BEIJING, July 15 (Reuters) - Real estate investment in China rose 15% in January-June from the same period a year earlier, official data showed on Thursday, slowing from 18.3% growth in the first five months of the year. Property sales by floor area increased 27.7% in the first six months, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed, versus a rise of 36.3% in the first five months of the year. New construction starts measured by floor area rose 3.8% from a year earlier, compared with 6.9% growth in the first five months. Funds raised by China’s property developers grew 23.5%, moderating from an increase of 29.9% in the first five months. Reporting by Liangping Gao and Ryan Woo; Editing by Sam Holmes Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.