senior loan participation interest in a first mortgage loan (Refer to Note 7).

(5) Represents three senior loan participation interests in first mortgage loans (Refer to Note 7).

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Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited) (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Quarterly Financial Information

The following tables present selected quarterly information for the years endedDecember 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands, except per share data):

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,		September 30,		June 30,		March 31,
	2016		2016		2016		2016
Net interest income	$	15,126	$	14,646	$	15,316	$	15,895
Property and other revenues	20,272		21,843		20,116		16,371
Expenses	31,977		33,924		30,322		29,719
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	5,316		5,575		6,502		7,570
Net income (loss)	8,035		7,297		9,102		7,773
Net income (loss) attributable to NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. common stockholders	7,869		7,491		8,904		7,688
Net income (loss) per share of common stock, basic/diluted (1)	$	0.06	$	0.06	$	0.07	$	0.07

__________________

(1) The total for the year may differ from the sum of the quarters as a result of weighting.

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,		September 30,		June 30,		March 31,
	2015		2015		2015		2015
Net interest income	$	16,487	$	19,576	$	19,272	$	19,797
Property and other revenues	15,731		14,637		15,027		14,999
Expenses	28,023		34,306		25,103		25,301
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	8,051		8,133		9,509		10,324
Net income (loss)	8,808		5,365		14,195		17,223
Net income (loss) attributable to NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. common stockholders	8,753		5,773		13,943		17,145
Net income (loss) per share of common stock, basic/diluted (1)	$	0.07	$	0.05	$	0.12	$	0.14

_________________

(1) The total for the year may differ from the sum of the quarters as a result of weighting.

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Segment Reporting (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Summary of Segment Reporting

The following tables present segment reporting for the years endedDecember 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):

Year Ended December 31, 2016	Real Estate Debt			Real Estate Equity			Real Estate Securities		Corporate			Total
Net interest income	$	53,638		$	—		$	7,345	$	—		$	60,983
Rental and other income	—			78,602			—		—			78,602
Asset management and other fees - related party	—			—			—		(23,765		)	(23,765		)
Mortgage notes interest expense	—			(17,519		)	—		—			(17,519		)
Transaction costs	—			(1,767		)	—		(211		)	(1,978		)
Property operating expenses	—			(36,950		)	—		—			(36,950		)
General and administrative expenses	(733		)	(194		)	—		(13,576		)	(14,503		)
Depreciation and amortization	—			(31,227		)	—		—			(31,227		)
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other	—			(3,432		)	—		—			(3,432		)
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense)	52,905			(12,487		)	7,345		(37,552		)	10,211
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	827			24,136			—		—			24,963
Income tax benefit (expense)	—			(2,967		)	—		—			(2,967		)
Net income (loss)	$	53,732		$	8,682		$	7,345	$	(37,552	)	$	32,207

Year Ended December 31, 2015	Real Estate Debt			Real Estate Equity			Real Estate Securities			Corporate			Total
Net interest income	$	70,144		$	—		$	4,959		$	29		$	75,132
Rental and other income	—			60,394			—			—			60,394
Asset management and other fees - related party	—			—			—			(23,965		)	(23,965		)
Mortgage notes interest expense	—			(14,832		)	—			—			(14,832		)
Transaction costs	(446		)	(73		)	—			(825		)	(1,344		)
Property operating expenses	—			(31,135		)	—			—			(31,135		)
General and administrative expenses	(841		)	(100		)	(51		)	(14,483		)	(15,475		)
Depreciation and amortization	—			(25,982		)	—			—			(25,982		)
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other	—			(12,108		)	—			—			(12,108		)
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense)	68,857			(23,836		)	4,908			(39,244		)	10,685
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	5,799			30,218			—			—			36,017
Income tax benefit (expense)	—			(1,111		)	—			—			(1,111		)
Net income (loss)	$	74,656		$	5,271		$	4,908		$	(39,244	)	$	45,591

Year Ended December 31, 2014	Real Estate Debt			Real Estate Equity			Real Estate Securities			Corporate			Total
Net interest income	$	75,780		$	—		$	5,817		$	—		$	81,597
Rental and other income	—			29,342			—			—			29,342
Asset management and other fees - related party	—			—			—			(24,676		)	(24,676		)
Mortgage notes interest expense	—			(7,763		)	—			—			(7,763		)
Transaction costs	—			(2,770		)	—			(7		)	(2,777		)
Property operating expenses	—			(15,433		)	—			—			(15,433		)
General and administrative expenses	(991		)	(146		)	(28		)	(12,100		)	(13,265		)
Depreciation and amortization	—			(6,427		)	—			—			(6,427		)
Realized gain (loss) on investments and other	(175		)	—			572			—			397
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other	—			11,764			—			—			11,764
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	74,614			8,567			6,361			(36,783		)	52,759
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	3,421			38,258			—			—			41,679
Income tax benefit (expense)	—			(5,485		)	—			—			(5,485		)
Net income (loss)	$	78,035		$	41,340		$	6,361		$	(36,783	)	$	88,953

Summary of Total Assets by Segment

The following table presents total assets by segment as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (dollars in thousands):

	Real Estate Debt		Real Estate Equity		Real Estate Securities		Corporate(1)		Total
December 31, 2016
Investments in unconsolidated ventures	$	—	$	90,579	$	—	$	—	$	90,579
Total Assets	871,600		665,643		105,830		125,407		1,768,480
December 31, 2015
Investments in unconsolidated ventures	$	59,089	$	98,754	$	—	$	—	$	157,843
Total Assets	1,198,020		525,178		84,887		139,431		1,947,516

__________________________________________________

(1) Includes cash, unallocated receivables and deferred costs and other assets, net.

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Business and Organization (Details)		12 Months Ended	44 Months Ended
	Jul. 01, 2013 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) employee $ / shares shares	Mar. 10, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares shares
Authorized shares of common stock and preferred stock
Number of employees | employee		0
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)		400,000,000		400,000,000
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 0.01		$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized (in shares)		50,000,000		50,000,000
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 0.01		$ 0.01
Common stock filed in a registration statement with SEC, for issuance pursuant to DRP (in shares)	7,600,000
Maximum
Authorized shares of common stock and preferred stock
Preferred stock, shares authorized (in shares)		50,000,000
Common stock filed in a registration statement with SEC, for issuance pursuant to primary offering (in shares)		100,000,000
Common stock filed in a registration statement with SEC, for issuance pursuant to DRP (in shares)		10,526,315
Maximum | Dividend Reinvestment Plan | Sponsor
Authorized shares of common stock and preferred stock
Common stock filed in a registration statement with SEC, for issuance pursuant to DRP (in shares)		10,000,000
Primary Beneficiary
Authorized shares of common stock and preferred stock
Limited partnership interest		99.98%
Advisor
Authorized shares of common stock and preferred stock
Non-controlling interest contributions in operating partnership | $		$ 1,000		$ 1,000
Special Units Holder
Authorized shares of common stock and preferred stock
Non-controlling interest contributions in operating partnership | $		$ 1,000		$ 1,000
Primary Offering
Authorized shares of common stock and preferred stock
Gross proceeds from offering | $	$ 1,100,000,000
Subsequent Event | Distribution Reinvestment Plan
Authorized shares of common stock and preferred stock
Gross proceeds from offering | $			$ 200,000,000

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Amortization of above and below market leases	$ 1,150,000	$ 1,007,000	$ 0
Principal amount	709,260,000	821,677,000
Carrying value	705,589,000	$ 819,716,000
Primary Beneficiary
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Consolidated VIEs	403,000,000
Consolidated VIEs	341,000,000
Primary Beneficiary | Operating Real Estate, Net
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Consolidated VIEs	354,300,000
Primary Beneficiary | Mortgage Notes Payable, Net
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Consolidated VIEs	324,400,000
Loan collateral payable, net, related party
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Carrying value served as collateral	23,729,000
Principal amount	23,729,000
NorthStar Real Estate Income II, Inc. | Senior Notes | Loan collateral payable, net, related party
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Carrying value	$ 23,261,000

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Classification, Carrying Value and Maximum Exposure of VIEs (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Loan collateral receivable, related party	$ 52,204	$ 54,056
Unconsolidated VIEs
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Carrying value	252,933
Maximum Exposure to Loss	252,933
Real Estate Securities, Available for Sale | Unconsolidated VIEs
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Carrying value	93,975
Maximum Exposure to Loss	93,975
Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures | Unconsolidated VIEs
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Carrying value	16,235
Maximum Exposure to Loss	16,235
Real Estate Debt Investments, Net | Unconsolidated VIEs
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Carrying value	142,723
Maximum Exposure to Loss	$ 142,723

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Operating Real Estate Estimated Useful Lives (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Building | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	30 years
Building | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	40 years
Land improvements | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	10 years
Land improvements | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	30 years
Furniture, fixtures and equipment | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	3 years
Furniture, fixtures and equipment | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	10 years

