Segment Information - Supplemental Information by Segment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Mar. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Real estate securities	[1]	$ 243,346	$ 240,475
Home equity investments		416,783	403,462
Other investments	[1]	381,690	390,938
Goodwill	[1]	23,373	23,373
Intangible assets		37,784	40,892
Total Assets	[1]	13,121,286	13,030,899
Residential loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		5,492,858	5,613,188
Business purpose loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		5,364,649	5,332,586
Consolidated Agency multifamily loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		426,599	424,551
Operating Segments | Residential Mortgage Banking
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Real estate securities		1,700	0
Home equity investments		0	0
Other investments		0	0
Goodwill		0	0
Intangible assets		0	0
Total Assets		43,095	660,916
Operating Segments | Residential Mortgage Banking | Residential loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		26,975	628,160
Operating Segments | Residential Mortgage Banking | Business purpose loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0	0
Operating Segments | Residential Mortgage Banking | Consolidated Agency multifamily loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0	0
Operating Segments | Business Purpose Mortgage Banking
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Real estate securities		0	0
Home equity investments		0	0
Other investments		0	0
Goodwill		23,373	23,373
Intangible assets		37,784	40,892
Total Assets		469,959	487,159
Operating Segments | Business Purpose Mortgage Banking | Residential loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0	0
Operating Segments | Business Purpose Mortgage Banking | Business purpose loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		371,385	364,073
Operating Segments | Business Purpose Mortgage Banking | Consolidated Agency multifamily loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0	0
Operating Segments | Investment Portfolio
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Real estate securities		241,646	240,475
Home equity investments		416,783	403,462
Other investments		324,293	334,420
Goodwill		0	0
Intangible assets		0	0
Total Assets		11,898,454	11,303,991
Operating Segments | Investment Portfolio | Residential loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		5,295,883	4,800,096
Operating Segments | Investment Portfolio | Business purpose loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		4,993,264	4,968,513
Operating Segments | Investment Portfolio | Consolidated Agency multifamily loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		426,599	424,551
Corporate/ Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Real estate securities		0	0
Home equity investments		0	0
Other investments		57,397	56,518
Goodwill		0	0
Intangible assets		0	0
Total Assets		709,778	578,833
Corporate/ Other | Residential loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		170,000	184,932
Corporate/ Other | Business purpose loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0	0
Corporate/ Other | Consolidated Agency multifamily loans
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		$ 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, 2023 and December 31, 2022, assets of consolidated VIEs totaled $9,836,956 and $9,257,291, respectively. At March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, liabilities of consolidated VIEs totaled $8,729,585 and $8,270,276, respectively. See Note 4 for further discussion.