Principles of Consolidation - Schedule of Assets and Liabilities of Consolidated VIEs (Details) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2026 USD ($) Investment securitization		Mar. 31, 2026 USD ($) Investment securitization_entity		Dec. 31, 2025 USD ($) tranche Investment securitization		Mar. 31, 2025 USD ($)
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Home equity investments	[1]	$ 341,101		$ 341,101		$ 329,883
Other investments	[1]	106,728		106,728		101,958
Cash and cash equivalents		202,414	[1]	202,414	[1]	255,664	[1]	$ 259,918
Accrued interest receivable		143,415		143,415		130,955
Other assets	[1]	508,504		508,504		413,522
Total Assets		26,815,797	[1]	26,815,797	[1]	23,701,114	[1]	$ 19,871,775
Accrued interest payable		102,385		102,385		81,851
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	[1]	417,662		417,662		398,935
Asset-backed securities issued	[1]	20,417,812		20,417,812		17,492,031
Total liabilities	[1]	$ 25,859,086		25,859,086		22,718,498
Securitization entity | securitization		4
AFS		$ 294,250		294,250		$ 287,557
Residential investor term loans held by CAFL
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Securitization entity | tranche						2
Fair value of securities owned		$ 316,000		$ 316,000		$ 330,000
Sequoia Re-securitization Trust
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Securitization entity		3		3		3
AFS		$ 174,000		$ 174,000		$ 165,000
Consolidated Sequoia Securitizations
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of securities owned		1,000,000		1,000,000		722,000
AFS		444,000		444,000		417,000
At consolidated CAFL Bridge entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of securities owned		66,000		66,000		50,000
VIEs
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total Assets		22,076,415		22,076,415		18,927,094
Total liabilities		20,784,429		20,784,429		17,850,175
VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Home equity investments		196,032		196,032		191,121
Other investments		256,639		256,639		265,771
Cash and cash equivalents		25,635		25,635		32,408
Restricted cash		54,558		54,558		167,742
Accrued interest receivable		115,278		115,278		99,118
Other assets		103,580		103,580		58,785
Total Assets		22,076,415		22,076,415		18,927,094
Debt Obligations		134,972		134,972		152,293
Accrued interest payable		78,920		78,920		64,996
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		152,725		152,725		140,855
Asset-backed securities issued		20,417,812		20,417,812		17,492,031
Total liabilities		20,784,429		20,784,429		17,850,175
Value of our investments in VIEs		$ 1,272,018		$ 1,272,018		$ 1,058,824
Number of VIEs | Investment		105		105		99
Residential consumer loans, held-for-investment | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		$ 18,236,463		$ 18,236,463		$ 14,843,746
Residential investor loans, held-for-investment | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		2,913,979		2,913,979		3,103,311
Real estate securities | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		174,251		174,251		165,092
Sequoia | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Home equity investments		0		0		0
Other investments		0		0		0
Cash and cash equivalents		0		0		0
Restricted cash		435		435		266
Accrued interest receivable		87,201		87,201		73,864
Other assets		3,809		3,809		1,984
Total Assets		18,502,159		18,502,159		15,084,952
Debt Obligations		0		0		0
Accrued interest payable		68,806		68,806		57,525
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		103		103		121
Asset-backed securities issued		17,680,048		17,680,048		14,540,397
Total liabilities		17,748,957		17,748,957		14,598,043
Value of our investments in VIEs		$ 734,731		$ 734,731		$ 470,496
Number of VIEs | Investment		80		80		72
Sequoia | Residential consumer loans, held-for-investment | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		$ 18,236,463		$ 18,236,463		$ 14,843,746
Sequoia | Residential investor loans, held-for-investment | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0		0		0
Sequoia | Real estate securities | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		174,251		174,251		165,092
Residential investor term loans held by CAFL | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Home equity investments		0		0		0
Other investments		0		0		0
Cash and cash equivalents		0		0		0
Restricted cash		48,719		48,719		161,780
Accrued interest receivable		26,189		26,189		23,330
Other assets		97,757		97,757		54,667
Total Assets		3,086,644		3,086,644		3,343,088
Debt Obligations		0		0		0
Accrued interest payable		9,839		9,839		7,210
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		66,813		66,813		57,301
Asset-backed securities issued		2,610,837		2,610,837		2,824,159
Total liabilities		2,687,489		2,687,489		2,888,670
Value of our investments in VIEs		$ 397,658		$ 397,658		$ 452,736
Number of VIEs | Investment		21		21		23
Residential investor term loans held by CAFL | Residential consumer loans, held-for-investment | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0
Residential investor term loans held by CAFL | Residential investor loans, held-for-investment | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		2,913,979		2,913,979		3,103,311
Residential investor term loans held by CAFL | Real estate securities | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0		0		0
Servicing Investment | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Home equity investments		0		0		0
Other investments		256,639		256,639		265,771
Cash and cash equivalents		25,635		25,635		32,408
Restricted cash		0		0		0
Accrued interest receivable		1,888		1,888		1,924
Other assets		1,700		1,700		1,833
Total Assets		285,862		285,862		301,936
Debt Obligations		134,972		134,972		152,293
Accrued interest payable		275		275		261
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		38,338		38,338		39,248
Asset-backed securities issued		0		0		0
Total liabilities		173,585		173,585		191,802
Value of our investments in VIEs		$ 112,277		$ 112,277		$ 110,134
Number of VIEs | Investment		3		3		3
Servicing Investment | Residential consumer loans, held-for-investment | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0
Servicing Investment | Residential investor loans, held-for-investment | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0		0		0
Servicing Investment | Real estate securities | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0		0		0
HEI | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Home equity investments		196,032		196,032		191,121
Other investments		0		0		0
Cash and cash equivalents		0		0		0
Restricted cash		5,404		5,404		5,696
Accrued interest receivable		0		0		0
Other assets		314		314		301
Total Assets		201,750		201,750		197,118
Debt Obligations		0		0		0
Accrued interest payable		0		0		0
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		47,471		47,471		44,185
Asset-backed securities issued		126,927		126,927		127,475
Total liabilities		174,398		174,398		171,660
Value of our investments in VIEs		$ 27,352		$ 27,352		$ 25,458
Number of VIEs | Investment		1		1		1
HEI | Residential consumer loans, held-for-investment | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0
HEI | Residential investor loans, held-for-investment | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		0		0		0
HEI | Real estate securities | VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Fair value of loans		$ 0		$ 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, 2026 and December 31, 2025, assets of consolidated VIEs totaled $22,076,415 and $18,927,094, respectively. At March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, liabilities of consolidated VIEs totaled $20,784,429 and $17,850,175, respectively. See Note 16 for further discussion.