CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Consolidated Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 19,439,000	$ 11,899,000	$ 19,393,000	$ 12,803,000
Receivables from managed entities and related parties, net	30,288,000	30,618,000
Investments in real estate, net	17,128,000	18,041,000
Investment securities, at fair value	9,758,000	10,576,000
Investments In Affiliates Subsidiaries Associates And Joint Ventures Excluding Advances	13,899,000	13,156,000
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE) - RSO (see Note 19):
Total assets of consolidated VIE - RSO	2,271,468,000	2,476,557,000
Assets	2,443,511,000	2,636,764,000	2,488,458,000
Liabilities:
Payables to managed entities and related parties	3,037,000	3,536,000
Borrowings	20,380,000
Liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO (see Note 19):
Total liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO	1,485,385,000	1,856,839,000
Liabilities	1,536,415,000	1,902,974,000
Commitments and contingencies
Equity:
Preferred stock	0	0
Common stock	299,000	295,000
Additional paid-in capital	288,238,000	286,048,000
Accumulated deficit	(26,420,000)	(29,486,000)
Treasury stock, at cost	(104,869,000)	(103,472,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(2,310,000)	(2,197,000)
Total stockholders’ equity	154,938,000	151,188,000
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	907,096,000	733,790,000
Liabilities and equity	2,443,511,000	2,636,764,000
Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	19,439,000	11,899,000
Restricted cash	558,000	638,000
Receivables	3,348,000	468,000
Receivables from managed entities and related parties, net	30,288,000	30,618,000
Investments in real estate, net	17,128,000	18,041,000
Investment securities, at fair value	9,758,000	10,576,000
Investments in unconsolidated loan manager	37,345,000	37,221,000
Investments In Affiliates Subsidiaries Associates And Joint Ventures Excluding Advances	13,899,000	13,156,000
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE) - RSO (see Note 19):
Property and equipment, net	4,955,000	2,590,000
Deferred tax assets, net	29,751,000	28,274,000
Other assets	5,574,000	6,726,000
Liabilities:
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	27,613,000	21,559,000
Payables to managed entities and related parties	3,037,000	3,536,000
Borrowings	20,380,000	21,040,000
Equity:
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(2,310,000)	(2,197,000)
Noncontrolling interests	218,000	279,000
VIE - RSO [Member]
ASSETS
Investment securities, at fair value	232,783,000	256,433,000
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE) - RSO (see Note 19):
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	203,658,000	179,390,000
Loans	1,644,587,000	1,849,428,000
Investments, at fair value	128,099,000	120,706,000
Other assets	62,341,000	70,600,000
Liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO (see Note 19):
Borrowings	1,422,430,000	1,785,600,000
Other liabilities	62,955,000	71,239,000
Equity:
Noncontrolling interests	751,940,000	582,323,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO (see Note 19):
Total liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO	1,489,650,000
Equity:
Preferred stock	0
Common stock	299,000
Additional paid-in capital	288,238,000
Accumulated deficit	(23,009,000)
Treasury stock, at cost	(104,869,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(12,195,000)
Total stockholders’ equity	148,464,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	19,439,000	11,899,000
Restricted cash	558,000
Receivables	3,444,000
Receivables from managed entities and related parties, net	34,457,000
Investments in real estate, net	17,128,000
Investment securities, at fair value	27,156,000
Investments in unconsolidated loan manager	37,345,000
Investments In Affiliates Subsidiaries Associates And Joint Ventures Excluding Advances	13,899,000
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE) - RSO (see Note 19):
Property and equipment, net	4,955,000
Deferred tax assets, net	37,353,000
Other assets	5,574,000
Assets	201,308,000
Liabilities:
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	27,613,000
Payables to managed entities and related parties	3,063,000
Borrowings	21,950,000
Liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO (see Note 19):
Liabilities	52,626,000
Equity:
Noncontrolling interests	218,000
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	148,682,000
Liabilities and equity	201,308,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | VIE - RSO [Member]
ASSETS
Investment securities, at fair value	232,783,000
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE) - RSO (see Note 19):
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	203,658,000
Loans	1,646,157,000
Investments, at fair value	128,099,000
Other assets	62,367,000
Total assets of consolidated VIE - RSO	2,273,064,000
Assets	2,273,064,000
Liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO (see Note 19):
Borrowings	1,422,430,000
Other liabilities	67,220,000
Liabilities	1,489,650,000
Equity:
Noncontrolling interests	783,414,000
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	783,414,000
Liabilities and equity	2,273,064,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE) - RSO (see Note 19):
Total assets of consolidated VIE - RSO	(1,596,000)
Assets	(30,861,000)
Liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO (see Note 19):
Total liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO	(4,265,000)
Liabilities	(5,861,000)
Equity:
Preferred stock	0
Common stock	0
Additional paid-in capital	0
Accumulated deficit	(3,411,000)
Treasury stock, at cost	0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	9,885,000
Total stockholders’ equity	6,474,000
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(25,000,000)
Liabilities and equity	(30,861,000)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0
Restricted cash	0
Receivables	(96,000)
Receivables from managed entities and related parties, net	(4,169,000)
Investments in real estate, net	0
Investment securities, at fair value	(17,398,000)
Investments in unconsolidated loan manager	0
Investments In Affiliates Subsidiaries Associates And Joint Ventures Excluding Advances	0
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE) - RSO (see Note 19):
Property and equipment, net	0
Deferred tax assets, net	(7,602,000)
Other assets	0
Liabilities:
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	0
Payables to managed entities and related parties	(26,000)
Borrowings	(1,570,000)
Equity:
Noncontrolling interests	0
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | VIE - RSO [Member]
ASSETS
Investment securities, at fair value	0
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE) - RSO (see Note 19):
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	0
Loans	(1,570,000)
Investments, at fair value	0
Other assets	(26,000)
Liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO (see Note 19):
Borrowings	0
Other liabilities	(4,265,000)
Equity:
Noncontrolling interests	$ (31,474,000)