Related Party Transactions and Arrangements (Other Non-routine Transactions) (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Oct. 21, 2013	Jan. 03, 2014	Feb. 28, 2013
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	$ 203,558,000	$ 0	$ 0
Affiliated Entity [Member] | Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	78,244,000	98,360,000
Affiliated Entity [Member] | Furniture, Fixtures And Equipment [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	15,800,000	5,800,000
Affiliated Entity [Member] | Post Transaction Support Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	11,352,000	4,000,000
Affiliated Entity [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	2,900,000	950,000
Affiliated Entity [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		3,666,000
Affiliated Entity [Member] | Other Non-Routine Costs, Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	2,145,000	2,679,000
Affiliates of Former Manager [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	16,089,000	103,206,000	826,000
Former Manager [Member] | Transition Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payments of related party expenses				10,000,000
Support services term				60 days
Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0	0
Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Furniture, Fixtures And Equipment [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0	0
Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Post Transaction Support Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0	0
Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. [Member] | Affiliated Entity [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] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. [Member] | Affiliated Entity [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
ARCT IV [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	78,244,000	0
Minimum equity holding period					2 years
ARCT IV [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Furniture, Fixtures And Equipment [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	5,800,000	0
ARCT IV [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Post Transaction Support Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	1,352,000	2,000,000
ARCT IV [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Additional Asset Management Fees [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payments of related party expenses	1,300,000	0
ARCT IV [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	0	0
ARCT IV [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		500,000
ARCT IV [Member] | Affiliated Entity [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] | Member Units [Member] | Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Cumulative capital investment return, threshold percentage					6.00%
ARCT IV [Member] | Member Units [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Stock issued, shares, conversion of units					6,700,000
ARCT IV [Member] | Member Units [Member] | Affiliates of Former Manager, Six [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Cumulative capital investment return					358,300,000
ARCT III [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payments of related party expenses						98,360,000
Related party expenses		98,360,000
ARCT III [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Furniture, Fixtures And Equipment [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		5,800,000
ARCT III [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Post Transaction Support Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		2,000,000
ARCT III [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		950,000
ARCT III [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		126,000
ARCT III [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Other Non-Routine Costs, Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		0
ARCT III [Member] | Affiliates of Former Manager, Three [Member] | Post Transaction Support Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payments of related party expenses	0	2,000,000
Support services term		1 year
Agreed upon term following merger		60 days
ARCT III [Member] | Affiliates of Former Manager [Member] | Post Transaction Support Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses		2,000,000
Support services term		1 year
Agreed upon term following merger		60 days
ARCT III [Member] | Member Units [Member] | Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Cumulative capital investment return, threshold percentage						6.00%
ARCT III [Member] | Member Units [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Stock issued, shares, conversion of units						7,300,000
Minimum equity holding period						1 year
ARCT III [Member] | ARCT IV [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Legal Fees And Expenses [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payments of related party expenses		500,000
Related party expenses		500,000
ARCT III [Member] | ARCT III [Member] | Member Units [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Stock issued, shares, conversion of units						7,600,000
ARCT IV [Member] | ARCT IV [Member] | Member Units [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Stock issued, shares, conversion of units					2,800,000
RCS Advisory [Member] | ARCT IV [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Other Non-Routine Costs, Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payments of related party expenses		2,500,000
ANST [Member] | ARCT IV [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Other Non-Routine Costs, Personnel Costs And Other Reimbursements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payments of related party expenses		$ 200,000