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Identified Intangibles (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, gross	$ 61,756,000
Below market lease, gross	12,554,000
Finite-lived intangible assets, accumulated amortization	20,381,000
Accumulated amortization	4,048,000
Total	41,375,000	$ 21,149,000
Total	8,506,000	9,624,000
Amortization of capitalized above/below market leases	$ 1,150,000	1,007,000	$ 0
Amortization of intangible assets			$ 0
Above-market Leases
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible liabilities, remaining amortization period	4 years 6 months
Finite-lived intangible assets, gross	$ 14,740,000
Finite-lived intangible assets, accumulated amortization	5,295,000
Total	9,445,000
In-place Leases
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, gross	47,016,000
Finite-lived intangible assets, accumulated amortization	15,086,000
Total	31,930,000
Other Intangible Assets
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization of intangible assets	$ 11,500,000	$ 6,500,000

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Summary of Identified Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross amount	$ 61,756
Accumulated amortization	(20,381)
Total	41,375	$ 21,149
Finite-Lived Intangible Liabilities, Net [Abstract]
Gross amount	12,554
Accumulated amortization	(4,048)
Total	8,506	$ 9,624
In-place Leases
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross amount	47,016
Accumulated amortization	(15,086)
Total	31,930
Above-market Leases
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross amount	14,740
Accumulated amortization	(5,295)
Total	$ 9,445

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Identified Intangibles Future Amortization (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible assets, net	$ 41,375	$ 21,149
In-Place Leases
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible liabilities, remaining amortization period	4 years 9 months 18 days
2017	$ 10,734
2018	6,948
2019	4,963
2020	2,961
2021	2,061
Thereafter	4,263
Intangible assets, net	$ 31,930
Above-market Leases
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible liabilities, remaining amortization period	4 years 6 months
2017	$ 3,247
2018	2,205
2019	1,594
2020	866
2021	611
Thereafter	922
Intangible assets, net	$ 9,445
Below-market Leases
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible liabilities, remaining amortization period	5 years 2 months 12 days
2017	$ 2,115
2018	2,014
2019	1,912
2020	672
2021	427
Thereafter	1,366
Intangible assets, net	$ 8,506

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Summary of Deferred Costs and Other Assets, Net and Other Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Deferred costs and other assets, net:
Intangible assets, net	$ 41,375	$ 21,149
Deferred commissions and leasing costs	10,287	10,955
Deferred financing costs, net - credit facilities	2,772	2,585
Prepaid expenses	1,386	1,844
Deposits	550	405
Other	0	385
Deferred costs and other assets, net	56,370	37,323
Other liabilities:
Intangible liabilities	8,506	9,624
PE Investments deferred purchase price, net	4,248	0
Prepaid rent and unearned revenue	4,601	2,583
Tenant security deposits	1,433	676
Other	403	1,582
Total other liabilities	$ 19,191	$ 14,465

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Acquisition Fees and Expenses (Narrative) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Percent of acquisition fee to total contract price	6.00%

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Credit Losses and Impairment on Investments (Narrative) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Period past due for suspension of income recognition	90 days

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Income Taxes (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Income tax expense (benefit)	$ 2,967	$ 1,111	$ 5,485

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Real Estate Debt Investments - CRE Debt Investments (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) loan	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) investment	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)
CRE debt investments
Count	19	21
Principal amount	$ 767,494,000	$ 1,039,384,000
Carrying value	$ 745,323,000	$ 997,836,000
Allocation by investment type	100.00%	100.00%
Floating Rate as % of Principal Amount	76.60%	87.50%
Future funding commitments	$ 23,200,000	$ 43,600,000
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, LIBOR
CRE debt investments
Face amount of investment	531,900,000.0	749,000,000
Securitization Bonds Payable
CRE debt investments
Carrying value served as collateral	70,700,000	335,400,000
Term Loan Facilities
CRE debt investments
Carrying value served as collateral	364,600,000	$ 435,200,000
Loan collateral payable, net, related party
CRE debt investments
Carrying value served as collateral	$ 23,729,000
Weighted Average
CRE debt investments
Fixed Rate	11.79%	10.87%
Spread over LIBOR	6.07%	6.84%
Total Unleveraged Current Yield	8.12%	7.42%
Weighted Average | Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, LIBOR
CRE debt investments
Mortgage loans on real estate variable rate basis floor	0.34%	0.37%
First mortgage loans
CRE debt investments
Count	13	14
Principal amount	$ 570,339,000	$ 829,536,000
Carrying value	$ 564,722,000	$ 806,116,000
Allocation by investment type	74.30%	79.80%
Floating Rate as % of Principal Amount	92.50%	100.00%
First mortgage loans | Weighted Average
CRE debt investments
Fixed Rate	15.00%	0.00%
Spread over LIBOR	5.80%	6.47%
Total Unleveraged Current Yield	7.31%	6.51%
Mezzanine loans
CRE debt investments
Count	5	5
Principal amount	$ 109,832,000	$ 91,639,000
Carrying value	$ 92,814,000	$ 72,948,000
Allocation by investment type	14.30%	8.80%
Floating Rate as % of Principal Amount	55.30%	86.90%
Mezzanine loans | Joint Venture
CRE debt investments
Principal amount			$ 183,700,000
Real estate consolidated joint venture ownership interest			78.00%
Mezzanine loans | Weighted Average
CRE debt investments
Fixed Rate	12.16%	10.10%
Spread over LIBOR	9.29%	11.76%
Total Unleveraged Current Yield	11.24%	11.62%
Subordinate interests
CRE debt investments
Count | investment		1
Principal amount		$ 36,206,000
Carrying value		$ 36,206,000
Allocation by investment type		3.50%
Floating Rate as % of Principal Amount		0.00%
Subordinate interests | Weighted Average
CRE debt investments
Fixed Rate		13.11%
Spread over LIBOR		0.00%
Total Unleveraged Current Yield		13.23%
Preferred equity interests
CRE debt investments
Count	1	1
Principal amount	$ 87,323,000	$ 82,003,000
Carrying value	$ 87,787,000	$ 82,566,000
Allocation by investment type	11.40%	7.90%
Floating Rate as % of Principal Amount	0.00%	0.00%
Proportionate interest in debt instrument, including future funding commitments	$ 78,600,000	$ 73,800,000
Preferred equity interests | Joint Venture
CRE debt investments
Real estate consolidated joint venture ownership interest	90.00%	90.00%
Preferred equity interests | Weighted Average
CRE debt investments
Fixed Rate	10.00%	10.00%
Spread over LIBOR	0.00%	0.00%
Total Unleveraged Current Yield	10.00%	10.00%

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Real Estate Debt Investments - Maturities of CRE Debt Investments (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Years Ending December 31:
Total	$ 744,297
Current Maturity
Years Ending December 31:
2017	308,650
2018	70,101
2019	210,901
2020	0
2021	87,323
Thereafter	90,519
Total	767,494
Maturity Including Extensions
Years Ending December 31:
2017	62,350
2018	30,500
2019	247,300
2020	45,050
2021	204,452
Thereafter	177,842
Total	$ 767,494

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Real Estate Debt Investments (Narrative) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 investment
CRE debt investments
Maturity period of debt instruments depending upon the asset type	4 years 2 months
Number of CRE debt investments contributed to more than 10% of interest income	2
Percent of interest income contributed by investment	10.00%
Minimum
CRE debt investments
Period past due on contractual debt service payments for debt investments to be categorized as non-performing loans	90 days

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Operating Real Estate - Identifiable Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Real Estate [Abstract]
Land and improvements	$ 96,011	$ 56,090
Buildings and improvements	430,776	328,012
Furniture, fixtures and equipment	4,472	4,243
Subtotal	531,259	388,345
Less: Accumulated depreciation	(42,420)	(23,018)
Operating real estate, net	$ 488,839	$ 365,327

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Operating Real Estate - Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) asset	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) asset	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Depreciation expense										$ 19,402	$ 16,398	$ 6,397
Interest acquired	88.20%				88.20%
Number of light industrial assets acquired | asset	23				23
Assets acquired	$ 103,300
Transaction costs	1,500									1,978	1,344	2,777
Net income (loss)		$ 8,035	$ 7,297	$ 9,102	$ 7,773	$ 8,808	$ 5,365	$ 14,195	$ 17,223	$ 32,207	$ 45,591	$ 88,953
Senior Mortgage Loan | Two Year Floating Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	78,200				78,200
Amount reserved for future funding	$ 8,300				$ 8,300

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Operating Real Estate - Preliminary Allocation of Purchase Price of Assets and Liabilities (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Assets:
Land and improvements	$ 24,807
Buildings and improvements	59,903
Other assets acquired	19,210
Total assets acquired	103,920
Liabilities:
Mortgage notes payable, net	67,225
Other liabilities assumed	536
Total liabilities	67,761
Total NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. stockholders’ equity	31,874
Non-controlling interests	4,285
Total equity	36,159
Total liabilities and equity	$ 103,920

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Operating Real Estate - Preliminary Purchase Price Reclassifications (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Operating real estate, net	$ 84,710
Deferred costs and other intangible assets, net	19,210
Mortgage notes payable, net	67,225
Other liabilities	536
As Previously Determined
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Operating real estate, net	103,384
Deferred costs and other intangible assets, net	0
Mortgage notes payable, net	67,225
Other liabilities	0
Measurement Period Adjustments
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Operating real estate, net	(18,674)
Deferred costs and other intangible assets, net	19,210
Mortgage notes payable, net	0
Other liabilities	$ 536

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Operating Real Estate - REO Acquired by Taking Title (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Real Estate [Abstract]
Original Loan Balance		$ 67,493
Initial REO value	[1]	$ 67,493	$ 0	$ 0

[1] Non-cash activity in 2016 occurred primarily in connection with taking title to collateral.

