Related Party Transactions and Arrangements (Merger and Other Non-routine Transactions) (Details) (Affiliated Entity [Member], USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	$ 203,558,000	$ 0	$ 0
Merger And Acquisition Related Costs [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	137,778,000	156,146,000	0
Strategic Advisory Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	27,265,000	36,096,000
Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		3,666,000
Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	72,000	3,573,000
Other Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		890,000
Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	78,244,000	98,360,000
Furniture, Fixtures And Equipment [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	15,800,000	5,800,000
Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	2,900,000	950,000
Other Non-Routine Costs, Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	2,145,000	2,679,000
Post Transaction Support Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	11,352,000	4,000,000
Other Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		132,000
ARCT IV [Member] | Merger And Acquisition Related Costs [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	94,213,000	22,459,000
ARCT IV [Member] | Strategic Advisory Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	8,400,000	16,075,000
ARCT IV [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		500,000
ARCT IV [Member] | Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0	2,137,000
ARCT IV [Member] | Other Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		640,000
ARCT IV [Member] | Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	78,244,000	0
ARCT IV [Member] | Furniture, Fixtures And Equipment [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	5,800,000	0
ARCT IV [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0	0
ARCT IV [Member] | Other Non-Routine Costs, Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	417,000	1,107,000
ARCT IV [Member] | Post Transaction Support Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	1,352,000	2,000,000
ARCT IV [Member] | Other Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
Internalization And Other [Member] | Merger And Acquisition Related Costs [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	20,000,000
Internalization And Other [Member] | Strategic Advisory Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0
Internalization And Other [Member] | Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0
Internalization And Other [Member] | Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0
Internalization And Other [Member] | Furniture, Fixtures And Equipment [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	10,000,000
Internalization And Other [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0
Internalization And Other [Member] | Other Non-Routine Costs, Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0
Internalization And Other [Member] | Post Transaction Support Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	10,000,000
Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. [Member] | Merger And Acquisition Related Costs [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	21,815,000	15,847,000
Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. [Member] | Strategic Advisory Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	17,115,000	14,215,000
Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. [Member] | Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	72,000	169,000
Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. [Member] | Other Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. [Member] | Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0	0
Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. [Member] | Furniture, Fixtures And Equipment [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0	0
Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	2,900,000	0	0
Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. [Member] | Other Non-Routine Costs, Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	1,728,000	1,463,000
Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. [Member] | Post Transaction Support Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0	0
Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. [Member] | Other Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
Multiple-Tenant Spin Off [Member] | Merger And Acquisition Related Costs [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	1,750,000
Multiple-Tenant Spin Off [Member] | Strategic Advisory Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	1,750,000
Multiple-Tenant Spin Off [Member] | Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0
Multiple-Tenant Spin Off [Member] | Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0
Multiple-Tenant Spin Off [Member] | Furniture, Fixtures And Equipment [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0
Multiple-Tenant Spin Off [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0
Multiple-Tenant Spin Off [Member] | Other Non-Routine Costs, Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0
Multiple-Tenant Spin Off [Member] | Post Transaction Support Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0
ARCT III [Member] | Merger And Acquisition Related Costs [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		107,758,000
ARCT III [Member] | Strategic Advisory Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
ARCT III [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		126,000
ARCT III [Member] | Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		522,000
ARCT III [Member] | Other Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
ARCT III [Member] | Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		98,360,000
ARCT III [Member] | Furniture, Fixtures And Equipment [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		5,800,000
ARCT III [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		950,000
ARCT III [Member] | Other Non-Routine Costs, Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
ARCT III [Member] | Post Transaction Support Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		2,000,000
ARCT III [Member] | Other Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
CapLease Acquisition [Member] | Merger And Acquisition Related Costs [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		9,512,000
CapLease Acquisition [Member] | Strategic Advisory Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		5,563,000
CapLease Acquisition [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		3,000,000
CapLease Acquisition [Member] | Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		567,000
CapLease Acquisition [Member] | Other Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		250,000
CapLease Acquisition [Member] | Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
CapLease Acquisition [Member] | Furniture, Fixtures And Equipment [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
CapLease Acquisition [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
CapLease Acquisition [Member] | Other Non-Routine Costs, Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
CapLease Acquisition [Member] | Post Transaction Support Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
CapLease Acquisition [Member] | Other Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		132,000
Other Acquisitions [Member] | Merger And Acquisition Related Costs [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		570,000
Other Acquisitions [Member] | Strategic Advisory Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		243,000
Other Acquisitions [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		40,000
Other Acquisitions [Member] | Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		178,000
Other Acquisitions [Member] | Other Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
Other Acquisitions [Member] | Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
Other Acquisitions [Member] | Furniture, Fixtures And Equipment [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
Other Acquisitions [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
Other Acquisitions [Member] | Other Non-Routine Costs, Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		109,000
Other Acquisitions [Member] | Post Transaction Support Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
Other Acquisitions [Member] | Other Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
ARCT IV [Member] | ARCT IV [Member] | Strategic Advisory Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		$ 800,000