Related Party Transactions (Details) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($) period	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Annual base management fee percentage				1.50%
Base management fee to affiliate	[1]	$ 2,906	$ 1,661	$ 5,349	$ 3,383
Base management fee, gross		3,000	2,200	6,000	4,400
Management Fee Expense, Rebates	[1]	100	$ 500	$ 700	955
Incentive fee rate				25.00%
Incentive Fee, Loss Carryforward		93,300		$ 93,300		$ 0
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				$ 5,800	6,000
Real estate owned	[2]	24,044		24,044		30,584
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value	[2]	72,553		72,553		71,850
Securities, at fair value(1)	[2]	1,396,008		1,396,008		2,449,941
Non-controlling interests	[2]	36,783		36,783		39,434
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	[2]	7,730		7,730		7,753
Reverse repurchase agreements		1,294,549		1,294,549		2,445,300
Other assets	[2]	3,276		3,276		7,563
Unpaid Principal Balance		1,402,045		1,402,045		1,387,733
Related Party Transaction, Purchases from Related Party				1,600
Commercial mortgage loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair Value		33,000		33,000		29,500
Reverse repurchase agreements		149,000		149,000		174,400
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	[2]	1,700		1,700		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		$ 5,000
Interest rate		15.00%		15.00%
Advances made under warehouse facility		$ 0		$ 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		47,400		47,400		47,900
Purchasing Entity
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		165,600		165,600		185,400
Consumer loans purchased through affiliate				60,200	$ 51,500
Estimated remaining contingent purchase obligations		103,300		103,300		287,100
Related party trust - Residential Mortgage Loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		143,800		143,800		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		4,100		4,100		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		8,800		8,800		7,000
Mortgage-related Commercial | Corporate equity securities
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair Value		19,900		19,900		17,300
Jepson Holdings Limited
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		1,300		1,300		1,900
Corporate loan [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		6,687		6,687		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)		1,396,008		1,396,008		2,449,941
Long | Non-Agency RMBS
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)		197,039		197,039		163,136
Loan receivable from affiliated entity related to warehouse facility
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Other assets		5,000		5,000		8,100
Participation in multi-borrower financing facility
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Outstanding debt of related party		$ 297,000		$ 297,000		$ 350,600
Note Purchase Agreement May 2019 [Member] | Corporate loan [Member] | Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment Interest Rate		15.00%		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		$ 5,000
Note Purchase Agreement July 2019 [Member] | Corporate loan [Member] | Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment Interest Rate		18.00%		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		$ 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		$ 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.