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Operating Real Estate - Preliminary Allocation of REO (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Real estate acquired through foreclosure	$ 67,493
Reposessed assets	68,136
Other liabilities assumed	643
Liabilities	643
Cash and cash equivalents
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other reposessed assets	1,845
Land and improvements
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Real estate acquired through foreclosure	15,221
Building and Improvements
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Real estate acquired through foreclosure	37,334
Other Assets
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other reposessed assets	13,736
Total assets acquired
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Reposessed assets	$ 68,136

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Operating Real Estate - REO Measurement Period Adjustments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Real Estate [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,845								$ 1,845
Operating real estate, net	52,555								52,555
Deferred costs and other intangible assets, net	13,736								13,736
Other liabilities	643								643
Decrease in rental and other income	(20,272)	$ (21,843)	$ (20,116)	$ (16,371)	$ (15,731)	$ (14,637)	$ (15,027)	$ (14,999)	(78,602)	$ (60,394)	$ (29,342)
Depreciation, depletion and amortization									31,227	25,982	6,427
Total measurement period adjustment	(8,035)	$ (7,297)	$ (9,102)	$ (7,773)	$ (8,808)	$ (5,365)	$ (14,195)	$ (17,223)	(32,207)	$ (45,591)	$ (88,953)
As Previously Determined
Real Estate [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	2,237								2,237
Operating real estate, net	65,256								65,256
Deferred costs and other intangible assets, net	0								0
Other liabilities	0								0
Measurement Period Adjustments
Real Estate [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	(392)								(392)
Operating real estate, net	(12,701)								(12,701)
Deferred costs and other intangible assets, net	13,736								13,736
Other liabilities	$ 643								643
Measurement Period Adjustment for Intangible Assets, REO
Real Estate [Line Items]
Decrease in rental and other income									646
Depreciation, depletion and amortization									2,950
Total measurement period adjustment									$ 3,596

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Operating Real Estate - Measurement Period Adjustments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Decrease in rental and other income	$ (20,272)	$ (21,843)	$ (20,116)	$ (16,371)	$ (15,731)	$ (14,637)	$ (15,027)	$ (14,999)	$ (78,602)	$ (60,394)	$ (29,342)
Increase in depreciation and amortization									31,227	25,982	6,427
Net income (loss)	$ 8,035	$ 7,297	$ 9,102	$ 7,773	$ 8,808	$ 5,365	$ 14,195	$ 17,223	32,207	$ 45,591	$ 88,953
Measurement Period Adjustment for Intangible Assets
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Decrease in rental and other income									347
Increase in depreciation and amortization									2,894
Net income (loss)									$ (3,241)

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Operating Real Estate - Minimum Future Rents (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Real Estate [Abstract]
2017	$ 44,721
2018	37,977
2019	33,585
2020	25,866
2021	20,672
Thereafter	52,782
Total	$ 215,603

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Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures - Summary of PE Investments (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) fund	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) fund	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2013 USD ($) fund
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Carrying Value	$ 90,579				$ 157,843				$ 90,579	$ 157,843
Equity in Earnings	$ 5,316	$ 5,575	$ 6,502	$ 7,570	8,051	$ 8,133	$ 9,509	$ 10,324	24,963	36,017	$ 41,679
Contributions									55,398	10,035	52,885
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other									$ (3,432)	(12,108)	11,764
PE Investment
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of Funds | fund	75								75
Purchase Price	$ 243,317								$ 243,317
Expected Future Contributions	207								207
Carrying Value	$ 90,579				98,754				90,579	98,754
Equity in Earnings									24,136	30,219
Distributions									88,525	70,488
Contributions									$ 59,646	10,039
PE Investment I
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of Funds | fund	49								49			49
Purchase Price	$ 118,035								$ 118,035			$ 118,000
Expected Future Contributions	207								207
Carrying Value	$ 31,655				65,313				31,655	65,313
Equity in Earnings									9,441	19,462
Distributions									40,082	36,226
Contributions									415	838
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other									$ (3,400)	(12,100)	$ 11,800
PE Investment IIA
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of Funds | fund	24								24
Purchase Price	$ 75,721								$ 75,721
Expected Future Contributions	0								0
Carrying Value	$ 23,360				33,441				23,360	33,441
Equity in Earnings									5,974	10,757
Distributions									24,897	34,262
Contributions									$ 8,842	9,201
PE Investment IIB
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of Funds | fund	0								0
Purchase Price	$ 26,498								$ 26,498
Expected Future Contributions	0								0
Carrying Value	$ 19,329				0				19,329	0
Equity in Earnings									6,950	0
Distributions									21,420	0
Contributions									$ 33,798	0
PE Investment III
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of Funds | fund	2								2
Purchase Price	$ 23,063								$ 23,063
Expected Future Contributions	0								0
Carrying Value	$ 16,235				$ 0				16,235	0
Equity in Earnings									1,771	0
Distributions									2,126	0
Contributions									$ 16,591	$ 0

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Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures - PE Investment I (Narrative) (Details) - PE Investment I $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2013 USD ($) fund	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) fund
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Amount funded at initial closing of real estate private equity	$ 118,000	$ 118,035
Ownership interest held by the entity together with sponsor	51.00%
Ownership interest in amount funded	29.50%
Number of real estate private equity funds contributed | fund	49	49
Sponsor
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Amount funded at initial closing of real estate private equity	$ 282,100
Ownership interest in amount funded	70.50%
NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust Inc | Cash distribution until NorthStar Entities receive a 1.5x multiple on all of their invested capital
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Cash distribution to the Class B Partner	85.00%
Multiplier factor for cash distribution to the NorthStar Entities	1.5
Cash distribution after multiplier to entity and related party	15.00%
NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust Inc | Remaining cash distribution
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Cash distribution to the Class B Partner	51.00%
Class B Partner | Cash Distributions To Prior Owner Of Funds Interests Until NorthStar Receipt Of One And Half Of Invested Capital | Class B Partner
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Cash distribution to the NorthStar Entities	15.00%
Class B Partner | Cash Distributions to Prior Owner of Funds Interests Until Receipt of Remaining Capital after 30 June 2012
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Cash distribution to the NorthStar Entities	85.00%
Class B Partner | Remaining cash distribution | Class B Partner
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Cash distribution to the NorthStar Entities	49.00%

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Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures - PE Investment IIA (Narrative) (Details) - PE Investment IIA $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013 USD ($) property	Dec. 31, 2016 fund	Sep. 30, 2012 USD ($)
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of real estate private equity funds contributed | fund		24
Ownership interest in amount funded	15.00%
Amount to be paid to the Seller for all of the fund interests	$ 504.8
Percentage of September 30, 2012 NAV paid as Initial Amount to Seller for all of the fund interests	55.00%
Deferred amount of reported net asset value	$ 411.4
Percentage of September 30, 2012 NAV paid as Deferred Amount to Seller for all of the fund interests	45.00%
Anniversary following closing date of fund interest		4 years
Period in which distribution will be made on priority basis since beginning, on the first day of the fiscal quarter following the closing date of each fund interest		2 years
Period to pay amount necessary to reduce Deferred Amount		10 days
Reduction in deferred amount as a percentage of amortization amount		15.00%
Investment percentage of distribution to seller		15.00%
Sponsor
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of real estate private equity funds contributed | property	24
Aggregate reported NAV acquired			$ 910.0
Ownership interest in amount funded	70.00%
Vintage Funds
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Ownership interest in amount funded	15.00%

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Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures - PE Investment IIB (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Feb. 29, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016	Feb. 28, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
PE Investment IIB
Net Investment Income [Line Items]
Additional percent approved for purchase		14.00%
Ownership interest in amount funded		29.00%		15.00%
Initial payment of net asset value		$ 26.5
NAV of investment acquired					$ 660.6
PE Investment IIA and PE Investment IIB
Net Investment Income [Line Items]
Ownership interest in amount funded			29.00%
Share in deferred amount of NAV			$ 85.7
Amount of Deferred Amount paid	$ 15.1

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Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures - PE Investment III (Narrative) (Details) - PE Investment III $ in Millions	1 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Ownership interest in amount funded	5.50%
NAV of investment acquired	$ 15.1
Amount paid at closing	4.2
Deposit	1.8
Initial payment of net asset value	$ 6.0
Percent of purchase price adjusted for contributions and distributions	40.00%
Share in deferred amount of NAV	$ 4.5

