Income Taxes - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes	$ 3,701,000	$ 36,303,000	$ 33,264,000
Unrecognized tax benefits	0	0	0
Cole Capital Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes	9,811,000	39,872,000	40,577,000
REI Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes	$ (6,110,000)	$ (3,569,000)	$ (7,313,000)

Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (a),(b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65882285&loc=d3e32639-109319

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Income Tax Expense (or Benefit)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6515339

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration