Principles of Consolidation - Schedule of Assets and Liabilities of Consolidated VIEs (Details) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2024 USD ($) Investment securitization_entity		Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) Investment		Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total Home Equity Investments	[1]	$ 589,785		$ 550,436
Other investments	[1]	375,806		343,930
Cash and cash equivalents		245,165	[1]	293,104	[1]	$ 259,000
Accrued interest receivable		115,832		69,072
Other assets	[1]	415,717		379,571
Total Assets		18,258,344	[1]	14,504,327	[1]	$ 13,030,899
Debt Obligations	[1]	3,462,880		3,239,123
Accrued interest payable		70,988		52,755
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	[1]	313,737		216,803
Asset-backed securities issued	[1]	13,270,204		9,811,880
Total Liabilities	[1]	$ 17,070,481		13,301,634
Securitization entity | securitization_entity		2
Total Fair Value		$ 211,474		87,373
Term at CAFL
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of securities owned		326,000		323,000
CAFL Bridge Loan Securitization
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of securities owned		29,000		22,000
Freddie Mac SLST Securitization Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of securities owned		242,000		274,000
Consolidated Sequoia Securitizations
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of securities owned		418,000
Total Fair Value		184,000
Sequoia Re-securitization Trust
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total Fair Value		79,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total Assets		14,654,942		10,988,885
Total Liabilities		13,620,239		10,096,308
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total Home Equity Investments		332,470		305,717
Other investments		262,353		257,489
Cash and cash equivalents		13,243		9,482
Restricted cash		31,036		44,905
Accrued interest receivable		71,334		47,798
Other assets		68,176		24,443
Total Assets		14,654,942		10,988,885
Debt Obligations		159,031		153,653
Accrued interest payable		52,141		33,932
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		138,863		96,843
Asset-backed securities issued		13,270,204		9,811,880
Total Liabilities		13,620,239		10,096,308
Value of our investments in VIEs		$ 1,025,744		$ 885,770
Number of VIEs | Investment		84		72
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Residential consumer loans, held-for-investment | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		$ 10,064,276		$ 6,139,445
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Residential investor loans, held-for-investment | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		3,308,172		3,734,321
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Consolidated Agency multifamily loans | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		424,597		425,285
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Real estate securities | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		79,285
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Sequoia Choice Securitization Entities | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total Home Equity Investments		0		0
Other investments		0		0
Cash and cash equivalents		0		0
Restricted cash		248		163
Accrued interest receivable		43,503		20,029
Other assets		7		0
Total Assets		8,942,597		4,800,395
Debt Obligations		0		0
Accrued interest payable		37,191		16,293
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		103		0
Asset-backed securities issued		8,585,077		4,568,660
Total Liabilities		8,622,371		4,584,953
Value of our investments in VIEs		$ 313,833		$ 211,638
Number of VIEs | Investment		54		42
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Sequoia Choice Securitization Entities | Residential consumer loans, held-for-investment | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		$ 8,819,554		$ 4,780,203
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Sequoia Choice Securitization Entities | Residential investor loans, held-for-investment | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0		0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Sequoia Choice Securitization Entities | Consolidated Agency multifamily loans | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0		0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Sequoia Choice Securitization Entities | Real estate securities | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		79,285
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Term at CAFL | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total Home Equity Investments		0		0
Other investments		0		0
Cash and cash equivalents		0		0
Restricted cash		22,385		33,921
Accrued interest receivable		19,998		20,806
Other assets		60,859		14,886
Total Assets		3,411,414		3,803,934
Debt Obligations		0		0
Accrued interest payable		9,410		11,537
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		28,672		2,734
Asset-backed securities issued		2,932,749		3,362,978
Total Liabilities		2,970,831		3,377,249
Value of our investments in VIEs		$ 438,590		$ 424,136
Number of VIEs | Investment		21		21
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Term at CAFL | Residential consumer loans, held-for-investment | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		$ 0		$ 0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Term at CAFL | Residential investor loans, held-for-investment | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		3,308,172		3,734,321
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Term at CAFL | Consolidated Agency multifamily loans | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0		0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Term at CAFL | Real estate securities | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Freddie Mac SLST Securitization Entities | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total Home Equity Investments		0		0
Other investments		0		0
Cash and cash equivalents		0		0
Restricted cash		0		0
Accrued interest receivable		4,510		4,821
Other assets		2,987		3,158
Total Assets		1,252,219		1,367,221
Debt Obligations		0		0
Accrued interest payable		4,062		4,496
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		0		0
Asset-backed securities issued		1,151,847		1,265,777
Total Liabilities		1,155,909		1,270,273
Value of our investments in VIEs		$ 95,863		$ 96,623
Number of VIEs | Investment		3		3
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Freddie Mac SLST Securitization Entities | Residential consumer loans, held-for-investment | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		$ 1,244,722		$ 1,359,242
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Freddie Mac SLST Securitization Entities | Residential investor loans, held-for-investment | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0		0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Freddie Mac SLST Securitization Entities | Consolidated Agency multifamily loans | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0		0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Freddie Mac SLST Securitization Entities | Real estate securities | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Freddie Mac K-Series Securitization Entities | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total Home Equity Investments		0		0
Other investments		0		0
Cash and cash equivalents		0		0
Restricted cash		0		0
Accrued interest receivable		1,245		1,320
Other assets		0		0
Total Assets		425,842		426,605
Debt Obligations		0		0
Accrued interest payable		1,119		1,190
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		0		0
Asset-backed securities issued		389,434		391,977
Total Liabilities		390,553		393,167
Value of our investments in VIEs		$ 35,163		$ 33,308
Number of VIEs | Investment		1		1
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Freddie Mac K-Series Securitization Entities | Residential consumer loans, held-for-investment | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		$ 0		$ 0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Freddie Mac K-Series Securitization Entities | Residential investor loans, held-for-investment | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0		0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Freddie Mac K-Series Securitization Entities | Consolidated Agency multifamily loans | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		424,597		425,285
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Freddie Mac K-Series Securitization Entities | Real estate securities | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Servicing Investment | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total Home Equity Investments		0		0
Other investments		262,353		257,489
Cash and cash equivalents		13,243		9,482
Restricted cash		0		0
Accrued interest receivable		2,078		822
Other assets		3,870		6,337
Total Assets		281,544		274,130
Debt Obligations		159,031		153,653
Accrued interest payable		359		416
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		27,167		34,357
Asset-backed securities issued		0		0
Total Liabilities		186,557		188,426
Value of our investments in VIEs		$ 94,987		$ 85,704
Number of VIEs | Investment		3		3
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Servicing Investment | Residential consumer loans, held-for-investment | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		$ 0		$ 0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Servicing Investment | Residential investor loans, held-for-investment | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0		0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Servicing Investment | Consolidated Agency multifamily loans | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0		0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Servicing Investment | Real estate securities | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Point HEI | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total Home Equity Investments		332,470		305,717
Other investments		0		0
Cash and cash equivalents		0		0
Restricted cash		8,403		10,821
Accrued interest receivable		0		0
Other assets		453		62
Total Assets		341,326		316,600
Debt Obligations		0		0
Accrued interest payable		0		0
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		82,921		59,752
Asset-backed securities issued		211,097		222,488
Total Liabilities		294,018		282,240
Value of our investments in VIEs		$ 47,308		$ 34,361
Number of VIEs | Investment		2		2
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Point HEI | Residential consumer loans, held-for-investment | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		$ 0		$ 0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Point HEI | Residential investor loans, held-for-investment | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0		0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Point HEI | Consolidated Agency multifamily loans | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0		$ 0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Point HEI | Real estate securities | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		$ 0

[1] Our consolidated balance sheets include assets of 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 December 31, 2024 and 2023, assets of consolidated VIEs totaled $14,654,942 and $10,988,885, respectively. At December 31, 2024 and 2023, liabilities of consolidated VIEs totaled $13,620,239 and $10,096,308, respectively. See Note 15 for further discussion.