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Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures - Other (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jan. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2014
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 767,494				$ 1,039,384				$ 767,494	$ 1,039,384
Participation sold at par value	744,297								744,297
Investments in unconsolidated ventures	90,579				157,843				90,579	157,843
Equity in earnings	5,316	$ 5,575	$ 6,502	$ 7,570	8,051	$ 8,133	$ 9,509	$ 10,324	24,963	36,017	$ 41,679
Mezzanine loans
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 109,832				91,639				109,832	91,639
Participation sold at par value												$ 59,800
Mezzanine loans | Joint Venture
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Principal amount													$ 183,700
Joint venture participating mortgage loan													50.00%
Real estate consolidated joint venture ownership interest													78.00%
Investments in unconsolidated ventures					$ 59,100					59,100
Equity in earnings									$ 800	$ 5,800	$ 2,800

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Investments in Unconsolidated Ventures - Schedule of Summarized Financial Information (Details) - PE Investment - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Total assets	$ 1,079,828	$ 1,440,834
Total liabilities	799,748	871,892
Total Equity	280,080	568,942
Total liabilities and equity	1,079,828	1,440,834
Total revenues	201,113	266,158	$ 251,398
Net income (loss)	$ 36,941	$ 109,543	$ 168,514

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Real Estate Securities, Available for Sale (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) security	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) security
Real estate securities
Fair Value	$ 93,975	$ 83,622
Real Estate Securities, Available for Sale
Real estate securities
Count | security	11	8
Principal Amount	$ 138,438	$ 115,849
Amortized Cost	73,800	61,721
Cumulative Unrealized Gain on Investments	21,616	22,357
Cumulative Unrealized (Loss) on Investments	(1,441)	(456)
Fair Value	$ 93,975	$ 83,622
Weighted Average Coupon	3.85%	4.43%
Weighted Average Unleveraged Current Yield	10.78%	8.52%
Carrying value of securities served as collateral	$ 32,300

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Real Estate Securities, Available for Sale (Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) security	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Real estate securities
Unrealized gains (losses) in OCI	$ (1,726)	$ (6,513)	$ 15,370
Aggregate carrying value	$ 93,975	83,622
Minimum
Real estate securities
Period of unrealized loss position	12 months
Real Estate Securities, Available for Sale
Real estate securities
Unrealized gains (losses) in OCI	$ (1,700)	(6,500)	$ 15,400
Number of securities | security	5
Aggregate carrying value	$ 93,975	$ 83,622
Unrealized loss	$ 1,400
Number of unrealized loss positions | security	2
Weighted average contractual maturities of the CRE securities	32 years
Weighted average expected maturity of CRE securities	6 years 9 months
Loss Position
Real estate securities
Aggregate carrying value	$ 41,500

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Borrowings (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) loan extension	Oct. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 709,260,000		$ 821,677,000
Carrying value	$ 705,589,000		819,716,000
Citibank facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, number of optional extensions to initial maturity date | extension	3
Optional extension period of initial maturity date	1 year
Securitization Bonds Payable, Net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 39,762,000
Securitization 2013-1
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	39,762,000		185,812,000
Carrying value	$ 39,762,000		185,314,000
Securitization 2013-1 | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	5.00%
Mortgage notes payable, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 396,613,000
Multifamily 1
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Contractual Interest Rate	4.84%
Principal amount	$ 43,500,000		43,500,000
Carrying value	$ 42,967,000		42,902,000
Multifamily 2
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Contractual Interest Rate	4.94%
Principal amount	$ 43,000,000		43,000,000
Carrying value	$ 42,440,000		42,370,000
Office 1
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Contractual Interest Rate	4.47%
Principal amount	$ 108,850,000		108,850,000
Carrying value	$ 108,595,000		108,569,000
Office 2
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Contractual Interest Rate	4.30%
Principal amount	$ 77,700,000		77,700,000
Carrying value	$ 77,535,000		77,512,000
Student housing 1
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Contractual Interest Rate	5.15%
Principal amount	$ 16,000,000		16,000,000
Carrying value	$ 15,774,000		15,747,000
Student housing 2
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Contractual Interest Rate	5.27%
Principal amount	$ 12,411,000		12,615,000
Carrying value	$ 12,644,000		12,907,000
Number of notes | loan	2
Weighted average interest rate	5.27%
Student housing 3
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Contractual Interest Rate	3.98%
Principal amount	$ 24,750,000	$ 24,800,000	16,200,000
Carrying value	24,485,000		16,395,000
Industrial 1
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	70,402,000		0
Carrying value	$ 68,970,000		0
Industrial 1 | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	2.50%
Mortgage notes payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 396,613,000		317,865,000
Carrying value	393,410,000		316,402,000
Credit facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	249,156,000		318,000,000
Carrying value	249,156,000		318,000,000
Credit facilities | Term loan facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	226,969,000		306,945,000
Carrying value	226,969,000		306,945,000
Capacity	550,000,000
Credit facilities | CMBS credit facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	22,187,000		11,055,000
Carrying value	$ 22,187,000		11,055,000
Credit facilities | CMBS credit facilities | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity period of debt instruments depending upon the asset type	2 months
Credit facilities | CMBS credit facilities | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity period of debt instruments depending upon the asset type	3 months
Credit facilities | Citibank facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of repurchase price for purchased assets for which a recourse is available for debt yielding equal to or greater than 10% at the time of financing	25.00%
Percentage of repurchase price for purchased assets for which a recourse is available for debt yield less than 10% at the time of financing	100.00%
Credit facilities | Citibank facility | LIBOR | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	2.63%
Credit facilities | Citibank facility | Term loan facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 21,350,000		108,913,000
Carrying value	21,350,000		108,913,000
Capacity	$ 150,000,000
Credit facilities | Citibank facility | Term loan facilities | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	2.63%
Credit facilities | Citibank facility | CMBS credit facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 11,034,000		0
Carrying value	$ 11,034,000		0
Credit facilities | Citibank facility | CMBS credit facilities | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	1.50%
Credit facilities | Deutsche Bank facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Optional extension period of initial maturity date	1 year
Percentage of financed amount of stabilized loans for which recourse is available	25.00%
Financed amount of loans for which recourse is available	$ 25,000,000
Credit facilities | Deutsche Bank facility | LIBOR | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	2.42%
Credit facilities | Deutsche Bank facility | LIBOR | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	2.62%
Credit facilities | Deutsche Bank facility | Term loan facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 112,919,000		166,697,000
Carrying value	112,919,000		166,697,000
Capacity	$ 200,000,000
Credit facilities | Deutsche Bank facility | Term loan facilities | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	2.45%
Credit facilities | Morgan Stanley facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Optional extension period of initial maturity date	1 year
Percentage of financed amount of stabilized loans for which recourse is available	25.00%
Credit facilities | Morgan Stanley facility | LIBOR | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	2.25%
Credit facilities | Morgan Stanley facility | LIBOR | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	2.65%
Credit facilities | Morgan Stanley facility | Term loan facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 92,700,000		31,335,000
Carrying value	92,700,000		31,335,000
Capacity	$ 200,000,000
Credit facilities | Morgan Stanley facility | Term loan facilities | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	2.50%
Credit facilities | Morgan Stanley facility | CMBS credit facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 0		4,600,000
Carrying value	$ 0		4,600,000
Credit facilities | Morgan Stanley facility | CMBS credit facilities | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	1.06%
Credit facilities | Subtotal term loan facilities | Term loan facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Capacity	$ 550,000,000
Credit facilities | UBS facility | CMBS credit facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	0		6,455,000
Carrying value	$ 0		6,455,000
Credit facilities | UBS facility | CMBS credit facilities | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	1.19%
Credit facilities | Merrill Lynch facility | CMBS credit facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 2,989,000		0
Carrying value	$ 2,989,000		0
Credit facilities | Merrill Lynch facility | CMBS credit facilities | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	1.50%
Credit facilities | JP Morgan facility | CMBS credit facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 8,164,000		0
Carrying value	$ 8,164,000		$ 0
Credit facilities | JP Morgan facility | CMBS credit facilities | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	1.50%
Loan collateral payable, net, related party
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 23,729,000
Loan collateral payable, net, related party | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	3.83%

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Borrowings - Future Payments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Years Ending December 31:
2017	$ 22,187
2018	205,619
2019	23,729
2020	12,411
2021	91,752
Thereafter	353,562
Total	709,260	$ 821,677
Securitization Bonds Payable, Net
Years Ending December 31:
2017	0
2018	0
2019	0
2020	0
2021	0
Thereafter	39,762
Total	39,762
Mortgage Notes Payable, Net
Years Ending December 31:
2017	0
2018	0
2019	0
2020	12,411
2021	70,402
Thereafter	313,800
Total	396,613
Loan collateral payable, net, related party
Years Ending December 31:
2017	0
2018	0
2019	23,729
2020	0
2021	0
Thereafter	0
Total	23,729
Credit Facilities
Years Ending December 31:
2017	22,187
2018	205,619
2019	0
2020	0
2021	21,350
Thereafter	0
Total	$ 249,156	$ 318,000

