Management Fee Income and Incentive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fee Income		$ 3,569	$ 3,753	[1]
Management Fees, Incentive Revenue		152	908	[1]
Asset Management Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fee Income		3,569	3,753
Incentive Fee Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fees, Incentive Revenue	[2]	152	908
Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] | Asset Management Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fee Income		405	144
Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] | Incentive Fee Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fees, Incentive Revenue	[2]	$ 0	$ 873
Percentage of Incentive Income Earned	[2]	20.00%
Maximum [Member] | Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] | Asset Management Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Conditional Management Fees, Based on Net Asset Value, Percentage		0.50%	0.50%
Maximum [Member] | Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] | Incentive Fee Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Percentage of Incentive Income Earned	[2]		20.00%
Minimum [Member] | Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] | Asset Management Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Conditional Management Fees, Based on Net Asset Value, Percentage		0.15%	0.15%
Minimum [Member] | Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] | Incentive Fee Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Percentage of Incentive Income Earned	[2]		10.00%
Funds and accounts [Member] | Asset Management Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fee Income		$ 2,397	$ 3,035
Funds and accounts [Member] | Incentive Fee Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fees, Incentive Revenue	[2]	$ 152	$ 35
Funds and accounts [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Asset Management Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Conditional Management Fees, Based on Net Asset Value, Percentage		1.25%	1.25%
Funds and accounts [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Incentive Fee Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Percentage of Incentive Income Earned	[2]	20.00%	20.00%
Funds and accounts [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Asset Management Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Conditional Management Fees, Based on Net Asset Value, Percentage		0.50%	0.50%
Funds and accounts [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Incentive Fee Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Percentage of Incentive Income Earned	[2]	10.00%	10.00%
ZFC REIT [Member] | Asset Management Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fee Income		$ 767	$ 574
Conditional Management Fees, Based on Net Asset Value, Percentage		1.50%	1.50%
Gross Amount [Member] | Asset Management Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fee Income		$ 3,569	$ 3,753
Gross Amount [Member] | Incentive Fee Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fees, Incentive Revenue	[2]	152	908
Gross Amount [Member] | Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] | Asset Management Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fee Income		405	144
Gross Amount [Member] | Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] | Incentive Fee Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fees, Incentive Revenue	[2]	0	873
Gross Amount [Member] | Funds and accounts [Member] | Asset Management Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fee Income		2,397	3,035
Gross Amount [Member] | Funds and accounts [Member] | Incentive Fee Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fees, Incentive Revenue	[2]	152	35
Gross Amount [Member] | ZFC REIT [Member] | Asset Management Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fee Income		767	574
Elimination [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fee Income		0	0
Management Fees, Incentive Revenue		0	0
Elimination [Member] | Asset Management Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fee Income		0	0
Elimination [Member] | Incentive Fee Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fees, Incentive Revenue	[2]	0	0
Elimination [Member] | Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] | Asset Management Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fee Income		0	0
Elimination [Member] | Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] | Incentive Fee Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fees, Incentive Revenue	[2]	0	0
Elimination [Member] | Funds and accounts [Member] | Asset Management Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fee Income		0	0
Elimination [Member] | Funds and accounts [Member] | Incentive Fee Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fees, Incentive Revenue	[2]	0	0
Elimination [Member] | ZFC REIT [Member] | Asset Management Income [Member]
Components of Management Fee Income and Incentive Income [Line Items]
Management Fee Income		$ 0	$ 0

[1] Subsequent to the filing of the 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company elected to early adopt ASU 2015-02 with an effective date of January 1, 2015. As a result of this adoption, all of the ZAIS Managed Entities which were consolidated in the 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2015 were deconsolidated. The March 31, 2015 figures above reflect the consolidated results of the Company for the three months ended March 31, 2015, subsequent to the adoption of ASU 2015-02.

[2] Incentive income earned for certain of the ZAIS Managed entities is subject to a hurdle rate of return as specified in each respective ZAIS Managed Entities' operative agreement.