Related Party Transactions (Details)		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2021 USD ($)		Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($) numberOfWarrants period		Sep. 30, 2021 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) numberOfWarrants
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Annual base management fee percentage					1.50%
Base management fee to affiliate		$ 3,950,000	$ 3,675,000	[1]	$ 12,206,000	[1]	$ 10,308,000	[1]
Base management fee, gross		4,400,000	4,100,000		13,900,000		11,100,000
Management Fee Expense, Rebates		444,000	395,000		$ 1,705,000		784,000	[1]
Incentive fee rate					25.00%
Incentive Fee, Loss Carryforward		108,400,000			$ 108,400,000				$ 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					$ 12,300,000		8,700,000
Real estate owned	[2],[3]	20,738,000			20,738,000				24,681,000
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)	[2],[3]	1,522,772,000			1,522,772,000				2,087,360,000
Non-controlling interests	[2]	25,323,000			25,323,000				32,235,000
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	[2]	8,650,000			8,650,000				22,098,000
Reverse repurchase agreements		2,895,019,000			2,895,019,000				2,469,763,000
Other assets	[2]	5,215,000			5,215,000				3,710,000
Unpaid Principal Balance		4,073,065,000			4,073,065,000				2,366,724,000
Related Party Transaction, Purchases from Related Party		2,300,000			7,300,000		5,500,000
Securities Collateral relating to Reverse Repurchase Agreements		3,400,000,000			3,400,000,000				2,800,000,000
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		(81,000)	(2,009,000)		(14,867,000)		3,149,000
Loans, at fair value	[2],[3]	3,822,895,000			3,822,895,000				2,415,321,000
Incentive Fee Expense		0	5,255,000		0		12,412,000
Earnings (losses) from investments in unconsolidated entities		(25,513,000)	2,549,000		(54,284,000)		27,786,000
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments					15,254,000		9,171,000
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value	[2]	171,379,000			171,379,000				195,643,000
Jepson Holdings Limited
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		600,000			600,000				1,000,000
Commercial mortgage loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Reverse repurchase agreements		322,900,000			322,900,000				150,500,000
Fair Value		16,300,000			16,300,000				34,000,000
Long
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		1,522,772,000			1,522,772,000				2,087,360,000
Corporate loan [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		3,534,000			3,534,000				10,531,000
Loans, at fair value		3,534,000			3,534,000				10,531,000
Non-Agency RMBS | Long
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		193,299,000			193,299,000				201,605,000
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	[2]	3,800,000			3,800,000				3,700,000
Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Warehouse facility, monetary amount		$ 5,000,000			$ 5,000,000
Interest rate		15.00%			15.00%
Advances made under warehouse facility		$ 0			$ 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		5,900,000			5,900,000				$ 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		75,600,000			75,600,000				72,800,000
Purchasing Entity
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		5,600,000			5,600,000				61,700,000
Consumer loans purchased through affiliate					10,000,000		$ 25,000,000
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		1,587,000,000			$ 1,587,000,000				$ 975,700,000
Mortgage loan originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Termination of warrants | numberOfWarrants					1,049,000
Mortgage loan originator | Equity Method Investee | Secured promissory note converted to equity
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Earnings (losses) from investments in unconsolidated entities		$ (1,300,000)			$ (4,800,000)
Outstanding debt converted to equity					2,000,000
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments					$ 150,000
Equity Method Investee | Corporate loan [Member] | Promissory note to equity method investee, effective date March 2022
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Management Fee Expense, Rebates			$ 400,000
Investment Interest Rate		7.00%			7.00%				0.00%
Unpaid Principal Balance		$ 425,000			$ 425,000				$ 0
Loans, at fair value		425,000			425,000				0
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		1,300,000			1,300,000				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		2,000,000			2,000,000				3,600,000
Participation in multi-borrower financing facility
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Outstanding debt of related party		935,300,000			935,300,000				566,000,000
Warehouse facilities - CLO securitizations
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		$ 500,000			500,000				$ 1,700,000
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.