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Borrowings - Narrative (Details)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2013 USD ($) loan investment	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) investment agreement	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2016 USD ($) investment
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of securitization financing transactions entered | investment		2
Principal amount of investments financed by borrowings		$ 744,297,000
Number of CRE debt investments contributed | investment	4
Aggregate principal amount of CRE debt investment contributed	$ 105,500,000
Amount of borrowings repaid		184,612,000	$ 6,630,000	$ 16,638,000
Loan collateral receivable, related party		52,204,000	54,056,000
Principal amount		709,260,000	821,677,000
Credit facilities		249,156,000	318,000,000
Principal amount outstanding on loans managed and securitized or asset-backed financing arrangement					$ 44,400,000
Carrying value		$ 705,589,000	819,716,000
Securitization 2013-1
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount of investments financed by borrowings	$ 531,500,000
Number of CRE debt investments contributed | investment	8
Aggregate principal amount of CRE debt investment contributed	$ 346,100,000
Value of bonds issued	$ 382,700,000
Advance rates	72.00%
Amount of borrowings repaid	$ 222,700,000
Real Estate Securities, Available for Sale
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of master repurchase agreements | agreement		5
Available for sale securities pledged as collateral, carrying value		$ 32,300,000
Real Estate Securities, Available for Sale | Securities Investment
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facilities		22,200,000
LIBOR | Securitization 2013-1
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	2.97%
Senior Loans
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument debt created from bifurcation	$ 79,100,000
Senior Loans | Securitization 2013-1
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of CRE debt investments contributed | loan	3
Debt instrument debt created from bifurcation	$ 79,100,000
Credit Facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount		249,156,000	318,000,000
Carrying value		249,156,000	318,000,000
Credit Facilities | Term loan facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity		550,000,000
Principal amount		226,969,000	306,945,000
Carrying value		226,969,000	306,945,000
Credit Facilities | Term loan facilities | Term Loan Facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity		550,000,000
Secured Term Loans
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying value served as collateral		364,600,000	435,200,000
Industrial 1
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount		70,402,000	0
Carrying value		$ 68,970,000	$ 0
Industrial 1 | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin		2.50%
Loan collateral payable, net, related party
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying value served as collateral		$ 23,729,000
Principal amount		$ 23,729,000
Loan collateral payable, net, related party | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin		3.83%
Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Securitized financing arrangement, amount					$ 29,500,000
Number of mortgage loans bifurcated | investment					3
Senior Loans
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Securitized financing arrangement, amount					$ 29,500,000
Senior Subordinated Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount outstanding on loans managed and securitized or asset-backed financing arrangement					$ 14,900,000
NorthStar Real Estate Income II, Inc. | Senior Notes | Loan collateral payable, net, related party
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying value		$ 23,261,000

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Related Party Arrangements - Advisor (Narrative) (Details)	Jun. 30, 2016
Advisor | Fees and reimbursements
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Advisory agreement renewal term	1 year

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Related Party Arrangements - Asset Management Fee and Incentive Fee (Narrative) (Details) - Advisor	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Asset management
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Monthly asset management fee rate	0.10%
Annual asset management fee rate	1.25%
Asset management fee monthly factor	8.33%
Incentive fee
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Distributions, percentage of net cash flows	15.00%
Percentage of cumulative, non-compounded annual pre-tax return on invested capital	8.00%

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Related Party Arrangements - Acquisition Fee (Narrative) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
NS Real Estate Income Trust Advisor | Acquisition
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Asset acquisition fee as percentage of principal amount funded to originate CRE debt or other real estate investments (percent)	1.00%

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Related Party Arrangements - Disposition Fee (Narrative) (Details) - NS Real Estate Income Trust Advisor - Disposition	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Asset disposition fee as percentage of contract sales price of CRE debt, CRE security or select CRE equity investment sold (percent)	1.00%
Maximum
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Asset disposition fee as a percentage of the principal amount of the CRE debt investment prior to the specified transaction	1.00%

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Related Party Arrangements - Reimbursements to Advisor - Operating Costs (Narrative) (Details) - NS Real Estate Income Trust Advisor - Operating costs	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 Q
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of preceding fiscal quarters considered for reimbursement of operating costs (quarters)	4
Period for true-up calculation of expense reimbursements	12 months
Maximum
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Percentage of average invested assets reimbursable as operating costs	2.00%
Percentage of net income, without reduction for any additions to reserves for depreciation, loan losses or other similar non-cash reserves and excluding any gain from the sale of the Company's assets, considered for reimbursement of operating costs	25.00%

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Related Party Arrangements - Summary of Fees and Reimbursements (Details) - NS Real Estate Income Trust Advisor - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Related Party Transaction, Due to Related Parties [Roll Forward]
Due to related party	$ 0	$ 0
Amount incurred	41,950	40,849
Amount paid	(41,882)	(40,849)
Due to related party	68	0
Acquisition Fee Waived
Related Party Transaction, Due to Related Parties [Roll Forward]
Related party transaction fees deferred	800	600
Disposition Fees Waived
Related Party Transaction, Due to Related Parties [Roll Forward]
Related party transaction fees deferred	400	400
Unreimbursed operating costs
Related Party Transaction, Due to Related Parties [Roll Forward]
Unreimbursed operating costs	9,600	7,900
Asset Management and Other Fees, Related Party | Asset management
Related Party Transaction, Due to Related Parties [Roll Forward]
Due to related party	0	0
Amount incurred	21,337	23,965
Amount paid	(21,327)	(23,965)
Due to related party	10	0
Asset Management and Other Fees, Related Party | Acquisition
Related Party Transaction, Due to Related Parties [Roll Forward]
Due to related party	0	0
Amount incurred	3,254	451
Amount paid	(3,214)	(451)
Due to related party	40	0
Asset Management and Other Fees, Related Party | Disposition
Related Party Transaction, Due to Related Parties [Roll Forward]
Due to related party	0	0
Amount incurred	4,612	3,317
Amount paid	(4,612)	(3,317)
Due to related party	0	0
General and Administrative Expense | Operating costs
Related Party Transaction, Due to Related Parties [Roll Forward]
Due to related party	0	0
Amount incurred	12,747	13,116
Amount paid	(12,729)	(13,116)
Due to related party	$ 18	$ 0

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Related Party Arrangements - Securitization 2013-1 (Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2013 USD ($) loan investment
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of CRE debt investments contributed | investment	4
Aggregate principal amount of CRE debt investment contributed	$ 105.5
Senior Loans
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of senior loans transferred (investments) | investment	3
Debt instrument debt created from bifurcation	$ 79.1
Securitization 2013-1
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of CRE debt investments contributed | investment	8
Aggregate principal amount of CRE debt investment contributed	$ 346.1
Securitization 2013-1 | Senior Loans
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of CRE debt investments contributed | loan	3
Debt instrument debt created from bifurcation	$ 79.1

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Related Party Arrangements - PE Investment I (Narrative) (Details) - PE Investment I $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Ownership assumed	29.50%
Aggregate cash contribution to fund	$ 400.1
Contribution for investment	118.0
Sponsor
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Contribution for investment	$ 282.1

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Related Party Arrangements - PE Investment IIB (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Feb. 29, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016	Feb. 28, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
PE Investment IIB
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Additional percent approved for purchase	14.00%
Ownership interest in amount funded	29.00%		15.00%
Initial payment of net asset value	$ 26.5
NAV of investment acquired				$ 660.6
PE Investment IIA and PE Investment IIB
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Ownership interest in amount funded		29.00%
Share in deferred amount of NAV		$ 85.7

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Related Party Arrangements - Secured Borrowing (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2016 USD ($) investment	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Principal amount outstanding on loans managed and securitized or asset-backed financing arrangement		$ 44,400
Carrying value	$ 705,589		$ 819,716
Senior Notes
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Securitized financing arrangement, amount		$ 29,500
Number of mortgage loans bifurcated | investment		3
Senior Subordinated Loans [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Principal amount outstanding on loans managed and securitized or asset-backed financing arrangement		$ 14,900
Loan collateral payable, net, related party
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Carrying value served as collateral	23,729
Loan collateral payable, net, related party | Senior Notes | NorthStar Real Estate Income II, Inc.
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Carrying value	$ 23,261

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Equity-Based Compensation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Equity-Based Compensation, Director's share
Equity-based compensation expense		$ 0.2	$ 0.2	$ 0.1
Restricted stock
Equity-Based Compensation, Director's share
Number of unvested shares (shares)		20,462	17,687	10,688
Vesting period	4 years	2 years
Restricted stock | Director
Equity-Based Compensation, Director's share
Number of unvested shares (shares)		101,204
Aggregate value for common shares granted to independent directors		$ 1.0

