CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY - USD ($)	Preferred Stock 8.25% Series A preferred stock	Preferred Stock 7.75% Series B preferred stock	Preferred Stock 8.50% Series C preferred stock	Preferred Stock Private REIT preferred stock	Preferred Stock	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated Deficit Private REIT preferred stock	Accumulated Deficit	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Total Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. Stockholders' Equity 8.25% Series A preferred stock	Total Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. Stockholders' Equity 7.75% Series B preferred stock	Total Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. Stockholders' Equity 8.50% Series C preferred stock	Total Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. Stockholders' Equity Private REIT preferred stock	Total Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. Stockholders' Equity	Non-controlling Interest	8.25% Series A preferred stock	7.75% Series B preferred stock	8.50% Series C preferred stock	Private REIT preferred stock	Total
Balance at Dec. 31, 2012						$ 312,493	$ 476,136,813		$ (207,558,257)	$ (39,561,700)					$ 229,329,349	$ 1,931,773					$ 231,261,122
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2012						31,249,225
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Issuance of common stock						$ 176,250	129,184,501								129,360,751						129,360,751
Issuance of common stock (in shares)						17,625,000
Issuance of preferred stock	$ 37,315,694	$ 30,338,961									$ 37,315,694	$ 30,338,961					$ 37,315,694	$ 30,338,961
Issuance of preferred stock (in shares)	1,551,500	1,260,000
Stock-based compensation						$ 2,627	1,597,515								1,600,142						1,600,142
Stock-based compensation (in shares)						262,750
Forfeiture of unvested restricted stock						$ (7)	7
Forfeiture of unvested restricted stock (in shares)						(667)
Distributions - common stock									(21,326,517)						(21,326,517)						(21,326,517)
Distributions - preferred stock				$ (14,500)				$ (14,500)	(4,506,583)					$ (14,500)	(4,506,583)					$ (14,500)	(4,506,583)
Net income									21,174,538						21,174,538	124,199					21,298,737
Decrease in non-controlling interest																$ (2,055,972)					(2,055,972)
Unrealized gain (loss) on securities available-for-sale, net										382,130					382,130						382,130
Net unrealized gain on securities transferred to available-for-sale from held-to-maturity										431,476					431,476						431,476
Reclassification of unrealized gain on securities available-for-sale realized into earnings										(100,000)					(100,000)						(100,000)
Unrealized loss on derivative financial instruments, net										(520,195)					(520,195)						(520,195)
Reclassification of net realized loss on derivatives designated as cash flow hedges into earnings										14,131,036					14,131,036						14,131,036
Balance at Dec. 31, 2013					$ 67,654,655	$ 491,363	606,918,836		(212,231,319)	(25,237,253)					437,596,282						437,596,282
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013					2,811,500	49,136,308
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Issuance of common stock						$ 10,000	6,504,000								6,514,000						6,514,000
Issuance of common stock (in shares)						1,000,000
Cancellation of warrants							(2,602,500)								(2,602,500)						(2,602,500)
Issuance of preferred stock			$ 21,641,250										$ 21,641,250						$ 21,641,250
Issuance of preferred stock (in shares)			900,000
Stock-based compensation						$ 3,410	1,986,029								1,989,439						1,989,439
Stock-based compensation (in shares)						341,000
Distributions - common stock									(26,029,540)						(26,029,540)						(26,029,540)
Distributions - preferred stock				(14,698)				(14,698)	(7,256,255)					(14,698)	(7,256,255)					(14,698)	(7,256,255)
Net income									93,048,490						93,048,490						93,048,490
Unrealized gain (loss) on securities available-for-sale, net										(335,157)					(335,157)						(335,157)
Reclassification of unrealized gain on securities available-for-sale realized into earnings										(431,476)					(431,476)						(431,476)
Unrealized loss on derivative financial instruments, net										(1,318,318)					(1,318,318)						(1,318,318)
Reclassification of net realized loss on derivatives designated as cash flow hedges into earnings										12,653,954					12,653,954						12,653,954
Balance at Dec. 31, 2014					$ 89,295,905	$ 504,773	612,806,365		(152,483,322)	(14,668,250)					535,455,471						535,455,471
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014					3,711,500	50,477,308
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Stock-based compensation						$ 4,861	3,437,822								3,442,683						3,442,683
Stock-based compensation (in shares)						486,124
Forfeiture of unvested restricted stock						$ (9)	9
Forfeiture of unvested restricted stock (in shares)						(916)
Distributions - common stock									(29,495,314)						(29,495,314)						(29,495,314)
Distributions - preferred stock				$ (14,459)				$ (14,459)	(7,553,720)					$ (14,459)	(7,553,720)					$ (14,459)	(7,553,720)
Net income									53,428,814						53,428,814						53,428,814
Unrealized gain (loss) on securities available-for-sale, net										70,605					70,605						70,605
Unrealized loss on derivative financial instruments, net										(1,018,587)					(1,018,587)						(1,018,587)
Reclassification of net realized loss on derivatives designated as cash flow hedges into loss on termination of swaps										4,626,192					4,626,192						4,626,192
Reclassification of net realized loss on derivatives designated as cash flow hedges into earnings										6,149,090					6,149,090						6,149,090
Balance at Dec. 31, 2015					$ 89,295,905	$ 509,625	$ 616,244,196		$ (136,118,001)	$ (4,840,950)					$ 565,090,775						$ 565,090,775
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015					3,711,500	50,962,516