Exhibit 23.1 Consent of KPMG LLP

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statements (Nos. 333-190489 and 333-191851) on Form S-3 and in the Registration Statement (No. 333-167107) on Form S-8 of MFA Financial, Inc., of our reports dated February 13, 2014, with respect to the consolidated balance sheets of MFA Financial, Inc. as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income/(loss), changes in stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2013 and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2013, which reports appear in the December 31, 2013 annual report on Form 10-K of MFA Financial, Inc.