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Stockholders' Equity - Common Stock (Narrative) (Details) shares in Millions, $ in Billions	53 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013 USD ($) shares
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Number of shares issued (shares) | shares	107.6
Gross proceeds from issuance of common stock | $	$ 1.1

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Stockholders' Equity - Distribution Reinvestment Plan (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			93 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2016	Oct. 31, 2014	Jul. 31, 2013
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Selling commissions or dealer manager fees paid		$ 0
Total proceeds from sale of shares pursuant to DRP		$ 43,546,000	$ 43,783,000	$ 42,659,000	$ 174,500,000
Distribution Support Agreement
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Notice period served by board of directors to amend or terminate DRP		10 days
Distribution Reinvestment Plan
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Number of shares offered pursuant to the DRP effective registration statement (shares)							10,000,000.0
Notice period served by board of directors to amend or terminate DRP	10 days
Price per share (in dollars per share)	$ 9.87			$ 9.50		$ 9.52
Purchase price adjustment, percentage of estimated value per share	100.00%
Percentage of estimated value per share						95.00%
Common Stock
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Number of shares issued pursuant to DRP (in shares)		4,467,000	4,599,000	4,493,000	18,200,000
Total proceeds from sale of shares pursuant to DRP		$ 45,000	$ 46,000	$ 45,000

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Stockholders' Equity - Distributions (Narrative) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 $ / shares
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Daily amount of distribution accrued per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.002191781
Annual distribution per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.80

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Stockholders' Equity - Distributions Declared (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended												12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Cash	$ 13,690	$ 13,482	$ 13,184	$ 13,052	$ 13,169	$ 13,107	$ 12,910	$ 12,640	$ 12,717	$ 12,674	$ 12,492	$ 12,369	$ 53,408	$ 51,826	$ 50,252
DRP	10,628	10,858	10,864	10,987	11,145	11,095	10,882	10,720	10,997	10,885	10,650	10,338	43,337	43,842	42,870
Total	$ 24,318	$ 24,340	$ 24,048	$ 24,039	$ 24,314	$ 24,202	$ 23,792	$ 23,360	$ 23,714	$ 23,559	$ 23,142	$ 22,707	$ 96,745	$ 95,668	$ 93,122
Common stock percentage of distributions paid as ordinary income													18.00%
Common stock percentage of distributions paid as capital gain income													6.00%
Common stock percentage of distributions paid as return of capital													76.00%

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Stockholders' Equity - Share Repurchase Program (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Class of Stock
Holding period of shares required for repurchase	1 year
Number of days upon prior written notice to amend, suspend, or terminate	10 days
Number of days upon prior written notice to amend, suspend, or terminate, if related to change in number of share allowed to repurchase per year	10 days
Shares redeemed for cash (in shares)	$ 41,455	$ 16,464	$ 11,468
Repurchase price paid per share (in dollars per share)	$ 9.53
Common Stock
Class of Stock
Shares redeemed for cash (in shares)		$ 16,500
Repurchase price paid per share (in dollars per share)		$ 9.63
Common Stock
Class of Stock
Number of shares repurchased (shares)	4,349,000	1,710,000	1,193,000
Shares redeemed for cash (in shares)	$ 43	$ 17	$ 12

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Non-controlling Interests (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]
Net income (loss) attributable to other non-controlling interests	$ 255	$ (23)	$ (171)

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Fair Value - Financial Assets Recorded on a Recurring Basis (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Financial assets accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis by level within fair value hierarchy
Investments in private equity funds, at fair value	$ 90,579	$ 157,843
Real estate securities, available for sale	93,975	83,622
Recurring basis
Financial assets accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis by level within fair value hierarchy
Investments in private equity funds, at fair value	90,579	98,754
Real estate securities, available for sale	93,975	83,622
Derivative liabilities	186	0
Recurring basis | Level 1
Financial assets accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis by level within fair value hierarchy
Investments in private equity funds, at fair value	0	0
Real estate securities, available for sale	0	0
Derivative liabilities	0	0
Recurring basis | Level 2
Financial assets accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis by level within fair value hierarchy
Investments in private equity funds, at fair value	0	0
Real estate securities, available for sale	93,975	83,622
Derivative liabilities	186	0
Recurring basis | Level 3
Financial assets accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis by level within fair value hierarchy
Investments in private equity funds, at fair value	90,579	98,754	$ 141,091
Real estate securities, available for sale	0	0
Derivative liabilities	$ 0	$ 0

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Fair Value - Additional Information for PE Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Additional information about financial assets
Beginning balance	$ 157,843
Unrealized gain (loss)	(3,432)	$ (12,108)	$ 11,764
Ending balance	90,579	157,843
Recurring basis
Additional information about financial assets
Beginning balance	98,754
Ending balance	90,579	98,754
Recurring basis | Level 3
Additional information about financial assets
Beginning balance	98,754	141,091
Contributions	59,646	10,040
Distributions	(88,525)	(70,487)
Equity in earnings	24,136	30,218
Unrealized gain (loss)	(3,432)	(12,108)
Ending balance	$ 90,579	$ 98,754	$ 141,091

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Fair Value - Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) credit_facility	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other	$ (3,432)	$ (12,108)	$ 11,764
Number of term credit facilities under which amounts are outstanding | credit_facility	6
Weighted Average
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Discount rate	14.70%	19.50%
PE Investment I
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other	$ (3,400)	$ (12,100)	$ 11,800

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Fair Value - Principal Amount, Carrying Value and Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) investment	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Financial assets:
Real estate debt investments, net	$ 745,323	$ 997,836
Real estate securities, available for sale	93,975	83,622
Financial liabilities:
Securitization bonds payable, net	39,762	185,314
Credit facilities	249,156	318,000
Future funding commitments related to real estate debt investments	23,200	43,600
Principal Amount
Financial assets:
Real estate debt investments, net	744,297	995,769
Real estate securities, available for sale	138,438	115,849
Securities received as collateral, related party, fair value disclosure	52,204	54,056
Financial liabilities:
Securitization bonds payable, net	39,762	185,812
Mortgage notes payable, net	396,613	317,865
Credit facilities	249,156	318,000
Securities pledged as collateral, related party, fair value disclosure	23,729	0
Carrying Value
Financial assets:
Real estate debt investments, net	745,323	997,836
Real estate securities, available for sale	93,975	83,622
Securities received as collateral, related party, fair value disclosure	52,204	54,056
Financial liabilities:
Securitization bonds payable, net	39,762	185,314
Mortgage notes payable, net	393,410	316,402
Credit facilities	249,156	318,000
Securities pledged as collateral, related party, fair value disclosure	23,261	0
Fair Value
Financial assets:
Real estate debt investments, net	755,317	1,054,743
Real estate securities, available for sale	93,975	83,622
Securities received as collateral, related party, fair value disclosure	50,941	54,885
Financial liabilities:
Securitization bonds payable, net	39,961	185,387
Mortgage notes payable, net	356,031	317,138
Credit facilities	249,156	318,000
Securities pledged as collateral, related party, fair value disclosure	$ 23,050	$ 0
Loan Collateral Receivable
Financial liabilities:
Number of mortgage loans bifurcated | investment	1
Loan collateral payable, net, related party
Financial liabilities:
Number of mortgage loans bifurcated | investment	3

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Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Net interest income	$ 15,126	$ 14,646	$ 15,316	$ 15,895	$ 16,487	$ 19,576	$ 19,272	$ 19,797	$ 60,983	$ 75,132	$ 81,597
Rental and other income	20,272	21,843	20,116	16,371	15,731	14,637	15,027	14,999	78,602	60,394	29,342
Expenses	31,977	33,924	30,322	29,719	28,023	34,306	25,103	25,301	125,942	112,733	70,341
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures	5,316	5,575	6,502	7,570	8,051	8,133	9,509	10,324	24,963	36,017	41,679
Net income (loss)	8,035	7,297	9,102	7,773	8,808	5,365	14,195	17,223	32,207	45,591	88,953
Net income (loss) attributable to NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. common stockholders	$ 7,869	$ 7,491	$ 8,904	$ 7,688	$ 8,753	$ 5,773	$ 13,943	$ 17,145	$ 31,952	$ 45,614	$ 89,124
Net income (loss) per share of common stock, basic/diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.06	$ 0.06	$ 0.07	$ 0.07	$ 0.07	$ 0.05	$ 0.12	$ 0.14	$ 0.26	$ 0.38	$ 0.77

