Related Party Transactions (Details) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)		Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($) numberOfWarrants period	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Annual base management fee percentage					1.50%
Base management fee to affiliate	[1]	$ 2,981	$ 1,942		$ 8,330	$ 5,324
Base management fee, gross		3,200	2,400		9,200	6,800
Management Fee Expense, Rebates		201	503	[1]	$ 853	1,458	[1]
Incentive fee rate					25.00%
Incentive Fee, Loss Carryforward		46,300			$ 46,300			$ 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					$ 7,400	8,200
Real estate owned	[2]	24,794			24,794			30,584
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value	[2]	95,803			95,803			71,850
Securities, at fair value(1)	[2]	1,451,420			1,451,420			2,449,941
Non-controlling interests	[2]	37,147			37,147			39,434
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	[2]	11,119			11,119			7,753
Reverse repurchase agreements		1,439,984			1,439,984			2,445,300
Other assets	[2]	2,850			2,850			7,563
Unpaid Principal Balance		1,414,410			1,414,410			1,387,733
Related Party Transaction, Purchases from Related Party			$ 6,800		1,600	6,800
Commercial mortgage loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair Value		33,600			33,600			29,500
Reverse repurchase agreements		135,900			135,900			174,400
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	[2]	2,400			2,400			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
Loans purchased under commitment agreement					$ 150,000
Number of warrants purchased under commitment agreement | numberOfWarrants					9,329,000
Mortgage Originator | Warrants
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		2,800			$ 2,800
Related Party-Consumer Loans Titled in Name of Related Party
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		46,900			46,900			47,900
Purchasing Entity
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		151,700			151,700			185,400
Consumer loans purchased through affiliate					84,700	$ 72,400
Estimated remaining contingent purchase obligations		77,100			77,100			287,100
Related party trust - Residential Mortgage Loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		272,400			272,400			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		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		8,900			8,900			7,000
Mortgage-related Commercial | Corporate equity securities
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair Value		30,400			30,400			17,300
Jepson Holdings Limited
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		1,700			1,700			1,900
Corporate loan [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		7,063			7,063			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)		1,451,420			1,451,420			2,449,941
Long | Non-Agency RMBS
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)		209,550			209,550			163,136
Loan receivable from affiliated entity related to warehouse facility
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Other assets		5,400			5,400			8,100
Participation in multi-borrower financing facility
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Outstanding debt of related party		$ 258,000			258,000			$ 350,600
Maximum | Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Commitment to purchase loans					$ 150,000
Number of warrants available for purchase under commitment agreement | numberOfWarrants					9,329,000
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.