Related Party Transactions (Details)		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2022 USD ($) numberOfWarrants period	Mar. 31, 2021 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) numberOfWarrants
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Annual base management fee percentage		1.50%
Base management fee to affiliate	[1]	$ 4,266,000	$ 3,277,000
Base management fee, gross		4,900,000	3,500,000
Management Fee Expense, Rebates		$ 657,000	194,000	[1]
Incentive fee rate		25.00%
Incentive Fee, Loss Carryforward		$ 9,700,000			$ 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		$ 5,700,000	4,100,000
Real estate owned	[2],[3]	24,533,000			24,681,000
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value	[2]	219,303,000			195,643,000
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)	[2],[3]	1,877,529,000			2,087,360,000
Non-controlling interests	[2]	28,858,000			32,235,000
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	[2]	15,061,000			22,098,000
Reverse repurchase agreements		2,717,638,000			2,469,763,000
Other assets	[2]	3,959,000			3,710,000
Unpaid Principal Balance		2,904,894,000			2,366,724,000
Related Party Transaction, Purchases from Related Party		1,100,000	2,300,000
Securities Collateral relating to Reverse Repurchase Agreements		3,100,000,000			2,800,000,000
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		(6,960,000)	2,017,000
Loans, at fair value	[2],[3]	2,884,627,000			2,415,321,000
Incentive Fee Expense		0	0
Commercial mortgage loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Reverse repurchase agreements		229,300,000			150,500,000
Fair Value		16,000,000			34,000,000
Long
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		1,877,529,000			2,087,360,000
Corporate loan [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		11,788,000			10,531,000
Loans, at fair value		11,788,000			10,531,000
Non-Agency RMBS | Long
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		190,416,000			201,605,000
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	[2]	4,000,000			3,700,000
Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Warehouse facility, monetary amount		$ 5,000,000
Interest rate		15.00%
Advances made under warehouse facility		$ 0			$ 0
Mortgage Originator | Warrants
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Derivative, Number of Instruments Held | numberOfWarrants					8,280,000
Mortgage Originator | Warrants
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		9,100,000			$ 10,000,000
Related Party-Consumer Loans Titled in Name of Related Party
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		76,500,000			72,800,000
Purchasing Entity
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		9,300,000			61,700,000
Consumer loans purchased through affiliate		10,000,000	$ 11,900,000
Estimated remaining contingent purchase obligations					13,400,000
Related party trust - Residential Mortgage Loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		$ 1,117,000,000			975,700,000
Mortgage loan originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Termination of warrants | numberOfWarrants		1,049,000
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		$ 1,200,000			2,000,000
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		1,900,000			3,600,000
Jepson Holdings Limited
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		1,000,000			1,000,000.0
Loan receivable from affiliated entity related to warehouse facility
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Other assets		600,000			1,700,000
Participation in multi-borrower financing facility
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Outstanding debt of related party		837,600,000			$ 566,000,000
Maximum | Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Commitment to purchase loans		$ 150,000,000
Maximum | Mortgage loan originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of warrants available for purchase under commitment agreement | numberOfWarrants		9,329,000

[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.

[3] Includes assets pledged as collateral to counterparties. See Note 11 for additional details on the Company's borrowings and related collateral.