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Segment Reporting (Details) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) segment	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Segment Reporting
Number of segments | segment											4
Net interest income			$ 15,126	$ 14,646	$ 15,316	$ 15,895	$ 16,487	$ 19,576	$ 19,272	$ 19,797	$ 60,983	$ 75,132	$ 81,597
Rental and other income			20,272	21,843	20,116	16,371	15,731	14,637	15,027	14,999	78,602	60,394	29,342
Asset management and other fees - related party											(23,765)	(23,965)	(24,676)
Mortgage notes interest expense											(17,519)	(14,832)	(7,763)
Transaction costs		$ (1,500)									(1,978)	(1,344)	(2,777)
Property operating expenses											(36,950)	(31,135)	(15,433)
General and administrative expenses											(14,503)	(15,475)	(13,265)
Depreciation and amortization											(31,227)	(25,982)	(6,427)
Realized gain (loss) on investments and other											0	0	397
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other											(3,432)	(12,108)	11,764
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense)											10,211	10,685	52,759
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures			5,316	5,575	6,502	7,570	8,051	8,133	9,509	10,324	24,963	36,017	41,679
Income tax benefit (expense)											(2,967)	(1,111)	(5,485)
Net income (loss)			8,035	$ 7,297	$ 9,102	$ 7,773	8,808	$ 5,365	$ 14,195	$ 17,223	32,207	45,591	88,953
Investments in unconsolidated ventures			90,579				157,843				90,579	157,843
Total Assets	[1]		1,768,480				1,947,516				1,768,480	1,947,516
Real Estate Debt
Segment Reporting
Net interest income											53,638	70,144	75,780
Rental and other income											0	0	0
Asset management and other fees - related party											0	0	0
Mortgage notes interest expense											0	0	0
Transaction costs											0	(446)	0
Property operating expenses											0	0	0
General and administrative expenses											(733)	(841)	(991)
Depreciation and amortization											0	0	0
Realized gain (loss) on investments and other													(175)
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other											0	0	0
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense)											52,905	68,857	74,614
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures											827	5,799	3,421
Income tax benefit (expense)											0	0	0
Net income (loss)											53,732	74,656	78,035
Investments in unconsolidated ventures			0				59,089				0	59,089
Total Assets			871,600				1,198,020				871,600	1,198,020
Real Estate Equity
Segment Reporting
Net interest income											0	0	0
Rental and other income											78,602	60,394	29,342
Asset management and other fees - related party											0	0	0
Mortgage notes interest expense											(17,519)	(14,832)	(7,763)
Transaction costs											(1,767)	(73)	(2,770)
Property operating expenses											(36,950)	(31,135)	(15,433)
General and administrative expenses											(194)	(100)	(146)
Depreciation and amortization											(31,227)	(25,982)	(6,427)
Realized gain (loss) on investments and other													0
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other											(3,432)	(12,108)	11,764
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense)											(12,487)	(23,836)	8,567
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures											24,136	30,218	38,258
Income tax benefit (expense)											(2,967)	(1,111)	(5,485)
Net income (loss)											8,682	5,271	41,340
Investments in unconsolidated ventures			90,579				98,754				90,579	98,754
Total Assets			665,643				525,178				665,643	525,178
Real Estate Securities
Segment Reporting
Net interest income											7,345	4,959	5,817
Rental and other income											0	0	0
Asset management and other fees - related party											0	0	0
Mortgage notes interest expense											0	0	0
Transaction costs											0	0	0
Property operating expenses											0	0	0
General and administrative expenses											0	(51)	(28)
Depreciation and amortization											0	0	0
Realized gain (loss) on investments and other													572
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other											0	0	0
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense)											7,345	4,908	6,361
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures											0	0	0
Income tax benefit (expense)											0	0	0
Net income (loss)											7,345	4,908	6,361
Investments in unconsolidated ventures			0				0				0	0
Total Assets			105,830				84,887				105,830	84,887
Corporate
Segment Reporting
Net interest income											0	29	0
Rental and other income											0	0	0
Asset management and other fees - related party											(23,765)	(23,965)	(24,676)
Mortgage notes interest expense											0	0	0
Transaction costs											(211)	(825)	(7)
Property operating expenses											0	0	0
General and administrative expenses											(13,576)	(14,483)	(12,100)
Depreciation and amortization											0	0	0
Realized gain (loss) on investments and other													0
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments and other											0	0	0
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures and income tax benefit (expense)											(37,552)	(39,244)	(36,783)
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated ventures											0	0	0
Income tax benefit (expense)											0	0	0
Net income (loss)											(37,552)	(39,244)	$ (36,783)
Investments in unconsolidated ventures			0				0				0	0
Total Assets			$ 125,407				$ 139,431				$ 125,407	$ 139,431

[1] Represents the consolidated assets and liabilities of NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust Operating Partnership, LP (the “Operating Partnership”). The Operating Partnership is a consolidated variable interest entity (“VIE”), of which the Company is the sole general partner and owns approximately 99.98%. As of December 31, 2016, the assets and liabilities of the Operating Partnership include $403.0 million and $341.0 million of assets and liabilities, respectively, of certain VIEs that are consolidated by the Operating Partnership. Refer to Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies”.

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Subsequent Events - Distribution Reinvestment Plan (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	2 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			93 Months Ended
	Mar. 10, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2016
Distribution Reinvestment Plan
Total proceeds from sale of shares pursuant to DRP		$ 43,546	$ 43,783	$ 42,659	$ 174,500
Subsequent Event | Dividend Reinvestment Plan
Distribution Reinvestment Plan
Number of shares issued pursuant to DRP (in shares)	900,000.0
Common stock shares remaining available for sale pursuant to distribution reinvestment plan (shares)	8,700,000

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Subsequent Events - Distributions (Details) - $ / shares		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 15, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Daily cash distribution accrued per share (in dollars per share)		$ 0.002191781
Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Daily cash distribution accrued per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.001917808

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Subsequent Events - Share Repurchases (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands, shares in Millions	2 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 10, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Total amount of shares repurchased (in shares)		$ 41,455	$ 16,464	$ 11,468
Weighted average price per share (in dollars per share)		$ 9.53
Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Number of shares repurchased (shares)	1.8
Total amount of shares repurchased (in shares)	$ 17,400
Weighted average price per share (in dollars per share)	$ 9.42
Dividend Reinvestment Plan | Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Total amount of shares repurchased (in shares)	$ 9,300
Cash Available From Operations | Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Total amount of shares repurchased (in shares)	$ 8,100

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Subsequent Events - New Investments (Details)	1 Months Ended	2 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 10, 2017 USD ($) investment	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Mortgage loans on real estate, new mortgage loans			$ 151,280,000	$ 61,189,000	$ 488,020,000
Principal amount			767,494,000	1,039,384,000
Face value			744,297,000
Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Number of investments purchased | investment		4
Mezzanine loans
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Principal amount			$ 109,832,000	$ 91,639,000
Face value						$ 59,800,000
Mezzanine loans | Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Mortgage loans on real estate, new mortgage loans	$ 12,000,000
Collateralized Mortgage Backed Securities | Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Face value		$ 21,500,000.0
Unamortized discounts		$ 6,600,000
Premium (discount) of securities acquired		30.70%

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Subsequent Events - Repayments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Repayment on real estate debt investments		$ 372,208	$ 287,084	$ 251,631
Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Repayment on real estate debt investments	$ 69,800

