Amount of borrowings outstanding under related party's MRA for which the Company has guaranteed repayment.

No definition available.

Name:	efc_Drawndownamountbeingguaranteed
Namespace Prefix:	efc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of unfunded commitment at period end.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	efc_Unfundedcommitment
Namespace Prefix:	efc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The current carrying amount of the liability for the freestanding or embedded guarantor's obligations under the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118943654&loc=d3e12069-110248

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted) the guarantor could be required to make under the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees before reduction for potential recoveries under recourse or collateralization provisions.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118943654&loc=d3e12069-110248

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This item represents a non-contingent liability for the fair value of an obligation to stand ready to perform over the term of a guaranty issued in the event that specified triggering events or conditions occur.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.15)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=119400593&loc=d3e572229-122910

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.15)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118943535&loc=d3e11019-110243

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118943535&loc=d3e11049-110243

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=efc_RelatedpartymortgageoriginatorwithflowmortgageloanpurchaseandsaleagreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_ResidentialMortgageMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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Commitments and Contingencies (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value			$ 1,000,000.0
Related party mortgage originator (with flow mortgage loan purchase and sale agreement) [Member] \| Non-Exchange Traded Equity Investment in Mortgage Originators [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Maximum guarantees	$ 25,000,000.0
Drawn down amount being guaranteed	5,300,000	$ 400,000	2,900,000
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value			0
Guaranty Liabilities			$ 25,000,000.0
Residential mortgage loans
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Unfunded commitment	4,700,000	5,200,000
Corporate loan [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Unfunded commitment	$ 100,000	$ 1,900,000