Goodwill and Other Intangibles (Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) segment	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of segments | segment	2
Amortization expense	$ 7,500	$ 7,500
Intangible assets	$ 43,327		$ 50,779
Cole REITs [Member] | Management And Advisory Contracts [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	4 years
Estimated amortization expense for remainder of 2016	$ 18,700
Estimated amortization expense for 2017	16,600
Estimated amortization expense for 2018	4,000
Estimated amortization expense for 2019	3,800
Intangible assets	43,300		50,800
Intangible assets, accumulated amortization	$ 10,900		$ 3,400
REI Segment [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of segments | segment	1
Cole Capital Segment [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of segments | segment	1