Segment Information - Supplemental Information by Segment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Real estate securities	[1]	$ 293,462	$ 1,099,874
Other investments	[1]	446,220	358,130
Goodwill and intangible assets	[1]	68,483	161,464
Total Assets	[1]	12,300,790	17,995,440
Residential loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		6,711,129	7,714,850
Business purpose residential loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		3,463,742	3,506,743
Multifamily loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		470,484	4,408,524
Operating Segments | Residential Lending
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Real estate securities		132,326	229,074
Other investments		23,616	42,224
Goodwill and intangible assets		0	0
Total Assets		4,639,181	5,410,540
Operating Segments | Residential Lending | Residential loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		4,263,327	4,939,745
Operating Segments | Residential Lending | Business purpose residential loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		0	0
Operating Segments | Residential Lending | Multifamily loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		0	0
Operating Segments | Business Purpose Lending
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Real estate securities		0
Other investments		26,877	21,002
Goodwill and intangible assets		68,483	161,464
Total Assets		3,675,336	3,786,641
Operating Segments | Business Purpose Lending | Residential loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		0	0
Operating Segments | Business Purpose Lending | Business purpose residential loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		3,463,742	3,506,743
Operating Segments | Business Purpose Lending | Multifamily loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		0
Operating Segments | Multifamily Investments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Real estate securities		26,487	404,128
Other investments		36,691	61,018
Goodwill and intangible assets		0	0
Total Assets		557,964	4,889,330
Operating Segments | Multifamily Investments | Residential loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		0	0
Operating Segments | Multifamily Investments | Business purpose residential loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		0	0
Operating Segments | Multifamily Investments | Multifamily loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		470,484	4,408,524
Operating Segments | Third-Party Residential Investments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Real estate securities		134,649	466,672
Other investments		359,036	233,886
Goodwill and intangible assets		0	0
Total Assets		2,735,677	3,139,616
Operating Segments | Third-Party Residential Investments | Residential loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		2,131,125	2,367,215
Operating Segments | Third-Party Residential Investments | Business purpose residential loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		0	0
Operating Segments | Third-Party Residential Investments | Multifamily loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		0	0
Corporate/ Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Real estate securities		0	0
Other investments		0	0
Goodwill and intangible assets		0	0
Total Assets		692,632	769,313
Corporate/ Other | Residential loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		316,677	407,890
Corporate/ Other | Business purpose residential loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		0	0
Corporate/ Other | Multifamily loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loans, at fair value		$ 0	$ 0

[1] Our consolidated balance sheets include assets of consolidated variable interest entities (“VIEs”) that can only be used to settle obligations of these VIEs and liabilities of consolidated VIEs for which creditors do not have recourse to Redwood Trust, Inc. or its affiliates. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, assets of consolidated VIEs totaled $7,470,706 and $11,931,869, respectively. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, liabilities of consolidated VIEs totaled $6,759,260 and $10,717,072, respectively. See Note 4 for further discussion.