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Schedule III - Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation - Schedule of Real Estate (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
SEC Schedule III, Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation [Line Items]
Encumbrances	$ 396,613
Initial Cost, Land	73,478
Initial Cost, Building & Improvements	434,600
Capitalized Subsequent to Acquisition, Land, Buildings & Improvements	23,181
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Land	73,478
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Building & Improvements	457,781
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Total	531,259	$ 388,345	$ 410,247	$ 125,671
Accumulated Depreciation	42,420	$ 23,018	$ 6,900	$ 503
Total	488,839
Clemson, SC
SEC Schedule III, Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation [Line Items]
Encumbrances	12,411
Initial Cost, Land	1,946
Initial Cost, Building & Improvements	17,668
Capitalized Subsequent to Acquisition, Land, Buildings & Improvements	422
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Land	1,946
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Building & Improvements	18,090
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Total	20,036
Accumulated Depreciation	2,308
Total	$ 17,728
Life on Which Depreciation is Computed	30 years
Columbia, SC
SEC Schedule III, Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation [Line Items]
Encumbrances	$ 24,750
Initial Cost, Land	2,532
Initial Cost, Building & Improvements	20,832
Capitalized Subsequent to Acquisition, Land, Buildings & Improvements	416
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Land	2,532
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Building & Improvements	21,248
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Total	23,780
Accumulated Depreciation	2,703
Total	$ 21,077
Life on Which Depreciation is Computed	30 years
Farmington Hills, MI
SEC Schedule III, Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation [Line Items]
Encumbrances	$ 43,000
Initial Cost, Land	3,161
Initial Cost, Building & Improvements	47,839
Capitalized Subsequent to Acquisition, Land, Buildings & Improvements	8,666
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Land	3,161
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Building & Improvements	56,505
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Total	59,666
Accumulated Depreciation	6,694
Total	$ 52,972
Life on Which Depreciation is Computed	30 years
Kalamazoo, MI
SEC Schedule III, Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation [Line Items]
Encumbrances	$ 16,000
Initial Cost, Land	1,484
Initial Cost, Building & Improvements	19,516
Capitalized Subsequent to Acquisition, Land, Buildings & Improvements	1,825
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Land	1,484
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Building & Improvements	21,341
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Total	22,825
Accumulated Depreciation	2,823
Total	$ 20,002
Life on Which Depreciation is Computed	30 years
New Orleans, LA
SEC Schedule III, Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation [Line Items]
Encumbrances	$ 43,500
Initial Cost, Land	3,206
Initial Cost, Building & Improvements	50,294
Capitalized Subsequent to Acquisition, Land, Buildings & Improvements	2,008
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Land	3,206
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Building & Improvements	52,302
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Total	55,508
Accumulated Depreciation	6,248
Total	$ 49,260
Life on Which Depreciation is Computed	30 years
St. Louis, MO
SEC Schedule III, Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation [Line Items]
Encumbrances	$ 108,850
Initial Cost, Land	19,504
Initial Cost, Building & Improvements	92,127
Capitalized Subsequent to Acquisition, Land, Buildings & Improvements	4,976
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Land	19,504
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Building & Improvements	97,103
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Total	116,607
Accumulated Depreciation	11,000
Total	$ 105,607
Life on Which Depreciation is Computed	39 years
Warrendale, PA
SEC Schedule III, Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation [Line Items]
Encumbrances	$ 77,700
Initial Cost, Land	15,150
Initial Cost, Building & Improvements	75,554
Capitalized Subsequent to Acquisition, Land, Buildings & Improvements	3,480
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Land	15,150
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Building & Improvements	79,034
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Total	94,184
Accumulated Depreciation	6,522
Total	$ 87,662
Life on Which Depreciation is Computed	40 years
Columbus, OH
SEC Schedule III, Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation [Line Items]
Encumbrances	$ 70,402
Initial Cost, Land	13,472
Initial Cost, Building & Improvements	71,238
Capitalized Subsequent to Acquisition, Land, Buildings & Improvements	1,160
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Land	13,472
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Building & Improvements	72,398
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Total	85,870
Accumulated Depreciation	2,346
Total	$ 83,524
Life on Which Depreciation is Computed	39 years
Vienna, VA
SEC Schedule III, Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation [Line Items]
Encumbrances	$ 0
Initial Cost, Land	13,023
Initial Cost, Building & Improvements	39,532
Capitalized Subsequent to Acquisition, Land, Buildings & Improvements	228
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Land	13,023
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Building & Improvements	39,760
Gross Amount Carried at Close of Period, Total	52,783
Accumulated Depreciation	1,776
Total	$ 51,007
Life on Which Depreciation is Computed	39 years

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Schedule III - Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation - Schedule of Real Estate Portfolio (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
SEC Schedule III, Reconciliation of Carrying Amount of Real Estate Investments [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance		$ 388,345	$ 410,247	$ 125,671
Property acquisitions		168,640	0	284,576
Improvements		5,649	10,245	0
Retirements and disposals		0	(280)	0
Reallocation of purchase price		(31,375)	(31,867)	0
Ending balance		531,259	388,345	410,247
REO acquisition	[1]	67,493	$ 0	$ 0
Aggregate cost of properties for federal income tax purposes		$ 532,900

[1] Non-cash activity in 2016 occurred primarily in connection with taking title to collateral.

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Schedule III - Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation - Schedule of Accumulated Depreciation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
SEC Schedule III, Reconciliation of Real Estate Accumulated Depreciation [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ 23,018	$ 6,900	$ 503
Depreciation expense	19,402	16,398	6,397
Retirements and disposals	0	(280)	0
Ending balance	$ 42,420	$ 23,018	$ 6,900

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Schedule IV - Mortgage Loans on Real Estate - Mortgage Loans on Real Estate (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) loan	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) investment
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Number	19	21
Prior Liens	$ 355,622
Face value	744,297
Carrying Value	745,323
Principal amount of loans, subject to delinquent principal or interest	0
Future funding commitments	$ 23,200	$ 43,600
Percentage of total carrying value for individual loans (less than)	3.00%
First mortgage loans
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Number	13	14
Floating Interest Rate	7.13%
Fixed Interest Rate	15.00%
Prior Liens	$ 0
Face value	564,142
Carrying Value	564,722
Principal amount of loans, subject to delinquent principal or interest	$ 0
Mezzanine loan
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Number | loan	5
Floating Interest Rate	9.95%
Fixed Interest Rate	12.49%
Prior Liens	$ 355,622
Face value	92,832
Carrying Value	92,814
Principal amount of loans, subject to delinquent principal or interest	$ 0
Preferred equity interest
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Number | loan	1
Floating Interest Rate	0.00%
Fixed Interest Rate	10.00%
Prior Liens	$ 0
Face value	87,323
Carrying Value	87,787
Principal amount of loans, subject to delinquent principal or interest	$ 0
Borrower A | First mortgage loans
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Number | loan	1
Floating Interest Rate	6.86%
Fixed Interest Rate	0.00%
Prior Liens	$ 0
Face value	150,150
Carrying Value	150,150
Principal amount of loans, subject to delinquent principal or interest	$ 0
Borrower B | First mortgage loans
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Number | loan	1
Floating Interest Rate	5.91%
Fixed Interest Rate	0.00%
Prior Liens	$ 0
Face value	86,421
Carrying Value	86,638
Principal amount of loans, subject to delinquent principal or interest	$ 0
Borrower C | First mortgage loans
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Number | loan	1
Floating Interest Rate	0.00%
Fixed Interest Rate	15.00%
Prior Liens	$ 0
Face value	43,000
Carrying Value	43,000
Principal amount of loans, subject to delinquent principal or interest	$ 0
Borrower D | First mortgage loans
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Number | loan	1
Floating Interest Rate	8.90%
Fixed Interest Rate	0.00%
Prior Liens	$ 0
Face value	42,607
Carrying Value	42,607
Principal amount of loans, subject to delinquent principal or interest	$ 0
Borrower E | First mortgage loans
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Number | loan	1
Floating Interest Rate	4.38%
Fixed Interest Rate	0.00%
Prior Liens	$ 0
Face value	41,432
Carrying Value	41,697
Principal amount of loans, subject to delinquent principal or interest	$ 0
Borrower F | First mortgage loans
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Number | loan	1
Floating Interest Rate	5.86%
Fixed Interest Rate	0.00%
Prior Liens	$ 0
Face value	40,000
Carrying Value	40,022
Principal amount of loans, subject to delinquent principal or interest	$ 0
Borrower G | First mortgage loans
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Number | loan	1
Floating Interest Rate	6.66%
Fixed Interest Rate	0.00%
Prior Liens	$ 0
Face value	30,500
Carrying Value	30,500
Principal amount of loans, subject to delinquent principal or interest	$ 0
Borrower H | First mortgage loans
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Number | loan	1
Floating Interest Rate	2.25%
Fixed Interest Rate	0.00%
Prior Liens	$ 0
Face value	28,110
Carrying Value	28,110
Principal amount of loans, subject to delinquent principal or interest	$ 0
Borrower I | First mortgage loans
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Number | loan	0
Floating Interest Rate	10.38%
Fixed Interest Rate	0.00%
Prior Liens	$ 0
Face value	25,270
Carrying Value	25,270
Principal amount of loans, subject to delinquent principal or interest	$ 0
Other first mortgage loans | First mortgage loans
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Number | loan	5
Floating Interest Rate	6.66%
Fixed Interest Rate	0.00%
Prior Liens	$ 0
Face value	76,652
Carrying Value	76,728
Principal amount of loans, subject to delinquent principal or interest	$ 0
Borrower J | Mezzanine loan
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Number | loan	1
Floating Interest Rate	8.91%
Fixed Interest Rate	0.00%
Prior Liens	$ 42,607
Face value	27,193
Carrying Value	27,193
Principal amount of loans, subject to delinquent principal or interest	$ 0
Other mezzanine loans | Mezzanine loan
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Number | loan	4
Floating Interest Rate	11.66%
Fixed Interest Rate	12.49%
Prior Liens	$ 313,015
Face value	65,639
Carrying Value	65,621
Principal amount of loans, subject to delinquent principal or interest	$ 0
Borrower K | Preferred equity interest
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Number | loan	1
Floating Interest Rate	0.00%
Fixed Interest Rate	10.00%
Prior Liens	$ 0
Face value	87,323
Carrying Value	87,787
Principal amount of loans, subject to delinquent principal or interest	$ 0

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Schedule IV - Mortgage Loans on Real Estate - Reconciliation of Carrying Value of Commercial Real Estate Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Movement in Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance		$ 997,836	$ 1,250,023	$ 1,013,178
Principal amount of new loans and additional funding on existing loans		151,280	61,189	488,020
Interest accretion		6,408	6,505	1,318
Acquisition cost (fees) on new loans		1,089	451	4,952
Origination fees received on new loans		(532)	0	(2,505)
Collection of principal		341,668	318,835	236,499
REO acquisition	[1]	67,493	0	0
Sales		0	0	17,349
Unrealized loss on sale		0	0	175
Amortization of acquisition costs, fees, premiums and discounts		1,597	1,497	917
Ending balance		$ 745,323	$ 997,836	$ 1,250,023

[1] Non-cash activity in 2016 occurred primarily in connection with taking title to collateral.