Related Party Transactions (Details) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($) period	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Annual base management fee percentage		1.50%
Base management fee to affiliate	[1]	$ 2,443	$ 1,722
Base management fee, gross		2,900	2,100
Management Fee Expense, Rebates	[1]	$ 500	447
Incentive fee rate		25.00%
Incentive Fee, Loss Carryforward		$ 131,300
Incentive fee hurdle rate fixed		9.00%
Incentive fee hurdle rate floating		3.00%
Minimum percentage of incentive fee to be paid in share		10.00%
Termination Fee, Number Of Periods | period		2
Termination Fee, Period		12 months
Expense Reimbursement Period		60 days
Expense Reimbursement - Manager		$ 2,700	2,700
Real estate owned	[2]	25,054		$ 30,584
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value	[2]	65,397		71,850
Securities, at fair value(1)	[2]	1,481,395		2,449,941
Non-controlling interests	[2]	35,098		39,434
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	[2]	8,001		7,753
Reverse repurchase agreements		2,034,225		2,445,300
Other assets	[2]	5,453		7,563
Unpaid Principal Balance		1,441,017		1,387,733
Related Party Transaction, Purchases from Related Party		300
Commercial mortgage loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair Value		35,800		29,500
Reverse repurchase agreements		163,600		174,400
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	[2]	2,500		2,000
Affiliated Entity [Member] | Commercial mortgage loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	[2]			700
Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Warehouse facility, monetary amount		$ 5,000
Interest rate		15.00%
Advances made under warehouse facility		$ 0		0
Related Party-Consumer Loans Titled in Name of Related Party
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		54,000		47,900
Purchasing Entity
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		193,500		185,400
Consumer loans purchased through affiliate		48,100	$ 43,600
Estimated remaining contingent purchase obligations		116,100		287,100
Related party trust - Residential Mortgage Loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		360,400		304,800
Non-controlling interest of joint venture partner | Unrelated third party joint venture interest | Commercial mortgage loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Non-controlling interests		3,500		3,600
Non-controlling interest of joint venture partner | Related party joint venture interest | Commercial mortgage loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Non-controlling interests		7,000		7,000
Mortgage-related Commercial | Corporate equity securities
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair Value		17,700		17,300
Jepson Holdings Limited
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		1,000		1,900
Corporate loan [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		6,114		18,415
Corporate loan [Member] | Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance				12,500
Long
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)		1,481,395		2,449,941
Long | Non-Agency RMBS
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)		159,232		163,136
Loan receivable from affiliated entity related to warehouse facility
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Other assets		3,900		8,100
Participation in multi-borrower financing facility
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Outstanding debt of related party		$ 340,500		$ 350,600
Note Purchase Agreement May 2019 [Member] | Corporate loan [Member] | Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment Interest Rate		15.00%
Note Purchase Agreement May 2019 [Member] | Maximum | Corporate loan [Member] | Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Note Agreement, Lending Amount Per Agreement		$ 5,000
Note Purchase Agreement July 2019 [Member] | Corporate loan [Member] | Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment Interest Rate		18.00%
Note Purchase Agreement July 2019 [Member] | Maximum | Corporate loan [Member] | Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Note Agreement, Lending Amount Per Agreement		$ 5,000
Note Purchase Agreement December 2019 [Member] | Maximum | Corporate loan [Member] | Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Note Agreement, Lending Amount Per Agreement		$ 2,500

[1] See Note 13 for further details on management fee rebates.

[2] Ellington Financial Inc.'s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet includes assets and liabilities of variable interest entities it has consolidated. See Note 9 for additional details on Ellington Financial Inc.'s consolidated variable interest entities.