Variable Interest Entities	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Variable Interest Entities	Variable Interest Entities Unconsolidated VIEs As of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, we have interests in several investments that are deemed VIEs that are in development stage and do not hold sufficient equity at risk or conduct substantially all their operations on behalf of the investor with disproportionately few voting rights. Although we are engaged to act as the managing partner in charge of day-to-day operations of these investees, we are not the primary beneficiary of these VIEs as we do not hold unilateral power over activities that, when taken together, most significantly impact the respective VIE’s performance. We account for our investment in these entities under the equity method. As of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the net carrying amounts of our investment in these entities were $203.0 million and $42.4 million, respectively. Our maximum exposure to loss in these entities is limited to our investments, construction commitments and debt guarantees. See Note 16 for additional information. Consolidated VIEs JBG SMITH LP, our operating partnership, is our most significant consolidated VIE. We hold the majority membership interest in the operating partnership, act as the general partner and exercise full responsibility, discretion and control over its day-to-day management. The noncontrolling interests of the operating partnership do not have either substantive liquidation rights, or substantive kick-out rights without cause, or substantive participating rights that could be exercised by a simple majority of noncontrolling interest members (including by such a member unilaterally). Because the noncontrolling interest holders do not have these rights, the operating partnership is a VIE. As general partner, we have the power to direct the core activities of the operating partnership that most significantly affect its performance, and through our majority interest in the operating partnership have both the right to receive benefits from and the obligation to absorb losses of the operating partnership. Accordingly, we are the primary beneficiary of the operating partnership and consolidate the operating partnership in our financial statements. As we conduct our business and hold our assets and liabilities through the operating partnership, the total assets and liabilities of the operating partnership comprise substantially all of our consolidated assets and liabilities. We also consolidate certain VIEs that have minimal noncontrolling interests (less than 5%). These entities are VIEs because the noncontrolling interests do not have substantive kick-out or participating rights. We consolidate these entities because we control all of their significant business activities. As of September 30, 2017, the total assets and liabilities of such consolidated VIEs, excluding the operating partnership, were approximately $78.8 million and $5.1 million, respectively.

Variable Interest Entities

Unconsolidated VIEs

As of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, we have interests in several investments that are deemed VIEs that are in development stage and do not hold sufficient equity at risk or conduct substantially all their operations on behalf of the investor with disproportionately few voting rights. Although we are engaged to act as the managing partner in charge of day-to-day operations of these investees, we are not the primary beneficiary of these VIEs as we do not hold unilateral power over activities that, when taken together, most significantly impact the respective VIE’s performance. We account for our investment in these entities under the equity method. As of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the net carrying amounts of our investment in these entities were $203.0 million and $42.4 million, respectively. Our maximum exposure to loss in these entities is limited to our investments, construction commitments and debt guarantees. See Note 16 for additional information.

Consolidated VIEs

JBG SMITH LP, our operating partnership, is our most significant consolidated VIE. We hold the majority membership interest in the operating partnership, act as the general partner and exercise full responsibility, discretion and control over its day-to-day management.

The noncontrolling interests of the operating partnership do not have either substantive liquidation rights, or substantive kick-out rights without cause, or substantive participating rights that could be exercised by a simple majority of noncontrolling interest members (including by such a member unilaterally). Because the noncontrolling interest holders do not have these rights, the operating partnership is a VIE. As general partner, we have the power to direct the core activities of the operating partnership that most significantly affect its performance, and through our majority interest in the operating partnership have both the right to receive benefits from and the obligation to absorb losses of the operating partnership. Accordingly, we are the primary beneficiary of the operating partnership and consolidate the operating partnership in our financial statements. As we conduct our business and hold our assets and liabilities through the operating partnership, the total assets and liabilities of the operating partnership comprise substantially all of our consolidated assets and liabilities.

We also consolidate certain VIEs that have minimal noncontrolling interests (less than 5%). These entities are VIEs because the noncontrolling interests do not have substantive kick-out or participating rights. We consolidate these entities because we control all of their significant business activities. As of September 30, 2017, the total assets and liabilities of such consolidated VIEs, excluding the operating partnership, were approximately $78.8 million and $5.1 million, respectively.