Goodwill and Other Intangibles - Intangible Lease Assets Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Amortization expense	$ 4,100	$ 6,200	$ 8,300	$ 13,700
Intangible assets	16,319		$ 16,319		$ 24,609
Cole REITs [Member] | Management And Advisory Contracts [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Estimated useful life			3 years
Estimated amortization expense for remainder of 2017	8,300		$ 8,300
Estimated amortization expense for 2018	4,000		4,000
Estimated amortization expense for nine months ended 30th September 2019	3,800		3,800
Intangible assets	16,300		16,300		24,600
Accumulated amortization	$ 37,900		$ 37,900		$ 29,600